Monday Mashup: Shows, shows and more shows.
I love showing rather than telling, and two of our shows this weekend can express themselves better than I could.
One of our patrons summed up Alpin Hong perfectly.
We’re happy that you’re happy.
And then, there was Ballroom with A Twist. I was expecting the dancers, but I didn’t know about the appearances of David Hernandez and Gina Glocksen, so I was surprised.
I took a bunch of video, but that would just take up space on the blog, so I’ve created a playlist here.
I wasn’t able to grab any video from Wyatt Earp, but I loved the show. Getting to hear about the early days of Arizona (especially as an Arizona native) made my day. If anyone has any pictures they’d like to share, throw them my way.
Phew, three shows, and that was just a weekend recap, so I’ll make this next one short. On Saturday night we’re hosting Lorrie Morgan and Pam Tillis as a part of their Grits and Glamour tour. I had not heard of Lorrie or Pam until last spring, and I’m ashamed of that. I like country as much as the next person, but there is just something about these two ladies that I can really connect to, and I enjoy listening to their music.
You can find out how to get tickets, as well as watch a video of them, here.
Weekend Preview: Good things come in fours
This is probably one of our busiest weekends of the year, and we have so much to get through in today’s Weekend Preview
Ready. Set. Go.
- Tonight we’re starting it off with Alpin Hong at 8pm. Alpin is a classically trained pianist with a passion for education. He was kind enough to spend the entire week with students from CHS, fine tuning their music skills and then giving them an outlet to show off their skills at a performance with him this morning. When you come to his show tonight, expect to hear some classic and contemporary pieces, but also expect to hear what makes those pieces so unique and what the composure was trying to get across to the audience. Tickets are $15 and you won’t regret it.
- Just when you think it’s safe to sleep in on a Saturday morning, we’re coming at you bright and early with Awesome 80s Prom Auditions. We’re still looking for talent, so even if you haven’t acted before, or aren’t sure you can pull off a 1980s Valley Girl, you should still come down and give it a shot. Details are here, and if you miss me this afternoon (after 2pm) show up at the Center tomorrow at 10am and I’ll make it work. (Bring a head shot and resume, and prepare a monologue from a 1980s movie.)
- After auditions, we’re running straight into Ballroom With A Twist, and we’re bringing in our very own ballroom dancers before the show, so really you’re getting two performances for the price of one. If you don’t think you’re interested in dance, or aren’t a Dancing With The Stars fan, don’t worry. Not only will there be dancing, but we have a few extra perks tucked up our sleeve. You can snag tickets here, but make sure you do it quickly.
- Take a breath, but then dive back in on Sunday with Wyatt Earp: Life on the Frontier. This is one that I’ve been looking forward to for months. I love Arizona history and anything related to the O.K. Corral, so getting to see it told by a relative of Wyatt Earp is probably going to be the best to spend a Sunday afternoon. Tickets? Get them here.
Who needs sleep when you work at an arts center? Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to set up base camp and my sleeping bag.
Monday Mashup the Finale: Wyatt Earp
I’m dead serious when I say Wyatt Earp is coming here on Sunday.
Wyatt Earp the lawman who gained fame and notoriety from the Tombstone shootout at the O.K. Corral died, and unfortunately we couldn’t get his ghost to sign a contract to perform here.
So we got his descendent, also named Wyatt Earp, to stop by on Sunday and give our audiences a look at what life was like back in the days of Wyatt Earp v. 1.0.
Wyatt Earp v. 2.0 will perform a one man show about life on the frontier, and also give us a glimpse at the Wyatt Earp v. 1.o that he didn’t show for the world to see.
Growing up in Arizona, I can remember reenacting the shootout at the O.K. Corral for school plays, parades and just for fun,* so I can’t wait to see someone who actually gets paid to do something that cool.
Oh, and he’s asked me (shouted, more like) to say that he’s coming on Sunday at 3pm, and he’s bringing a something special.
*I was always cast as Doc Holliday. I still don’t know how I feel about that.
*And no, I will not be your Huckleberry. I had one guy ask me that and I had to give him the Ice-Queen-Death-Stare-Crazy-Eye until he left.
Monday Mashup round 2: Ballroom With A Twist.
A few days ago, I posted this clip of Alec Mazo and Edyta Sliwinska performing together to give you a hint at the level of talent that we’re bringing to the Center on Saturday night. I have a few more clips of just Edyta and Alec dancing and the style they bring, but we’re also bringing in other dancers with different talents and specialties.
But just for fun, I thought I’d share some more of Alec and Edyta’s dancing, probably because deep down I wish I could dance like her, instead of flop around waving my arms like I know what I’m doing (I did this at my Aunt’s wedding. There is photographic proof.)
Monday Mashup part 1: Alpin Hong
(This weekend has more events than you can shake a stick at, and they all deserve their own spotlight. Alpin Hong was kind enough to spend the late morning on the phone with me, and you can catch him here this Friday at 8pm)
“My mom made me.”
How many of us had that reasoning for doing something, from taking out the garbage every morning to babysitting siblings and practicing for something. From the ages of 5-15, I’m pretty sure the only reason I did anything was because my mom made me.
There are no exceptions for world-class piano players, like Alpin Hong. Although he hated practicing, he didn’t hate playing the piano.
“I hated to practice, but I liked the challenge that came with performing,” he said. But to do well in the latter, you need to stick with the former. Alpin did, and it paid off. He recently played at the White House and at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, both incredibly special performances.
“The Walt Disney Concert Hall is one of the great concert halls, and my brother and wife, two of my most honest critics, told me it was my most flawless performance. It gave me a professional confidence, like what I was doing was working and I had done the right thing with my life,” he said.
So how did Alpin get to the White House and Walt Disney Concert Hall? Same way one gets to Carnegie Hall: Practice. But anyone who has been a child practicing music, or who has been around a child practicing music knows that is no easy task. That’s why Alpin spends his time wisely when he will visit, not only will he perform at the Center, but he’ll also spend this week when students from CUSD teaching, helping and playing music with them. And it works.
“At some point, a child needs to be invested. Let them hear music played at a high level, it gives them something to shoot for. Take them to a live performance, like you would like an athlete to a sporting event,” he said.
An important thing to keep in mind, says Alpin, is to not let practicing music become a task and keep it relevant to them.
“Let kids play what they want to play, whether that’s Star Wars or Harry Potter. It makes music relevant to them, because let’s be honest, piano practice isn’t going to compete with video games.”
Piano practice has much more to compete with than video games, and it used to get a little help from school, where kids had a once a week music class (if they were lucky). We all know the story of music and arts getting cut from schools, and what effect it’s having on our kids.
“It’s horrifying, but it’s renewed my impulse to do what I can to reach as many kids as possible,” he said.
He’s doing that all week, with the students at CUSD, and his concert on Friday is open to anyone and everyone, especially those who haven’t seen a piano concert before, or think that one has to be stuffy. Alpin explains what he plays, why it sounds the way it does, and even goes in-depth to help the audience understand his music.
Because if you don’t understand something, how can you enjoy it?
We have more information on Alpin’s concert here, and I hope to see the auditorium packed with as many people as we can hold.
Youth in Action
Last night I had the privilege to speak to the Center’s Youth Advisory Council about what I do to help the Center.
Not going to lie, I was pretty nervous about speaking to a group of teenagers, but that didn’t matter. What mattered was these young adults.
Just a few days after Cave Creek announced that they could no longer fund their arts programs (among others), this group showed me that people do still care about art, in all of its forms, and they will do what it takes to keep it accessible.
That photo was taken at about 7:30 last night, on a day when some of those kids had been at school since 6:30am. After a full day of learning, studying, and other practices, they still had the energy to sit down and plan a fundraiser.
They’ll be hosting their fundraiser on March 10 before the Damn Yankees performance. The hope is that they’ll raise enough money for next year’s Youth Advisory Council, and be able to fill the youth arts void left by the schools.
When the schools and their communities can’t help their children, I’m glad to know that a group of teenagers are willing and able to step up to the plate.
Zoppé Circus Camp
This week, the Zoppé family took some time to show a few Chandler kids how to be proper circus performers.
