Cay Denise

'Letters Aloud' is an ensemble of about four people who do reading concerts.  They read real letters written by real people while the screen on stage shows images.  The letters vary from those that are tone-deaf, mean, discriminatory to hilarious, inventive and kind. One such letter was quite amusing.  The State of Michigan sent a letter in December 1997 to a property owner directing two dams in a pond on the property be removed.  A January 1998 reply informed the state that the beavers couldn't do that.  Here is a link to the exchange:   The Dam Letters .      Writing and sending hand-written letters was the primary way people communicated before computers, smartphones, and social media platforms (even before telephones, television, and radio too).  I used to write letters quite often.  Now, it amazes me how much less I do it, but how much greater I prize receiving them.  Letter-writing is becoming a lost art and could use som...

Over the years, I've loved the artistic, creative, and magical shows of Cirque du Soleil that feature such talented and skilled performers.  If you've seen one of the company's shows, you understand. The troupe, originally under the leadership of Guy Laliberté and Gilles Ste-Croix, got its start when hired by the Quebec government (for a series of celebration performances) in which its first show was created and performed in 1984. Within two years, the troupe was performing for international audiences.  Laliberté remained involved financially until about 2015 when he sold a major stake in the company to an investment firm.  From there, company leadership focused on media acquisitions and expanding Cirque's shows portfolio--that focused on growth. In February 2020, as the pandemic was raging, Laliberté sold his remaining minority stake.  That March, the company cut 4,700 employees and 44 shows because of a drop in revenues to near $0 due to Covid-19.  Highly inde...

Last weekend was the closing of WVLO's production of 'Something Rotten' and what a fun show to have been a part of!!  For those who don't know, the show is a parody on Shakespeare's works.  The script together with the score and song lyrics are very clever and funny.  It is a production well-worth seeing, especially if it is done well!!   It was also so rewarding to be part of this particular company -- in my role as Lightboard Operator.  The entire cast and crew were amazingly dedicated and professional...at a level higher than you'd expect for a typical community theater production. I still have earworms from the show's opening number titled 'Welcome to the Renaissance' in addition to a couple other songs!  Plus I'm missing the show already, but am glad to have my weekends back.   This is a photo of the wonderful company that pulled together during Tech Week to put on such a great show performance after performance -- and with so many standing ...

All 5 human senses are absolutely engaged in this new Disney adventure (at Walt Disney World) that opened March 1st!  It is brilliant and ingeniously-executed!!!  While pricey, it LOOKS SO FUN-- ESPECIALLY if you're a Star Wars fan!! I highly recommend viewing the video in the CNET article at the link below, because it shows what the adventure is like for a guest from beginning to end without giving away the story.  The other video below features representatives from Disney's Imagineers and LucasFilm talking about how it all came together.  For this post, though, my purpose is to cover how Disney is giving guests a full 5-sense experience (touch, sight, sound, smell and taste) over their two-day adventure.   Touch:  Guests first connect with their in-room information center (that includes a 24/7 bot), and separately use a special phone app designed for the adventure to send and receive communications with onboard characters as they may help characters/solve...

OVO is another creative and delightful Cirque du Soleil show -- this time about the bug kingdom! These photos give you a wee flavor of the show. The wall in the first was huge that the green bug characters would climb and then fall off of backwards on to a trampoline that you couldn't see (at stage level) and then bounce back up to their position on the climbing wall. It was really cool! The costuming of these green bugs was especially amazing! In fact, they doubled as grasshoppers throughout most of the shows by having legs attached (as in the second photo) and sliding along the floor. The garments were stunning especially these bug's headpieces which had parts that appeared irridescent! Cirque du Soleil traveling big-top shows are always a mystery, and that's part of the fun!