7 video excerpts

1. Follies- 2011.  At 4 minutes and 5 seconds the lighting on stage changes. While singing " that woman is me" the ladies dancing in the background are lit with a darker/blue color to blend in with the background. This allows the audience to focus in on the main singer on stage while the other dance behind her. Such a small lighting change can make a performance so incredible.

2. Donna Murphy- Could I Leave You. At 1 minute and 7 seconds the spot light affect makes the audience pay full attention to the person singing leaving others in the dark but still noticeably there. Spot light lighting is different than an actual color effect on stage for many reasons. Spot light not only makes the audience tune in to what is going on under the spot light but it makes it more meaningful. While the actor/actress is under a spotlight they feel as if no one was there and can tell their story much better with more feeling feeling as if they are the only ones on stage.

3. Cabaret- At 1 minute and 30 seconds the orchestra is dragged on stage on wheels by other characters in the play. This adds to the humor that carries on throughout the Cabaret and it also keeps the audience entertained. When Joel Grey interacts with the orchestra on the moving stage it creates a fun different sort of entertainment. This part is extremely important because the scene is put together by the orchestra being dragged out. After they appear then the ladies with chairs appear and later more characters for a full stage performance.

4. Kiss Me Kate-  The technology I liked that was used is when the characters make music with the set. For example the tapping on the wood box that he was sitting on. The set became part of the actual story which was cool. The dimmed lights make it more of an intimate feel and the fun dancing makes this show fun to watch.

5. West Side Story- Whenever I think of West Side Story I think of the color red and this video shows exactly what I mean. The lighting in the background helps show how romantic the actual dancing is. I have performed in this in local theatre and if it weren't for such a beautiful background the audience could not feel the romance and intimacy in during the dance scene. Lighting isn't just for looks, it helps tell the story.

6. Fiddler on the Roof- Throughout this musical, the set is the best technology to bring you back into time. The way the sets and props are made helps show the time period this play takes place in. Not only does it show the time period but the characters interact with the sets a lot which also helps tell the story. At some points it feels as if you are brought back to this time. Sets are the most important to a great musical.

7. So in love- Rachel York - the scene that shows the lovers separated by rooms is a great new way of technology to show the characters in different places without actually being in different rooms. The audience is able to see what they are trying to do and it makes the performance more interesting and easier to understand.

Abelardo Morell

The images below are a few of my favorites pieces by Abelardo Morell

Abelardo Morell's artwork, camera obscura, is probably one of the most incredible modern Art I have seen recently. Even though in class I saw buildings building displayed on walls the same way this city is on the wall, the idea of black and white creates a much different feel. I love the chairs and table placed in the room to make it look different too.

I also love this piece of Art. I love how the bed isn't made and the colors of the bedding and furniture in the room. The Art doesn't just have to be the background of the Brooklyn bridge using the camera obscura idea. The other pieces in the room is what makes this picture a work of Art. 

You rarely see money as a piece of Art until an Artist does this. Morell has taken his time to figure out something like this and make it into Art. I usually turn money into origami but this is just awesome.

Today's recession & the downward spiral of some technologies

Today's recession has made some technologies boom while others die down. Movie theaters are empty and such enterprises as Netflix or online boot leg movie streaming sites are at their all time high. I went to the movies about two weeks ago and was the only was there besides the person I went with. I think the reason is the expensive ticket prices and some people just don't have the time to go. Who wouldn't want to rent a movie on Netflix for a dollar and watch it in the comfort of their own home rather than go to the movie theater and pay approx. 10 dollars a ticket. Although it is a nice thing to go out to a movie every once in a while, our recession is forcing people to lower their standards.

Even if this does not specifically have to do with technologies there are other industries that are booming as a result of our recession. Since I have been working in the restaurant industry for about seven years now I have noticed a difference. Currently working in a restaurant/lounge, I have noticed that there have been less reservations but an outstanding crowd during the lounge hours. People are out more at night socially drinking/partying than spending money on dinners. With drink specials such as open bars or three dollar beers, for example, the recession allows people to still go out and party but stay home and cook instead. :)

Madama Butterfly

Madama Butterfly was hard to take seriously at first. Although the sex scene was used with characters I felt this it was a little awkward to watch rather than actual humans. The story that was being told went well with the music though and that kept me entertained. when the child was born and playing the music was more bubbly and lively. The story continues to grow sad and the music keeps me focused. This short film was a great example of modern Opera.

Mozart music used in modern TV commercials

There are many commercials that use classical music to sell their product. One being an Audi R8 commercial. Although the music is not Mozart music it is classical music by Maurice Ravel. When using classical music the luxury of the car seems more elegant and can, most of the time, sell the car.
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nM_Lqxxwztc

Juan Carlos Delgado

Although it was difficult to understand what it was that I was looking at I was able to get an idea as to what Delgado was doing with art. The head sculptures seem to be covered with ice or frost which make them appear fuzzy. My favorites were the close-ups of the ice on the sculptures where I can identity formations of snowflakes or ice crystals. Juan Carlos Delgado has such a unique sense of talent when it comes to Art. His true talents show through his creativity through clothing or using such natural things as ice or snow to cover an object and claim it to be Art. Anyone could look at a piece of Delgado's Art and be amazed.

Farinelli

After reading about Farinelli, I realized how important singing was to especially for Opera singers. These men literally devoted their manhood and lives to singing Opera and it shows how truly important this was to Europeans since this castration was legal until 1870. Being a singer, I don't know how I would react to this if it were still legal. Not only would there be competition between women but men would be in the same group. This article also made me realize how amazing the body is that an organ being removed can change one's voice. Even though his voice and fame was outstanding, the risk was not worth it. Farinelli will always be remembered and I am honored to have learned about such an artist.