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Archive for the ‘Entertainment’ Category

Lots of people understand very well that Washington, DC is the center of politics in the United States, being the place where all the decisions get made.  It’s got an enormously vibrant energy to it, with a very lively urban population.  It’s a very diverse place, with many cultures, perspectives, and economic backgrounds, that make it an ongoing conversation that’s always in process.  It’s been that way for quite awhile.  Checking into a DC luxury hotel is just the beginning of the introductions to this rather fabulous place.

It’s a pretty splendid introduction, too.  There are plenty of opportunities to be blown away by conveniences, amenities, and excellent hospitality.  Then it’s time to dig into DC culture.  Learning the history of the place is as fascinating as any place, but it’s rather surprising to some to discover that so many influential people have lived here, or live here now.  The usual suspects, always, are the politicians, but there are a number of artists and actors, including the movie veteran Alan Hale, Sr.

He’s from DC, and his career may have been a second mate, but his legacy is first-rate.  He is the character actor who played alongside Errol Flynn in dozens and dozens of films.  He’s one of the old-school greats, that generation of distinguished gentlemen to make films about swashbuckling heros.  He played alongside Humphrey Bogart, Douglas Fairbanks, Clark Gable, and James Cagney.  He was one of the big players in making the notion of hearty men being naturally brave heros an icon for generations to come.  He died of liver failure before he was 60.   He was also famous for his role as Little John in the Robin Hood films of the 30s.  He is also remembered by later generations as the father of Alan Hale, Jr., who is remembered by many as the captain of the SS Minnow on Gilligan’s Island.

There is always a great deal of major cultural events and entertainment options to attend and or take part in, in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Actors Theatre of Charlotte is one of the main cultural institutions of the city and provides its audience members with season after season of incredible and relevant stage offerings. In addition to some of the standard favorites from the theatrical canon, the theatre also continually presents some major regional premiers and supports the development of new plays and musicals. This is the case with its current production Black Pearl Sings! as well as an upcoming production of the musical Five Course Love. Many of the luxury Charlotte hotels are located near the theatre and also some great restaurants, which makes accessing great entertainment and fabulous dining relatively easy.

Black Pearl Sings is a dynamic tale of musical talent and personal strength and endurance. It is a rags to riches tale and it is set during the Great Depression. It tells the story of Susannah Mullally who makes a great discovery while working as a folk song preservationist for the Library of Congress. Her discovery is Alberta “Pearl” Johnson who happens to be in a Texas prison. The story unfolds in a dramatic way that causes major life examinations as Johnson makes some difficult decisions. Music is the tool that brings together two strangers and addresses racial divisions and issues of the times. The show is running now and will continue through March 6.

Five Course Love is a new musical written by Gregg Coffin. It is a comedic examination of love and the dating scene and the story takes place in five restaurants and covers five different dates. And while musicals are known for having large casts and lots of characters, this show has an interesting approach to this structure. It does have a large number of characters, fifteen total, there are three actors who play all of these roles. The musical will run from June 16 to July 3 of this year and previews for it will begin on June 11.

Even though there are places that are closer, Singapore is still the most interesting place for travel.  Very few cities have the same charm as this unique island city state, which is always growing and always changing.  And it is a very lovely place to spend some time looking after any of your favorite pop culture obsessions, from vampires to mermaids, it’s all here.

Here is the most exciting place to be, too, because there is a spectacular food culture that is always coming up with new tastes, and new offerings.  Any time you have a chance to eat at a vegetarian restaurant in Singapore, it is good advice to take the opportunity.  Most people don’t understand that life is short until they are well out of their twenties, and even then, they might miss the best things on the plate.  I would bet that this is a lesson that Eva Longoria would have learned by now, and by all accounts, and her stunning good looks in Singapore’s Harper’s, she’s got some wisdom in her design team, too.

Like many celebrities that get a taste of the good life, Eva has learned that the truly wonderful things in the world are not necessarily of the world.  Too many times there are reasons for famous people to get caught up in a kind of Lacanian mirror stage, where they are stuck forever looking at their own image, and self-obsession can turn to self-destruction.  On the other hand, sometimes there is wisdom in fame.  Neither fame nor fortune, however, could deter Eva from coming to Singapore to know herself, to know the restaurants, and to know what lovely really means, and why it’s necessary for some painful obsessions to go on forever, because of their ability to nurture porch conversations in other lands, and other rabbits that look like her.