The ML Editor

The Mayflower provides an matchless late summer and early autumn collection that involves big shows of Oklahoma, Les Misérables, and the Magic of Motown, along with two runs of Faulty Towers the dining experience, and a whole host of other performances and specially themed evenings. The Mayflower is unique in being the first successful theater organization in Southampton. The factors for this no doubt have to do with its incredible and innovative range of shows that are continuously on. This year is no exception, as the Mayflower boasts a terrific number and variety of exciting productions, starting from large budget musicals and plays, to intimate comedic 1 man or woman acts to specifically themed events. Within the thrilling category of major name, large budget musicals and plays, the Mayflower offers a selection of classics and newly popular offerings. Included in these are Oklahoma, Les Misérables, and the Magic of Motown. Oklahoma, that stars Marti Webb and Mark Evans, is playing Tuesday the seventeenth via to Saturday the twenty-first of August. This particular touring version from the Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical is produced by the creators from the massive hits Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, South Pacific, and Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Everyone within the family is certain to love the story famously set in the Western Frontier of America taking location within the time of conflict between the cattlemen and farmers. The Mayflower is also proud to welcome the twenty-fifth anniversary production of Les Misérables, which is the world’s longest running musical ever. It is going to be in the Mayflower for just three weeks, from Tuesday, August 24th through Saturday, September 11th. The brilliant all new cast is led by London’s West End and Broadway star John Owen Jones, who has been acclaimed by the New York Post since the very finest Jean Valjean since the days of Colm Wilkinson, and also graced by the West End stars for example Gareth Gates who plays Marius and Earl Carpenter who plays Javert. Finally within the category of big budget stage musicals is the Magic of Motown, showcasing the greatest Motown live tribute concert ever. In this beautiful production, music of Diana Ross and the Supremes, The Temptations, The Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder, The Four Tops, Lionel Richie, Marvin Gaye, Martha Reeves and scores of others is featured. This display boasts literally dozens of stunning costumes, a gorgeously choreographed cast, and fully thirty-six memorable hits from the sixties, seventies, and eighties. It’ll play 1 night only, on Tuesday, September 14th. For one man comedians and acts, the Mayflower outperforms once again. Jethro will perform his Too Late To Grow Up show on Thursday, September 16th. Sean Lock will carry out his signature Lockipedia on Saturday, September 18th. Lisa Williams, the globally known psychic and clairvoyant, will appear on Sunday, September 19th. A unique gift in the coming months is Faulty Towers, the Dining Experience. This popular and long running television show turned touring musical makes two stops as the initial appearance rapidly sold out. It runs at the Mayflower from Tuesday October 12th via Thursday October14, too as from Thursday October 21st through Tuesday October 26th. Lastly, two seasonal themed events will be presented within the coming months. The Ghost Hunt and Buffet Evening will take location on Friday, September 24th, while the murder mystery Much better by Nun happens on Saturday, October 30th. Once again, the Mayflower displays its uncanny capability to keep the crowds in Southampton on its way back for much more. Find out much more info about what’s going on at the Mayflower Theatre

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A music video must have a look, and it must have a style. The actors in it should have a style. I call them actors because the singers and models in the video are in a setting. It may be a synthetic or manmade setting although the setting is made as real as possible. However it is still synthetic. And there is a mood in the video too! The mood is created through the scenographic mix, which is the mix of setting and costume or dress. Whatever about the intricacies of costume, there are the intricacies in setting too. For example, the setting has time and space. It may be at night or afternoon. Maybe the time doesn’t matter but let us look at a music videos as an example where the time is important. This is Marc Almond and Gene Pitney’s 1980s song ‘Something’s got a hold of my heart’.

The night is important for the overall setting in ‘Something’s got a hold of my heart’. The night is where things happen and when people go out and enjoy themselves ; when they dance and sing. Note that there is a ‘where’ and a ‘when’. The night is a setting in itself. One can ask then how the night is represented in ‘Something’s got a hold of my heart’. See the beginning! A red limousine enters into a side street. Or one can say that the red limousine enters into shining lights in a rain-soaked street. The street too is in the entertainment area of theatre and nightclubs.

This sets up a setting but it doesn’t automatically set up a mood. However in some way this beginning sets up the purpose of the video. For there is a purpose! There is a type of ‘impetus’ and ‘meaning’ which carries the video forward. Yes there is purpose and maybe it comes from the entrance of the limousine. Overall the music is certainly what carries the video. The music is central. That is what can’t be overlooked, the fantastic sway and rush of the music. However the video in itself has purpose too.

There is a certain deception at first sight about the entrance of the red limousine. What is the red limousine? It is not clear. Maybe it is the edgy red which matters. However, what matters is that Marc Almond then enters behind the limousine; this limousine, which has a theatre-red color about it, and this limo attracts us too. Its color is edgy and stylish. Against the rainy side street, the ‘red’ gives a purpose to the opening scenes. For it is not just the limousine that attracts us. It is the ‘red’ and this ‘red’ will later appear in Pitney’s bow-tie as well as his large waistband. So there is a purpose and there is also irrevocable movement forward. The music helps but the color, the edginess help the video forward.

There’s something tedious about musical recitals. Last night my daughter-in-law said that she hates them. I think that anyone with or without a good ear can learn to hate them. My daughter-in-law has a very good musical ear so she hates them Double Dutch.Besides, her family of 15 performs around Southern Idaho. All the kids but the three youngest take music. That leaves her with 10 kids who are taking music lessons on one or more instruments. You can see why she is tired of recitals.

I took my thirteen Idaho grandkids and five adults to the Golden Coral® Restaurant last night. Tuesday night is Family Night and you can feed a child for $1.99! My total bill was about $100 plus a $30 tip for the poor soul who had to service us.

Cheap!

After we slopped the kids we went to a musical recital.

Watching for migrating polar bears looking for warmer weather, we slid into the parking lot of the musical store that was hosting the recital.

Author’s note: Despite what the Coke® ads say, Polar Bears and Penguins don’t live together. Polar bears=Arctic, Penguins=Antarctic. Coke® is messing with your children’s brains.

No polar bears have been sited in Idaho this winter. If this cold spell continues, it is only a matter of time.

Recitals never start on time. Ours not only didn’t start on time, extra numbers were inserted. Since extra Christmas music was added, the students were allowed to use sheet music for those numbers.

Unfortunately, the students are not able to sight read at this early stage of development. Only the teachers can sight read music. That’s because all of those blasted little black marks are too small to read, there are too many of them, and you have to know what they mean.

I’ve always though there is a God because some people can read sheet music. First the brain has to say, “What is that? Oh! It’s a note! What does the note mean? Oh! It’s a ‘C.’ Let’s see, Every good boy does fine. Now to find that on the keyboard, flute hole, fiddle string, etc. Oh! Here it is. Now I’ll give it a stroke, a tap, a flick and out will come a ‘C.’” All this thinking has to be done ahead of time.

It’s the reverse of Morse code. In Morse code coming in at 20 words-per-minute you listen to the code, decide what letter it is, and write or type the letter down. By the time you get to recording the letter, five other letters have come in and are being interpreted. Only the gifted can read more than 10 words-per-minute. That’s why they removed the code from Amateur Radio Operator exams.

See! There is a God!

You can say, “God,” here in Idaho. You also can still say, “Christmas,” except at the atheistic Wal-Mart® stores. Anyway, I have a boycott there. They make really old people work.

Oh, yes! Music!

A recital is a torture chamber for the students and their relatives. Nobody else ever comes unless it’s another music teacher who has nothing to do.

The teachers claim that the purpose of a recital is to give the students experience in playing in public.

Well, most of the students don’t want to play in public, will never ever be asked to play in public, or will be shot if they actually play in public (but not by their families who seldom shoot their own kids).

The rule of the recital is the worst first, the best last. Sometimes you can actually tell the difference. The last performers tend to be older teens that have had more than three lessons.

I might mention here that a dance recital is to be avoided at all cost.

In the Revolutionary War you could pay someone to serve for you. Give a few bucks to a vagrant on the street and have him attend the dance recital for you. He will want to get out of the cold to take a snooze. Of course he won’t be able to sleep, but don’t tell him that. It’s all that tapping, tapping, tapping that will not only keep him awake but drive him bonkers.

The vagrant will be able to do something that you can’t do. He can flee!

Don’t try to hire a panhandler to be your substitute. They go to school to learn how to make their 500 bucks per day. They will just shrug you off. Some will say, “Are you kidding? A dance recital!”

When a music student makes a mistake in the first stanza you know that things will get worse. One trick is to claim that you have an ear infection (common here in Idaho with the polar bears and all). Stuff your ears with cotton.

It does help.

My wife uses those ear plugs she wears while swimming her 70 laps everyday.

A bad pianist, horn blower, violinist, guitar player, and especially a drummer, will make you say to yourself, “Will this blasted piece ever end?” That’s the time to brace your self for more horror.

Recitals just never end!

Eventually the recital will reach the point where your little darling is playing.

If she does poorly, you can slide under your chair by slowly sliding forward on your seat until your butt drops to the floor. Then grab your knees and pull them up to your chin, keeping your head down. Slide back up and clap and clap and clap when your little darling had played the last sour note.

Don’t forget to tell your little darling how well she did on her solo.

If things go well for your little darling, you can sit up straight in your chair and point to your chest. Mimic the words She’s mine! She’s mine!

The kids usually get a snack at the end of a recital. The kids got a cookie last night.

Adults sometimes (but not last night) get a drink of punch and a cookie. You always want to be first in line for that.

That is the only good thing that can happen to you at a recital.

John T. Jones, Ph.D. (tjbooks@hotmail.com, a retired VP of R&D for Lenox China, is author of detective & western novels, nonfiction (business, scientific, engineering, humor), poetry, etc. Former editor of Ceramic Industry Magazine, Jones is Executive Representative of International Wealth Success. He calls himself “Taylor Jones, the hack writer.”

More info: http://www.tjbooks.com

Business web site: http://www.bookfindhelp.com (IWS wealth-success books and kits and business newsletters / TopFlight flagpoles)