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zukadiary · 5 years

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On The Twentieth Century ~ Snow Troupe 2019

Oh boy. Oh dear. If you'd like some background, here is a fairly comprehensive Wikipedia summary, but since all signs point to this show disappearing forever (a tragedy), I will do my best to go through it roughly scene by scene in hopes of extending the memory.

“Perfect” is a word I’m still reserving for A-cast West Side Story ‘18, but boy is this close. It’s exactly what I’ve been waiting for, what in my wildest dreams I wanted Daimongumi to be, and feared it might never be. It’s hands down the best time I’ve had with my beloved Yukigumi since Chigi retired, and god I hope they continue on something even VAGUELY resembling this trajectory (tragic nihonmono, not optimistic, but,,,). I hope I can convey even a fraction of the joy that is this show.

Firstly, although it is the site of the first time I ever saw Komu live and thus a house of very treasured memories, I do NOT objectively like Theatre Orb. The third floor is too high for musical theater, the back of the second floor should not be A-seki, and the sound is abysmal. Unless you’re close to the front on the first floor, the instrumentals overpower the vocals, and everywhere I sat, including a pretty good S, there was an unpleasant echo. Like, if you can tamp down the power of DAIMON’S voice, something is wrong with your acoustics. The only time I had an improved experience I was on the extreme side of the 4th row and basically hugging a speaker, but if that’s the range for decent audio it’s a problem. And for some of the impressive songs in this show (and also just for Japanese comprehension of the speedy dialogue), it was a shame.

Everything else was outstanding. I can’t describe how WONDERFUL it was to hear Yukigumi, the tragedy troupe no one asked for, get not just giggles but consistent roaring laughter again. The overall casting—both in taking a chance on giving this troupe this show, and assigning roles to some maybe unexpected people—was brilliant. I’ll get more into the individual performances as I go through the story, but in quick summary:

Maaya was absolutely the star, in both the weight of her role and the extremely satisfying application of her many talents. Lily is, in my opinion, unquestionably the crown jewel of her Takarazuka career so far, and if something ever tops it we’ll be luckier than anyone has any right to be. I’d kill for more of this treatment going forward; she’s talented enough to carry a show, and I think the dynamic of the entire troupe improves when she’s in this strong of a position.

Daimon, whom I love to death, was SO above and beyond what even I thought she’d be able to do with a comedy; I always suspected she could pull it off IF she had the perfect formula of support (which I wasn’t confident the current Yukigumi lineup could give her), but she was SO good and SO in charge and SUCH a tone-setter for the entire comedic situation, I was truly blown away.

Owen and Oliver are in my opinion the juiciest roles after Lily and Oscar, but maneuvering around rank to cast Aasa and Manaharu was brilliant. Aasa has been average for me after leaving a huge impression in Robespierre, but her performance as Owen was back to MVP status, and Oliver is an absolute jackpot role for Manaharu, who rarely gets to do much of anything.

I wouldn’t have wanted to see Saki in any role but Bruce; he’s the big dumb just-a-pretty-face movie star, the butt of many jokes and the most slapstick of all the roles, and her exaggerated physicality was I think better suited to that style of comedy than the quick banter in the Oscar/Owen/Oliver group (also, for the sake of their dynamic, I wouldn’t have wanted Bruce to be someone physically smaller than Oscar).

That put Shou, who conceivably could have been cast higher, in the leftover train conductor role. It’s not as exciting a part, but it was perfect if only to clear the way for the other casting choices. She got to be the center of several musical numbers, and she got to tap dance!

After a little introductory tap number by the four main train boys (Tachibana, Suwa, Manomiya, and Seika), the show opens with famous Broadway producer Oscar Jaffe’s right hand men, Owen (Asami Jun) and Oliver (Mana Haruto), running from an angry mob of unpaid theater crew from Oscar's most recent abysmally failed production (again!). They all but crash into Daimon cameoing Al Capone (because Chicago in the 20s!) as he’s escorted away by a policeman. Owen is more laid back and pretty much always drunk; Oliver is high strung and also prone to drinking. As far as my off-the-cuff brain will take me, Aasa and Manaharu have not had much experience playing off each other, but they worked SO well together. They were so funny, so in sync, perfect foils for each other’s characters, even physically similar enough that they just really looked like a matching set of long-suffering assistants. Since Owen and Oliver don’t have any money, they give the angry mob the slip, and read a note from Oscar instructing them to meet him on the 20th Century Limited, a 16-hour luxury train ride from Chicago to New York, and secure Drawing Room A. Then we go into the prologue number (pics are from the little bit of digest video and like one online article they gave us).

Although in retrospect I think it kind of subconsciously stressed me out the first viewing, I LOVED the music and choreography in this. Almost all the numbers mimic the rhythm of a train chugging along, and much of the choreography—when it isn’t just tap literally designed to sound like a train—has a feeling of commuter busyness to it. It wasn’t just on theme, it also enhanced the chaotic screwball atmosphere.

Owen and Oliver board the train to find Drawing Room A occupied. When their best middle-aged-white-lady-insisting-to-speak-to-a-manager voices claiming (falsely) that they booked the room weeks ago failed to work on the train staff, they deduce from some nearby luggage that Drawing Room A’s occupant is Congressman Lockwood (Touma Kazuki in a hilariously disgusting fat suit and combover with her shirt sticking out of her pants at all angles) reserved under a fake name. Suspicious, Owen and Oliver burst into the room under the pretense of delivering said luggage and catch the congressman fondling his much younger secretary (Sara Anna). They win the room by threatening to leak what they saw if he doesn’t leave—Riisha scrambling around in such a disheveled huff while Aasa loudly counts down from ten. Score! But just then the train starts moving and Oscar is still nowhere to be found.

Whoops. He loses his hat, Owen and Oliver pull him through the window, and despite his abject failures in both life and train boarding, he lands dramatically front and center, all pomp and ego, waxing lyrical about the glory awaiting them in New York. Poor Oliver, despite being generally more sober and organized, is also more abused.

Daimon, always so delicately pretty and deeply sad, nailed Oscar so hard I don’t have nearly enough words for it. Her eye makeup was stern and crazy (and pretty monochromatic, nice touch for the 20s vibe), her mustache was GROSS, her neurotic mannerisms were so on point and so funny. She AD LIBBED!! WELL!! I was CRYING of laughter on senshuuraku, and she wasn’t just reacting; she was DOING THE AD LIBBING. The way she fidgeted and flailed and whimpered and yelled and modulated her voice WAY high and back down again to drag us though Oscar’s manic journey was just soooooo perfect. Not that I had any doubt she’d kill the songs, but they were hard, so it was all the more impressive. As perfect as Aasa and Manaharu were together, the three of them played flawlessly off of each other too.

Interrupting Owen and Oliver’s failing attempts to convince Oscar that they are in fact heading for insolvency rather than glory, the conductor informs the passengers that they are approaching Englewood and Oscar flips out. He reveals actress Lily Garland, his former protégé and lover, is boarding there and will be staying in Drawing Room B. He gleaned this information from a bellboy who told a maid and stalked Lily onto the train without her knowledge, but insists that in the 16 hours to NY he’ll be able to convince her to star in his next show, solving his financial problems. Owen and Oliver are Stressed.

This leads into my absolute favorite progression of scenes: a flashback introducing how Lily and Oscar came to meet. Oscar is auditioning Imelda Thornton (the goddess Satsuki Aina) for the role of Veronique, a Parisian street singer who refuses to sleep with Otto Von Bismarck so he attacks Paris and starts the Franco-Prussian war as revenge (men!). If only the photos from this scene showed the parts I want; Daimon was SO funny. Imagine like, the face you make when you try to give yourself 8 chins and take the ugliest low-angle selfie you can. Daimon was that + a thousand-yard stare of skepticism, fidgeting neurotically and tapping the arms of the director’s chair, with Oliver and Owen standing behind, simultaneously goofing off and keeping things running smoothly. Also in the picture at this point: Max Jacobs (Agata Sen), a successful Hollywood producer trying to sign Lily in the present, but in the flashback, Oscar’s (later fired) useless assistant who can’t even take Imelda’s coat correctly. Imelda, an all-ego-no-talent diva, is freaking out because her regular pianist was sick so she had to hire a substitute last minute and she’s late. Enter now Midred/soon to be Lily (Maaya) through the audience, in oversized glasses, tacky pink house dress, and matching hair cap, dropping her sheet music all over the place. Imelda is furious, Oscar is disgruntled, Max is Stressed. Mildred sits down at the piano, Imelda declares she’s going to sing “The Indian Maiden’s Lament,” and tries to begin but Mildred is still dramatically warming up her hands and shoulders. Finally she gives the ok and starts playing something completely different (Imelda, furious; Oscar, melting into a pile of gooey discontent).

Take 2, Mildred begins playing the correct song beautifully, while Imelda sings horrendously and Oscar tries violently and wordlessly to convey to Owen and Oliver in moments of Imelda’s averted gaze that they need to stop this somehow. Imelda hits a sour note that’s just the last straw for Mildred, and she stops playing and corrects her (gorgeously, flawlessly, Maaya’s voice is a treasure). Imelda, flustered, thanks her and tries again, but isn’t any better. Mildred keeps stopping and correcting her, eventually just singing the end of the song herself, while Oscar, moving his chair closer with hilarious little Flintstone car footsteps, stares at her agape and then gives her a standing ovation. Imelda loses her cool and fires Mildred on the spot for ruining her audition; Mildred hulks out and demands her pay for the day plus train fare (Oscar, fully Team Mildred at this point, is mimicking all her movements behind her). Imelda pays and storms off, telling her assistant to call her an ambulance. Just as Mildred starts packing her things to go, Oscar declares he wants her for Veronique and asks her name.

I wish I could share with you all the sound that both of them made saying “Mildred Plotka,” pronounced “Mildred BLEGCH” with copious spit. I’m embarrassed to admit I just spent a good 30 minutes? trying to chase down a vivid childhood memory—I was 11, and watching Spaceballs on TV with my bff, and in the combing the desert scene they censored “we ain’t found shit” not with a bleep but with some absurd SCHMUSCHSG noise, and my bff and I laughed for approximately 8 days, because we were 11 and probably eating Gushers—and in my memory this and Mildred BLEGCH were the exact same sound, and I wanted you to experience it so much I watched every combing the desert clip on youtube fruitlessly, hoping one would be this exact censorship (sorry... I’m just... Daimon was funny??? and I’m very emotional about it????). Anyway, since no one can say Mildred BLEGCH, Oscar decides her new name will be Lily Garland. After some hemming and hawing about not being an actress, Lily decides to give it a shot. The house dress tears away and we have the snazzy number “Veronique.”

Maaya was absolutely brilliant throughout the entire show, but this number hit me extra hard. Not only was she exceptional vocally through a very challenging song (dancing all the while), but her aura of a freshly hatched starlet, packed with youth and hope and freshness and naiveté and raw unpolished talent, contrasted so vividly with the successful Hollywood actress still fueled by Mildred Plotka spitfire that we see in the rest of the show; I found it VERY striking. It was subtle but so effective and truly masterful acting. Veronique ends, Daimon re-enters from the audience and tosses a bouquet (the first time I saw it she missed the stage, and Maaya, fully in character and without missing a beat, just parkour’d off the stage and grabbed it and hopped back on), and we’re ushered back into the present.

The conductor enters Oscar’s room to inform everyone that a religious nut is vandalizing the train with REPENT FOR THE TIME IS AT HAND stickers, but not to worry because they’re doing everything they can to catch the culprit; and to drop off a play that he’s written about a day in the life of a conductor (to Oscar’s annoyance). Then the train arrives at Englewood station, and Lily boards with a flurry of paparazzi, her assistant Agnes (Chikaze Karen), and her attention-whoring movie actor boyfriend Bruce (Ayakaze Sakina). Maaya (in a GORGEOUS dress) is instantly the Hollywood diva instead of the wide-eyed starlet; Saki is the comic relief in what’s already a screwball comedy. Oscar is a terrible person, so if you can imagine how big and dumb and sappy and suffocating and clumsy Bruce has to be to make you root for Oscar, Saki was all that.

The two lovebirds put on quite a show of excessive PDA for the photographers while Agnes rolls her eyes, until it’s time for Bruce to leave the train.

Lily falls to the floor dramatically, wailing oh WHAT will I do without him, when Bruce bursts back into the room, declaring he can’t possibly let the love of his life go to NY all by herself (Lily, all sorrow a minute before, is not 2 seconds later annoyed to see him). So he’s now along for the ride to witness Oscar’s whole scheme.

Owen and Oliver, trying to take matters into their own hands, show up in Lily’s room to beg her sincerely to do a play with Oscar, hoping she’ll pity him and his dire financial situation enough to do him a favor.

Lily sings a whole song about how that’s never ever ever going to happen, and Bruce freaks out to learn that Oscar is on the train. Lily insists they have no romantic history, and then immediately lights up when she hears Oscar’s voice in her head. They sing a lovey duet representing that they’re still clearly both on each other’s minds. Despite the comedic and not at all tender nature of this show, and the love-hate relationship between these two characters, Daimon and Maaya’s chemistry, in my opinion, has never been better. I wouldn’t have thought it would take playing two self-centered assholes who both despise and desperately want each other to send the sparks flying, but BOY did it do the trick.

Meanwhile, the REPENT sticker situation is getting worse, and the audience at this point realizes that the culprit is the unassuming little old Letitia Primrose—played brilliantly by Kyou Misa.

She sings about how she’s taken it as her mission to encourage young people to repent for their sins.

Oscar hears from Owen and Oliver that Lily is with Bruce and is despondent; he declares that he still loves her will definitely steal her back from both him and Hollywood. Oliver is fed up with his nonsense and tells Oscar he’s off his rocker (bless Manaharu and her ability to simultaneously look like a squirrelly little dude in her suit and bowtie and also not only stand up to Daimon but rile her up and get even more out of her). They get into a big fight and as Oliver storms out of the room, Oscar notices a giant REPENT sticker on Oliver’s back and chases after him to remove it. When he removes and reads it, he’s struck with divine inspiration for a new play about Mary Magdalene, a part so good Lily can’t possibly resist it.

Oscar is so sure this will work he instructs Owen to go buy him a bible so he can start writing the script immediately. Owen reminds Oscar that the train is in fact moving and they can’t really do anything at all, when they see Ms. Primrose’s bible on a chair (and all fall dramatically to the ground). Oscar takes that as a second miracle, insisting this means there will be a third, and Owen and Oliver agree to play along with his demands.

Oscar, now filled with renewed confidence, and Bruce, just as big and dumb as ever, sing a duet about how Lily is theirs (not at each other, separately in their own rooms). Both of them are just awful men.

While the two of them are non-confrontationally fighting over the same woman, Owen is in the bar trying to write a press release about the triumphant return of golden duo Oscar Jaffee and Lily Garland. Ms. Primrose picks up a crumpled draft from the floor and muses that she’d love nothing more than to sponsor some big artistic project. That gets Owen’s attention, and she reveals to him that she runs a patent medicine company and doesn’t know what to do with all her money. Owen calls to Oliver that they’ve found their third miracle!

Back in her room, Lily emerges in lime green negligee, to Bruce’s delight. Things are just getting uh sexy I guess when Oscar interrupts them and actually confronts Lily for the first time.

Bruce is furious that Lily lied about her history with Oscar, who is sitting on the couch in back of the room drinking their champagne and eating all the olives out of their martini glass as they argue. Bruce eventually storms off, slapping his headshot onto the wall as he leaves the room (Oscar immediately stands and tears it up). Lily sits down on the couch, now arguing with Oscar and angrily joining him in eating olives. Their hands touch going for the glass at the same time; Lily sternly tells him to let her go but then turns around and caresses her hand happily. Oscar takes this moment to spring his play idea on her; Lily reveals that she heard the whole story of his bankruptcy from Owen and Oliver and tells him she’s on her way to NY to sign with a reliable producer (the formerly useless Max Jacobs who Oscar himself fired). Realizing he’s out of game, Oscar starts hurling insults and they sing another spark-flying duet—Lily insisting she has everything, and Oscar insisting movies are beneath her talents and she’ll rot in Hollywood and fall into obscurity.

Lily eventually kicks Oscar out, EARNESTLY throwing and smashing a champagne bottle against the door behind him. Oscar, without even taking a breath between Lily’s room and his, screams at his two traitors for ruining his plan and strangles poor Oliver (on senshuuraku Daimon held on for a comically long time, and Manaharu, refusing to concede that ad lib, then played dead on the floor for a good minute). Oliver and Owen save their own asses by telling Oscar about the sponsor they managed to find on board, and THAT’S ACT ONE (right before curtain, we see a tiny little plane labeled “Max Jacobs” flying above the train).

During the big ensemble number (”Life is Like a Train”) that opens act 2 we discover that the train is now absolutely covered in REPENT stickers, then Owen and Oliver take Oscar to meet Ms. Primrose.

I can’t stress enough how delightful Kyou Misa was, the perfect little ostensibly earnest but just subtly batty old lady; the way she stiffly hobbled around was adorable too. Ms. Primrose is thrilled to work with the great Oscar Jaffee, and even more thrilled to share the story of Mary Magdalene with the world, and asks him how much money he needs. Oscar nervously asks for $20,000, at which Ms. Primrose balks that that CAN’T possibly be enough and writes a check for $200,000. Oscar, Owen, and Oliver giddily sing “Five Zeros” in a manner not unlike Scrooge McDuck swimming in his gold coins, and over the course of the song Ms. Primrose bumps it up to $20,000,000 (in the 1920s!). Now they’re sure they’ll be able to lure Lily back.

Oscar is about to go grab Lily and introduce her to Ms. Primrose when the train doctor Dr. Johnson (Kujou Asu) busts into his room with yet another manuscript (A day in the life of a doctor!). I mention this mostly because a) I LOVE ASU DEEPLY, she is so underused, and b) the three musketeers leverage this manuscript situation later on in my other favorite scene. They get rid of Johnson and Oscar finds that Lily wants to see him also. She sits him down and asks Bruce to give them some time alone (on his way out, he goes to replace his torn head shot with a new one that comically unfolds into five headshots before Oscar violently chases him the rest of the way out the door). Oscar is fuming, and Lily tenderly asks him to sit, which he does with a grumpy face and a flamboyant kick as he reluctantly crosses his legs on the sofa. Lily explains that she’s embarrassed by her behavior so far, is so grateful to Oscar for her career, and wants to help him after all... so she reaches into her bra and pulls out a check for $35 so at least he’s not dead broke. Oscar, amused, stands up and, acting as if he’s a magician, folds up the $35 check and dramatically asks Lily to blow on his hand. Out comes the $20,000,000 check.

Oscar ushers Lily into his room to prove to her that Ms. Primrose is in fact a real person who wants to sponsor his new play, if she’ll star in it. Lily, despite still generally feeling like she’d rather die than work with Oscar again, is now enticed both by the role of Mary Magdalene, which is much juicier than what she’s been allowed to do on screen, and the prospect of raking in this much money without being beholden to the jerks who run Hollywood. Faithful Oliver has already prepared a contract, and we get “Sign It Lily,” probably both the most difficult/impressive song and biggest earworm of the show. Not the best version but here, have a listen.

Oscar, Owen, Oliver, and Ms. Primrose are all bombarding Lily trying to get her to put her name on the thing (I truly don’t know when Daimon breathes), while simultaneously trying to keep Bruce and his contrary agenda out of the room (Saki gets repeatedly slammed into doors and walls, closed into closets, suffocated with pillows, etc). Lily gets overwhelmed and runs back to her room, pursued by a cocky triumphant Bruce, who yells behind him that they’ll never get her back away from movies.

Oscar gets a lightbulb moment at the word movie, and the team files one by one back into Lily’s room, smashing Bruce in the head with the door each time. Oscar tells Lily that if she agrees to do the play, he’ll shop the movie rights to whatever studio she wants (to which Ms. Primrose responds WHY BOTHER, she’ll fund the movie too). That pushes her over to yes, and she takes the contract to read carefully. The conductor enters the room notifies everyone that they are approaching Cleveland, and that Ms. Primrose’s nephew and his wife sent a telegram ahead that they’d be boarding the train there to meet her. She turns cold and hurries off alone.

Owen, out for a celebratory entire bottle of wine, coincidentally runs into Ms. Primrose’s nephew (Machi Yuuka), who is frantically searching for his aunt. He says she hasn’t been all there since she stepped down from her position as company president, and just escaped from her mental institution. Owen asks about her money, the nephew says there is none, and Owen realizes they’re fucked.

In the frantic search for the missing Ms. Primrose, Bruce overhears Owen breaking the news to Oscar and Oliver, and tells Lily that Oscar deceived her again. She’s furious, and Oscar probably only escapes with his life because just at that exact moment, the formerly useless and fired but currently hot and successful Max Jacobs bursts through the door (Oscar yells MAX JACOBS like he’s going to burst every single blood vessel in his head and neck).

Max hopped a private plane to Cleveland to meet the train, because he has a brand new play written just for Lily (called “Babette”), and he’s so excited he can’t wait for her to get all the way to New York. Babette is a glamorous high society type role about a woman in love with two men. Lily starts reading the script, but finds herself wondering out loud if it can be changed to be more like Oscar’s. Max is incredulous and starts trash talking Oscar, and Lily slaps him REAL HARD in the face. She then catches herself yet again and and asks to be left alone to read the Babette script more carefully.

We’re taken to Lily’s wistful daydream of a classy party taking place in the Babette universe as she tries to wrap her head around the show and imagine herself in the title role. But she finds it dull, and every few pages, she has an intrusive thought about the more inspiring Mary Magdalene—one minute she’s milling through the impeccably dressed party guests, and the next she’s face to face with Owen or Oliver or Ms. Primrose dressed like an Apostle, until finally Oscar dressed as Calaf Jesus crashes the whole thing from behind.

(Yup that’s a screenshot of the bromide sample page).

But Lily brings herself to her senses yet again, drives away all thoughts of Oscar, and agrees to sign with Max.

Oscar has lost and he’s despondent. He walks into the train bar to find Oliver sulking behind Owen who is passed out drunk in a chair. He takes out a gun (Oliver tries frantically to wake Owen), and begins a melodramatic monologue about how it’s better just to end his life now because no one wants to see him become a beggar in times square.

Daimon hilariously mimes Oscar begging, then people throwing garbage at him, then dodging the thrown bits (on senshuuraku Aasa and Manaharu joined in with pretending to throw things). Eventually he leaves the room in despair, and Oliver asks Owen if he thinks boss would really kill himself. Owen is in the middle of saying absolutely no way when they hear a gunshot and run into the next room.

Oscar, now in a comical panic rather than a depression, is clutching his side and gasping that he’s been shot, and the heretofore still missing Ms. Primrose is in the corner of the room holding the gun by her fingertips, crying that she was just trying to put it away when it went off.

Oliver runs to get Dr. Johnson while Owen tends to Oscar who is (again, comically) writhing in a chair and complaining that being shot by a crazy granny is not how he wanted to go, and this is my second favorite progression of scenes.

Owen offers to call the pastor for Oscar (who, by the way, cannot identify WHERE he has been shot), and Oscar gets mad. Owen then offers him ice cream. Oliver sticks his head back in the door to ask of Oscar is dead yet. Owen says not yet and brings in Dr. Johnson (Asu, my love) who at first giggles and assumes that because it’s Mr. Jaffee he’s just acting. Owen and Oliver assure him this is real, and begin moaning and wailing as Dr. Johnson examines Oscar in earnest.

He stands up, and Owen and Oliver take this to mean it’s a hopeless case, and it’s time for them to say goodbye. On senshuuraku, Daimon verrrrrrrrry slowly slid all the way down the chair, so that Aasa had to hold her up by the arms to keep her from wiping out, AND had to kick her foot to a lower step of the stage so she could stand up again. The raku digest thankfully shows a bit of this, along with the Matrix move Daimon had to pull to jump to her feet when Dr. Johnson declares that Oscar hasn’t been shot at all.

(It does not, however, convey how drawn out and hilarious this was, nor does it show the chair then toppling onto poor Aasa, and it taking her at least 3 tries to get it off her again).

Oscar then gets another harebrained idea, and tells Dr. Johnson that he read his manuscript from before and that it’s SO GOOD he wants to give him an acting lesson right then and there. Dr. Johnson is stoked. Oscar tells him to just sit in the chair, stare at him solemnly, and shake his head back and forth if anyone looks at him (Asu, over the next few minutes, gives what my admittedly biased heart firmly believes is the award winning performance of the show). Oliver and Owen are to pretend Oscar is dying. The cherry on top of senshuuraku was in the moment before this all commenced, Daimon, immediately after the chair debacle, took an extra long pause before delivering (completely straight-faced) her usual line of “I don’t want to see any hammy acting,” after which the others took a comically long pause before replying, “Yep.”

Dr. Johnson takes his place in the formerly toppled chair, Oscar grabs a pillow and lays down on the floor, Oliver and Owen go fetch Lily and start wailing again. Agnes and Bruce also follow Lily into the room and start crying themselves at the sight of Oscar “dying” on the floor. Dr. Johnson looks around from person to person in a panic and starts hyperventilating. Owen and Oliver mime at him to look sadder, Asu licks her finger and dabs tears on her cheeks and then makes the dumbest crying face I’ve ever seen, shaking her head increasingly aggressively each time someone in the room looks at her. Daimon and Maaya are weepily singing “Lilyyyyyyyy, Oscaaaaarrrr” back and forth for deadass three entire minutes. I can’t believe how much vocal control Daimon has even lying on her back on the damn floor.

Lily eventually signs the contract as Oscar’s dying wish. When Max enters the room, Oscar immediately jumps up to rub it in his face, and Lily once again is furious at being deceived. Oscar claims that with no money to offer, the only way he could rescue her from a rotted career was through trickery. **I FORGOT BECAUSE I FINISHED THIS AT 6AM AFTER BEING UP ALL NIGHT that Lily gets the last word because she hasn’t actually signed her name at all but written PETER RABBIT. They throw things and hurl vicious insults at each other and then finally realize they’re just too hot for each other after all and throw open their arms and get married.

The finale opened with Agata in a top hat and tails dancing with a stick and a bunch of musumeyaku, then there was a huge golden group tap number and a lovely waltz for the duet dance.

I’ve been pretty upset that I had to miss BeruBara 45 and that I booked the trip I’m currently on before finding out Komu and Wataru would be returning to Bow Hall this summer, but being able to see this, especially since we’ll never see it again, was so so worth it. It was certainly a much needed boost for me personally, and it seems like it was a boost for the troupe and for Daimon and Maaya as a combi as well. I’m always torn about Broadway shows like this, because they’re SO good, and I WANT them to take on these kinds of challenges, especially when the result is so spectacular, but it’s such a bummer when they disappear forever. Many points to Harada for fitting this weird musical to Yukigumi like a perfect cozy little glove.

#takarazuka #reviews #on the 20th century #actual longest review ever #I didn't proofread it #I don't even want to read it #am i 東宝組 now 19

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musicdish · 5 years

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AWOLNATION Brings Fans "The Best" / Announces Tour With Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness

NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 5th: Today AWOLNATION releases "The Best" – the heir apparent to their most enduring hit song ever, "Sail." The track is the debut single from the band's forthcoming album, their 4th overall and their first with BETTER NOISE Music. Due out in 2020, the album features guest appearances by Rivers Cuomo of Weezer and Alex Ebert of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros. Better Noise Music is an artist development company that creates and markets entertainment content across various media platforms. Of the band's recent signing to the label, managers Berko Pearce and Scott Sheldon of RM64 say "It's exciting to partner with a label that's at the forefront of marketing in the new streaming era, and that has a proven track record of helping their artists reach bigger audiences. We've been enjoying working with the BETTER NOISE team on an integrated strategy across streaming, touring and radio, and we're eager to launch AWOLNATION's next projects with them." Aaron Bruno, the songwriter and architect behind AWOLNATION, says of the new single, which will also kick off the new album, "I'm always on the journey to improving myself, but all along, knowing it's close to impossible to really be the best at anything. And what does it mean to be the best? And does that really matter? Or maybe it is more about the journey and acceptance of comfort within one's own existence" The music video for "The Best," directed by Amalia Irons, also helps to tell the beginning of the new album's story and introduce one of the main characters. "I wanted to make a video that felt like some of my favorite childhood adventure movies and create something that has a magical feeling of the autumn season," says Bruno of the video. AWOLNATION will venture out on a headlining tour next year with special guest Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness and openers The Beaches and Bleeker, kicking off the tour on Memorial Day weekend in Asbury Park, NJ as the opening concert for the 2020 Stony Pony Summer Stage series. The formidable alternative tour will also include stops in NYC at The Rooftop at Pier 17, Washington D.C.'s The Anthem, The Aragon Ballroom in Chicago and The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. AWOLNATION has shared the stage with the likes of Twenty One Pilots, Fall Out Boy, Prophets of Rage, Incubus, and Weezer to name a few and secured spots on festivals like Coachella, Bonnaroo, Firefly Festival, Life Is Beautiful, Made in America, Austin City Limits, Osheaga, and Reading & Leads. Tickets go on sale to the general public this Friday, November 8that 10am local time. The Citi Presale will start on Tues Nov 5 @ 9am PT / 12noon ET. AWOLNATION's fan presale begins Tues, Nov 5 @ 11am PT / 2pm ET through Thur, Nov 7 @ 10pm local time. Spotify's Presale begins on Wed, Nov 6 @ 10am local time through Thur, Nov 7 @ 10pm local time. Other Local Presales run on Thur., Nov 7 from 10am to 10pm local time. Aaron Bruno, the songwriter and architect behind AWOLNATION, wrote and recorded one of the most influential songs of the current decade with the chart-topping, record-breaking track 'Sail.' The first single off the platinum Megalithic Symphony (2011), 'Sail' is certified Diamond (10 million) and holds the record for the most weeks on the Billboard Hot 100 chart by an independent artist, the second longest for any artist. The debut album also produced the Gold certified "Not Your Fault" and two other Top 10 US singles. AWOLNATION released the sophomore album Run in 2015 and 2018's follow up Here Come The Runts. Across the span of 3 albums, AWOLNATION has notched seven Top 5 alternative radio hits, including two #1's, and has accumulated millions of sales, downloads and over 1.5 billion streams globally. The music has been used in dozens of films, television shows and commercials around the world, and songs have been the genesis of viral sensations garnering hundreds of millions of streams and views across platforms like Instagram, Vine, TikTok, YouTube, etc. AWOLNATION ON THE ROAD: 5/22/20 Asbury Park, NJ Stone Pony Summer Stage 5/23/20 Pittsburgh, PA Stage AE 5/24/20 Toronto, ON Rebel 5/26/20 Washington, DC The Anthem 5/27/20 New York, NY Pier 17 at South Street Seaport 5/29/20 Boston, MA Rockland Trust Bank Pavilion 5/31/20 Lewiston, NY Artpark 6/2/20 Cleveland, OH Agora Ballroom 6/3/20 Columbus, OH Express Live 6/5/20 Detroit, MI Masonic Temple Cathedral Theatre 6/6/20 Chicago, IL Aragon Ballroom 6/7/20 Minneapolis, MN Fillmore Minneapolis 6/8/20 Kansas City, MO Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland 6/10/20 Atlanta, GA Coca-Cola Roxy 6/12/20 Houston, TX Revention Music Center 6/13/20 Austin, TX Stubb's 6/14/20 Dallas, TX Southside Ballroom 6/16/20 Denver, CO Fillmore Auditorium 6/17/20 Salt Lake City, UT The Complex 6/19/20 Los Angeles, CA Greek Theatre 6/20/20 Las Vegas, NV Pearl Concert Theater 6/23/20 Seattle, WA Paramount Theatre 6/24/20 Troutdale, OR Edgefield All shows feature special guest Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness, The Beaches and Bleeker, except Toronto, where The Beaches will not play. http://youtu.be/x62B8FgaGOI http://awolnation.ffm.to/thebest

#indie rock alternative rock new single platinum artist platinum single

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shelleyseale · 5 years

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Want to Quit Your Job and Travel? Eagle Creek has your Chance!

Quit your job and travel the world. Have you ever had that dream?

Eagle Creek has just the opportunity for you —the dream chance to win the journey of a lifetime and quit your job to travel! (And they happen to make our FAVORITE travel gear as well, in fact the ONLY gear I use! Check out some of our reviews).

THE WHAT

Iconic travel brand Eagle Creek is challenging people to go all in, Quit Your Job and Travel. Or at least take a sabbatical, or cash in those vacation days. Just. Go. Travel. Eagle Creek will be holding auditions to send five winners on dream trips-of-a lifetime to the destination of their choice in partnership with G-Adventures, a premium adventure travel outfitter. I also have a great relationship with G-Adventures, which I think is the best small-group touring company for independent, adventurous travelers — I write for them regularly, you can check out my GA stories here!

TRAVEL FACTS & RESOURCES

There are so many benefits to traveling — tell your boss! Eagle Creek has done a lot of internal research. They’re all travelers themselves and know firsthand the impact travel can have, but they found some unexpectedly wild stats: More than 700 million vacation days go unused by American workers each year. Travel boosts your immune system and strengthens your antibodies. You are twice as likely to receive a raise when you take your vacation days. Taking time off to travel is proven to boost energy levels at work. Roughly $500 billion is lost every year because of workplace stress. No one actually has to quit their job to win, but as part of the tour, they’ve launched a site full of resources, including: sample resignation letters articles about how to travel better couch surfing etiquette and more

AUDITIONS

Several hundred people stopped by the LA tour stop on March 28, with 93 auditioning. The next audition tour stop is in my hometown of Austin, this Saturday April 13. Meet me there! The fun also includes games, giveaways and raffles just for showing up... something for everyone. Auditions will be held in the following cities: Austin, TX – April 13, 2019 Whole Earth, 1014 N. Lamar Blvd. Austin, TX 78703 | 11am-3pm Louisville, KY – May 2, 2019 Quest Outdoors, 4600 Shelbyville Rd Suite 133, Louisville, KY 40207 | 10am-4pm New York – May 18, 2019 Paragon Sports –867 Broadway, New York, NY 10003 Chicago – June 8, 2019 Uncle Dan’s –Chicago, IL Boulder – June 22, 2019 - Jax Mercantile – 5005 W 120th Ave, Broomfield, CO 80020 Portland, OR – July 13, 2019 Portland Luggage - 440 SW 4th Ave, Portland, OR 97204 San Francisco – August 3, 2019 - The Sports Basement - Old Mason Street, San Francisco, CA 94129

Eagle Creek gear invites you to apply for a life-changing dream trip!

CONTEST DETAILS

Winners get to choose their trip from a pre-selected menu of hundreds of global destinations G-Adventures travels to. From the Galapagos Islands to Nepal to Patagonia, winners will have a wide range of choices to go almost anywhere in the world they want to go. Winners DO NOT have to quit their job to win. Winners DO have to commit to allow Eagle Creek to follow their journey on social and document their adventure; they also must agree to allow us to use their audition content. Winners will receive a prize package of Eagle Creek products to help pack and stay organized during their trip. Winners will be chosen for the trip giveaway based on the creativity and passion displayed in their video audition. Some restrictions, and limitations apply (see the rules online).

WEBSITE

www.eaglecreek.com/QuitYourJob

Fast Facts on travel, squandered vacation time, and working Millennials:

More than 700 million vacation days go unused by American workers each year. Experiencing another culture makes you more creative and cognitively flexible. Traveling makes you a more productive worker. Travel boosts your immune system and strengthens your antibodies. You are twice as likely to receive a raise when you take your vacation days. Taking time off to travel is proven to boost energy levels at work. 43% of millennials plan to quit their jobs within 2 years. Roughly $500 billion is lost every year because of workplace stress. Studying abroad makes you twice as likely to get hired out of school. Each U.S. household would pay $1,000 more in taxes without the revenue generated by travel and tourism. 64,640 selfies are taken around the world every minute. Planning a trip boosts your happiness. Travel strengthens family relationships.

Where would you go if you won this opportunity?

Read the full article

#EagleCreek #GAdventures #quityourjob #travelcontest #travelforfree #travelsweepstakes #traveltheworld #wintravel

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josephborrello · 5 years

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Magnitude and Direction, Issue #30

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Is it just me, or does it feel like there was a longer-than-normal interval between last edition and this one? I promise it's only been two weeks, like normal. Anyway, today's font is Garamond. --- Also, I'm launching a new portion of this newsletter tomorrow morning, which takes ones of the topics covered in the previous day's issue of M&D and expands on it, with a little bit more of my own voice and opinions. Think of it as an Op-Ed column for M&D. And, of course, another physics pun is involved, this one to reflect that point in time when you're still sitting in bed, grab your phone, open the article, and end up stuck in bed reading it. It's a moment when an object at rest (you) stays at rest... one could call it a Moment of Inertia. (So I did.) The first Moment of Inertia comes out tomorrow morning, so stay tuned and I look forward to hearing back from you all about it.

Hardware, Prototyping, and Fabrication

Olivier van Herpt's 3D printed ceramic vases are perfect for people like me who don't have the patience to work with clay by hand. How magnetic are your country's coins? This is how to make a pair of pliers from nothing but a piece of wood and a chisel blade. Typically, 3D printing only works when each layer of material has something to lay on top of, be it the previous layer of material or the build platform. When this doesn't happen - especially in the case of plastic extrusion, or FDM, printing - we consider the resulting structure a failure. As is often the case, though, one person's failure is another's inspiration. The result? Some beautiful sculptures and a deep dive into the future of additive manufacturing in the first ever edition of Moment of Inertia.

Software and Programming

ji32k7au4a83 looks like it would be a great password, but it turns out it's a pretty bad one because of what it translates to on a Mandarin keyboard. We may think we can act randomly but this game says otherwise. A lot can get done in a minute online. NVIDIA's GANs are at it again: taking MS Paint-level sketches and turning them into masterful photos. Clippy, of Microsoft Office fame, had been unemployed since 2001 when they were removed from the office suite. Last month, however, Clippy made a brief comeback on Microsoft's version of Slack as a reaction sticker option(actually a whole bunch of them), as well as part of the Microsoft Office developer github repository. While everyone's favorite anthropomorphic paperclip has since been re-retired by the Microsoft "brand police", there's still hope that someone forked that repo...

Science, Engineering, and Biomedicine

🛸 Is Earth the sole domain of intelligent life in the galaxy? So far, the answer seems to be "Yes". New models of intra-galactic settlement that take into consideration the orbits of stars around our galaxy's core, however, indicate that we may not be along in the galaxy. In fact, our potential galactic neighbors may have actually passed through so quickly we never even noticed them. (Original paper here.) While the orbit of Venus is closer to Earth's orbit, Mercury is, in fact, our closest solar system neighbor. Scientists from the US and China were able to give mice the ability to "see" (really more like detect) infrared light, via intraocular nanoparticle injections. Do you like slime molds? Well, have I got an Instagram account for you. If you're looking to culture the perfect Emmental cheese, then you might want to consider buying a few records from A Tribe Called Quest. That being said, the potential mechanisms behind why are still very much unknown, as the original paper admits.

Mapping, History, and Data Science

🔊 Datavized and the Google News Initiative recently released TwoTone, a free web tool for data sonification, bringing a new dimension and sensory modality to the understanding of our data. 🥂 Researchers from the University of Rochester are training an AI to detect when we're TWI (tweeting while intoxicated). (Original paper here.) Graphs and charts are cool, but sometimes they can be lacking in a certain... dynamic element. For those cases, Google has come to the rescue with their Data GIF Maker, which can take a static data graphic and turn it into a lively, exciting animated GIF. The capabilities are still a little limited for now, but I'm excited to see where this goes.

Events and Opportunities

There's always that one day when everything ends up happening. This time it's April 10th...

Saturday, 4/6 It seems like startup/entrepreneurship meetup groups in NYC have been popping up like crazy and the NYC Entrepreneurs and Startup Connection meetup is another new one on the scene. They'll be having their first networking party in midtown at Highbar.

Monday, 4/8 It's New York versus the Netherlands at the 4th Annual Harlem2Haarlem pitchfest. Three startups from the city formerly known as New Amsterdam and three startups from the city still known as Amsterdam will compete for prizes and international bragging rights.

Tuesday, 4/9 The NYC Professionals, Entrepreneurs, and Business Owners meetup group will gather at the WeWork on 5th Ave for coffee and conversation.

Wednesday, 4/10 Come see some of New York's most promising life science startups pitch their innovations at the 7th annual pitch day to wrap up this year's ELab NYC accelerator program.

Wednesday, 4/10 NY Designs is holding a Women in Tech happy hour featuring some of the awesome female engineers, makers, and entrepreneurs working in the NYC and NY Designs tech ecosystems. And yes, individuals who identify as female and men are welcome to attend as well.

Wednesday, 4/10 GeoNYC holds their next meetup, featuring lightning talks and cool demos from the NYC geo-mapping community.

Wednesday, 4/10 Cornell Tech hosts a panel discussion on consumer Health Tech, featuring clinicians and technologists leading innovative consumer health tech companies.

Wednesday, 4/10 Interested in pursuing a career in healthcare consulting? Join the Tri-I consulting club for an evening of networking and discussions with members of the CBPartners consulting team.

Friday, 4/12 The NYC Startup Community meetup group is hosting a mixer for entrepreneurs and professionals working in technology and digital arts.

Monday, 4/15 The NY Hardware Startup meetup is back at Kickstarter HQ for their next gathering.

Wednesday, 4/17 The NYC Startup Community meetup group is hosting a panel discussion about what it's really like to work at a startup, featuring some of the earliest employees of local ventures.

Wednesday, 4/17 Astronomy on Tap celebrates 6 years in NYC at their Orbit-versary celebration at the Way Station in Brooklyn.

Some other upcoming events to keep on your radar...

Tuesday, 4/23 Mark your calendars now for the 4th Annual GRO Your Career life sciences conference at Columbia University (and yes, I am helping organize this event). A wide array of professionals from industries directly and indirectly related to the life sciences will be giving talks and participating in panel discussions, with lots of opportunities for networking.

Wednesday, 4/24 Scientists, artists, and everything in between gather together for the April SciArt Synapse mixer at the Peculier Pub.

May 3-5 MIT is holding their 2019 Grand Hack, one of the biggest medical hackathons in the world that has spawned several successful companies over its history. Applications to participate are due by April 17th!

Map of the Month

Compare expectations versus reality with this interactive map showing the original plan for New York City's street grid overlaid with what actually happened.

Odds & Ends

French train company Ouigo ("wee-go", get it?) is here for your computer pinball fix.

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chocolate-brownies · 6 years

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International Day of Yoga was inaugurated by the United Nations in 2015, hailing June 21—the summer solstice—as an annual holiday to “to raise awareness worldwide of the many benefits of practicing yoga.” The UN initiated the celebration due to yoga’s universal appeal and increasing popularity—this year’s theme is “Yoga for Peace.” Who doesn’t love a day to celebrate mindfulness and a personal yoga practice? Around the country, studios are opening their doors and offering free or discounted classes in celebration.

We reached out to some of our favorite US and Canadian studios to compile a list of free or discounted offerings, so you can plan to celebrate IDY in style. This is by no means an exhaustive list of all the awesomeness happening around the country, so be sure to check with your local studios in person.

Wanderlust Studios

Wanderlust Hollywood Los Angeles, CA In addition to our daily class schedule, join us for fun extras to celebrate: 8:30 AM Kundalini with complimentary breakfast samples after class // 12:00 PM Flow with surprise gift from manduka (for those registered and attending class) // 2:00–5:00 PM Complimentary Makeup touch up sessions from Nars // 3:00–4:00 PM Oracle Readings by donation with Aarona Lea, creator of the Moon Deck // 4:00–5:00 PM Community Kirtan with Eddie Marashian (50% of the proceeds from this workshop will be donated to Yoga Gives Back) // ALL DAY Samples from our local food and beverage vendors. For those who are new to the studio, we invite you to take your first class FREE. RSVP yes to the Facebook event and receive a complimentary Coffee at our True North Cafe during our Celebration!

Wanderlust Yoga Austin Domain, Austin, Texas Join Wanderlust Yoga for Candlelight Solstice Yoga on the Great Lawn of the Domain at 7:00pm.

Le studio de Yoga Wanderlust 7 Avenue Laurier and 390 Rue Guy—both locations in Montreal, Quebec, Canada Because YOGA feels so good and make us so happy in life, we want to celebrate it with as many persons as possible! For the International Day of YOGA, the 6pm class on the 21st of June at both studios will be on DONATION only! Come celebrate and acknowledge this practice with us. Arrive early to get a spot! Check out the Facebook event here.

Midwest

Ahimsa Yoga Studio Oak Park, Elmhurst, La Grange, and Berwyn, IL We are offering your first class for $5!

Power Life Kansas City Kansas City, MO Celebrate summer and Salute the Sunset with the Power Life community! We’ll celebrate International Day of Yoga and salute the sunset in style on the rooftop at the Power Life South Plaza studio. Community starts at 7pm with body painting, treats, music and giveaways! Class starts at 8pm and ends as the sun sets on the longest day of the year.

Sacred Space Yoga + Meditation 1955 Johnson Street NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418 Enjoy FREE drop-in classes ALL DAY at Sacred Space on Thursday June 21st to celebrate International Day of Yoga!

McFetridge Yoga & Fitness Studio Chicago, IL Bring a friend for free all day long—OR participate in the donation-based 108 sun salutations in honor of the Solstice.

YogaFresh Woodbury, MN Join us for a FREE Summer Mala of 108 Sun Salutations at YogaFresh as we celebrate International Yoga Day and the summer solstice (or the first day of summer and the longest day and the shortest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere). We will invite more daylight and warming temperatures with 108 (modified) Sun Salutations as we welcome the change of seasons with an envigorating practice led by Brittany McArdell. This seasonal practice is an offering of peace and unity on the first day of summer and a great way for you to view the progress of your practice seasonally. Modifications will be offered and all levels are welcome to attend this slightly heated practice (80 degrees)! Cost: FREE. Space is limited, so please register online.

Viva Prana 1415 N Dayton Flr 3 Chicago Illinois 60642 Viva Prana will be hosting two donation based classes on 6/21/2018: 12:00–12:45pm Lunchtime Vinyasa with Whitney Pasch and 7:30–8:45pm Stretch & Restore with Jessica Wilson. The classes will feature mindful movement, alignment centered flow and over strengthening and stretching. The studio will be offering a new membership offer of $99.00/month and 4 class membership for $48.00/month.

GMRENCEN Rooftop Yoga GMRENCEN, Detroit, Michigan Move through a dynamic and revitalizing series of sun salutations (surya namaskar) to salute the sun, welcome the beginning of summer, and celebrate the practice! The word solstice in Latin actually means “sun standing still.” A solstice occurs twice each year, when the movement of the sun’s path (as seen from Earth) comes to a stop before it reverses direction. This is an auspicious practice to wipe the slate clean and manifest your summer in the way you want it to feel. We encourage all participants to wear white or light colors as we celebrate the sun in the morning. Bathrooms are not available on the Rooftop, so please change to workout clothes beforehand.

Sage Yoga & Wellness 242 N. 8th Street Suite 200 Boise, ID 83702 We are offering a donation-based class where students can pay whatever to take class!

Photo by Megan Kathleen

East Coast

Hosh Yoga Greenpoint, Brooklyn Donation Based Intermediate Vinyasa Class 10:00am

Humble Haven Yoga Richmond, VA Nearly a year ago, Humble Haven Yoga’s owner Suzanne Burns and manager Marisa Atula were introduced to ReEstablish Richmond, a local non-profit organization helping refugees establish roots, build community, and become self-sufficient. Since that initial connection, Suzanne and Marisa have provided free weekly yoga to a community of Bhutanese refugees and private prenatal classes to individual refugees from various origins. In honor of International Yoga Day, Humble Haven Yoga will be offering a donation based class in support of ReEstablish Richmond and their humble work. The class, a Candlelight Vinyasa + Sound Bath, will be co-led by Suzanne and Marisa. All donations made will be matched by Humble Haven Yoga. All information and registration can be found here.

Full Circle Yoga 1515 Grand Central Ave. Vienna WV Let’s celebrate International Day of Yoga on June 21st! Current students (those that have been to the studio before) can bring a *Friend to try any of our drop-in classes on Thursday, June 21st. *Friend must be NEW to the studio and accompanied by a current student.

Bella Prana Yoga and Meditation Tampa, FL All classes on Thurs. 6/21 will turn into donation classes at Bella Prana Yoga! That’s 14 opportunities to practice for free in celebration of International Day of Yoga. All proceeds will benefit the Citizens Climate Lobby (a local environmental charity).

Yoga Power, LLC Charleston, WV We offer one free week of unlimited yoga to all new clients.

Five Pillars Yoga Upper East Side, Manhattan, NY Join creative and dynamic vinyasa teacher (and one of our faves!) Stacy Leung for some free flow in honor of International Yoga Day. This open level class will get the energy moving, build strength and cultivate bright & refreshed presence, and celebrate our studio’s community. 5–6 pm. Location: 4th Floor Loft.

Photo by Ali Kaukas

West

Flex & Flow 1461 N Skidmore St, Portland, OR 97217 Join us at Flex & Flow on International Day of Yoga for FREE classes all day long. Check out our schedule at flexandflowyoga.com/schedule and hop on the mat with us for FREE on June 21!

I Am Yoga Wellness Studio Turlock, CA Bring a friend for free on June 21.

SLO Yoga Center 672 Higuera St #200, San Luis Obispo, CA We will be hosting a free community class on June 21. Come to a special Vinyasa class that is free to the public to celebrate the gift of yoga on International Yoga Day. Bring a mat and arrive early.

Be One Yoga Kirkland, WA Celebrate International Day of Yoga with us! Be One Yoga is hosting a donation based glow-in-the-dark vinyasa class with yoga instructor Anna Johnson! This donation based class will be jammed packed with HIP HOP tunes, glow sticks, body paint, tattoos and of course a fun filled vinyasa flow! Most importantly, all proceeds will go to support the NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the nation’s largest mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. Join us Thursday, June 21st! COME EARLY to adorn yourself with all the glow-stick, body paint and tattoo fun! Class begins at 8:30 PM

TruFusion Scottsdale, AZ TruFusion & Lululemon ScottsdaleQuarter will be doing a $10 donation based yoga class benefitting Africa Yoga Project which helps create yoga accessibility and empower leaders in 22 African countries. This will be held from 6pm–8pm in the studio. A yoga class will take place from 6:00pm-7:00pm followed by a social mixer from 7:00pm–8:00pm. We will also provide a kid’s yoga class from 6:00pm–7:00pm as well.

Yumi Hi SUP Yoga Hilton Hawaiian Village, Waikiki beach, Honolulu, Hawaii Follow us on Instagram @yumisupyoga , tag 3 or more friends on our posts and comment how you would love to join our SUP Yoga session on Thursday June 21 to celebrate International Yoga Day with us! Giving away 2 free sessions! Aloha!

South

Jai Bhakti Yoga New Orleans, Louisiana USA Om on the Green Sacred 108 Sun Salutations held at Bastion Community of Resilience 1901 Mirabeau Ave. New Orleans La. Event is from 6pm–8pm Meditation Circles begin at 6–6:30pm 108 begins at 6:30pm to Live Music, More events after class till 8pm. FREE refreshments!

Canada

Namaste Yoga Limoilou Québec City En partenariat avec Acro Yoga Fest, Namaste Yoga Limoilou offrira un cours d’initiation à l’acropole Yoga. Une séance de Méditation. Un cours de Yoga en Lumière sur DJ live. Venez vous amusez de manière colorée.

Unity Yoga East Vancouver We’ll be offering these classes for free in celebration of IDY: 5:00 Hatha / 6:30 Vinyasa / 8:00 Hatha. See you there!

Studio B Yoga & More #8 45540 Market Way, Chilliwack BC We are offering free yoga classes all day on June 21st.

Learn more about the origins of IDY here, and then practice with us at a Wanderlust event this year!

The post Celebrate IDY with Free Yoga! appeared first on Wanderlust.

#sleep sounds #sleep music #white noise app #nature sounds #relaxing sounds #rain sounds for sleeping

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jazzworldquest-blog · 6 years

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USA; Michael Moss Accidental Orchestra HELIX CD Release Show Friday, May 18th 7-10 PM Westbeth Community Room

CD Release Party for Michael Moss / Accidental Orchestra: HELIX Friday, May 18, 2018 7-10 PM Westbeth Community Room 155 Bank Street entrance (between West St. and Washington St.) New York, NY 10014 Tickets: $10 donation New CD

Michael Moss the Accidental Orchestra HELIX (4th Stream Records ERG 10013) Street Date: March 24, 2018 Jason Kao Hwang, Rosi Hertlein, Fung Chern Hwei (violins), Stephanie Griffin (viola), Lenny Mims and Carol Buck (cellos), Steve Swell (trombone), Vincent Chancey (French horn), Waldron Mahdi Ricks (trumpet), Richard Keene (oboe), Elliott Levin (flute, tenor saxophone), Ras Moshe Burnett (soprano and tenor saxophones), Michael Lytle (bass clarinet), and myself, Michael Moss (Bb clarinet), Steve Cohn (piano), Billy Stein (guitar), Rick Iannacone (ambient guitar), Larry Roland (string bass), Warren Smith (percussion, vibraphones), Badal Roy (tabla), Chuck Fertal (drums), and Michael Wimberly (djembe, African bells and percussion). Listen On Bandcamp

Free Jazz Composer Michael Moss Debuts Two Major Compositions On His New Release HELIX. Multi-instrumentalist/composer Michael Moss, a veteran of New York’s free jazz scene, has assembled a brand-new band, the Accidental Orchestra, featuring 22 of the most exciting improvisers on the jazz scene today. His new CD HELIX is the premiere recording of a pair of his latest extended compositions. HELIX kicks off with “The Old One,” which gets its title from Einstein’s name for God. Moss describes this five-piece suite as “an initiation into sacred ground.” He views it as part of a musical tradition stretching from the earliest ritual over the dead to Bach’s Mass in B Minor, through Native American rites of passage into the spirit world, the Jewish mourner’s Kaddish, and Buddhist funeral rituals. Moss wrote "See Sharp or Be Flat/C# or Bb" while recovering from a fracture suffered in tripping over a curb. The composer brings a quirky sense of humor to the situation, right down to deciding to name his ensemble the Accidental Orchestra in memory of the incident. Moss aimed to let the band swing on this contrapuntal theme and variations mixing jazz, rhythm and blues, and the joy of dance. “Throughout I refer to Norwegian Wood (The Beatles), I Feel Good (James Brown), and Bags Groove (the Modern Jazz Quartet), but do not resort to familiar big band tropes,” Moss explains. “This is a type of string orchestra, but with lots of jazz musicians pushing the boundaries.” The Chicago-born, Madison, Wisconsin-educated Michael Moss has been an active member of the New York jazz scene for 50 years, earning recognition for his skill and imagination as a multi-reed player, and for the freshness and intensity of his writing. The self-described “farthest-out cat” was a mainstay of Manhattan’s famed loft jazz scene, playing with Sam Rivers, Dave Liebman, Paul Bley, Annette Peacock, McCoy Tyner, Elvin Jones, Richie Beirach and scores of others. He’s equally at home from a duo setting to an orchestra of 50-plus players. As a composer, Moss assigns time signatures to segments of his pieces, but the final form of any given composition depends entirely on the interaction of the musicians. A sense of space marks much of his work. Though, like most avant artists he shifts tempos frequently and sometimes drops the meter altogether, he and the group under his direction tend to listen more and play in the openings. Though his music clearly arises from the jazz tradition, Moss draws heavily from disparate folk idioms. American blues and Latin rhythmic influences are obvious in his work, but Israeli folk melodies (out of his own Jewish origins) or Tibetan chants (appropriated on a trip to India) are equally likely to emerge in his performances. Listeners can’t help but be captivated by what they hear, as they accompany Moss and the Accidental Orchestra on this life-long journey. "Playing free, but still playing together--it's a question of moving forward by moving backwards and sideways at the same time," Moss says obliquely, and yet the music seems to do just this, and makes sense. Robert LaBrasca, Press Connection and Rolling Stone writer (1986). "Moss' music is conceptually complex and musically brilliant, reaching across ages, cultures and continents for rhythms, phrases, melodies, and harmonics to produce a sound which is fascinating yet unsettling because it is foreign but so familiar." Fred Waitzkin liner notes Michael Moss/Four Rivers Cross Current (1978). What The Press Is Saying About HELIX "This is a stunning achievement – one that demands our attention." Grady Harp, Amazon, April 2, 2018 "This fantastic album gets a MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED from me, with an “EQ” (energy quotient) rating of 4.99." "The 20:37 “C# or Bb” is not only my choice from this album, it’s also my personal favorite improvised set (yet) in 2018! All the players in the orchestra challenge the boundaries on this one, & I’ve no doubt that those of you who thrive on music that stimulates creativity (in many different directions at once) will be playing this one over & over & OVER again!" "The orchestra Michael assembled for this stunning trip is amazing in and of itself…over fifteen minutes of far-out fun for all." "If it’s etherspace you’re craving for in your listening adventures, you’ll find “Mind Of God” the perfect blend of cool and cacophonous." Rotcod Zzaj,Dick Metcalf, editor, Contemporary Fusion ReviewsFebruary 27, 2018 Michael Moss Uses Experimental Jazz To Bring Helix To Life "While there are swing elements and other traditional jazz elements, but the form here is completely experimental. This is jazz of big ideas. And probably not for beginning jazz fans. Still, there is an energy and perceptiveness that keeps audiences listening, and that might be the most important thing of all." "From folk melodies to Renaissance orchestras, to Latin, blues and more, Moss has a nearly encyclopedic array of musical influences. According to Moss, he wants to stretch America’s musical heritage into the future while acknowledging its past innovators such as Louis Armstrong and Scott Joplin. With “Helix” it sounds as though he is doing exactly that." "The album succeeds as an experimental album based on a theme – – listeners with traditional expectations of jazz will be surprised or disappointed. But putting traditional restraints on free-flowing experimental jazz is to miss the point of the form." Dodie Miller-Gould, lemonwire, February 15, 2018 "If Avant Garde, free-form jazz is your preference, you will enjoy listening to the outer limits of Dr. Michael Moss’s artistic creativity. Michael Moss is a 50-year veteran of the New York “free” jazz scene. He’s a multi-instrumentalist and a composer, Chicago-born. At times, this music reminds me of the Chicago Art Ensemble, except that this production features a twenty-two piece orchestra. The Moss production is all over the place, spewing energy and combining instruments and notes in a unique and often dissonant manner." "I was particularly drawn to the final “SEE SHARP OR BE FLAT” composition that features a provocative violin solo with complimentary string ensemble support. This composition gives more opportunity for individual players to step forward and solo. I found the guitar solo to be outstanding with Warren Smith’s percussion bright and tasty beneath it." "If you have a taste for a project that’s out-of-the-ordinary, the Accidental Orchestra will soothe your palate." Dee Dee McNeil,February 28, 2018 "It is a work to be heard without prejudices, reminiscent of certain episodes of the music of Anthony Braxton." "There is everything from the more traditional jazz, with a swing of the rhythm section, to more material and abstract moments like in the long Inception, with instruments like the djembe or the tabla that give a sense of world, or the oboe of Richard Keene, with his nasal sound that stands out on the whole set." "Between moments more free and others more tied to the mainstream Moss demonstrates its music culture and the ability to consistently put together moments inspired by different historical periods." "A great record of this big band." Vittorio Lo Conte, Music Zoom, April, 2018 "The music and albums of this native of Chicago are always distinguished by their originality, and often the use of elements of various ethnic musical cultures." "In general - an excellent album for advanced fans of jazz music and, probably, quite a complex work for neophytes." Leonid Auskern, Nestor Media, March, 2018 "Sun Ra-ish Swing" "The Accidental Orchestra is comprised of a “Who’s Who” of the New York Improvised Music Scene." "A dissonant, yet strangely colorful and delightful series of chords emerge with a startling intensity." “See Sharp or Be Flat”begins with a shout of joy. It’s a jazz expression of an acceptance of all the good and bad things life throws at us." “Bridge”swings, walks, and flows like a rich liquid, as if it is urging you to follow its path." "Moss cultivates an intricate musical garden, then allows it to run wild, knowing quite well the trajectories each living thing will take." "A master of multiple reed instruments, and compositions . . . Moss knows how to handle himself. His musical inspirations are not limited by genre, culture, or historical period. To transcend the constant danger of self indulgence and perform music that serves to communicate real ideas and real experiences in service of higher ideals is the sign of a master. Michael Moss and the Accidental Orchestra have accomplished this." Dawoud Kringle,DooBeeDooBeeDoo NY, March, 2018

"MICHAEL MOSS/Helix: The loft jazz mainstay puts together an Accidental Orchestra, in which the gang is all here, and sets out for places only hinted at in “Metal Machine Music’. Using Einstein’s name for God as the jumping off point, I’ll bet this how things sound in heaven when Metatron dawdles over a second cup of coffee."

Chris Spector, Editor and Publisher, Midwest Record

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