The Success Chain » Entertainment

Cape Town from the Sky

George — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 00:10:00 +0000

There is nothing like flying into a new place with all of the anticipation of an eager child. Seeing the earth below from the window of an airplane really is magical. One just wonders what is going on for the people below. What sort of adventure awaits them in the new country or city.

How about taking the sky to another level. How about checking into one of the Cape Town hotels and then checking into an adventure of the sky? There is a skydiving company that will guarantee the best view of the city.

Skydive Cape Town will take you from the center of Cape Town through some of the best areas of the mountains and parks near the city before reaching the airport to catch your ride to the sky.

Form the companies hanger you will board a small plane which will give you views of the city, Table Mountain and the harbor. You will also be able to see Robben Island. They will strap you onto a professional diver, for the less experienced, and then send you out the side of the plane.

The free fall sounds the scariest but it is actually the most comfortable part of the ride down. The air is forcing its way up so fast that you don’t even realize you are falling until the shut opens. It is quite the rush that will leave you speechless.

Cape Town from the Sky is a post from: The Success Chain

Greek Magic in San Francisco

George — Wed, 19 May 2010 00:10:00 +0000

When the gluten-free diets start to affect the sourdough bread industry in San Francisco, some of the more forward-thinking bakeries start to figure out how to offer gluten-free options. It can be done, and the results can be absolutely delicious. So when theatre as an art form starts to fall into serious trouble, finally giving way to the threat of the talking pictures, there are way and means of making the stage come to life again. In San Francisco, the key has always been a careful but bold ability for reinvention, and it happens all over, but in particular, the Magic Theatre has come through with a spectacular flair, and it’s also absolutely delicious.

With Loretta Greco at the helm as artistic director, it continues to be a very powerful force in global theatre. For locals, or anyone lucky enough to have reservations at a hotel in San Francisco during the season, it’s a great night out. It’s very much alive and well these days, and it’s been able to change with the times. With Luis Alfaro’s version of Oedipus kicking off the year, there is evidence that the bold choices are still the core of what they do. This was an amazing production, and the power of the performance still lies squarely in the hands of the very capable actors.

It’s a continuation of the Magic’s incredible history. It began in 1967, at the Steppenwolf Bar, with a production of an Ionesco show. That was a tumultuous time, and Ionesco is a playwright who understands what revolution is all about, and the combination of elements made for an electric beginning. This is where Michael McClure got his theatre muscles toned, and where Sam Shepard made his home for some rather important years in the history of the new American Realism. These would be hard times to live up to, but the people working and making theatre here now are every bit as formidable as the last generation, and there’s more Magic to come.

Greek Magic in San Francisco is a post from: The Success Chain

The Totally Hilarious “Upright Citizens Brigade” of NY

George — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 16:33:35 +0000

A friend of a friend of mine in Chicago, Matt Walsh, was one of the founders of the now New York based company, The Upright Citizens Brigade. He started the company in the city of Chicago in 1996, along with Ian Roberts, Matt Besser and Amy Poehler. They staged a show and performed for audiences in New York in 1999, and soon afterward began teaching their long-form improv techniques. One of the philosophies of the company involves big star names, for a little bit of change…meaning that when you attend any given performance you may see on stage Conan O’Brien, Will Ferrell, Mike Meyers, or Robin Williams in the cast of players, for the cost of eight bucks.

The classes that they offer provide the means for improv students and actors to find their own creative voices and to forge their way in the career of comedy. Their home in New York was at first, far away from the classy hotels of Manhattan, in a building that used to house a very questionable strip club. Soon big time casting directors, journalists, and agents were members of an audience that was growing exponentially. The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre became THE place to go to see cutting-edge and innovative comedy.

They have always kept their prices low, as on any given night you may pay six dollars, two dollars, or nothing at all, and the price never exceeds eight dollars. And unlike most comedy clubs, not only is there no such thing as a drink minimum, all of the drinks be it wine, beer or soda, are priced extremely low. This is a company that simply wants to make their comedy and laughter available to and affordable for the public. This is a no-holds-barred company in every way, and should you pass by the theatre some night, take in a show. You will have the time of your life, however, you may leave with a belly ache from laughing non-stop, but it will be well worth it.

The Totally Hilarious “Upright Citizens Brigade” of NY is a post from: The Success Chain

Singapore and Cupcake Obsessions

George — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 22:21:22 +0000

It doesn’t necessarily matter that her name was not this name, nor that name, nor was there anything remarkable about any of the things that drove me to find time away from my usual preoccupations. Among these preoccupations were the usual laundry lists, but there was also something about a cupcake with a Singapore flag that would always remind me of almonds in the time of, in the time of something. The important thing is that it did not matter. And at the moment, Singapore did, or rather, does. It always has mattered, whether I was here or not, and whether or not I was trying to forget her. How she would often tell bold lies throughout the course of the evening, and only speak the truth in whispers.

She wasn’t the only one, and I would like to say that I was the only one who recognized her speech patterns, but I saw in her what I had seen a dozen times before. And she saw it in me, too, and we would sometimes talk about how we had found a way not to talk about the only things that were on our minds. Among these were obsession, cupcakes, and the smell of particular trees in this part of the world. Hotels in Singapore have never reminded me of anything that reminded me of her, and this is where I felt safe. Until I understood that they had nothing to do with her, then they became fetishized for their ability to take me away from her. It’s an old cycle, and it’s not necessary to continue to watch the wheel turn.

Enough here to be here, in this place where I can find myself looking at all the things I would never consider buying for myself. Shopping in Singapore is one thing, but shopping for a memory is quite another, and there is usually no end to the options. One day I would make a film about everyone I ever met, everyone who was ever here, and everyone who was ever not her.

Singapore and Cupcake Obsessions is a post from: The Success Chain

Singapore a favored destination

TMZ Reports High Swiftrank Celebrity Gossip Facts

George — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 17:41:33 +0000

The television show TMZ has become more than extremely popular in its four years of existence. It has also seemed to transition paparazzi filming interviews to credited journalism status. And while that statement may seem to be as exaggerated as the validity TMZ has been given, it represents the views of many individuals who are surprised to hear major news stations crediting TMZ as their source. However, even the show’s greatest critics seem to be attracted to it and its swiftrank status continues to grow.

The program was created by its star Harvey Levin, who also seems to be its guiding force. And while not everyone in the room always agrees with his comments, his presence on the program does lend a sense of grounded and ethically based quality reporting. This may also be due to the fact that Levin is a journalist who previously worked as a lawyer and has professional reporting standards. The show’s structure is part of its attraction and some of the staff reporters that are featured in the program are extremely popular with viewers. The open newsroom discussion and quality of story presentation lend to the show’s credibility. People are more likely to trust what they hear when they feel like they connect with or know the person they’re hearing it from.

The show’s title refers to a geographical area in Los Angeles, California in which most of the stories originate. TMZ refers to the thirty-mile zone, which is the studio zone that encompasses a thirty-mile radius point from the intersection of West Beverly Boulevard and North La Cienega Boulevard. The show itself is an interesting blend of formats that basically has initiated a new genre of Hollywood and celebrity news and gossip reporting. Even many of the stars that are approached by the program seem to enjoy or at least not mind the program or being filmed by them. In addition they have been the first to report on many breaking stories such as the Mel Gibson DUI arrest and the news of Michael Jackson’s death.

TMZ Reports High Swiftrank Celebrity Gossip Facts is a post from: The Success Chain

Windsor Castle

Windsor Castle

George — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 16:11:35 +0000

Windsor is a well known name in England, however if using it geographically, it actually refers to three different locations. Windsor in Berkshire is the most well known and it has the distinction of housing Windsor Castle. This is the largest and probably the most famous inhabited castle in the world. The castle itself dates back to the time of William the Conqueror, which contributes to its status as the oldest continually inhabited castle. It is extremely popular with tourists, and guests staying in one of the fine Windsor hotels will certainly make a visit to the castle a top priority of their vacation.

The castle is one of the primary residents of the current Queen Elizabeth. She also resides in Buckingham Palace and the Holyrod Palace in Edinburgh Scotland. She spends many weeks out of the year in Windsor and the castle is used for official state purposes as well as private functions and parties that occur on a grand scale. The castle has seen many revisions and additions through the centuries, and most of the kings and queens of England have had a major role in its evolution. This makes the features of the castle easy to trace through a chronological comparison with the timings of the English rulers.

One of its notable uses occurred during the reign of Elizabeth the first who retreated with her court to the castle following a great outbreak of the plague in 1563. The plague was extremely common during her reign and outbreaks occurred on a regular basis. Elizabeth had a gallows erected in order to control visitors from London would likely to be bringing the plague with them. She also cut back on trade and pubic gathers to decrease the spread of this dreaded disease. Theatres were also closed down during great plague outbreaks and actors and playwrights would often have to scramble to replace the their means of income.

Windsor Castle is a post from: The Success Chain

Haunted Salisbury

Star Trek and the summer box office

George — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 20:07:00 +0000

People were worried about Star Trek, but after it received mostly rave reviews from movie critics across the map of the world, the fans replied with their take. In the United States, the movie took in $ 72.5 million in its first weekend.

Star Trek also took in $4 million more in Thursday previews that were not added in to the weekend total.

Star Trek is now competing with X-Men Origins: Wolverine for summer box office smash status across all world maps, the United States map and beyond…..

Hollywood however wishes that expectation bars could be set a little lower, because these big box office numbers are being seen as a failure in the media. Reuters has reported that the summer box office numbers are expected to fall by at least 3 or 4 percent.

But, only weeks into the summer movie season, Paramount’s Star Trek is on the verge to push the company past Warner Bros. as the studio making the most money this year at the Box Office. Paramount is about $50 million away from that goal thus far. Paramount stood no chance against Warner Bros. smash Batman flick “The Dark Knight.”

Warner Bros. still has Terminator Salvation in its summer line up which could still put Warner Bros. over the edge. Later in the year Warner Bros. will also release the sixth film in its lucrative Harry Potter series.

No matter where you decide to put your money this summer, if you do decide to go see a ten dollar movie, it will shape these two companies and what they choose to release or pursue in the future. The summer box office does not look too exciting for those who aren’t really in to sequels, or remakes. Renting may be the best way to go if you are not in the mood to spend the cash the movies require.

Star Trek and the summer box office is a post from: The Success Chain