Archive of articles from previous issues.
Congrats to
Jordin Sparks
2007 American Idol
from Glendale AZ
Drummers of Taikoproject
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts will present TAIKOPROJECT: (re)generation on April 21st– 22nd, 2007. The performance is presented with support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Western States Arts Federation. Single tickets are available for $38 from the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts box office at (480) 994-ARTS (2787) or online at www.scottsdaleperformingarts.org .
Founded in 2000, the TAIKOPROJECT is an ensemble of America’s premier, emerging taiko drummers dedicated to preserving and disseminating American taiko drumming through educational activities and public performances. The ensemble’s work balances the traditions and rich history of American taiko with a contemporary edge.
The TAIKOPROJECT will perform (re)generation, a state-of-the-art
theatrical production that blends taiko with storytelling,
spoken word, music, hip-hop choreography, multi-media video and
dance. The group performed (re)generation in 2003 at Gammage
Auditorium at Arizona State University as part of its world
premiere tour.
In 2005, the TAIKOPROJECT performed in Mitsubishi Motors of North America’s innovative national ad campaign “Taiko Drums,” featuring women from the group in a breathtaking 60-second commercial spot that was one of the highest-rated commercials of that year. The ensemble then performed for the most prestigious taiko concert in North America – Taiko Jam ’05 – as part of the 2005 North America Taiko Conference. The TAIKOPROJECT was also invited to perform for the Hollywood Bowl’s Summer Sounds program, working with the L.A. Philharmonic’s education division.
In 2005, the TAIKOPROJECT also traveled to Japan for the first time to represent American taiko at the 4th Annual Tokyo International Taiko Contest. As one of 12 finalists from more than 60 groups, the TAIKOPROJECT was the first American taiko ensemble to participate in the internationally recognized event. It made history when it took first place in the adult group category, becoming the first American taiko group to win the contest.
The TAIKOPROJECT has developed collaborations with a diverse group of artists, including klezmer clarinetist Leo Chelyapov, Vietnamese pop singer Bao Han, Chicano rock band Quetzal, internationally acclaimed European DJ Tiesto and Vancouver’s Chibi Taiko. It has been recognized with grant awards from the Durfee Foundation and the City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department and has been involved in projects funded by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Los Angeles County Arts Commission and the Western States Arts Foundation.
The TAIKOPROJECT is the latest taiko group endorsed by the Asano Taiko Company, Ltd. Formed in 1609, Asano is one of Japan’s oldest and most prestigious taiko drum-makers that provides drums for the world’s top taiko groups, including Kodo and Ondeko-za.
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts is located at 7380 East Second Street, in downtown Scottsdale, four blocks South of Indian School Road and three blocks East of Scottsdale Road. The amphitheater is located on the Scottsdale Civic Center Mall at 75th Street and Main Street. Free parking is available in the public parking garage located to the west of Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts and directly behind Los Olivos restaurant on Wells Fargo Avenue. Additional free parking is available at the Old Town Parking Corral at East Second Street and Brown Avenue and at the Civic Center Library parking garage located on Drinkwater Boulevard at East Second Street.
The Pursuit of Happyness
by Karen Michelle Sarver
The title of this (mostly) true story was inspired by misspelled graffiti spray painted on a building. It also encapsulates the film’s plot.
Will Smith plays Chris Gardner, a single father struggling to keep himself and his preschool-aged son Christopher, (played by Will Smith’s son Jaden Christopher Syre Smith), fed and sheltered in San Francisco in the early 1980s. Abandoned by his son’s mother, Chris makes his meager living (or tries to) selling portable bone density scanners to doctors. But the expensive scanners—which Gardner purchased with his life savings—are less efficient than x-ray machines and not easy to sell. Consequently, Chris and his son end up broke and homeless.
But father and son won’t be down-and-out forever. Chris’s motto is, “You want something, go get it. Period.” That something turns out to be a position as a stockbroker with the Dean Witter brokerage firm. Chris is accepted into a “highly competitive” internship at Dean Witter after impressing the program’s head by solving the Rubik’s Cube. The unpaid internship lasts six months, and there are twenty interns competing for a single permanent position.
By day, Chris sells stocks in a bright and shiny office. By night, he and his son sleep in public restrooms or dark and dreary shelters. Throughout it all, Chris wears a suit and tie. But as any astute moviegoer could have guessed, the struggle pays off in the end. Today Chris Gardner is a multi-millionaire.
Will Smith’s portrayal of misery incarnate is sufficiently convincing to have earned him a Golden Globe nomination. Jaden’s performance has received mixed reviews. He’s been criticized for his lack of acting experience. But his inexperience comes across as authenticity. Anyone with a young child will be familiar with Jaden’s facial expressions. He’s real.
But I have two gripes about the film. First, it seems writer Steve Conrad (The Weather Man) couldn’t decide whether the movie was about the pursuit of wealth or the promotion of proper parenting. In the beginning of the movie’s trailer, Will Smith (as Chris) says “I met my father for the first time when I was twenty-eight years-old. When I had children, my children were gonna know who their father was.” But the movie isn’t so much about a father-son relationship as it is about chasing the American Dream. Then again, maybe the emphasis on the latter was influenced by Italian director Gabriele Muccino (Remember Me, My Love) who, according to Will Smith, understands the American Dream better than Americans do. Second, some of the plot’s details are inaccurate. For instance, Chris was paid a thousand dollars a month during his internship at Dean Witter. Of course it’s expected that a writer will take liberties with the facts when writing a “true” story. Nevertheless, I felt as if I had been lied to.
The deception aside, The Pursuit of Happyness is an inspiring movie that will most likely make you feel—you guessed it—happy. [On a scale of 1 to 4 with 4 being excellent, I would give The Pursuit of Happyness 3 stars.]
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Howdy Pardner! Welcome to Wickenburg's historic Helm Barbershop & Bath House built in 1910! C'mon in and Cool Yer Heels! Discover Western Gifts for Gals with Grit and Unique Western Treasures to Last a Lifetime! Round up a herd of fun things to do while you are visiting Wickenburg, Arizona! Buckshot Babe's is located at 69 North Frontier Street, Wickenburg, AZ 85390. To send us snail-mail: P. O. Box 1357, Wickenburg, AZ 85390 or give us a call at (928) 684-0750. If you would like to have a Buckshot Babe’s in your town? Franchise opportunities are available! |
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DEL
E. WEBB CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
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The Del E. Webb Center for the Performing Arts is a state-of-the-art 600 seat theatre dedicated to enhancing the cultural richness of Wickenburg and all of the Valley by presenting a variety of the finest performers. Throughout the Centers history, it has presented a variety of performances ranging from internationally acclaimed pianist Olga Kern to cowboy poet Baxter Black to the hilarious musical production of Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. The Center strives to present the highest quality art to our ever-expanding patron base. The Webb Center officially opened in December of 2000. It was constructed through a joint effort between the Wickenburg Unified School District and local arts supporters through the Wickenburg Foundation for the Performing Arts. In recognition of a generous contribution made by the Del E. Webb Foundation, the theatre was honored to assume the name Del E. Webb Center for the Performing Arts. The collaboration between the school district and the community raised money to complete and furnish the theatre; continuous funds raised through grants and donations have allowed the Webb Center to remain on the cutting edge with sound/lighting technology and to expand our performance capabilities. The Webb Center’s inaugural season began in the fall of 2001. The bar was set high for such a new institution, with more then 15,000 people attending more then 55 separate performances. From the beginning, the Webb Center presented a thrilling combination of public performances, educational artist interactions for students and a wide array of local community programs.
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Camp ImaginationIn June 2003, the Webb Center began what would become one of it’s most prized endeavors: Camp Imagination. The two week summer arts camp exposes 120 children (grades 1-12) to all of the arts genres (music, dance, theatre and visual arts) encouraging them to explore their creativity and stretch their imaginations. Classes vary from year to year due to the range of talented professionals and specialists brought in to teach, but have included dance, tumbling, drama, choral music, and stand-up comedy! Camp Imagination culminates with a public performance starring the campers either onstage as actors, singers and dancers or backstage as make-up artists and technical crew. The long-term goal of camp is to build audiences, artists and arts supporters who are appreciative of the many facets of the arts. The Webb Center is located at 1090 South Vulture Mine Road, in Wickenburg, for more information call (928) 684-6624 and check out www.delwebcenter.org . |
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Horseback Rides and Ranch Cookouts "A trip back in time." Ride the range with real cowboys on this 44,000 acre turn of the century cattle ranch. "Complete Cowboy Evening" Experience a "Complete Cowboy Evening" that includes a sunset trail ride, wagon ride, steak cookout by campfire, and western music under the stars. Presented exclusively by Sedona Red Rock Jeep Tours. Cave Dwellings of the Ancients For the individual who enjoys wading in a shallow stream or scampering up a short trail in order to experience Northern Arizona's best-kept archaeological secret. Travel by van to the caves, hand-carved into the limestone cliffs above the Verde River. Nearly 100 cave groups with some 400 rooms in all - the ancient cave dwellings of the Sinagua. (All hikes can be physically demanding, requiring agility and traction tread shoes.) For group information e-mail groupsales@redrockjeep.com for reservation, questions, please call 1-800-282-1851 or email jeeptours@redrockjeep.com and.
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“The Hoax” Reviewed by LA Sharpe “The Hoax”, stars Richard Gere as writer Clifford Irving who wrote Howard Hughes autobiography from supposed personal interviews. Of course ever reclusive Hughes never granted those interviews. Thus the whole bit was a big hoax, in fact, the biggest literary scam ever. The movie, inspired by true events in the life of writer Clifford Irving in the early 1970s, when he sold the book to McGraw-Hill for big bucks, provides Gere with a role he used to display more acting talent then any before. He’s not just a pretty man any more. But then we’ve always know it was there. Director Lasse Hallstrom (My Life as a Dog, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, The Cider House Rules, Chocolat, The Shipping News, An Unfinished Life) had a wonderful cast to tell this story including Richard Gere and one of my favorite actors Alfred Molina, who is in my opinion often unappreciated. As Irvin’s researcher and accomplice he transforms himself body and spirit in every role, making it so believable he is absorbed into the thread of the story magically. Marcia Gay Harden plays as Irving's wife, Hope Davis as his hard edged editor and Julie Delpy as the girlfriend, all presented excellent performances as well. The plot of "The Hoax" itself twists and turns, making you question what's real and what's spun. The nearly two-hour film is a portrait of an era in American history before deception had become commonplace, making this Hoax all the more stunning. Remember, this is the same era the country was first learning about Watergate and the pulse of the nation was quickening with burgeoning paranoia over what to believe and what not to believe. The age of innocence was quickly departing and the Clevers were making way for the Bunkers. The Hoax, demonstrates what Irving claimed, that "a man who says something completely implausible will always be believed." The film entertains and makes Irving a somewhat likeable conman. It teaches us something about our gullibility and why we continue to fall for every hoax that comes along. I give the Hoax three stars out of five. |
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