Posts tagged show
“Sparkle” Is Overblown
Aug 26th
“Overblown”
“Hotshots” looks at a movie!
Sparkle is the 2012 remake of the 1976 film of the same name and story, but not of the 2007 film of the same name but different story.
This film also has the distinction of being the last film that Whitney Houston made before she died, and she was also one of the executive producers of it.
Houston said in an interview that the original film inspired her so much when it came out, and “I would go every Saturday for, like, four months straight, and I would watch the matinee to the evening show.”
This version moves the story from the 1950s to the 1960s, but it is still about a trio of sisters who want to make it big as a singing group in the music business.
No, Houston does not play one of the sisters. She plays their mother, who doesn’t approve of her daughters’ ambition, because she used to be a singer in the business, but she has bitter memories because it almost killed her.
The story begins in 1968 in Detroit, and the sisters are named Sparkle, Dolores, and, confusingly, Sister.
Sparkle is shy, but she loves music, and she writes the songs; Dolores, who also goes by Dee, actually wants to be a doctor, but she gives support to her sisters’ ambitions; and Sister is the outgoing one who starts out singing by herself, is impressive with her performances, and could succeed.
Of course, there are men around, too. Levi is dating Sister, and his cousin Stix, who is visiting from Kansas City, takes an interest in Sparkle, and when the girls starts singing as a group, Stix becomes their manager.
However, Sister becomes involved with a professional comedian named Satin, they get serious, but Satin is a bad influence and he introduces Sister to some very bad habits, personally and professionally.
All the while, Mama disapproves, and things just go from very bad to worse.
In other words, the story is a classic story about show business: Girls have ambition and want to be successful in show business, girls achieve success, girls lose success because of a tragedy, girls find success again but in different ways and to different degrees.
And don’t worry. Houston also sings a song, but not on stage.
Sparkle is overblown, overdone, and doesn’t sparkle at all.
I’m Dan Culberson and this is “Hotshots.”
Concerts in the Plaza 2012 drawing to a close
Aug 26th
Series concludes with Labor Day afternoon concert
When the last musical notes drift out of the Plaza on Labor Day afternoon, the 2012 Concerts in the Plaza will conclude and will do so counting a very successful 22nd season. The weekly music series, offered free to the community and visitors, runs each year from Memorial Day to Labor Day offering a wide variety of musical entertainment to the community. The series has been called “the best way to spend a Thursday night in St. Augustine,” and it’s easy to understand why when sitting under the majestic oaks of the Plaza de la Constitución enjoying quality musical entertainment surrounded by friends and family.
The two-hour concerts are on Thursdays starting at 7:00pm except for the concluding concert on Labor Day which is set for the afternoon from 1:00pm until 5:00pm. A cancellation necessitated a scheduling change for the Labor Day concert with Jazz Piersonified & Friends stepping in to fill the vacancy . The remaining 2012 schedule features:
August 16 Rob Ellis Peck & Friends – acoustic R&B / classic rock,
August 23 The Mike Hart Band – blues, jazz & rock,
August 30 Lonesome Bert & The Skinny Lizards – original Americana folk,
September 3 Jazz Piersonified & Friends – jazz standards.
Parking
On street parking, free after 5:00pm, is available near the Plaza, and parking is available, $10 per entry, at the Historic Downtown Parking Facility at The VIC, a short walk to the Plaza.
Rain? What rain?
Every attempt is made to go on with the show, so even with this season’s rainy summer only one concert was cancelled, although some have started a few minutes late. As is often said: The only way you’ll know if a concert is cancelled is to be there.
Need to know more?
Concerts are free and attendees should bring lounge chairs for seating. Picnic dinners are popular, but alcoholic beverages are prohibited in the Plaza. Complete schedule and maps to the Plaza and The VIC are available at www.plazaconcerts.com.
Concerts in the Plaza is produced by the City of St. Augustine with support from the St. Johns County Tourist Development Council. For visitor information visit www.floridashistoriccoast.com.
Source: City of St. Augustine
Folio Weekly Artist Exhibition to have Flagler flavor
Aug 24th
Over 750 submissions were received from the Folio’s Call to Artists and a jury selected 50 to be shown at the Cummer through Dec. 2.
Among the 50 artists selected from the more than 750 submissions received were Flagler College fine arts major Brianna Angelakis, 2012 graduate Denise Liberi and associate professors Leslie Robison Patrick Moser, who also serves as the chair of the college’s art department.
“I am honored and delighted to be included in the show at the Cummer Museum with my exceptional colleague Leslie Robison and two of our incredible BFA students Denise Liberi and Brianna Angelakis,” said Moser. “We have all worked hard to cultivate a challenging, interdisciplinary culture in our BFA program and it is rewarding to see such a positive reflection of our efforts.”
The exhibit opens with a gala featuring live music and hors d’oeuvres from 6-8 p.m. Aug. 24 in the Stein Gallery. Tickets are $5 and museum members are free.
The exhibit continues at the museum through Dec. 2.
The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens is at 829 Riverside Ave. in Jacksonville, Fla. For more info, call 904-899–6027. Tickets will be free for members, and $5 for non-members.
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Flagler College is an independent, four-year, comprehensive baccalaureate college located in St. Augustine, Fla. The college offers 24 majors, 29 minors and two pre-professional programs, the largest majors being business, education and communication. Small by intent, Flagler College has an enrollment of about 2,500 students, as well as a satellite campus at Tallahassee Community College in Tallahassee, Fla. U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review regularly feature Flagler as a college that offers quality education at a relatively low cost; tuition is $23,690, including room and board. A relatively young institution (founded in 1968), Flagler College is also noted for the historic beauty of its campus. The main building is Ponce de Leon Hall, built in 1887 as a luxury resort by Henry Flagler, who co-founded the Standard Oil Company with John D. Rockefeller. For more on Flagler College, visit www.flagler.edu.