There were a variety of fun and new experiences over the weekend that are worth mentioning (and grading) here:
PSP Slim -- One of Taylor's presents for his 12th birthday was this newer, sleeker version of the Play Station Portable device. Slimmer and lighter than its predecesor, but I'm still amazed at the graphics and functionality of such a small handheld gaming system. My grade: A-
Cosmic Bowling -- At 12:30 on a Saturday afternoon, we were just about the only people in the joint, but Taylor and his friends had fun bowling in black light with kid-bop rock music blaring. The folks at Interstate Lanes took good care of us with hot dogs and sodas for everyone, but at $11 per kid, the costs can really ad up! My grade: B-
Feast of Love -- Saturday night Rob and I checked out the Morgan Freeman flick about a wise and charming college professor who observes all kinds of love and romance whirling around him. "A meditation" on love, they call it -- meaning it's going to be slow. Thank goodness for Morgan Freeman, he actually made the movie pretty interesting, and Portland looked great, but eh... not my cup of tea. My grade: C
Cabaret -- The show that Portland's been waiting all summer for has finally arrived. Wade McCollum was as good as you'd expect in the role of the emcee (although I wanted him to be better than I'd expect), but the real star here is Storm Large. Yes the Emcee role in Cabaret has always been the spotlight role to which Sally Bowles character has played second fiddle -- Liza Manelli couldn't even get it right -- but here Storm Large delivers a powerful performance beyond the abilities of your typical Broadway actress. Her rendition of "Maybe this Time" is the best I've heard, and much of Chris Coleman's staging was electric, although a few parts (both songs and book) still dragged a little and Wade at times seemed more concerned about his 'CHERMAHNN accent and bawdy tone than in singing lyrics the audience could understand. But overall, I love Sam Mendes' 1990s retrofit of the original production and thought this production with a sexy cast delivered nicely. My grade: B+
PSP Slim -- One of Taylor's presents for his 12th birthday was this newer, sleeker version of the Play Station Portable device. Slimmer and lighter than its predecesor, but I'm still amazed at the graphics and functionality of such a small handheld gaming system. My grade: A-
Cosmic Bowling -- At 12:30 on a Saturday afternoon, we were just about the only people in the joint, but Taylor and his friends had fun bowling in black light with kid-bop rock music blaring. The folks at Interstate Lanes took good care of us with hot dogs and sodas for everyone, but at $11 per kid, the costs can really ad up! My grade: B-
Feast of Love -- Saturday night Rob and I checked out the Morgan Freeman flick about a wise and charming college professor who observes all kinds of love and romance whirling around him. "A meditation" on love, they call it -- meaning it's going to be slow. Thank goodness for Morgan Freeman, he actually made the movie pretty interesting, and Portland looked great, but eh... not my cup of tea. My grade: C
Cabaret -- The show that Portland's been waiting all summer for has finally arrived. Wade McCollum was as good as you'd expect in the role of the emcee (although I wanted him to be better than I'd expect), but the real star here is Storm Large. Yes the Emcee role in Cabaret has always been the spotlight role to which Sally Bowles character has played second fiddle -- Liza Manelli couldn't even get it right -- but here Storm Large delivers a powerful performance beyond the abilities of your typical Broadway actress. Her rendition of "Maybe this Time" is the best I've heard, and much of Chris Coleman's staging was electric, although a few parts (both songs and book) still dragged a little and Wade at times seemed more concerned about his 'CHERMAHNN accent and bawdy tone than in singing lyrics the audience could understand. But overall, I love Sam Mendes' 1990s retrofit of the original production and thought this production with a sexy cast delivered nicely. My grade: B+
It was a busy weekend followed by what promises to be yet another busy week: Sam Adams launches his campaign for Mayor on Wednesday, "The Foreigner" opens at my alma mater (University of Portland), and my sister in law Amy celebrates her 30th birthday!
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1 comment:
thanks for linking to www.pspslimlite.com! :) Great post btw ^^
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