Written and directed by Woody Allen, Magic in the Moonlight is a tale about a famous magician played by Colin Firth, who is skeptical of clairvoyants. Known for exposing them as fakes, he sets out to prove Sophie (Emma Stone) is just that. Ironic, considering a magician is himself in many ways, a fake.
Emma Stone and Colin Firth
Setting aside the lush and elegant location in the south of France, to me, this story, taking place in the late 1920's is more like a play that just happens to be on film, than a motion picture. Perhaps Mr. Allen is reaching back into his playwright days, and it works for this film.
Woody Allen is showing his age in this movie. By that I mean his themes are less focused on the neurosis and anxiety suffered by many of us in our daily lives but instead on the larger questions we ask ourselves about the meaning of life in general. Questions such as is there a God and a spirit world, can it be accessed by certain people, does prayer work, do our lives hold more meaning than just what we see, do we live more than once....
If you either like Woody Allen movies or are fond of classic films you'll probably enjoy this one. If not, you may be better served by one of his non Woody Allen type pictures such as "Match Point."
Of course I won't give away the ending. I
will say though that this story criticizes those who perform "tricks" of
various kinds, but it also equally gives them credit and explores our
need to believe in something other than what we can see and explain.
Emma Stone, Woody Allen and Colin Firth on the set.... "Magic in the Moonlight"
Photos...bingimages.com
For a complete listing of Woody Allen films go to:
With so much entertainment in Vegas to choose from on any given night, the pressure is on for productions to keep things alive and interesting. A noticeable recent trend is to give a show some room to grow and allow varied performers and production revisions as needed. With this approach, Raiding the Rock Vault continues to be a Rock N' Roll fantasy come to life.
I checked it out for a third time recently as I'd heard they've made some changes. Although I will miss John Payne who departed this spring and was replaced in the line up, his mark will last in his own way as co-creator of this super group....Having said that, Rock Vault has taken on a life of its own
which I predict will last even beyond its creators or current
members.
Raiding the Rock Vault....Photo by Erik Nielsen
In addition to band changes, some of the production has been pared down. The extraneous opening and a few of the skits have been cut or shortened letting it shapeshift into more of a true musical and concert experience. I like this. They've also amp'd up the dancers a bit, and I must say I was impressed. A couple of them were so hot they almost turned me gay for a minute! This time I went on a Monday night, which was interesting because the audience seemed more reserved than on the weekend nights, at least in the beginning. One guy even told me to sit down at one point. I did because I knew that wouldn't last long and the VERY next song he was on HIS feet...as everyone eventually always is at this show!
I know for a fact the more high energy the crowd is, the more we give the performers on stage to work with. However I noticed with the Rock Vault performers, having seen them three times now, that they always seem to give it their all even on a Monday night. They emit rock n' roll out of every pour every moment on stage and it's palpable....probably not easy to do five nights a week.
In addition, the lighting for RTRV is as much a part of the impact of this show as anything else. It's truly fantastic!...I don't know who does it but it blows me away. Why would I mention lighting? There's a saying in the biz that "lighting is everything".....this is true to a certain degree. Because when done right it enhances a production in ways that are noticeable and also in ways that are nuanced. Oh, and I don't know who their stylist or costume designer is, but I could do a story on just that alone. It's all it should be and more and befitting of the various personalities onstage.
The show is still housed in Elvis Presley's former showroom at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino.
Doug Aldrich & Howard Leese, Photo by Erik Nielsen
The group has released two albums of their music, both in CD and downloadable form (see below).
I hope they someday release a Rock Vault concert DVD.
Paul Shortino & 2 hot dancers, Photo by Erik Nielsen
Although I mentioned Carol-Lyn Liddle in a previous article I have to take a minute to say Carol, you are a vocal goddess and now one of my fave singers, (along with Shakira and Stevie Nicks). Stephanie Calvert I still haven't yet heard do her thing.
Carol Lyn Liddle....photo from Raiding the Rock Vault Facebook Page
Raiding the Rock Vault Line Up...
Howard Leese -Guitar (Heart, Bad Company)
Doug Aldrich -Guitar (Whitesnake)
Robin McAuley -Lead Vocals (MSG, Survivor)
Paul Shortino -Lead Vocals (Rough Cutt, Quiet Riot)
Jay Schellen -Drums (Hurricane, Asia)
Andrew Freeman -Lead Vocals (Offpsring)
Michael T. Ross -Keyboards (Lita Ford)
Hugh McDonald -Bass (Bon Jovi, Ringo Starr)
Carol-Lyn Liddle -Lead Vocals (Masters of Rock)
Stephanie Calvert -Lead Vocals (Starship)
The show's current actors...Ryan Mueller, Sarah Jessica Rhodes, Scott Kinworthy and Christine Richards.
Songs from the Vault....Volume I and Volume II now both available on iTunes and other music sites...
"Do you wanna see the girl who lives behind the aura...behind the curtain, behind the aura?"
- Lady Gaga
To borrow a question from one of the songs performed last night in Sydney After Dark, I think the audience answer would be yes...Tonight at 9:30 is the last performance of the limited run of Sydney After Dark at Planet Hollywood's PH Showroom. I checked it out last night with some friends and we had a great time. The ladies have talent and the music was so high energy at times I was wishing there was a dance floor!
Natalie Conway, the lead singer is a force all her own and it was wise of the production to highlight her vocal talents and personality, not to mention she can really rock a chrome bikini!
Also notable were the two aerial acts, which were a nice surprise and thoroughly enjoyable albeit more sensual than acrobatic. The group and solo dance to "Darling Nikki" straddled the fence perfectly between bondage inspired and tasteful.
The roping routine to AC/DC's Thunderstruck was exciting, but I couldn't tell if they were using the actual recording of the original band, or a recording of an impersonator, which distracted me from that act a little.
A true "pro" never misses a beat, and this was evident in the few moments during an audio glitch when they lost sound and just kept on going until it returned.
Most of the ladies of Sydney have worked together for five years all over
the world, London, Paris, L.A., Tokyo, etc., and it shows. Watching them perform, their
energy and mutual respect is palpable so it doesn't seem like just nine
bodies in motion, but a private party, in which the audience is invited.
However, as some before me have said Sydney After Dark
is held in too large of a venue and would be better served in a more
intimate setting. I agree. The venue's title, the "PH Showroom" is
misleading, as it's actually not a showroom but a very large multilevel
theater. The performers when not downstage seemed sometimes quite far
away and it felt a bit detached at times. The stage is also rather
cavernous and the nine ladies when not near each other were spread a
little too thin thereby lacking a comfortable focal point from the
audience perspective.
One last note, I wish they'd publish these ladies names somewhere so proper credit can be given, because I couldn't remember them all from the introduction and wasn't able to find them anywhere online or otherwise, except for the lead singer.
Whether or not they stay in Vegas in a different venue or return later, I would see their show again.
Because the suicide of internationally known actor Robin Williams has brought a lot of attention to the subject of depression, I decided to re-post this article I wrote last year, and share again the information within. - AW
In the film, Silver Linings Playbook, the main character Pat,
struggles with the effects of mental illness along with his new friend,
Tiffany, who also has mental health issues. For Pat, as is common with
this disease he does not realize how his behavior is affecting other
people. The things he does make sense to him....at the time.
At what point do you tell someone they are not making sense? And why
is it so hard to tell that person?....to cross that boundary and say,
"you're not okay, my friend".
A
real friend tells you the truth. Too often though we fear hurting
someone's feelings so we let them get sicker emotionally or mentally
because we are afraid or don't know what to do.
This
happened to me a few years ago with a long time friend of mine. She is
someone who always made sense, was logical, responsible. Then she
wasn't, in a big way. It scared me. I wanted to call her husband and see
what he thought but worried that was a betrayal to her. So I am
ashamed to say I didn't do anything. About a year later she was taken in
for psychiatric help. It should have happened sooner. At that time I
promised myself I would never be silent again when it came to this
issue. Especially because most conditions just get worse over time and
not better, like schizophrenia and Alzheimer's Disease, for example.
When a similar situation arose with a family member not long ago I did speak
up and try to help. I know that's what he would have wanted. Two family
members stood by me. Unfortunately nobody else was comfortable doing
so. I understand that, but I don't agree. For me, my previous mistake
gave me courage. Of course things came to a head when his behavior
landed him in the psychiatric hospital. This is an issue in probably every family at
some point or another and in society in general.
If a
friend or family member had a physical problem like a wound or growing
tumor we'd say something, so why is this any different? I sincerely hope
if it were ever to happen to me someone would love me enough to say
something to me so I could get help sooner rather than later.
The actress Glenn Close is a founder of and Chairperson of the organization, BringChange2Mind, which is working to end the stigma of mental illness, and offer resources for those who suffer, and their families.
Most mental health
professionals agree there is a shortage of resources available, but they
ARE out there. The more aware and educated we all are, the better
chance our friends and family who suffer have of living a quality life.
Here are several films that shed some light on the issue of mental illness and disorders:
A Beautiful Mind, (schizophrenia)
Away From Her, (Alzheimer's disease)
Awakenings, (mental illness)
Rain Man, (autism)
What's Eating Gilbert Grape, (autism spectrum disorder and food addiction)
Snowcake, (autism spectrum disorder)
Grey Gardens, (agoraphobia)
As Good as it Gets, (obsessive compulsive disorder)
The Aviator, (obsessive compulsive disorder)
Silver Linings Playbook, (obsessive compulsive and bipolar disorder)
The Prince of Tides, (post traumatic stress disorder)
Born on the Fourth of July, (post traumatic stress disorder)
The Perks of being a Wallflower, (post traumatic stress disorder)
Sylvia, (bipolar disorder)
The Hours, (bipolar disorder)
A Single Man, (clinical depression)
Change A Mind about Mental Illness....song donated by John Mayer...1:10 length
