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Whats on at Southampton’s Mayflower Theatre

The Mayflower presents an incomparable late summer and early autumn array that includes large shows of Oklahoma, Les Misérables, and the Magic of Motown, along with two runs of Faulty Towers the dining experience, and a whole host of other shows and specially themed evenings. The Mayflower is distinctive in being the first successful theatre organization in Southampton. The reasons for this no doubt have to do with its incredible and cutting edge variety of shows that are regularly on. This year is no exception, as the Mayflower boasts a terrific number and variety of exciting productions, running from big musicals and plays, to intimate comedic one man or woman acts to specifically themed events. Within the stimulating category of major name, big budget musicals and plays, the Mayflower provides a selection of classics and newly well-known offerings. Included in these are Oklahoma, Les Misérables, and the Magic of Motown. Oklahoma, that stars Marti Webb and Mark Evans, is playing Tuesday the seventeenth via to Saturday the twenty-first of August. This particular touring version from the Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical is produced by the creators of the huge hits Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, South Pacific, and Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Everyone within the family is certain to love the story famously set in the Western Frontier of America taking location within the time of conflict between the cattlemen and farmers. The Mayflower is also very pleased to welcome the twenty-fifth anniversary production of Les Misérables, which may be the world’s longest running musical ever. It is going to be in the Mayflower for just three weeks, from Tuesday, August 24th through Saturday, September 11th. The brilliant all new cast is led by London’s West End and Broadway star John Owen Jones, who has been commended by the New York Post since the very finest Jean Valjean since the days of Colm Wilkinson, and also graced by the West End stars for example Gareth Gates who plays Marius and Earl Carpenter who plays Javert. Lastly within the category of large budget stage musicals is the Magic of Motown, showcasing the greatest Motown live tribute concert ever. In this beautiful production, music of Diana Ross and also the Supremes, The Temptations, The Jackson 5, Stevie Wonder, The Four Tops, Lionel Richie, Marvin Gaye, Martha Reeves and scores of others is featured. This show features literally dozens of stunning costumes, a gorgeously choreographed cast, and fully thirty-six memorable hits from the sixties, seventies, and eighties. It’ll play one night only, on Tuesday, September 14th. For one man comedians and acts, the Mayflower outperforms again. Jethro will perform his Too Late To Grow Up show on Thursday, September 16th. Sean Lock will perform his signature Lockipedia on Saturday, September 18th. Lisa Williams, the worldwide known psychic and clairvoyant, will appear on Sunday, September 19th. A special gift within the coming months is Faulty Towers, the Dining Experience. This well-known and long running television show turned touring musical makes two stops as the initial appearance rapidly sold out. It runs at the Mayflower from Tuesday October 12th via Thursday October14, too as from Thursday October 21st through Tuesday October 26th. Finally, two seasonal themed events will be presented within the coming months. The Ghost Hunt and Buffet Evening will take place on Friday, September 24th, although the murder mystery Better by Nun happens on Saturday, October 30th. Once once again, the Mayflower shows its uncanny ability to keep the crowds in Southampton coming back for more. Discover more information about what’s going on in the Mayflower Theatre

Christina Aguilera - Lady Gaga Has Trashed My Career!

Christina Aguilera was once the chart-topper who could boast that her concerts sold out in seconds, but these she is singing a different tune.
Her last album Bionic’s only sold two hundred thousand copies Stateside since its June release and she is been dubbed Christina Flopiera. Oh dear. Bizarrely, the singer’s blaming Lady Gaga - who last week admitted she uses cocaine ‘a couple of times per year’ - for her declining sales.’Christina thinks fans pronouncing she is “Gaga lite” has frustrated her success, ‘ an insider tells Now. ‘They’ve slammed her last image as a poor imitation. ‘ Now can show Christina’s also been compelled to accept personal gigs after cancelling her summer tour due to low ticket sales. ‘Christina’s performing at Bar Mitzvahs and weddings,’ asserts a source. ‘She needed to charge £1.3 million a time but her partner Jordan Bratman persuaded her to lower it to £157,000 so she’ll get more gigs. ‘It’s shaming for somebody once such a success to turn to this but blaming Gaga’s just crazy! ‘ Gaga and Christina’s feud goes back a great distance.
Back in 2008, Gaga related Christina was duplicating her by wearing platinum hairpieces. In reply, Christina, twenty-nine, dismissively stated that she had not even heard about Lady Gaga - something Gaga’s never forgotten. ‘Of course Christina knew who she was’, announces the insider. ‘She thought she could get away with poaching her style as she failed to forecast how great Gaga would become. ‘Since Christina’s been off the radar taking care of her boy Max [two], she has been itching to gain the type of credibility Gaga has’.

The Saturdays - Self-Stylers the Saturdays

The Saturdays like to “be concerned” with their style. The ‘Missing You ‘ hitmakers have a stylist to make certain they have got a “uniform” look, but adore making sure they’re involved with they way they’re presented. Blonde beauty Mollie King told BANG Show business : “we’ve got a stylist but we love to be truly concerned too.
As people we’ve all got our own style. We always have to look, kind of uniformed, but we also need to look individual. It’s simply getting the mix right really. Fellow member Rochelle Wiseman also made clear the band have different body shapes, which a stylist has to think about when working with them.
She claimed: “it may not look it all of the time but we have all got different body shapes. What might suit Mollie I might never wear.” Rochelle latterly took to twitter to berate folk who call her “fat” because she could be a size 10. She write: “I am truly getting irritated reading that folks are calling me fat! I am a size ten not one hundred! I am human and curvy get over it! It’s uninteresting! I am just beginning to become bored with it!!! Little wonder folks get a complex!! I think it is a disgrace!! ( sic )”.

Flat Planels: the Switch

After you have researched about the advantages of flat panels and you have measured your entertainment center, make sure that it can handle an extra-large screen. Now, you have waited for screen sizes to increase as prices drop. There has never been a more suitable time, but now for brands that entice customers with indulgent prices, or funds could now accommodate a better TV. Thanks to the many smaller recognized brands that entice buyers with low prices. Your budget could now help you in deciding to make a switch from old CRT to a new flat panel.

Best Buy has a 50 inch 720p Insignia flat panel plasma is a wonderful example of an affordable-priced TV. Many of consumers purchase TVs based on their sizes, they want something that would undeniably be a statement piece.

A higher-end TV from Sony or other popular brands can go as high as$6,000, while Insignia plasma TV will accommodate size and quality at a at a reasonable price. With the price of $1,299.99, Insignia plasma TV allowyou buy all the components neccessaryfor creating a remarkable home theater.

If you are upgrading from your CRT TV, you will find out that Insignia plasma TV fixes two problems at once. It is a flat panel television which means it absorbs lesser space than the old and bulky CRTs. More importantly, the Insignia TV has built-in HDTV tuner that ensures that it would accomodate any upcoming technology changes that over-the-air TV stations produce. The TV will also contain the documents,statements and directions for quick and easy home theater installation. The TV can also support high high definition or hi-def cable television any of theHD DVD players and blu-ray discs.

The Insignia plasma TV offers giant and brilliant picture, thanks to the 15,000:1 contrast ratio and the 50 inch screen. It also supports standard 16:9 widescreen ratio, however, it could also switch to zoom modes when you’d want a TV that does not accomodate the new widescreen format.

You could experience theater surround sound through connecting the Insignia TV to any sound system that is compact andhas 6 or more speakers.

Google Plans to Launch a Music Videos Service

Google plans to launch a music videos service, Wired.com has confirmed with sources familiar with the situation. Next to nothing is known about the service at this point, rumored to be called “Google Music,” “Google Audio,” or “OneBox,” although from what we hear it’s launching sometime next week.

The company will not become a music retailer, but will offer enhanced music search with a streaming function first of possibly several vertical search offerings. Searching for an artist or song will apparently bring up a box (thus Google’s working title: “OneBox”) with a streaming link randomly assigned to stream from either Lala or iLike. After this music search product launches, we understand that Google plans to launch other search verticals, possibly including a travel booking service.

Major labels artists will be involved with the launch in some capacity, and the labels are in the process of gathering assets for Google to use for the service, including videos.

Google is also building the back-end for the majors’ upcoming Vevo music video service, and operates a free download service in China that TechCrunch says will not resemble whatever Google launches here in the U.S. and possibly elsewhere as well. Google has yet to respond to our request for comment.

That’s all we know at this point; we hope to update this story as information trickles in.

The Beatles Sparked the British Invasion

Britain is one of the most notorious countries on the Music Olympus. You ask why? Just because the country is famous for influx of rock and roll, beat and pop performers, who spread the culture around the world. The British Invasion term is widely used to describe a fact of penetration of the British music culture in the American music scene. The mainstream surfaced in 1964 by the Beatles, who led their music into the USA.

The Beatles’ triumphant arrival in New York City on February 7, 1964, is widely credited with truly throwing open America’s doors to a wealth of British musical talent, and officially beginning what would come to be called–with historical condescension by the willingly reconquered colony–the second British Invasion. The Beatles performed multiple tours across the USA alongside Australia and New Zealand. Their initial five singles immediately struck US top Music Charts. This is how a new epidemic of Beatles-mania appeared.

The Beatles, also coined as the Liverpool four, formed by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr are the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed band in the history of popular music. The Beatles are the best-selling musical act of all time in the United States. In the United Kingdom, they have released more than 40 different singles, albums, and EPs that reached number one. This commercial success was repeated in many other countries. The Beatles pose as inventors of music videos as another methods to add to personal gains.

The Beatles sparked an interest among US fans to British music. The British Invasion was successfully followed by the Rolling Stones, the Kinks, the Animals, the Yardbirds and the Who, the Queen, David Bowie, the Deep Purple, Elton John, the Led Zeppelin, the Bee Gees, the Animals, the Slade, the T-Rex and others. The mainstream has influenced formation of a large number of US bands, following British music styles.

Jealous Again - Jealousy Among Musicians

Jealousy - do you feel it? Do you sense it in others? Does it hinder your relationships with other musicians? Does it sap your confidence? Does it block your creativity? Here are some questions to help you get clearer about the jealousy in your life.

1. What is my jealousy trying to teach me? Generally when I have a strong emotion towards a specific person it’s either because that person represents something about me that I can’t tolerate yet or because that person embodies something that I wish I could do or have. I remember being in a high school arts program and being incredibly envious of a fellow singer. What I was so painfully aware of (though I couldn’t have articulated it at that time) was that this person was able to fully express herself and her talents, and I couldn’t. I was a better singer at home in my bedroom than I was in front of other people, and THAT’S what I couldn’t stand about the situation. By doing what I couldn’t do, she shone a spotlight on my biggest challenge. It made it virtually impossible to have a good relationship with her.

2. How can I identify with this person as a fellow musician, instead of comparing our work? What opportunities are there for collaboration, mutual support and the exchange of ideas? Can I open myself to receiving gifts from this person - feedback, support and love? What can I, in turn, give to this person? Even the most famous, the most successful musician is a human being just like you. Find the connection. What can I give to a musician who’s newer than I am?

3. How can I develop confidence in my unique message and express this authentically? I will never sound like this other musician, or anyone else for that matter. Influences may be heard, comparisons will inevitably be made, but my words will never come out exactly like theirs, because my “story”, my life, my experiences, my collection of qualities, strengths and challenges are completely unique to me. When I honour my uniqueness my confidence grows, and it becomes pointless to compare myself to others - there’s no comparison. This quote by Martha Graham further explains what I mean.

There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening, that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. - Martha Graham, quoted by Agnes DeMille, Martha: The Life and Work of Martha Graham

4. How can I turn my attention away from this other person and back to what I can do to further my own success and creative fulfillment? If I’m jealous of someone winning a songwriting contest, I can ask myself: how many songwriting contests have I entered? If I’m jealous of the size of their fan base, I can ask myself: how am I attracting new fans and how I am deepening my relationship with the ones I have now? If I’m jealous of the number of songs they’ve written, I can ask myself: what am I choosing to do with my time instead of writing songs?

5. Now that I’ve learned from it, how can I let go of my jealousy? Often in life we hang on to emotions long after they’ve served their usefulness. They become comfortable, familiar and safer than doing the work to get to the other side of them. And yet they can also weigh us down and block our creativity. Try the analogy FEEL. First, Feel your feeling - don’t suppress it, actually let yourself feel it. Next, Express the feeling - write about it, sing about, talk about it with someone you trust, play it on an instrument or express it in art. Next, Explore the feeling - what is it trying to teach you, etc. as discussed above. And finally Let it Go. This can be as simple as saying a short prayer or affirmation (”I have let go of my jealousy”, or “I have valuable and unique gifts to offer”), or writing the feeling on a piece of paper and tearing it up.

Jealousy has a lot to teach us. So when it shows up in your life, pay attention. If you notice jealousy in others, put yourself in their shoes and help them to identify with you. Reveal your humanity. Let them know that they’ve got something to offer you.

This article was originally published on the Muses Muse Songwriter’s Resource website (December 2004) http://www.musesmuse.com.

(c) Copyright 2005, Genuine Coaching Services.

Linda Dessau - EzineArticles Expert Author

Linda Dessau, the Self-Care Coach, helps artists enhance their creativity by addressing their unique self-care issues. To receive her free monthly newsletter, “Everyday Artist”, subscribe at http://www.genuinecoaching.com/artist-newsletter.html

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