For the live theatre show, I decided to watch “A Christmas Story, The Musical” directed by Valerie Easton at Vancouver Arts Club Stanley Industrial Aalliance Stage. The show focuses on a child named Ralphie, who wants a Red Ryder BB Gun for Christmas.Valerie’s production captured the happiness and cheerful atmosphere during Christmas and also focus on emphasizing Ralphie’s desire of a BB Gun as his Christmas present. During the show, I was impressed by many design and technical production elements. For example, the quick changes, the adequate use of theatre stage and also the use of sets to change from fantasy and reality. However, the most striking elements to me are the set piece of Ralphie’s house and the sufficient use of rigging system.…
The Grinch Who Stole Christmas has many versions which originate from Dr. Seuss’s narrative poem. The most recent 2001 film by Universal pictures, produced by Ron Howard, has similarities, yet there are many differences in the movie plot. The poem’s similarities are the basis for the movie adaptation. The movie’s differences help to round out the characters and plot, describe character motivations, and enhance the entertainment value.…
One of the rudest person I've ever known was the Grinch from How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The reason why I think he is rude is because he actually threw a christmas tree at someone and he wrapped a little girl in gift wrap and then left her there like a christmas present. He also stole everyone's presents. At the end if the movie the Grinch had a change of heart and gave all the presents back. That is why I think he is the rudest person.…
“Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky is one of the best known songs in The Nutcracker. Miles Hoffman, the music commentator for Morning Edition and a nationally renowned violinist, once stated, “And many of them [Tchaikovsky’s melodies] in this - just in this one ballet [The Nutcracker]- are immortal” (Hoffman). Tchaikovsky first began work on the music to the now internationally renowned ballet in February 1891 (Schwarm). While in Paris that year, he heard an instrument called the celesta, whose name is derived from the word celestial, being played, and thought its unique, twinkly sound would be perfect for the music of the fairy-tale ballet he was working on. This instrument is used as the melody in the song “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” (“History of Nutcracker”). In March 1892, selections from the orchestral suite were performed for the first time; however, the ballet, based on Alexandre Dumas’ lighter adaption of the fantasy story, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, by E.T.A. Hoffman, premiered on December 18, 1892 along with Tchaikovsky’s opera, Iolanta, at the Imperial Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg, Russia (Schwarm). Originally, the ballet was not popular; however, it…
The Paper Fan is a piece of art that in its time has been in the presence of princesses, ninjas, and college students. Taking on several roles both in an imaginary and reality. Each experience aging the paper that stretched across bamboo frame. Opening it reveals a water color and ink print covering the face of the fan. Painted is a family of birds before a background of greenery. Fully expanded the width reached to fourteen inches and standing in length at nine inches. Width shrinks drastically down to one and quarter inch when closed. Unlike the length with is virtually untouched, remaining at nine inches. Surrounding the edges of the fan are tears in paper and chipped shafts. Falsifying the actual age of the fan. Attributed the constant use throughout its time. Overall, the fan gives a sense of calm and delicacy. The origin of provenance reaches across the Pacific Ocean, my father would travel to Japan returning with various Japanese art pieces. Bequeathing me the Paper Fan at the age of eight. Notably, the significance of this piece stems from the calm and still that surrounds the simplistic form. In that calm the…
A Christmas Carol, in both forms of a movie and a drama, were both well written and directed. A tale about a man who is greedy and grumpy and all for wealth, becoming a very kind and caring person. It is a lesson well taught of becoming a great person. All in all between the movie and the play, many differences can be sought out between the two.…
In the novel A Christmas Carol, the author [Charles Dickens pg. 637] stated, “Spirit, please, make me visible! Make me audible! I want to talk to my nephew and my niece”! This proves that scrooge is a dynamic character. In the beginning of the novel Fred tried to invite Scrooge over for Christmas dinner. Scrooge did not listen to him my saying “Bah Humbug” [Dickens 603] and “Good afternoon” [Dickens 604] to get rid of his nephew because he obviously wanted no part with him. Scrooge later wanted to talk to them about apologizing the way he acted towards him. He also wanted to celebrate Christmas with them. Scrooge wanted to be with his nephew and niece on Christmas rather then it being an average work day. Also in the novel the Christmas Carol, the author [Dickens pg.646] stated, “I will honor Christmas in my heart and try to keep it all year. I will live in the past, the present, and the future. The spirits of all three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they teach. Oh tell me that I will sponge away the writing that is upon this stone”. This is a huge part of how scrooge is a dynamic character. Scrooge said that he will honor Christmas all throughout the year and in the beginning of the story he took in as just another ordinary day. He will remember the past the present and the future. In the very beginning of the novel Scrooge did not care about his past live, the activity going on now and the upcoming. All he cared about was making enough money for himself. In the beginning when Marley said that you are going to be visited by three ghosts. Scrooge said that he would rather not. Then he said he would always keep the lessons that they taught within him and he would always let them strive with him. Those two are examples of how Scrooge has changed throughout the book of the lessons the ghost have taught him. That shows that Scrooge is a dynamic character.…
It’s true; we live in a “mass consumerist” society, which thrives on advertising unhealthy and impossible body ideals. Yet parents play a crucial role in a child’s body image, development and how they view themselves. The topic of body image is an increasingly researched one, but shouldn’t parents do the research? Parents tend to be the lens when it comes to a child’s need or curiosity, but when the topic of body image – or anything relating to the body – it can come off as “awkward”, sometimes even the child and parent don’t want to discuss it, but body image and a parent’s involvement is very important, because the way you view your body gives you not only a positive outlook on yourself, but a positive outlook on life. It takes certain surroundings and effects for a growing person to be comfortable with their body, and parents can aid in that comfort.…
I recently read a novella called "A Christmas Carol", it is about a old greedy man who only cared about money. Then three ghost shows up, first his old friend Jacob Marly shows up at there house and Scrooge first sees Jacob Marly on his door then all his pictures that had faces, Jacob Marly's face would be on that picture where the face is supposed to be. The second ghost was the ghost of the present, the ghost of the present shows Scrooge that on Christmas his family talks bad about him because he never says Merry Christmas or that he never shows up to anything he was invited to.…
In Foster’s textbook she discusses how Balanchine’s style is more of a story dance with elegance and often involve a plot which is the style that Ratmansky also has. What Balanchine and Ratmansky most have in common is their performance of the Nutcracker (pg 14, Foster). Balanchine’s training process is similar to what Ratmansky went through as a kid in the academy of choreography . Balanchine focuses more on mastering basics with elegance. His style requires repeated intense training of the body to have precision and speed throughout the choreography. Balanchine also claimed that training for the dance should begin at the age of seven, Ratmansky was a lot younger (four years old) when he started to dance. (pg 19, Foster). Balanchine believes that the relationship of the music to the dance is more fascinating. Ratmansky likes a challenge when it comes to music and believes that it can be choreographed especially when a certain tune catches his…
Taming of the Shrew is focused on two sisters during their exploration of courting and eventually marriage. These two sisters, named Bianca and Katherine, have polar opposite personalities. One sister does not even consider the possibility of spending the rest of her life tied to a controlling man, while the other sister is the center of attention for all male suitors within a 100-mile radius and enjoys the devotion. Although the play begins with men chasing after Bianca’s hand in marriage, Katherine will be the forced to get married; without Katherine getting married Bianca would never have a chance at love. The pressure of love leads to the unveiling of masks to see characters true feelings and emotions; this theme is a common occurrence in Shakespeare’s plays. But what makes Katherine a unique character, not only in Taming of the Shrew but also out of all of Shakespeare’s plays, is that she is an outspoken woman who hides behind no masks and constantly shows her true self, just her genuine feelings and emotions are expressed. Katherine’s personality drastically changes from the beginning to the end and we are going to investigate and unweave why this happens.…
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a wonderful example of a fictional fantasy. It is adventurous, full of magic, talking animals, a witch, mythical creatures, and not to mention children entering another world through a wardrobe. The author was very descriptive when talking about what the characters look like, their behaviors, and each setting that the characters were in. So much so that it could be easily pictured by the reader exactly what they characters were doing and their surrounding at that time. For instance, at one point three of children were traveling with Mr. and Mrs. Beaver to the stone table and they entered into a small cave like hole and the description led me to picture the five packed into a small area like sardines…
“‘Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair’” (Grimm 44). Famous words that many people know from their childhood. The tale of Rapunzel. A story that many adults and children are fond of. A picture of a beautiful princess with long golden hair looking out of a tower towards her handsome prince appearing in thousands of minds. Though most of the American population knows the general plot of the myth, most fail to realize that the story has changed greatly from the original Grimm fairy tale version. The role of Rapunzel taking a drastic turn. This can easily be a reflection of how the role of women has changed over time as well. When looking at the contrast between “Rapunzel” and Tangled, there is a clear difference of how women are culturally viewed in the eighteen hundreds versus today.…
The two-act ballet followed the original story “The Nutcracker and the Mouse King” by E.T.A. Hoffmann, with a score by Tchaikovsky. It tells the story of the Siberhaus family on Christmas Eve, when they had a grand Christmas party for their daughter Clara. Clara’s godfather, Herr Drosselmeyer, makes a grand entrance and introduces his nephew Peter. Drosselomeyer performs different magic tricks and give Clara a wonderful wooden nutcracker. Clara reluctantly leaves her nutcracker under the tree to go to…
Charlie is a poor boy who lives with his parents and grandparents on both sides. There was a famous gigantic chocolate factory, ran by a man named Willy Wonka. The factory had closed its’ gate for more than fifteen years, no one had ever got in and the workers had never came out. But children loved their chocolates. Once, Wonka held an activity for children who like his chocolate around the world. Five golden tickets were hidden in five of the chocolate bars and whoever got the ticket gets to visit the factory.…
