Airlines are starting to charge for the weight of the luggage. Figure out what items are heavy, but cheap to buy. That way, simply don’t pack them but buy them at your destination.  For example, toiletries can be heavy: Shampoo, shaving cream, sunscreen. Wait till you get to your destination and buy the travel size ones there.

 
The Colonial Theatre presents Roger McGuinn and Tom Rush
 
Pittsfield, MA – Roger McGuinn and Tom Rush will perform at the Colonial on March 27th for one performance at 8pm. Tickets for the performance are $65 (VIP preferred seating with post-show Artist meet & greet), $45 and $25 and can be purchased in person at the Colonial Ticket Office at 111 South Street Monday-Friday 10AM-5PM, performance Saturdays 10AM-2PM, by calling (413) 997-4444 or online at www.TheColonialTheatre.org
 
Roger McGuinn, the co-founder and front man of the Byrds, is an accomplished singer-songwriter. His amazing guitar technique and soaring vocals captivate audiences of all ages. Tom Rush is a gifted musician and performer with a distinctive guitar style and a warm, expressive voice. Rush’s shows are filled with the rib-aching laughter of terrific story-telling, the sweet melancholy of ballads and the passion of gritty blues.
www.tomrush.com
www.ibiblio.org/jimmy/mcguinn/index.html
 
After nearly a decade in The Byrds, Roger McGuinn felt a solo career beckoning. In 1973, he released his solo debut Roger McGuinn, featuring participation from former band mates including innovative country-rock guitarist Clarence White, Crosby and Hillman. Bob Dylan even contributed mouth harp on “I’m So Restless.”  A year later McGuinn released his second solo LP, Peace on You: Roger McGuinn and Band in 1975 which includes some latter-day Byrds classics such as “Lover of the Bayou” and “Born to Rock and Roll.” McGuinn also tackled another Dylan songwriting masterpiece, “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door,” on this album. The song proved telling of what was to come.

McGuinn began recording a series of traditional folk songs in 1994 and uploading them to folkden.com, part of McGuinn’s home page, www.mcguinn.com. Since then he has posted a new recording of a traditional folk song every month. McGuinn’s 2001 album, Treasures from the Folk Den on Appleseed Recordings, grew out of this practice, and features newly recorded collaborations with many of McGuinn’s musical heroes: Pete Seeger, Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Odetta and others. The CD was nominated for a Grammy in 2002.
 
In 2004, Roger released a new studio album Limited Edition and in keeping with his “digital pioneer” status he has released it only via the Internet and at his live performances. A follow-up to this Grammy Award winning recording, The Folk Den Project, was released in 2005. McGuinn released Live From Spain in 2007.
 
Tom Rush first introduced the world to the songs of Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne and James Taylor over thirty-five years ago with his covers of their compositions, and has been captivating audiences throughout the country ever since with his ever-romantic, gently rustic folk music. A graduate of Harvard University, Tom Rush played at the Club 47, the Cambridge Coffeehouse that also gave Joan Baez, Bob Dylan and Judy Collins their start back in the 1960s. Rush combines his time-tested mix of new and old tunes with forty years of experience with the recording, booking and publishing industry.
According to the New York Times, Rush has “made his reputation as a soft-spoken, powerful interpreter of traditional songs.” With 17 albums to his credit, Rolling Stone Magazine added that his album The Circle Game, “helped usher in the era of the singer-songwriter.” In an interview with Rolling Stone, James Taylor stated, “I guess it’s fair to say that Tom was not only one of my early heroes, but also one of my main influences.” Accompanied by Jackson Browne and Carly Simon, James Taylor later sang backup vocals on one of Tom Rush’s albums. Recently, country music star Garth Brooks told Rolling Stone Magazine that Rush was one of his top five musical influences.
 
Recently, Tom released a much-anticipated new comedy CD Trolling For Owls, exploring a dimension of his talent that his concert audiences were familiar with but had not been recorded before.
 
Tickets for the performance are $65 (VIP preferred seating with post-show Artist meet & greet), $45 and $25 and can be purchased in person at the Colonial Ticket Office at 111 South Street Monday-Friday 10AM-5PM, performance Saturdays 10AM-2PM, by calling (413) 997-4444 or online at www.TheColonialTheatre.org

Triplicane, Chennai, India 

Triplicane is one of the oldest commercial districts in the South Indian city of Chennai.  In fact, the costal communities that include Triplicane, along with Thiruvotriyur, Mylapore and Thiruvanmiyur, predate modern Chennai by at least two millennia.  Most popular guide books are more likely to mention Mylapore with its outrageously colorful Shiva (Kapaleeswarar) Temple at its heart. 

In Chennai, one learns of things by word of mouth.  Very little literature that goes into detail about the city’s various neighborhoods and attractions is available.  It was through someone my wife works with that we were alerted to the singular charms of Triplicane and the famous Parthasarathy (Arjuna’s Charioteer) Swamy Temple the town was originally built around. 

Unlike Kapaleeswarar in Mylapore, the Sri Parthasarathy Swamy Temple in Triplicane is dedicated to the (Lord) Vishnu part of the Hindu trinity with an entirely different entourage of deities.  The temple itself stands imposing; bright and gleaming under the hot Chennai sun.  Unlike Kapaleeswarar, the figures adorning the central tower (gopuram) are not painted as to approximate English garden gnomes. 

It is abundantly clear that Vaishnavites (Vishnu worshippers) settled here.  Practically every business or dwelling lining the madas (streets) surrounding the temple bears either the name of some avatar of Vishnu or a representation of his three-pronged symbol. 

We weren’t so much drawn to Triplicane by the temple however.  Next to the Kapaleeswarar Temple in Mylapore, most any temple in the city is visually strictly second rate.  What did impress us were the facades along the madas surrounding the Parthasarathy Temple.  It’s the Indian version of what any European tour operator would refer to as quaint; referring to crusty old villages with cobblestone streets.   

In Asia, the word ‘quaint’ almost never fits properly.  Asians, in general, are much too humorless for that.  Everything, even the seemingly most insignificant gesture is tightly structured and shaped by ageless tradition.  Even ‘humor’ is choreographed as is evident every morning when we take our walk on the beach before breakfast.  Invariably, we run across a group of about a dozen grown men sitting in a circle in the sand, facing each other.  At predetermined intervals they all laugh heartily for roughly thirty seconds.  I was puzzled by this.  Later I was told that these men comprise the Thiruvanmiyur chapter of the ‘Laughing Club of Greater Chennai’. 

I would be remiss not to point out that Triplicane is also known as Batchelor’s Paradise, offering relatively cheap food and lodging for students studying in the city.  As such it has served as home to a number of people who have earned international standing in various fields from mathematics to literature.  Hindu School in Triplicane even produced one of India’s Nobel Prize winners (Sir C. V. Raman, physics). 

Unlike Mylapore, where Brahminic culture is deeply entrenched to the exclusion of any other influence, Triplicane can also boast of a significant Moslem population.  The district is home to two major mosques.

Peter Koelliker; pkoelliker8@yahoo.com 
 

Triplicane photo attachment# 1:

1.   Sri Parthasarathy Swamy Temple

2.   Vedas Appalam

3.   Triplicane

4.   Perfect Blue Buildings

5.   Mementos 

Triplicane photo attachment# 2:

1.   Krishna with Milk Cow

2.   Nos. 24 and 25

3.   Orange Building

4.   Number 14

5.   Astro Numorologist (sic)

APRIL CALENDAR LISTINGS
 
Vicki Baird: Connecting with the Beyond
NEW Experiodyssey SeriesSun 4/11/10 3PM
All Seats: $35
Do you wish you could communicate with a loved one that has passed? Do you wonder if your relative will “come through” with a message for you? Find out at a live audience reading with remarkable, intuitive medium, Vicki Baird. A message for one is a message for all. For entertainment purposes only. Your reading, if received, is subject to your own interpretation, and guidance given is not intended as predictive.
www.vickibaird.com
 
Songs of a Generation Featuring Janis Ian & Karla Bonoff
Media sponsor WGBY
Sat 4/17/10 8pm
VIP: $65 preferred seating with pre-show Artist meet & greet
A: $45 B: $25
Songs of a Generation is a celebration of song, featuring two of the most influential songwriters of the last three decades. This will be the concert to remember from two unforgettable artists.
Janis Ian’s hit songs include “Society’s Child,” “At Seventeen,” “Jessie” and many more from her 27 albums. Karla Bonoff has written numerous million-selling songs including “Someone To Lay Down Beside Me,” “Home” and “All My Life.”
www.sroartists.com/artists/songsofageneration/index.php
www.janisian.com
www.karlabonoff.com
Sarah Vowell
Media sponsor WAMC
Fri 4/23/10 8pm
A: $35 B: $25
Sarah Vowell is the acclaimed author of five bestselling books and a contributing editor for NPR’s This American Life. She has written documentaries and monologues about everything from the Cherokee Trail of Tears, presidential libraries and Frank Sinatra, to more personal pieces about her father’s homemade cannon, a youthful obsession with The Godfather and her own Goth makeover.
www.barclayagency.com/vowell.html
 
Film: The Path: Afterlife
NEW Experiodyssey SeriesFri 4/30/10 7:30PM
All Seats: $15; Includes post-film Q&A panel with producer, director and castWhat happens when we die? Does the soul live on? Is there an afterlife? The Path: Afterlife explores the many theories on the human soul’s purpose in the here-and-now and in the afterlife. It is the filmmaker’s goal to inspire others who have lost someone dear so they can begin to heal, to release their fear of death and to learn that there is more to life than just living in this body.
www.thepathseries.com

Tour the Coffee Houses of the Lower Hudson Valley

Joey’s Cafe

Fri. March 19th, 7pm

19 East Main St.

Washingtonville, NY

featured poet:  Dennis Bressack

plus open mic

$2 suggested donation

info: 845-496-3333

host: Robert Milby

Mudd Puddle Cafe

Sat. March 20th, 7pm

10 Main St.(inside Water St. Market)

New Paltz, NY

featured poets:  Rebecca Schumejda and Nathan Graziano

plus open mic

$2 suggested donation

info: 845-255-3436

host: Robert Milby

Poetry at the Church

Monday, March 29th 7pm

Goshen Methodist Church,

(2nd floor meeting room)

Main St. Goshen, NY

featured poet: Adrianna Delgado

plus open mic

admission by donation

info: 845-294-5010

host: Ted Gil

SUNDAY   March 21,  Noon – 3 PM

The Landis Arboretum welcomes Spring with a little March madness

Music by Oak Hill Kitchen Merrymakers
Abundance of auction items from area businesses & artists

Tickets: $25/person

At the Settles Hill Tree Farm  1123 Settles Hill Rd.  &  Route 20,   Altamont
RESERVE NOW And be part of the FUN!  518-875-6935 /Option #2        Or use PayPal at www.landisarboretum.org

————-
SECOND SUNDAY SNOWSHOE

Using the outdoor laboratory of the 548-acre Landis Arboretum, participants will learn how to recognize major trees and shrubs of the Northeast in winter. No snow?  We’ll take a hike.  Adult and children’s snowshoes available, so arrive early if you need them — or bring your own. Meet at the Barn.

Guide: Ferdinand Breglia, ISA certified arborist and snowshoe king.

Members: $5/person, $15 for family. $10, non-members; $25, family.

Donations to support the Arboretum are welcome.

REVIEW ON IN THE SPOTLIGHT WEBSITE

http://WWW.INTHESPOTLIGHTINC.ORG

The Mikado

Colonial Theatre, Pittsfield

http://www.thecolonialtheatre.org

March 6, 2010

By Karolina Sadowicz

One of Gilbert and Sullivan’s best loved operettas, “The Mikado,” is a comic romp set in feudal Japan. It’s the tale of Nanki-Poo (John Farchione), a prince disguised as a minstrel, who hopes to marry Yum-Yum (Lauren-Rose King), the beautiful ward and sometime betrothed of the Lord High Executioner of Titipu, the self-involved and cowardly Ko-Ko (Jason Whitfield).

When the Mikado (Andrew Ford), emperor of Japan, demands that Ko-Ko fulfills the duties of his office by actually executing someone within one month, Ko-Ko must find a victim in order to save his own head. Nanki-Poo, who claims he could not bear to live without Yum-Yum, agrees to be beheaded by month’s end, as long as he can marry her first. Their scheme is threatened by the arrival of Katisha (Emily Geller), a “cougar” from the Mikado’s court who was jilted by Nanki-Poo, and a surprise visit from the Mikado himself.

Mistaken identities, broken hearts, and hidden agendas form this operatic farce, which gleefully makes light of bureaucracy and politicians. Under the direction of Jim Charles, the actors enjoy occasional ad-libs and wink at the audience with jokes about modern politicians, from Governor Peterson, to both Clintons, to Scott Brown, as well as giving nods to the local audience with a few quips about Pittsfield.

The elegant set evokes Japan though screens, red gates, and cherry blossoms, and is dramatically transformed through bold, vivid lighting design. The ensemble is a delight to watch in colorful kimonos, and their vocal performances are superb. Farchione is unassuming and masculine as Nanki-Poo, King is disarmingly alluring as the vain Yum-Yum. Whitfield’s Ko-Ko is irresistibly funny and likable despite his cowardice, and quickly becomes the audience favorite. Andrew Lipman is a Falstaffian bureaucrat and earns huge laughs as the corrupt uber-administrator Poo-Bah, insisting on being “insulted” with bribes in order to bend laws and share secrets freely.

Each actor brings excellent vocals and physical comedy to this swiftly moving, delightful production. “The Mikado” is 125 years old, but with modern touches and energy, it thrills and amuses without showing its age.

Boca Raton to Arizona

Here We Come!

by Mark Freedman

So, my mother calls me up and says, “Mark, could you do me a favor?” I naturally did what every self-respecting son would do and said, “Anything for you, mom. What?”

Sally, my girlfriend, waited with baited breath.

“Would you mind picking up my Mercedes in Boca and driving it out to Arizona for me? By all means, bring Sally.”

Huh!!? A dream come true? Not one weekend, but three, across Texas, New Orleans, who could say no?? It was going to be me, my girlfriend, and a fire-engine red two seater Benz. Really now!

“By the way,” my mother added. “Be careful in Texas. The speedlimit in some parts is 80.” I eventually ended up for getting a speeding ticket doing…84 in THAT 80 zone, but I was wearing out of town tags in the Texas panhandle. More on that later.

We hopped on the plane and headed down to Boca. We didn’t spend a lot of time in Boca, but enough to catch the sites, the sounds, a few gators, and some really interesting lizards I spent the day watching. Here are some pics. More coming soon!

Hmmm..I wonder what else lives in here?

Kwai do you ask?

Saturday, April 10, at 10am: The Buzz on Honeybees at Thacher Nature Center

Spring is here, and the honeybees are ramping up for a busy season. Come and observe our unique live honeybee observation hive. Find out where they are finding food and see many different types of activity within the hive. Learn all about the lifecycle of the hive’s three types of bees; workers, drones and the queen!  Enjoy a honey treat to end this fun and educational program! Program is appropriate for adults and children ages 6 and up. Please register by calling 872-0800.

Saturday, April 17 at 10am: Spring Hike at Thacher Nature Center

Spring fever season is upon us and it’s time to get out there. Join us for an early spring hike. Be prepared for muddy trails and a chilly morning. Call 872-0800 to register and confirm conditions.

Saturday, April 24th at 10am: Earth Friendly Creative Fun at Thacher Nature Center

In honor of Earth day, create an earth-friendly reusable tote bag. Personalize a canvas bag using paints and stencils. Watch two entertaining and informative short films, “The Story of Stuff” and “The Story of Cap and Trade” while enjoying a tasty and nutritious snack. Materials fee is $3 per person. Program is appropriate for ages 8 and up. Call 872-0800 to register.

Saturday, May 8, at 10am: Wildflower Walk at Thacher Park

The woodland wildflowers have just a few weeks to brighten the forest floor before the trees leaf out and block the sun. Look for Bloodroot, Spring Beauties, Hepatica, Trout Lilies, and more on a woodland walk in the park. Meet at the Paint Mine picnic area and dress for a cool mountain morning. There is a park entrance fee of $6 per vehicle. Call 872-0800 for more information.

The Wedding Singer
Sponsored by Scarafoni Financial Group, LLC
Tues & Wed 3/02/10–3/03 7:30pm
A: $60 B: $35
With a score that pays loving homage to the pop songs of the 1980s, The Wedding Singer takes us back to a time when hair was big, greed was good, collars were up, and a wedding singer might just be the coolest guy in the room. This musical is based on the hit film starring Adam Sandler as Robbie Hart and Drew Barrymore as Julia Sullivan.
www.obbnyc.com
 
The Mikado
C-R Productions On Tour
Sat 3/06/10 3pm & 8pm
A: $45 B: $25
The Mikado is a sparkling and lavish comedic operetta written by Gilbert & Sullivan at the height of their creative genius. A Japanese prince will do just about anything to win the hand of the national executioner’s daughter, for she is his one true love. Yum-Yum, Nanki-Poo and other charming and absurd characters will amuse and entertain.
www.cohoesmusichall.com
 
The Irish Rovers
Thurs 3/11/10 7:30pm
VIP: $65 preferred seating with post-show Artist meet & greet
A: $45 B: $35
These international ambassadors of Irish music will deliver a rollicking, rousing performance of good cheer that will have audiences on their feet, singing and clapping along.
www.irishrovers.info
www.a-c-t-s-inc.com/rovers.html
 
Sam Bush
Sat 3/13/10 8PM
A: $35 B: $25
Hailed the “King of Newgrass,” Sam Bush has been considered one of the foremost innovators in acoustic music for over 30 years. He was the driving force behind the hugely influential band New Grass Revival and has collaborated with other progressive artists including Joshua Bell, Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer, Emmylou Harris and David Grisman. His talents have introduced a new generation to acoustic music and have earned him numerous honors including three Grammy Awards and a 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award.
www.sambush.com
 
Craig Karges: Experience the Extraordinary
Thurs 3/25/10 7:30PM
All Seats: $35
Craig Karges dramatizes the unknown, the unexplained and the unbelievable. He combines the art of magic with the science of psychology and the power of intuition to create extraordinary events like floating tables, bending metal and mind reading. Performance Magazine named Karges’ show one of the top five variety/family shows in North America. Is it wonderful illusion or extraordinary reality? Find out for yourself.
http://www.craigkarges.com/
 
Roger McGuinn & Tom Rush
Sat 3/27/10 8pm
VIP: $65 preferred seating with post-show Artist meet & greet
A: $45 B: $25
Roger McGuinn, the co-founder and front man of the Byrds, is an accomplished singer-songwriter. His amazing guitar technique and soaring vocals captivate audiences of all ages. Tom Rush is a gifted musician and performer with a distinctive guitar style and a warm, expressive voice. Rush’s shows are filled with the rib-aching laughter of terrific story-telling, the sweet melancholy of ballads and the passion of gritty blues.
www.tomrush.com
www.ibiblio.org/jimmy/mcguinn/index.html