To celebrate Max’s first year, I’ve created this video – a mini-epic that touches on most of the highlights of the last 12 months over a breezy 12 minutes or so. I managed to squeeze in a LOT – and that means that, if you encountered Max any time in the last year, watch closely as you’re probably in it!

Click here to watch the video! And be sure to click the full-screen icon at lower right to get the maximum effect.

PS Thanks to Mark Cohene Photography for the concluding image of Max, Christy and me.

To celebrate Max’s first year, I’ve created this video – a mini-epic that touches on most of the highlights of the last 12 months over a breezy 12 minutes or so. I managed to squeeze in a LOT – and that means that, if you encountered Max any time in the last year, watch closely as you’re probably in it!

Be sure to click the full-screen icon at lower right to get the maximum effect. Enjoy!

PS Thanks to Mark Cohene Photography for the concluding image of Max, Christy and me.

Exciting news – I’m  in a play, The Trouble With Richard! My first non-musical is a very funny romantic comedy. And although I’m the lead, I’m very much in the eye of a comedic storm, surrounded by a bunch of outsize characters who keep the hilarity rolling along. Here’s the synopsis:

For a quiet guy, Richard’s life is getting complicated. He wants to propose to the girl he loves but he has to get his best buddy Jack off the couch first. As he struggles to get everything just right, Willie, the Scottish superintendent, wrestles with the plumbing, and his infatuated neighbour Andrew constantly hounds him. Will Richard be able to get the mood just right and win the girl of his dreams? 

The Trouble With Richard features Greg Bosworth (Jack), Angela Martin (Gwyneth), Barry Walker (Willie), Tracy Labrosse (Veronica) and Paul Tourneur (Andrew).

This is really a great show – full of funny characters, great one-liners, and hilarious situations, as well as some truly touching moments. And our director, Clive Sanders, is helping make every little detail as good as it can be. It’s really going to be fun. I hope you can come and see it!

Preview: Feb. 9. Show runs Feb. 10-11, 15-18 and 22-25.

Location: Hendry Hall, 815 East 11th St., North Vancouver. View Map.

For tickets, call (604) 983-2633 or order online!

For maybe two months now, “The Artist” has been on my  must-see list. As someone who already loves silent movies – and has even successfully turned on some non-fans to the delights of Keaton and Chaplin – the mere idea of a brand-new, black-and-white silent film was almost too wonderful to believe.

I even clipped out and saved reviews – unread – to savour after I’d seen it, so as not to reveal even the smallest plot detail beforehand and keep my first viewing truly fresh.

However, my new, less-spontaneous life, where a babysitter is a necessity for any grown-up moviegoing, delayed my viewing of the film until just last weekend. Now I have some thoughts.

Like most things that get a huge buildup of anticipation, I found “The Artist” to be not without its flaws, but overall I enjoyed it very much.

It starts with a bang, as we enjoy a high-energy adventure film along with the 1925 opening-night audience assembled at a grand movie palace. We also get one of several knowing nods to the whole exercise, as our film-within-a-film’s hero, the silent star George Valentin, bound and about to be tortured for information, exclaims (in title cards of course), “I won’t talk! I won’t say a word!”

The rest of the opening packs in plenty of laughs and entertainment, with an engaging star who keeps wringing a little more time in front of his adoring audience, a jealous co-star, a gruff studio chief - even a dog who charms us with his perfectly-timed routines.

From there, we are plunged into the meticulously recreated world of 1920′s moviemaking. From the camera angles to the newsboys, it really feels like the filmmakers went back in time.

There are also some wonderful moments of visual storytelling – like the infatuated starlet Peppy Miller inserting her arm into Valentin’s unattended jacket, bringing it “to life” so it embraces her. Or a later scene of Valentin after his fortunes have fallen, gazing at his reflection in a shop window in which he seems to be dressed in the tuxedo on display.

But at some point I started to have problems. The characters were archetypes, not real living breathing characters I could truly care about. A romance is suggested as developing between the silent star and his protege, but we never really see it develop in any way. It’s over before it really begins.

He’s also married to a long-suffering wife, but their relationship is even less fleshed out – they mostly just glare at each other.

The lack of emotional connection means that as Valentin slides toward bankruptcy and oblivion, we aren’t really invested in his fate. I watched more with intrigued interest at scenes that were clearly intended to pull at my emotions.

Silent films were, of course, not truly silent – there was always music. And the music in “The Artist” is very well done. It’s a lovely score, and is complemented by some selections of period music.

At one point, though, the love theme from “Vertigo” – possibly my favourite film of all time – suddenly began to play under a later, suspenseful scene. I was startled but rather pleased – I always welcome the appearance of Bernard Herrmann’s haunting music. But it also bothered me, as the emotional beats in that piece didn’t really match what was happening on screen.

Ultimately, I found myself wondering if I would be giving this film high marks simply as a film - in other words, if this was a genuine old silent film, would I find it engaging and involving enough to consider a good film in its own right? Sadly, I would have to say no.

Some of what I’d read about “The Artist” seemed to imply that it went into “meta” territory, commenting on the nature of why we go to movies or the nature of silent vs. sound films. Nothing I saw really bore this out. There is one unique dream sequence which makes unexpected and clever use of realistic sound effects, but it’s the only time we see anything unexpected that really plays with the medium.

Unfortunately, in the end, “The Artist” perpetuates the idea that silent films could only tell simplistic, clichéd stories, which was hardly the case – silents could be as rich in characterization and rife with subplots as any sound film.

There is much to enjoy in “The Artist”, but in the end it is more a loving pastiche than a truly successful film in itself.

At this time of year, we all receive many worthy pleas for support of various causes, and understandably, it’s usually a donation that’s requested. Well, here’s an opportunity to support a great cause, and all I ask of you is your voice! Yes, it’s time for my annual Holiday Sing-Along and Fundraiser for Vancouver Rape Relief and Women’s Shelter!

Each year, VRRWS helps hundreds of women and their children who are escaping violence by offering them a safe haven and many kinds of assistance.

As many of you know, I volunteer – in a fundraising capacity – for this organization. Each month, I participate in a street fundraising event to solicit contributions from the community to help keep the shelter operating. I started the “Musical Holiday Version” of this event in 2005, and it’s always a fun and extra-festive afternoon. Especially if you’re going to be in the downtown area doing some holiday shopping, I hope you can drop by and lend your voice for a little while. (Songbooks will be provided!)

DAY: This Saturday, December 17, between 10:15 and 4pm

LOCATION: Georgia and Granville (Either in front of The Bay or London Drugs – look for our yellow placards!)

TIME FRAME: I’ll be on the street from 10am-12:30 and 1:30-4, approximately. Two women from Rape Relief will be present while I’m at lunch, so feel free to show up anytime between 10-ish and 4, and stay as long as you like!

It’s lots of fun for a great cause – and the more, the merrier. So feel free to pass this message along to friends, family, co-workers etc.

I hope to see you there!

Adam

PS – And though your voice is all I ask, donations are of course gratefully accepted if you so desire!

Location:
Studio 1398 on Granville Island
(see directions below) 

Showtimes:
8:00pm Wed-Sat, plus 4pm matinees Saturday and Sunday

Just what the world needs … another elfing musical! Yup, the Broadway Chorus returns to its roots with a Christmas-themed extravaganza, telling the heartwarming tale of young snow elves looking for fame and fortune at the North Pole. Come revel in the yuletide glory of it all, the rich panoply of holiday festivities, and the socks. Yes, there will be socks, for what is Christmas without socks?

This show is particularly special in that it features narration from a genuine Hollywood star (seriously, no kidding!) who was kind enough to do a favour for a friend. We don’t know if he wants to be thanked by name, so I’ll just hint for now… but if any Desperate Housewives find a Firefly in their Castle they can probably guess who it is!

And of course there’s music, including songs from current hits like Sister Act, flops you’ve never heard of like 9 to 5 (sure, you know the movie, but the Broadway version only eked out 148 performances), rarely-performed golden age shows like The Boys from Syracuse, and many, many more!

As for myself, I’m featured in a key supporting part as a “Mad Men” style ad exec. As you know if you’ve seen this, it’s a role I’m delighted to play! Oh, and I also get to sing my lowest bass note ever in a brief solo. How low can I go? See the show and find out!

To reserve tickets e-mail ashley.lm@ubc.ca or call 778-322-7182 (and we’ll return your e-mail or phone call with a confirmation). OR…

Click here to order tickets online!

Tickets are $15, or $12 for seniors, students, and children.

Studio 1398 is located two buildings east of the Kid’s Market on Granville Island. Parking is free on the Island after 7:00pm (even in parkades!)

Turns out they have a big performance, one of only two a year, coming up on Saturday, Dec. 10th at 7:30 pm at the Michael J. Fox Theatre in Burnaby.

If you want your spirits lifted, I’d say you should definitely check it out!

More info at www.citysoulchoir.com (where you can also hear some audio samples).

Early this summer, I finally gave in to my curiosity and headed up the steps of the BC Lung Association building at 2675 Oak Street, which I’d passed by many times since moving to the neighbourhood. I was glad I did. I expressed my interest in the building’s history, met with some of the staff, and eventually, on a return visit, I was given a “grand tour” of the interior – as well as the opportunity to take some great photos. I’m happy to share them with you here!

The building was constructed in 1928 as Vancouver’s first Jewish Community Centre, and filled that role until the new centre was built in 1962. However, although the inside, all dark wood and antique detail, appears to be original, it turns out that the interior had to be virtually gutted when the restoration was done in the mid-1980′s. The building at that time was in such a sorry state that only the exterior could be truly restored.

At any rate, the restoration – or “rehabilitation” as it is probably more accurately called – was so well done that the building received an award from the City of Vancouver’s Heritage Advisory Committee, which is prominently displayed in the lobby.

Click here for the slide show.

My friend Diane Koerner has launched a blog that’s all about one of my favourite subjects: food! Specifically, it’s an ever-growing selection of tantalizing, tasty recipes from both Diane’s own kitchen and some of the great eateries in the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island, and beyond, as well as some fine recipes contributed by readers. There’s even an occasional story of Diane’s blended in to add a unique flavour!

All of this is illustrated with mouthwatering photos taken by Diane herself. (Shown here is Pulled Turkey on Kaiser Buns.)

So have a look at Nourishing Vancouver!

It was my calendar alerts that made this evident. Previously, although alarms were synced between my iPod Touch and my iMac, they used to go off at slightly different times on each device. I knew my iMac was “live synced” to a time server that kept it accurate. And early on, I’d wondered if I needed to find some setting that would ensure the same on my iPod Touch. I imagined it would update the time when I plugged it in and synced – until I realized that this was not the case. You set the time on your iTouch and it immediately starts an inexorable drift out of sync with both the correct time and any other devices.

Enter iCloud. I noticed my alarms firing off on my iMac and my Touch within a second – something that’s never happened before. And sure enough, the time on my Touch is lined up with my Mac (at least, it’s only a one-second difference). Diving into my iTouch’s Date and Time preferences, I see that “Set Automatically” is now an option and is turned on.

So, it would appear that the cloud-syncing aspect of iOS 5 has made true time synchronization possible.

Of course, this is only relevant to the iPod Touch – the iPhone has always been able to set the time automatically. But now all iOS devices can be in sync – nice to have that at last.