A Conversation with Kamala Harris @ Ovens Auditorium

Merry Xmas A!  This is a delayed Xmas present for the Mrs.  Vice President Harris was supposed to be here in February but a snow storm put a stop to that.  While this is a tour to promote her book, I would be more than happy for her to flip the bird and tell everyone I told you so for a couple of hours.

And since the delay we've seen the president* overthrow the Venezuelan government, attack Iran at the behest of Israel, causing the price of gas to sky rocket, and seen the office of the presidency a laughing stock on the world stage.  I thought this could make the conversation, moderated by now local Brooklyn Decker, a little heated, but in Vice President Harris was very matter of fact and logical in her disagreements with the current government.  And while this was very interesting, it took away time for her to talk about her book, which was about her whirlwind, unsuccessful run for president.

This was an easy talk to enjoy, because Harris aligns with the same beliefs I have.  And it sat extremely well with her audience.  A majority of which were African American female, as well as members of the LGBTQ community.  I would have liked to known how many Republican voters were in the audience, and what their thoughts on the evening were.  Conversely, I would like to attend something similar from a Republican I don't particularly agree with (name one, it would be easy to come up with) and see whether I could be influenced by their beliefs/policies.  I'll admit, I doubt it. but I'd like to have the opportunity.

Harris was only on stage for an hour, which was disappointing, as I think we only heard the tip of the iceberg.  But one of my observations, which I will take under my wing, is that when Harris ever mentioned the current president* she would only ever the title of the role, and never his name.  Her dislike of what he is doing to the country, and how he got there, is glaringly obvious.  SOmething that very much rings true with me.

Spamalot @ Belk Theater

I love this show.  We saw it 3 times back in Vegas.  So when the opportunity arose for us to see it as a family, there was never a doubt.  I picked a Saturday matinee, because there was no soccer to interrupt us.  Boy was I glad!

All week Charlotte has been threatened with an ice storm.  Now it is due to start at 6pm tonight.  We ran to to Eric's (from soccer) family, who had scrambled to get tickets, as they were originally booked for Saturday night's performance, that has already been cancelled.

We got Uptown (too) early and went and had lunch at Cowbell.  It was perfect warming food for the freeze that was happening outside.  We had some time to kill afterwards, but opted to wait in the foyer of the Belk Theater, just to escape the cold.  We also had the obligatory finding of Mrs. Y, B's 3rd grade teacher.

And the show.  Just as funny as I remembered.  The full version, not the 90 minute scaled down Vegas version.  Casting was great, and how can you not like Monty Python and the Holy Grail set to music.  Mom & B loved it as well.  L could take it or leave it.  I think he is a musical non-lover.  He's rather of been anywhere else (again).  

It's important to me to give the boys these experiences, something that is not the norm, and hopefully expand their interests.  We left in a great mood, only to drive home through the start of sleet.  Spamalot did the right thing by cancelling their Saturday night and Sunday shows.  While we only ended up getting .25 inch of ice, in Charlotte that is Armageddon.  We're just not prepared for it, as shown by the kids getting 3 days off school for it, and to have people out on the road would just be dangerous.

Fechez la vache!

Aziz Ansari @ Ovens Auditorium

Again, I struggle to write a review of a comedy show.  Needless to say - it was funny.  Not quite as good as the first time we saw Ansari, which was fall out of your seat funny, but funny nonetheless.  I can't write down specifically what was said, as it would never do the stories justice, but A&I had a great laugh and would be happy to see Ansari any time he came through town.

Six @ Belk Theater

This is a show that A has wanted to see for a long time, so when it comes into Charlotte, it's a no brainer to buy tickets.  The boys have had a mixed reaction to musicals, so tonight it's just Mom and Dad.  I picked a Sunday matinee, so as to not interfere with the boys soccer, and of course they were scheduled a game that day, so they wouldn't have made it anyway.

I was skeptical about a musical about Henry VIII's 6 wives.  But, to my surprise, this was a good show.  A modern version of each his wives sang their tales of woe, while mixing in the comedy of making themselves better than the other 5.  I really liked that it was just them, and a live all girl band on stage for the whole show.   While I knew a little of the story of his first wife, Catherine, and 2nd, Anne Boleyn, it was fun to hear the stories of the other wives.   And from a female perspective, and not a history book.

I too have not enjoyed some of the musicals we've seen of late, but this one I did.  And more importantly so did A.

 

Neil deGrasse Tyson @ Ovens Auditorium

This is one for L.  He has taken an interest in space, so who better to tell him about it but Neil deGrasse Tyson.  A is out of town, and B wasn't interested so it is just the 2 of us, which is unusual.

Tonight felt like a university lecture done by everyone's favorite professor, but not necessarily my favorite topic.  Tyson spoke of other planets being able to support human life, what other universes might be like, the heat of suns, and his role in the de-planetizing of Pluto.

Like a comedy show, it is hard to go over everything that was said, but needless to say his 2 hours on stage was well received.  WHo knows?  Maybe we'll make a scientist out of L.

 

Wicked @ Belk Theater

I think I've been oversold on Wicked.  It's been around forever, and it is critically acclaimed everywhere, and I was super excited to see it.  A really wanted to go, and we thought the boys would like it too, so it became a family day.

For me though it didn't quite live up to the hype.  I just wasn't into it.  But I am also get less tolerant of musicals (for the most part) as I get older.  That and the fact that the Wizard of Oz is such a classic, I feel a prequel (or a sequel if it had of been) could never live up to that expectation.

On the other hand A&B loved it.  A has seen it before, and sang along with every word, and B was really into it.  L, well L wished he could be anywhere else.  Especially with Arsenal being on tv today.  It's not that I didn't like the show, but it just wasn't a favorite.  And obviously it's important to give the boys different experiences and let them make their own choices.

I was surprised at how packed the theater was for a matinee.  I had picked a Sunday afternoon, thinking that it wouldn't interfere with the boys soccer.  I knew there'd be a few families in there, but there wasn't a spare seat.  Turns out because to the incoming ice storm, the night show had already been cancelled and everyone scrambled for what was left in the matinee.

New York, NY

Big Day!  Big Day indeed!

We all packed into the breakfast space at the hotel before heading off for a day's adventure in Manhattan at 10am.  We all walked up to Wall Street, not far from the hotel, and then past the New York Stock Exchange to Trinity Church.  We stuck our head inside this ornate church, as well as toured the cemetery, where we saw the grave of Alexander Hamilton. two blocks, and one tourist store, south is the Charging Bull statue in Bowling Green.  We, like every tourist on the planet is seemed, lined up to take a photo.  Not sure why I hadn't been here on 2 previous visits, but it was funny watching people pose with the bull, and we got a great family photo.

Trinity Cuurch from Wall Street, New York, NY

JKLMBL&D, Charging Bull, New York, NY

We then walked the half dozen blocks up Greenwich Street to the 9/11 Memorial Pools.  Such a somber place.  This is a tragedy that still affects many people, and you can see this in the respect of all the visitors, as the air is tense, and people mostly look in silence or hushed tones.  We saw the names of those lost on that terrible day, and noticed some had white roses placed with them.  I learned that this was done daily and the white roses were for those who should have been celebrating a birthday.  I do find it both eerie and triumphant that this memorial sits in the shadow of the since built One World Trade Center.  Taller than all, this landmark sticks out everywhere in Manhattan, and serves also as a reminder of the overcoming spirit of that fateful 2001 day.

One World Trade Center & 9/11 Memorial, New York, NY

LMBL, Oculus, New York, NY

Just west of the area is the Battery Park City Ferry Terminal.  We jump on for the half hour ride down to Staten Island.  Along the way we take in the views of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty (time meant we didn't go over and spend time on the island), as well as Manhattan at the back of the boat.

The stop in Staten Island is at a near empty mall, where we stopped at Shake Shack and had lunch.  K & L took the Staten Island Ferry back to the hotel, while the rest of us jumped back on the ferry all the way up to Pier 76, where we got out and wandered back to the city.  The ferry dropped us off right near the convention center, which was packed with Comic Con conventioneers all dressed up.  Great people watching.  A quick stop at Russ & Daughters for a bagel and to watch a protest almost get out of hand outside Black Rock Investments (Israeli / Palestinian tensions on the rise), before continuing to head west along 34th Street.  J, M & L left us at Penn St Station to head back to the hotel.  A,B&I continued down to see the Empire State Building.  I wanted to see the Flat Iron Building, so we walked down there, only for it to be covered in scaffolding.  Fortunately right behind the building is a Harry Potter store, so B was in his element.  He basically dumped his stuff on us and then disappeared in a Tasmanian Devil-like whirl into the store.  A&I did our best to keep up with him, though it was tough.

DM&B, Empire State Building, New York, NY

B, Harry Potter Store, New York, NY

A quick cab ride back to the hotel, just to ramp up the adrenaline before we wanted to rest before our night out.  

At 5pm we met JKLM in the lobby for our journey back up to the theater district to go and see Back To The Future.  Slices of pizza outside the theater constituted dinner and after a taste of close to Times Square we were in our seats.

The show was a blast.  Very true to the movie.  Probably not what we would've picked had we not had kids with us, but still, everyone was having a great time and I'm glad we picked it (though I was hoping for The Outsiders).

Afterwards we walked down into Times Square so the kids could experience that for the first time.  I love it.  Tons of people everywhere, so much visual stimulation.  It got a bit much for the kids, and that edge was pushed when some "religious" nut started screaming in the face of L&M.  We got out of there and headed back to the hotel via the subway.  One dickhead put a black mark on an excellent day.

Outside Winter Garden Theater, New York, NY

DLB&M, Times Square, New York, NY

Rebel, New York, NY

Kurios - Cabinet of Curiosities Under The Big Top

Little Italy

Jean Talon Marche

Bus to Old port

Cirque

Dinner at Vieux Port Steakhouse

Jimmy Carr @ Knight Theater

I'm glad Jimmy Carr made a stop in Charlotte.  I often watch videos of his show "8 of 10 Cats Do Countdown", and while wildly inappropriate, I find him extremely funny.  And tonight was no different.  

While specific jokes are hard to retell when reviewing, I hope I look back at this and remember his lampooning of Gastonia, the sex talk with a young audience member, and his witty, often unrelated one liners, as well as his ability to offend everyone, even having a dig at us stay at home dads.  Can't be offended by one of the jokes, has to be all or nothing.

The show's low did stop near the end, when he tried some new jokes.  Written that day on a piece of paper, Carr was looking to see if the jokes were funny, but delivery was not practiced and kind of stunted the show a bit.  I'm sure once properly worked into the set, these jokes will add to the laughter.

I don't know why we don't go to many comedy shows.  Everyone we've been to has been good, and Jimmy Carr is no exception.  Maybe Blumenthal will bring out some more good English comedians (Greg Davies, Richard Ayoade, Joe Wilkinson etc).  Here's hoping.

Jim Jefferies @ Ovens Auditorium

As always it's hard to describe what happens at a comedy show because most of the time your still laughing from the last joke to fully understand what is currently going on.

Jeffries was awesome, as expected.  We've never invited anyone to a Jim Jeffries show before because, even though they would be friends of ours, you don't know how people would react to some of the jokes.  But once you realize he is antagonistic to everyone, it's easy to enjoy the show.   I took Mike with me as A was out of town for work and he loved it.  He's now had the double dose of Aussie culture with Celeste Barber, and now Jim Jeffries.  As an expat I loved the bits about Coon cheese and Golden Gaytimes - and picking on the dude in the front row from some Sydney private school (you tell the Aussies in the crowd - we all booed him).  A shout out has to go to both of Jeffries openers but particularly the Aussie bloke (whose name slips my mind), who did a great little set about Queen Elizabeth, a day after her death.  It was respectful, but funny, but could only possibly be the first time he had done it given the time frame.

A great night, can't wait for the next tour.

Hamilton @ Belk Theatre

 

I'm ready!  After all the hype, we are finally getting to see Hamilton.  This is A's Xmas present and the first time we've been to a show since Come From Away 2 years ago.

After a quick bite at Rooster's, and some people watching out the front, we went into our seats at the back of the Orchestra level.  It's a full house (as I expected), but noticeably groups of women dominated the theatre.  But also thrown in with a good mix of couples and families.

An historical-politically-themed-rap-musical!  How was that initially pitched?  Because it's like nothing else I heard of in musicals.  

For me - I enjoyed it.  Great story, (even though it is not a history I know - I wonder how well this plays overseas?), great set and well performed by a great cast.  Though it had too much musical formula in it i.e., the old 3 people singing different songs at the same time and songs with the same melody you could sing to most other musicals I've seen.  Having said that, A loved it! (which is most important), as did the rest of the audience as a whole.

Very rarely is there such a thing as a bad night out, and we had fun tonight - which has been rare in the last 2 years.  Would I go and see it again?  If I had to.  Would A?  Probably tomorrow.

Come From Away @ Belk Theater

This was Santa's present to the grown ups in the house, so A and I headed out early (earlier than anyone eating dinner in Charlotte that night) for dinner at Essex.  This is our 2nd time at this restaurant and it's awesome.  We had a bunch of appetizers up at the bar and had nice start to the evening.

I tried to get mum to see this a couple of years ago when we were in New York, but we opted for A Doll's House Part 2 instead.  So I have been wanting to see this since it came to Broadway 2 years ago. We got our seats on the mezzanine of the Belk Theater and settled in for an great show.  

Come From Away is the story of Gander, Newfoundland, Canada in the days following 9/11, where 38 planes were diverted and about 6000 people were required to stay for up to a week following the the attacks in the US.  Gander had a population of only about 9000 and the story tells how passengers and locals dealt with the tragedy separately and together, and some of the lifelong friendships that were forged from a dire situation.

With a small cast of about 15 players, each playing 2 or 3 characters, this fantastic story ran the gamut of emotions.  Desperation! Grief! Camaraderie!  Community!  Human Spirit!  All done with humor and a bond of friendship you can only imagine these people formed.  The cast were brilliant.   Minimal costume changes (from as little as changing a hat, or turning a jacket inside out) allowed the cast to easily change from bewildered passenger to compassionate Gander resident.  Also a basic set allowed for fluid scene changes from the plane, to Tim Hortons, to a shelter, to outdoor Gander.

I'm so glad we got to see this, and I hope anyone who gets the chance to, whether it be on Broadway or on a travelling tour, takes the opportunity to see a great story told by a wonderful cast.

Patton Oswalt @ Knight Theater

OK so it's another tragic comedy review.  

A and I had another night out to see Patton Oswalt in uptown Charlotte.  But not before having dinner at the much anticipated Bernardins. I've always wanted to go here and while there was nothing bad, I think I'd built it up beyond what it was.

The show tonight was to be filmed for a Netflix special, so that was an added bonus to see the preparation involved in a TV special and not just a comedy show.  We were on the balcony, watching single people get moved to great seats down the front.

Patton was great.  As usual the laughs were non stop and there is no chance I could repeat those jokes and do them any justice.  Suffice to say it is another show where we look at each other and ask why we don't see more comedy shows.

A great night out seeing a performer at his best.  Can't wait until we get to relive it on Netflix.

The Wizard Of Oz @ Ovens Auditorium

So in complete contrast to Charlie Brown last weekend, The Wizard of Oz was fantastic.  Yet only played to a half full Oven's - where are you Charlotte?

The cast was fantastic and the show did a great service to the movie.  I didn't know if the boys would follow, but apparently they had seen the movie at school before, so they were on the edge of their seats.    While special effects were at a minimum, nothing looked cheap or half-arsed.  The cast seemed to be enjoying themselves, even to a empty-ish theater.  The live dog was a definite crowd pleaser, and he seemed quite at ease under the bright lights.

At intermission, the boys freely talked about what they liked and asked questions, so much more than the standard "Good." response you get from them when you normally ask them a question.

Too often these days a standing ovation is given to a cast just for completing the show.  I don't like that it cheapens it for those that do deserve it.  Like tonight.  A great family show, very well done.

The boys seem to enjoy shows the more we go to, but when I ask if they'd ever like to try and sing / dance / act on stage the answer is a convincing "No!".  Not sure what will be next in the live theatre realm, as we have no tickets to anything upcoming.

I'm glad the boys don't have school tomorrow as 10 pm is a late one for them, (and us for that matter) and they were falling apart by the time we got home.

A Charlie Brown Christmas @ Ovens Auditorium

Well, we've finally hit a show that we didn't like.  But at least the boys did.

A Sunday afternoon at a packed Ovens with families in the midst of Christmas spirit saw, in my eyes, an amateur performance of the cartoon classic.  While a 3 piece band played on stage, even they became droll after the 3rd version of the Charlie Brown theme song.  At intermission A and I looked at each other, knowingly, and offered the boys an out.  We could leave now, or stay for the rest of the show.  I was sure we were out the door, but to my surprise the boys wanted to stay - so we did.  It has been a while since we've seen the cartoon, but it seems it bought back some good memories for the boys and they had a great time (I thought it may have been too young for them).

Maybe A & I will enjoy The Wizard Of Oz more on Thursday.

Celeste Barber @ McGlohon Theater

I am an old man who wastes a lot of time on Facebook.  In order to speak to my family I am not on Instagram, but I am aware of Aussie sensation Celeste Barber, but mostly because she is married to a guy a went to high school with - now known as Hot Husband.  But when an Aussie comes to perform in my adopted town, I'm up for it.  And if it's funny - all the better.

Because A booked a trip for work, I took gig mate Mike with me.  We met up at Malabar for dinner beforehand.  As always, this tapas restaurant was awesome.  Every bite was better than the last.  And not being with a vegetarian meant there was a wider choice of meals for me to have.  Hooray!

A near full McGlohon Theater was all checking Instagram while waiting for Barber to take the stage.  When Hot Husband came out to place her drink on the stool, the 80% female crowd went nuts.  And similarly when Celeste took to the stage.  From the get go you knew we were in for a fun night.  I think the novelty of an Australian was good for the Charlotte crowd, and the shock of her unfiltered love of taking the piss out of everyone, and herself, made for an awesome night.  The "routine" centered around how she got to where she was through the irony of her Instagram fame, it also touched on some funny stories about bullying, childbirth, double standards and insecurities of life.  We loved it.  From the 2nd last row, I could see the crowd physically moving in their seats from laughter.  Sadly she touched on Australia's tall poppy syndrome, but I love that she can rise above that and enjoy the success by being as Aussie as possible.

Poor Mike didn't know what he was in for.  But he had a great laugh and was more than glad he came along.  I probably did the wrong thing by not reaching out to Api before the show, but it has been nearly 30 years since we sat in Mr Hoddinot's Economics class and I didn't want to seem like the guy who was only reaching out because success and fame had found his family.  That's my regret for the night.  Maybe next time, because I'd surely see her show again.  Like Celeste says: the show was the Dolphin's Earrings.

Aziz Ansari @ Ovens Auditorium

Master of None is one of the best shows around at the moment, so there was no question we were going to this when the show was announced.  I'd also seen a couple of his Netflix specials, which I enjoyed.

A full house at Ovens were treated to a couple of openers, but the crowd went nuts when Ansari came out to introduce the last opener.  Making his comedy debut was the now Charlotte resident - Aziz' dad  - Dr Shoukath Anzari.  His short set had the crowd in stitches as we watched Aziz in the wings having a good time.

Ansari is a story teller comedian.  Completely the opposite Steven Wright last week.  But just as funny in their own ways.  

Ansari had taken the unusual step of providing locked pouches for everyone's cell phone, not popular amongst a majority of the crowd, but welcomed by me - and wishfully used at many concerts I hope to see in the future.  But it bought a funny discussion behind the pros and cons.  The hour and a bit he was onstage was non stop laughs (but as usual I can't recall them - especially not as well as he told them).  I thought he might broach the subject of recent sexual assault allegations, but in the end he opted not to, maybe for the best.

This show seemed to come out of nowhere, but I'm glad it happened.  After 2 comedians in a week, I hope to see more comedy shows (like I always say, but never do).  Always a good night out.

Steven Wright @ McGlohon Theater

Why doesn't anybody really remember Steven Wright.  When I was telling people I was going to this I had to remind them of Mad About You, his stand up, the narrator of Reservoir Dogs, etc.  People looked at me like "Yeah I remember" but you could tell they were just being polite.  

I remember him being hilarious.  And tonight was no exception.  

While my ability to re-tell the jokes of the night is lacking, the hour of mono-tonal, nonsensical, one liners was exceptional.  So fast and frequent were they, that the only joke I really remember was "I was addicted to placebos.  I was going to give up, but I thought....what's the point?"  I did however miss half the jokes from laughing at the previous one.  Pretty much the point of seeing a stand up comedian.

To think this guys has been doing this for over 30 years, it makes you wonder how many actual jokes he has written.  I wonder how many he remembers, or how he picks what he'll use in a show.  Just brilliant.

A great night out.  I always say we should see more comedy shows.  Inevitably we might be lucky to catch a couple of shows a year.  Tonight though was a reason to seek out more shows.  My body aches from laughing.

The Lion King @ Belk Theater

It's a family affair tonight.  Even Gammy came along.  A and I had seen the Lion King at Mandalay Bay in Vegas in 2009 and loved it.  We thought it was important for the boys to see it.  We had some great seats on the main floor, but not an isle, yet L asked when would we get "those good seats" pointing to the back of the balcony.  So much to learn.

This is another great performance of this classic movie, though it wasn't until the intermission, when we were peppered with questions, that we realized the boys hadn't seen the movie yet.  After some explaining, the boys enjoyed it further.  Which is not to say they weren't already mesmerized by the characters and costumes.  The other great moment tonight was the fact that young Simba was played Charlotte native Ramon Reed.  He is a great young performer and surely spurred on by playing in front of a sold out home crowd, his character was wonderful.  Deservedly he got the biggest ovation at the end of the show.

This travelling production was just as good as I remember the Vegas version being and a must see for all families. 

PS.  We finally watched the movie the following Friday on pizza and movie night.  Boys loved that too.

Me, L, B, A & Gammy @ Lion King @ Belk Theater

Disney On Ice @ Newcastle Entertainment Centre

Before we came out to Australia and we were looking for things to do, K bought all of us tickets to Disney On Ice up at the Newcastle Entertainment Centre.  I'm not sure why I've never been here before.  Much smaller than the Sydney Entertainment Centre, and not a bad seat in the house as seen by the fact we were in the last row and had a fantastic view.

The Boys, Nanny and us drove up separately from the K, J, LF & M and we arrived a little early.  But a beautiful winter's day let us sit in the sun while we waited.  A few years ago, a show like this would have been my worst nightmare, but I love taking the boys somewhere where I can watch them take it all in.

The show itself was great.  A bunch of Disney classics were told in a shortened skating version.  LF & M knew all the characters and stories, while the boys and I had no idea who some of these people were.  The kids loved it.  And the performers were fantastic.  The stuff they did in those costumes and on ice, defies all forms of logic.

Never have I seen so many kids in one spot, but no nervous breakdown was had.  Everyone, parents and kids alike, had a blast.  And for me the drive up the Freeway and back home via Swansea and the back way, was a great trip down memory lane.

L, Me & B @ Disney On Ice - Newcastle Entertainment Centre, Broadmeadow, NSW