Our 1st trip to the Walt Disney Concert Hall

As with our tour behind the scenes with Zarkana, our dear friend Cassie really spoils Eric and I. This past Tuesday evening Cassie offered us free opera tickets to the following night's performance of The Marriage of Figaro! Since her Cirque du Soleil experience with hair and make-up, Cassie has moved on to other shows in the SoCal area. This show is her latest gig that is to be performed at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. 

Being that this event was "last minute", I had to secure an earlier off time and avoid the traffic up the 5 freeway. How we managed to get from work to home (tend to the dog), then get to Downtown LA, with little traffic, was pure luck! 

Being silly near the Ahmanson Theater

Upon our arrival in LA's version of towering skyscrapers, we did a quick walk about for photos. Eric and I couldn't resist a few silly "selfies" and snaps of the architecture. The concert hall itself is a masterpiece and really glistens in the sunlight. Sharing our excitement was our friend, and Cassie's husband, Ryan. Cassie's mother, Robyn (who we've also known for years) was with us as well. All of us were visiting this venue for the first time and all were dying to see the theater. Eric and I were overwhelmed with the space that is inside that location. It's a perfect and strategically carved out void that literally brings the music right to your ears. 

Our view from our seats. There is Ryan's head :-)

This performance was the cast's final dress rehearsal before Friday's opening (this isn't an OFFICIAL review). I had read a bit on the synopsis because I was sure I'd be completely lost with the Italian. Figaro wants to marry the love of his life, Susanna, but the other 6-8 characters create drama around them. The story includes The Count. He wants Susanna for himself. And, there's a sexually driven teenager that wants to be with The Count's wife, Rosina. The drama unravels and spirals during the performance that took place in four acts, about 3.5 hours. We were relieved that subtitles were used above the stage. They aren't fed "line by line" but rather just enough to convey what's happening. 

If presented traditionally, I believe the story takes place in the 1700s, but this production had a modern spin to it. The stage was bare and lighting was heavily relied upon to set the mood. Although the design was wonderful to look at (especially the hair & make-up), the lack of distinct sets made it slightly difficult for someone new to the story. Although the subtitles helped, the complicated plot would leave us scratching our heads. An example of this was at the top of Act 4. The setting was a well executed representation of a garden. Unfortunately the lighting overshadowed the actors and dimmed their faces. This fact made it tough to discern which soprano was singing. And, since the cast all sat in concert style, we had to make out who each character was addressing. 

Eric was getting a little artsy!

I want to mention how much we loved the voices of the cast. This was still a rehearsal, so to save their voices the cast would "dial it down" during certain moments. It was at those times we felt disappointed because obviously the lyrics were to be sung in a grandiose way. There are also  moments between songs where performers do what I like to call "sing songing" (not singing, not speaking, but somewhere in between). And, if you'd like to know the actual term, it's called Recitativi. It was also a thrill for us to witness the LA Philharmonic Orchestra. The musicians were in full view at the stage's edge. They're all so beautiful to watch as the bows strike across the strings of cellos and violins. 

If Eric and I have the lucky opportunity to see a different opera, like Madame Butterfly, we would jump at the chance. Cassie's mother said she is sure we would love that one. This version of the opera had the viewer working to piece together the actions, settings, motivations, cross-dressing, and character to character deceptions. Some directors would tell you that the days of a passive audience are over and the viewer should be involved. What's great about theater is that once the last note has vibrated through the building, many interpretations exist at one moment in time. Eric and I had an exciting peek into the  genre of opera and look forward to the next. 

Hogwarts in Los Angeles and Mormons Knocking on Your Doors

Taking the 10 Freeway to Whimsic Alley, we pass Downtown LA

What a Sunday it was! We headed an hour North to the Los Angeles area to see the Broadway hit, and Best Musical winner of 2011, Book of Mormon. Since we already were to be headed in the direction of The Pantages Theater, Eric wanted to stop by a store called Whimsic Alley. This location carries all items relating to Harry Potter. It is very near the LA County Museum of Art and La Brea Tar Pits. All photos today are brought to you by my iPhone5. (hope they aren't too blurry)

The store was in an older LA building that had a hint of art deco style. The sidewalk was quiet and it almost made the store look closed, but luckily that impression was wrong. This store really had an explosion of everything Potter! The interior makes it look as though the customer is walking down Diagon Alley from the books. The store facades are on either side of you as you enter. There is the book sore, candy sore, hat shop, and robe shop. The names are generic names for copyright purposes I imagine.

Just take a look at this Luna Lovegood costume. Yes, the Lion cap isn't exactly as it is in the film, but you can get the idea of who she is. I love Luna because she is from the same house I was "sorted" into on the Pottermore.com site, Ravenclaw. I didn't think the Quidditch robes, shown above, were authentic but were definitely a nice quality. If I didn't already have a Halloween costume I definitely would have made a purchase of that Ravenclaw (blue) costume here, even the goggles!

I got so into browsing that I lost track of Eric for a bit. As mentioned, since it is divided as though the sections are their own store, it's easy to get lost. Once I found Eric he was in the wand shop. They had a huge selection of wands in there. There were also wands made from other companies around the country. Eric really was hoping to find a wand stand for the ones he has purchased at the Wizarding World in Orlando, Florida. They didn't have quite what he was looking for in the stands.

For birthday parties they have a small replica of the great Hall.

Hermione's purse

If someone can't quite make it to the East coast, but is from the LA area, this is a good alternative for now. There obviously aren't any attractions, but everyone there seemed to enjoy themselves. I still witnessed customers who were all excited about the robes, scarves, wands, and books they found. I think this is a place we will have to return if we want to browse or show fellow Harry Potter fans.

Blurry, but it shows how each section is its own "store".

My favorite colors. Blue for Ravenclaw!

After Eric and I made our purchases (he bought a Hufflepuff sweater and I a Ravenclaw beanie), we decided it was time to head to Hollywood for the show. It was going to be quite the gathering of pals and acquaintances, thanks to our friend Ricky. Besides his co-workers and family, we would see our friends Josh, Natalie, and Daniel.

All were very excited for the show! I didn't really know what to expect from the musical. I knew that since the creators of South park were behind this it was sure to be hilarious. Ricky had already seen this show three times, so we knew it had to be good! I don't know if any of you have been to this theater, but it is very immaculate on the inside. This theater has a little sentimental value for Eric and I because it is where I took Eric on our first date back in 2002. We saw The Lion King. But, this day we were here for some new memories and laughs with our friends.

Eric and Natalie

Awww

It is always an exciting moment for us when it is time to head into the theater. I don't want to sound too "cheesy" but it's a place where many things can happen. In fact, anything can happen on the stage. I also love knowing how excited the performers must be, and how hard they all worked for the show to come together. Then, we are all there to give them instant gratification! Anyway, enough on my feelings about theater.

Pantages Lobby

It certainly is hard to walk into this glorious lobby and not have the feelings I just spoke about. You know you are about to see something special....so we thought.

Let me explain what happened to us. It just so happened that our seats were right behind a man that was as big as a gorilla. I wouldn't really say he was just plain fat. He was a gentlemen of size all around (think John Goodman). He was tall, wide, and had huge hair. He was blocking Eric's seat 100%. I had Eric switch with me because I just knew Eric wouldn't be able to get around those shoulders and head at all. I watched the first half of the show behind this guy and missed some jokes. I know there were facial expressions and gestures I wasn't able to see. It sounded funny.

The lyrics were smart and the actors were great. The show laid out what the Church of Latter Day Saints is all about. I think it was up to the audience member to decide if the belief system was funny. As the spectator, you either feel it's funny to hear The Garden of Eden was actually in the USA, or you get offended because you believe it actually was in the USA.

Here is the view we had to work with. At intermission Eric switched seats with me and he dealt with "the head". It is the next day as I type this and our necks still hurt. We aren't trying to be "whiners" but it really wasn't what we had looked forward to all that time. Luckily it's an isolated incident that doesn't happen for every theater experience. The content of the show was still fun. We would like to one day see it again without dealing with "Fred Flinstone" blocking our view.

Running Wild at Universal Studios in Hollywood

Before we head back to Walt Disney World, we stay in California. Today we met up with Ricky, our best friend that lives in Hollywood. As a matter of fact, I am standing in his kitchen while taking the photo below. Nice view, huh?

Well on this particular Labor Day we thought we would convert Ricky to becoming an AP at Universal Studios. After all, it's just over that hill you see there. Although we are part of the "jaded" population that has seen it all in Southern California, we still have a good time. I did forget how cool the Hollywood & Vine Subway station is. A hidden gem that is themed to film.

We encountered a weird character on the subway. But, why wouldn't we? After all this is Hollywood! A man was yelling at strangers while on the train. It was very annoying, and I looked forward to getting off at our stop. Even though I was annoyed at the moment, the subway ride made me miss NYC. I would like to go back. But, as Sophia would say on the Golden Girls, "I digress!"

After we exited and rode the tram to City Walk, we finally made it to what they call "The Entertainment Capitol of L.A." Didn't it use to be called "...of the World"? Does anyone else remember that? 

With a "beep" of the turnstile and the scan of your right index finger we were in the park! We quickly passed the credit card booths and people shouting to take our photo. I'll never get that sales pitch. "Hi just get together for a real quick photo!" Why? I am holding my camera!

Ricky had not been on the new Transformers attraction so that was our main goal. And as we moved through the crowd we came across these two dames. They had some fun banter as they went back and forth in a thick Brooklyn accent. I'll give it to the park that some of the atmosphere talent is quite entertaining. The "woman" on the left was a bitter character indeed. Hilarious!

I wish I had taken photos of the Shrek/Curious George/Flinstones/Western area because the lay out for this is just atrocious! Nothing goes together and it's very crowded. In order to get to the Lower Lot one has to find the way around the hanging Jaws, and Doc Brown's Chicken location. Those two spots almost create a dead end. Anyway, I don't think the average "first-timer" would notice. That person would be too excited.

We then found a photo spot that had significant relevance to today's pop culture...NOT! Does anyone recall the film Apollo 13 or whether it was a film that changed the face of cinema? Maybe to some people it does, but to the three of us it didn't. People sure loved to take a photo with the cut-outs. Ricky and I couldn't resist being so giddy to follow suit!

You do get great views of the Lower Lot as you make your way down five escalators. Even as a ten year old, my first trip there, I thought this escalator situation was odd. But, the land here is limited and what else are they going to do about it? What do you think of it? Any thoughts? In the end, it is not very likely that this will ever change, but we can still discuss it.

As we turned the corner of the renovated facades we could see the show building just ahead of us. We were prepared to wait any amount of time to board. Luckily the wait was maybe 45 minutes long. 

Eric and Ricky had a Gay old time playing with all the gadgets in the queue. The queue is impressive. As you wait in the room with the All Spark being kept in its capsule, the relic is radiating power and a vibration.

Then of course there is the attraction! The crew yells your safety orders at you, the recruits. Once your vehicle parks the "loaders" order you to hustle into the row and get all the way across. "RUN!" they shouted. Pretty cool theming if you ask me and a great way to get those guests in as fast as possible. No wonder the wait time was so short. 

Some of you may have read details of the show scenes, but I say experience that for yourselves. The technology that is being used here is really tricking the brain to feel sensations that convincingly put you in the action of it all. There are a few flying or falling sequences that put this ride over the top! Eric really wants to figure out how this all happens. I am not sure if I want to know.

So of course we had an excellent time! The three of us are also fans of stop motion animation and checked out a small exhibit for the new film ParaNorman. A boy can talk to the dead and he has to save his town from zombies and a witch's curse! Looking at the puppets and sets really show that a lot of detail is shown to really make the story as believable as possible. I really zoomed in on those documents, but they were so small from a normal distance.

It came up in conversation that Ricky had never seen the King Kong experience on the Tram Tour. This took us by a little surprise so we headed back up the escalators to the Tram Loading area. To reach the Tram Tour from the Lower Lot you must ride the five escalators up the hill. Then ride another one down the opposite side. One could say that this park experience takes place on so many levels!

 While in the queue we pondered whether we would join one of the non-English tours. Spanish or perhaps Cantonese?? We stayed in our section of the queue and pressed on. The queue here is usually in constant flow as the trams takes many tourists at once. We actually ended up riding in a tram full of people that were "eating it all up"! The shouts and the interacting wasn't lost on these people. We have ridden those trams where the narrator is met with those awkward silences. But, Eric and I are also to blame as we join in on the silence.

There wasn't any filming today so the route was actually a little different than a few weeks ago. And, we were able to see Jaws with the audio running. Last time filming was close by so as Jaws popped out of the water, there was no noise and no award winning music either.

We did get to see the exterior of the Dolly Parton hit, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas! I have yet to see that film but people tell me it's a "not to be missed". I better get on that!

Like Apollo 13, Universal is hanging onto the sets of The Grinch that Stole Christmas. It just made the three of us laugh. Did anyone really enjoy that film? If you are out there please let us know why. I'm just curious. We laughed at the fact that the tour guide needed to point out that the little vehicle you see is in fact a converted golf cart. Thank you Lexy!

I'm sure there are those out there that feel I should let go of my respect for Hitchcock. The Psycho House and Bates Motel is pretty much my favorite part of the tour. I love the film so much and I think I will pop in the movie this afternoon.

"We all go a little mad sometimes."

Some folks might call Eric and I a little mad, but we have a great time!

 We were storming the shops as we tried to find merchandise from the ParaNorman film. We even tried to take this Vespa to make our search a little faster!


Ricky found some friends from the film, but they didn't know where to find the good stuff. As you can see, Eric doesn't believe a word of their lies! I would say we went to almost every gift shop in that Upper Lot section. Who knew you could find so many different magnets with the word "Hollywood" pressed onto it? Who knew?? Did you??

After all that we barely had enough time for Ricky to get a new hair style. "The works!" he demanded. I think they gave it to him, but does he look pleased?

The time at the park was a fun one. Sure we had a few items to throw critique at, but you can't please everyone. To take Universal's side, the park has changed a great deal since I was a kid. We look forward to the Wizarding World that is to be here in the next few years. We end the day with a look at a Hollywood icon as recognizable as the one captured earlier.  

Can you find it in the dark? Makes me want to go to Disney World!