VICTOR/VICTORIA

Uptown Players presents GAY PAREE

in hysterical musical comedy, Victor/Victoria

July 29 – August 21, 2011

at the historic Kalita Humphreys Theater



With a book by Blake Edwards, music by Henry Mancini,and lyrics by Leslie
Bricusse,Victor/Victoria is an appealing,sophisticated musical,based on the movie of the same name. It is the story of a penniless soprano, named Victoria (Ashley Puckett Gonzales),who colludes with a struggling gay impresario (Paul Taylor) to disguise herself as a man named Victor, who entertains as a female impersonator known as "Victoria" - and as a result becomes the toast of Paris.

We know we're in Paris, but is this person a man or a woman?

The confusion gets more complicated when a Chicago mobster (Shane Peterman) sees the act and finds himself attracted to the star. Life's complications are both hilarious and touching.

The cast also features Mikey Abrams,Michael Albee,Maribeth Ayers,J Mathew Butler, Clair Cuny,John de los Santos,Emily Ford,Sergio Antonio Garcia,Carlos Gomez,Tom Grugle,Whitney Hennen,Greg Hullett,Summer Kenny,Kelly McCain,Jon Morehouse,Mark Oristano,Thomas Renner, Christine Smith and Jordan Willis.

The production is under the direction of Cheryl Denson, with music direction by Adam C. Wright and choreography by Vicki Squires.

Victor Victoria runs July 29 through August 21, 2011, with performances Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. (no performance July 31)

A special Thursday night performance will take place on August 18 at 8 p.m.
Performances will take place at the Kalita Humphreys Theater, 3636 Turtle Creek Blvd at Blackburn, Dallas TX 75219.

Tickets are $30-40 and can be purchased online at www.uptownplayers.org or by phone at 214-219-2718.

About Uptown Players

Now in its tenth season, Uptown Players has gathered a dedicated following with an annual audience base of over 15,000 patrons, including nearly 1000 season subscribers. The response from the community and critics has been remarkable,including over 25 Leon Rabin Awards from the Dallas Theatre League, several hundred “The Column” Awards and 15 Theatre Critics Forum Awards in its first seven seasons.

In recent years, Uptown Players has also been named the best theatre company by the Dallas Voice Readers Awards, and the Dallas Observer, and has appeared on the WFAA-A list and Best of Big D - D Magazine.

Uptown Players is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization,presenting plays and musicals that challenge audiences artistically, build cultural bridges,and strive to create greater positive public awareness and acceptance through the performing arts. There is no other theater group with this unique mission in the Dallas area.

Madelyn Miller is a travel and food writer and loyal fan of Uptown Players. Read her stories on www.travellady.com, www.carladynews.com, www.yogayaya.com, www.chocolateatlas.com, www.cocktailatlas.com, www.coffeeatlas.com, www.teaAtlas.com

She has seen Victor/Victoria before, but is interested in the Uptown Players version.

Cirque de Soleil to present Dralion in Frisco

SEVEN PERFORMANCES ONLY FROM JULY 27 - 31,
AT THE DR PEPPER ARENA


Thrilling more than 8 million people worldwide since the show premiered in 1999, Dralion is the fusion of ancient Chinese circus traditions and the avant-garde style of Cirque du Soleil. The name Dralion (pronounced “Drah-lee-on”) is drawn from its two main symbols: the dragon, representing the East, and the lion, representing the West. Dralion derives much of its inspiration from Eastern philosophy with its perpetual quest for harmony between humankind and nature. The international cast features 52 world-class acrobats, gymnasts, musicians, singers and comedic characters.

Tickets Available Now for All Performances

Cirque du Soleil'a critically-acclaimed touring production Dralion will perform in Frisco at the Dr Pepper Arena from July 27 - 31, 2011 for seven performances only.

Tickets are available starting at www.cirquedusoleil.com/dralion or by calling 1-800-745-3000.



SCHEDULE AND BOOKING INFORMATION


Show Schedule (July 27 - 31, 2011):

· Wednesday, July 27 at 7:30pm

· Thursday, July 28 at 7:30pm

· Friday, July 29 at 7:30pm

· Saturday, July 30 at 3:30pm and 7:30pm

· Sunday, July 31 at 1:00pm and 5:00pm


Category 1, 2, 3

· Adults: From $40 to $80

· Children (12 & under): From $32 to $65

· Military, Seniors & Students: From $36 to $67.50

A limited number of Premium tickets are also available for all performances.

For show and ticket information, please visit www.cirquedusoleil.com/dralion

Why I love Sunday School

There is not much that makes me want to get up on a Sunday morning. Sunday is usually a lazy catch up day.

But last Sunday a friend invited me to Sunday School at the ZAZA. This is not a religious experience--it is a wild and wacky brunch where waitresses dance on tables with sparklers in their hands.

Funky glasses and other unconventional attire set the wait staff apart. They will serve you mimosas the minute you sit down (and the orange juice seems freshy squeezed.

There is a choice of several creative breakfast dishes--including a lobster fritata, a steak omelette,and more. But the real reason to wake up on Sunday morning is to dine, dance, drink, and enjoy the debauchery.

Diners get involved in the party atmosphere and are given trinkets gifts like lite up bling rings.

All this fun only happens once a month--usually the third Sunday of the month

Sex and Travel

Elisabeth Eaves, author of Wanderlust: A Love Affair With Five Continents and Tony Perrottet, author of The Sinner's Grand Tour: A Journey Through the Historical Underbelly of Europe, will read from their work and discuss the intersection of lust and travel -- past, present and future.

Sex and travel have always been intertwined, and this evening will look at two different approaches to the fertile mingling: Eaves will recount her journey of self-discovery from the steamy jungles of New Guinea to the bazaars of Cairo, while Perrottet will describe his quest for salacious relics from the Marquis de Sade's dungeon to the 'pornographic bathroom' of the Vatican.

The event will be in the OralFix bar of the Museum of Sex, which will be serving aphrodisiac cocktails created from historic stimulants from around the world. The evening's exhibits will include a scale model of the legendary "sex chair" of King Edward VII recently discovered in Paris.

Tuesday, July 26, 7 pm @ MoSex, 233 Fifth Ave (@27th Street).

Free and open to the public.

WORLD-CLASS ART THAT CHANGES LIVES

The Santa Fe International Folk Art Market, Now In Its 8th Year,

Showcases Extraordinary Art, Extraordinary Stories,

and an Extraordinary Opportunity to Impact Lives and Cultures

Takes Place July 8-10, 2011


When more than 150 of the world’s finest traditional artists travel from the farthest corners of the globe to participate in the Santa Fe International Folk Art Market this July, some will arrive as widely celebrated cultural artists, while others will be leaving their villages and boarding planes for the very first time. Many will be coming from developing countries where the average income is less than $3 a day and where overwhelming political, social, and environmental challenges can make everyday life—not to mention the creation of art—a struggle. All artists will be taking part in an extraordinary event that not only showcases their work but helps change their lives and their communities.

The largest event of its kind in the world, the Market offers an unparalleled chance to collect treasures from around the globe and meet the artists who created them. Last year, more than 22,000 people attended, along with 132 artists from 50 countries. Mingling with the visitors and local market goers were dignitaries from Cuba, Oman and South Africa; representatives from Donna Karan, Martha Stewart, and Yves Saint Laurent, as well as representatives of the Clinton Foundation and UNESCO, both of which have partnered with the Market.

Shopping at the Market is shopping that clearly makes a difference—it helps many artists raise themselves and their communities out of poverty, and it helps preserve critical cultural traditions. Last year’s Market generated more than $2 million in sales, 90 percent of which went home with the artists. This means that, in a remote village in Pakistan, the Lila Handicraft women’s collective was able to use the money made by selling its patterned ralli quilts to build a new school. An embroidery group in Afghanistan, Kandahar Treasures, was able to rescue women begging on the streets and teach them traditional needlework to support themselves. In Rwanda, Janet Nkubana was able to continue the work of her cooperative, which features Hutus and Tutsis coming together to weave “peace baskets”. She also earned enough to buy mosquito nets to curb the spread of malaria and build new vegetable gardens for the local community.

Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, who spoke during the 2010 Market week festivities, says of the Market’s ability to help women in developing countries through support of their artistic enterprises: “This is a very, very healthy way to chip away at poverty globally… It is an asset of the International Folk Art Market that I greatly admire.”

Art that’s Exceptional, Art that’s Real, Art that Offers Hope

“People want what is real,” says Judith Espinar, co-founder and creative director of the Market. “And this is the only place in the world where you will find so many authentic works and artists in one place at one time. The artists are tradition bearers because they are keeping the beauty, vitality, and cultural values of their homelands alive through their art. In a world where things often feel so manufactured, the Market is the real thing.”

The 2011 Market will feature more than 70 new participants including artists from Cambodia and Algeria. Many popular artists will be returning, including papier-mâché artists from Haiti, exquisite embroidery artists from India, jewelers from Niger, felters from Kyrgyzstan, and rug weavers from Uzbekistan. Along with booths filled with wonderful art, visitors can enjoy exotic food and live entertainment ranging from Latinrock to whirling dervishes from Turkey to the music and dance of Senegal. It’s a readily affordable weekend of global experiences and connections.

Another fascinating aspect of the Market is the unlikely coupling of cultures: Israelis and Pakistanis; Kyrgyzstani and Uzbeks; Tibetans and Chinese. All of these artists find common ground in their work and their dreams for the future. They share meals and together take workshops on how best to develop their businesses for the global marketplace.

“It sounds cliché but I hear it all the time—that the Market is liked a mini
United Nations,” says Charlene Cerny, executive director of the Market. “For both the artists and the market goers, these face-to-face encounters create a kind of hopeful magic. Art has always transcended conflict. It gives me hope for a troubled world.”

Market Logistics

The Santa Fe International Folk Art Market begins the evening of July 8 and runs through July 10. Because of the Market’s success, it has been embraced as a weeklong community event. Folk Arts Week in Santa Fe kicks off on Sunday, July 3 with the opening of a special exhibit in the Gallery of Conscience at the world-renown Museum of International Folk Art. There will also be public concerts, lectures, and workshops, and no less than 1,600 community volunteers giving their time at the various events. In addition, hotels will be offering special Market Week rates, and several restaurants will be creating menus featuring the cuisines of Market-artist countries. For ticket prices and details, go to www.folkartmarket.org.

The Santa Fe International Folk Art Market is a results-oriented entrepreneurial 501(c)(3) organization that provides a venue for master traditional artists to display, demonstrate, and sell their work. By providing opportunities for folk artists to succeed in the global marketplace, the Market creates economic empowerment and improves the quality of life in communities where folk artists live.

Might you be a proud Scot like Russell Crowe?

VisitScotland launches Free Ancestral Credits Promotion to Research your Roots

Film star Russell Crowe visited Scotland, the land of his mother’s roots, last month. The star had always believed his mother’s family, whose surname is Wemyss, had Scottish roots but the star has now confirmed this by tracing back several generations to the east coast of Scotland. Crowe said, "I’ve always been proud of my Scottish ancestry."

AncestralScotland.com is now offering you too the chance to research your Scottish roots for free until 14th July, with credits then valid for 12 months. Simply enter your details at www.ancestralscotland.com/scotlandspeople to claim your free credits and trace your Scottish lineage.

Millions of people all over the world claim Scottish roots. Scots, like many from small nations, have settled throughout the globe, and an estimated 50m people worldwide now claim Scottish ancestry.

Gillian Swan, VisitScotland’s Ancestral Marketing Manager, said, “Tracing your family history is a great way to help you answer these questions and to allow yourself to connect with your own personal history. The research you do will take you on a journey of discovery that leads you to explore the lives and times of ancestors who lived hundreds of years ago - and perhaps even thousands of miles away - in circumstances which are all but unimaginable today.

“Retracing the footsteps of your ancestors will not only bring the past to life, it will also make your home coming the most dynamic and exciting experience of your life. From the meaning of surnames to the jobs our ancestors did, ancestralscotland.com will help you explore your Scottish roots. Then it is a small step to making your own ancestral journey home to Scotland.

ScotlandsPeople is also one of the largest online sources of original genealogical information; with almost 80 million records to access there is every chance that you will be able to connect with your own Scottish ancestry. www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk

Madelyn Miller is a travel and food writer who loves visiting Scotland. She did a spa and golf trip once (she was better at the former than the later)

Read her stories on www.travellady.com, www.carladynews.com, wwww.yogayaya.com, www.cocktailatlas.com, www.chocolateatlas.com, www.coffeeatlas.com, www.teaAtlas.com