Playing the kazoo

My purple kazoo

During one choir performance we all had to get out a kazoo and play along with the song we had been playing. I’ve had it in my bag ever since and when I fished out my sketchbook today I found it again so I seranadedvthevart group with tunes like the starwars theme, Dr Doolittle, the Bare necessites and a few others. I had everyone in stitches.

By the way I looked up the spelling of kazoo. AI SAID:

The correct spelling of the musical instrument is “kazoo“. The word refers to a simple, handheld musical instrument that produces a buzzing sound when the player hums into it, according to Dictionary.com

Mystery plays

It’s been a few years since we did a full mystery play, but we are trying to put something on for it’s 25th anniversary.

We’ve lost a few people along the way through health issues and retirement, but there’s still enthusiasm there we just need to mine for it!

Currently we are looking at putting on a days entertainment but costs are staring at us, everything from insurance to road closures, hiring the hall, making props, writing scripts, organising stalls and first aid, morris dancing and a tug of war. Singing and playlets. We may miss out the play itself, it’s up in the air.

Social media helps connect us. I hope people are listening. We have an old Facebook page that was last posted on in 2019…BC…brfore covid…. Fingers crossed people get involved.

Photo is of out Johna and the whale play in 2016

Might set up a go fund me page.

Watching the end of Close Encounters

UFOs

Describe one of your favorite moments.

I watched the film Close Encounters of the Third Kind when it first came out. It had been a wild adventure for the hero and heroine and it wasn’t clear what would finally happen. So it was joyful at the end when the moment came that the hero got to go on board the space ship. The music soared and so did it, glowing lights and a wild structure lifting up into the dark sky.

I felt so elated at the end. So happy, it had been an amazing film. It was mysterious, comedic, obsessive, intriguing, a real journey of discovery. That final moment was like the icing on the cake!

Steven Spielberg was the director and the film was great, no real violence, a lot of thought behind it, references to UFO mythology like a group of aircraft that had gone missing over the Bermuda triangle suddenly reappearing decades later. The sound track was amazing with the humans and aliens communicating with musical tones. The special effects were wonderful, beautiful, extravagant. But I still keep going back to the final moments. That’s what I remember, magical entertainment and a wonderful time,

Fish gotta swim..

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It is funny how a snatch of music can sometime just spring into your mind. I was just thinking about the fish in my hubbies pond and if they will be OK because of the frosts we are getting.

I just remembered the phrase ‘fish gotta swim, birds gotta fly’ and ‘can’t help loving that man of mine’. I know I like the song, but I can’t remember the singer although I think I know the title! And is it from the opera Porgy and Bess? I might try and learn it.

I am normally an alto when I sing, although I have hardly done any singing recently. I miss choir practice and my friends. I was saying in a previous post I’m not that keen on people, and yet when I think of my friends… Perhaps it’s just strangers I don’t like?…..

Anyway. I might go and look up this song.

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Theatre

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Tragedy and comedy, a small drawing I did.

One thing I miss at the moment is going out to the theatre. It wasn’t something we did frequently but I did enjoy going three or four times a year.

We have a few local theatres. The Regent theatre, the New Victoria theatre, and the Rep. We went out to see Warhorse last year, that was fantastic. I’ve also seen waiting for Godot years ago, the Scottish play and others by Shakespeare.

Over the years we have seen many more productions, including musical evenings, and also live casts of plays at the local cinema. The thought now of sitting with hundreds of people feels frightening. How the world can change…..

Today

Belly dancers at the Heritage weekend at Newcastle-under-Lyme today. This was after the Mock mayor ceremony which went really well considering I was wearing a large white wig and it has the effect of turning me into some sort of old English sheepdog! I delivered my speech on the steps of Newcastle-under-Lymes’ Butter Cross, which is outside the Guildhall. After we had done the performance we walked around the Lancaster building on the other side of the cross. We had to process and I started saying Good Afternoon in a posh voice to everyone to keep up the character of the Mayor. Returning to the Butter Cross we had photos taken with the real mayor. They might follow if they are not too embarrassing.

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Harpers Titchy Theatre

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16 short stories and poems, 11 authors, 6 readers, 1 host. We all had fun listening to many and various tales this afternoon. I wrote three very short pieces which I think I have already posted on here. It’s great to hear people laughing at your jokes and punchlines.

More about the day to follow later.

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Sleight of hand

Today I went to our local hall because we were doing auditions for this years mystery plays.
I got chatting to someone holding a pack of cards. He said he was waiting for someone and had bought the cards with him to fill in some time.

He is a Magician, stage name Jack Wild and he was brilliant. He showed us a couple of tricks. I don’t understand how he did them. They were slick, they were right in front of my eyes and they were mind boggling. It was only a deck of cards and finding the card I chose but it was impressive.

Yes I know that it’s just a skill, but it’s a brilliant skill. If I ever want a magician I would book him.

The dancing dino

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This is my friend last night. She was part of Cunning stunts cabaret show. She was dancing to flash-dance in a Tyrannosaurus suit. It was sooo funny.

I’m glad we went. She is part of a father/ daughter  act who do a circus and sideshow act. They do everything from knife throwing, fire breathing, lying on beds of nails and all those traditional acts, but they do them with a modern twist. Last night they did a mashup of cult movies with sideshow skills.

They have been all over the world with the show and very rarely come home to put a show on here. There evening included lots of little sketches, exotic dances and music from Pig man and his rubber band singing Jazz.

For the final section you have to imagine an orange Dino gyrating and pole dancing to one of the flash dance tunes, bending over backwards, twisting and turning, mad!  It brought the house down. Imagine Godzilla at a disco!