Live, On Stage: Your Awesome Memories

My girls still remember going to a production of Sleeping Beauty when they were probably only around four and six-years-old. The play was at a tiny theater around the corner from where we lived at the time, didn't star any big names or feature any elaborate sets and I think tickets were only around ten dollars each. They loved seeing one of their favorite stories brought to life on the stage, and we waited after the show so the girls could meet the actors. This is probably why Kira has to linger after every show she goes to in order to meet the performers – thus a groupie was born.

Fast forward over ten years to last weekend, when we took them to see Matthew Bourne's Sleeping Beauty at the Ahmanson Theater. They had been asking to see this for weeks (Kiyomi had already seen it on a school field trip and wanted to see it again) so we bought some last-minute tickets and headed downtown. The show was spectacular, and once again we were reminded how powerful and moving a live performance can be – and how happy we were that we could share it with our girls. (I should add that these tickets were a bit more than ten dollars, though.)

We've been taking them to live shows for years – concerts, plays, ballets, musicals, circuses – and good or bad, the experience is always memorable.  Movies are fun, but chances are they're going to remember the live pre-show way more than what happens next on a flat screen. (But I will admit movies have better snacks. Get with the popcorn and nachos, live show planners!)

People often cite the high cost of tickets for live shows, but with a little big of digging you can often find tickets for less than the price of a movie ticket, and sometimes free (hello, Goldstar!) My girls belong to the CTG Student Scene, a network sponsored by L.A.'s Center Theater Group that offers them deeply discounted tickets (students only) to events at the Ahmanson Theatre, Mark Taper Forum, and the Kirk Douglas Theatre. Last year they got floor seats to Anything Goes, and I had a nice dinner and a cocktail at Pinot while I waited for them. See, live theater has many benefits.

And speaking of live theater and FREE tickets, I have tickets to give away to a holiday family show: Aladdin And His Winter Wish at the Pasadena Playhouse. Great casting: Ben Vereen as the Genie, and Bruce Vilance as Widow Twanky. And your tweens/teens will love this, too – it stars Teen Beach Movie's Jordan Fisher as Aladdin.

So get out and see some live theater –  Frozen will still be there next month. 

What: 'Family PacK' of 4 tickets to Aladdin And His Winter Wish for either December 14 or 15 at 11:00am.

How: Leave a comment here no later than 11:30pm Sunday night (December 8) telling me your favorite live performance you've seen. I'll use random.org to draw a winner from the entries. One comment per person, but you can share on Facebook or Twitter for additional entries. Please don't forget to leave a valid email address.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Tweet Pin It

'The Hunger Games' – Let The Giveaway Begin

Read my review of The Hunger Games on Celebrity Teen Scoop.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Maybe you've heard of this little movie coming out called The Hunger Games. Just a small film, based on a book that sold a gazzilion copies and now has people everywhere eagerly anticipating the movie's release on March 23. There will be a tiny crowd waiting outside, only in the trillions.

To be honest, I've never read the books the movie is based on, but my teenagers have and are going to be amongst that thronging crowd on opening night. We've already got our tickets for the 12:10 showing, and they've got their excuses lined up to tell their teachers the next day explaining why they had to miss first period that morning – they had a fever. Hunger Games fever.

To get you infected with the fever (it's not as painful as it sounds, and I promise there's no blisters involved) I'm giving away a Hunger Games prize package...Click here to enter

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Tweet Pin It

Real Deal! Real Steel Giveaway

Have you seen Dreamworks' Real Steel yet, the new movie starring the beautiful Hugh Jackman and an equally stunning robot? I have to admit, I'm a little partial because my husband worked on the ad campaign and had been raving about it for awhile. So I knew it was going to be good and apparently everyone else agrees – it just opened and is already number one, taking in $27.3 million this past weekend. Man, that's a lot of change in Hugh's wallet – I wonder how much the robot made?  

Click here to see a clip and enter the giveaway!


 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Tweet Pin It

Pirate's booty

Ahoy matey! I'm giving away some 'Pirate' gear! Shiver me timbers it's gonna be good!

So check it out here!

Argggghhh!

(Pirate-speak lessons not included.)

(C'mon, go forth and win ye some treasure!)

(I realize that wasn't really pirate-speak.)

(But seriously, just do it.)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 

Tweet Pin It

I See Dead People

I got to drive a badass Linoln MKT for a week and I've written a review about it. Also, I'm giving away a $500 gift card and there is a contest to win a night on the town. You won't want to enter if you don't like money or fun.

I know you're thinking that asking me my opinion about a car is like asking a cat to write a book review, but you'll see that I have some keen observations about the vehicle. Things like the quality of the ride, the seating capacity and its ability to help you see zombies.

Read my review and enter to win here!

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

tags: 2010 lincoln mkt review | blogher reviews | lincoln night on the town sweepstakes | lincoln navigator

Tweet Pin It

If you've got a camera, a pen and an email address this is your lucky day

DEADLINE EXTENDED! You now have until 11:59pm on Wednesday, October 28 to submit your entries!



First the good news: I'm giving away 4 VIP Passes to Disneyland's Holiday Celebration. This includes a party and all sorts of VIP goodness.

Now the bad news: You'll have to hang out with me all day.

But more good news: It's easy to enter - just take a photo, write a paragraph and email it to me. But hurry - I need your entries by Monday, October 26.

Read all the details and enter here.

Tweet Pin It

And Another Thing

There's no particular reason for the title of this post, except for the fact that it's something I seem to be saying a lot these days, and I'm finding that it's a really effective way to move from one topic to another completely unrelated topic without having to explain yourself or sounding crazy. It's especially useful when you're trying to make a point, and then would like to squeeze in another point while you've got that person's undivided attention and don't want to waste time having to initiate another conversation. For example, when Kiyomi tells me she's forgotten her homework again, I can say something like, "Please remember to check your backpack before you leave school. AND ANOTHER THING, that room of yours looks like something exploded in there." See? Homework and room cleaning - totally unrelated but delivered in one short, concise lecture. That's called effective time management, my friends, and leaves me with more time to blog.

And another thing, I have a winner for my Disney Interactive giveaway! It is Catherine of On The Banks of the Rio Grande, who as you'll see in the comments could use some luck right about now after she let her husband cut her hair. Catherine, please email me your address so I can send you your Nintnedo DS and XBox gift bonanza.

And another thing, you have to watch this amazing video that I can't stop watching over and over again. I've heard it said that video posting is the lazy man's blogging and that repeated posting of videos really shows a lack of creativity but this one is so well done I had to share it. And another thing, I'm totally lazy and lack creativity.

And another thing, it's time for another cup of coffee now.

Tweet Pin It

I Went to the Disney Interactive Party and All You'll Get is this Awesome Gift Bag

I took my girls and some of their friends to a party thrown by Disney Interactive a couple of weeks ago, and besides having an amazing time and eating way too much expensive cheese, I came home with a gift bag filled with cool games. Better yet, the nice people at Disney gave me an extra one to give away to one of my readers. So, if you'd like a chance to win a bag filled with expensive games and other goodies, leave a comment below. I'll be picking a winner* on December 10th using random.org, which I've never used but is supposed to be a totally fair way of picking a number. Unlike me, who would just give it to the person who had the nicest hair.

Here's what's in the bag:

Disney's Sing-It for XBox 360 (with microphone)

Pure for XBox 360

Spectrobes for Nintendo DS

And in addition to all those games, a few things to fill your stocking: a cool Think Fast clock, High School Musical 3 MP3 earphones and a set of six Ultimate Band buttons.

Read my review post to get a description of Disney's new games, and see how I found my inner gamer without embarrassing my kids.

*Your 'number' is where your comment falls in the order of posts. First comment is 1, etc...

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

tags: disney sing it | pure xbox 360 | spectrobes nintendo ds | nintendo wii games

Tweet Pin It