by Brad Minus | Apr 6, 2015 |
It’s been a couple of weeks since I have been back from the NYC Marathon, a couple of weeks since my last post and worse yet, almost a year since my last race recap, so I guess it’s about time I write one.
REGISTERING FOR THE NYC MARATHON
The NYC Marathon is probably one of the hardest races to compete in. There are three choices:
- Enter the lottery to be chosen
- Be granted a guaranteed entry by competing in another race and completing it in a specified time (which is even harder than getting into the Boston Marathon)
- Running in 9 races, organized by the New York Road Runners, and volunteering in one.
Entering the lottery used to include a clause that stated if you applied for the lottery three years in a row and did not receive an entry you automatically were granted a slot to run on the fourth year. That is how I was able to run it. As of last year that option no longer exists, so entering the lottery gives the same odds every year.
For me, in the 40-44 age group I would need to run a 3:10 marathon in order to receive guaranteed entry in the following NYC Marathon. That is a 7:15 min/mile average pace. It makes me tired just thinking about it. By the way, to get into Boston I have to run a 3:15, which is a 7:26 min/mile pace.
Flying up to NYC 10 times in a year would be awesome if my financial status were higher, so that is not a reality either.
Barring any increases in speed, luck or wealth, this might have been my only chance to run this race, so I gratefully took it. No matter how cold it ended up being.
Ok enough whining. Obviously, I enjoyed myself, otherwise I wouldn’t be so upset about getting in again. LOL!
THE EXPO
With 75,000 entries in the NYC Marathon, the organization of this race had to be run like a well-oiled machine and it was. I ended up visiting the expo twice. Once on Friday when I arrived, and once on Saturday when old friend, Dom Forth, flew in from San Francisco.
Both of my experiences were the same. A crowd of runners picking up their bib packets and t-shirts and then milling around the vendor area.
Interesting enough, I never spent more than a few minutes in any line anywhere. There were plenty of booths setup for packet pickup and plenty of help to retrieve t-shirts. Shocking right? I was pretty surprised myself.
The rest of the NYC Marathon expo was what one would expect. All the major brands, charities and races with the exception there were a lot more international marathons presented. I had no idea there was a Jerusalem Marathon, but I do now and I am putting it on my bucket list. Just as soon as I finish the Super Six (Chicago, NYC, Boston, London, Berlin & Tokyo). Two down, four to go.
PRE-RACE
Logistics are interesting when it comes to races aren’t they? Most races, whether they be road races or triathlons, seem to start right around the 7am mark. Disney starts their races at 5:30am on Marathon Weekend which is really early and also means that people are getting to the race around 4am. Not the NYC Marathon. I was assigned to the first wave which started at 9:40am, but did that mean I could sleep in? No such luck, I had to be on the Staten Island Ferry by 5:45am.
Within three minutes of departing the Hilton Garden Hotel I was was riding in a taxicab to the ferry launch, which was lucky because at the time the mercury was dipping below 40 degrees. I am usually optimistic about walking in New York City, but at 5:00 am on a briskly cold morning like this one, I was glad to be riding in a heated cab with Morrie. He was extremely jubilant for a New Yorker at this time in the morning, which proctored him to give me a history lesson about the marathon on our 20 minute excursion. Most people might have been a little annoyed by Morrie’s rants about the last 30 races, but I actually savored the distraction and I learned a few things in that time as well.
Walking into the building that provided shelter from the launch, the aroma of coffee and baked goods overwhelmed me. At this time, all I wanted was a hot cup of coffee and with vendors lining the sides of the train station like benches, I had my choice. I chose the shortest line and within a few minutes had a large cup of liquid paradise warming my hands.
TRAVELING TO THE START
Dom and his friend Ryan, walked in about 5:45 just as the first ferry was leaving, but as the schedule for the morning had transportation running every 15 minutes, we were able to immediately board the next one departing at 6 am.
The ferry was warm, very clean and incredibly smooth as it cut through the Hudson River. It provided a chance to relax and swap stories with Ryan in order to get to know him a little. This was Ryan’s first marathon. He received a guaranteed entry from his 9+1 option. It made it a little easier for him since he lives in Brooklyn.
Once we reached the exit launch, we were ushered, very orderly, off the ferry and onto a line of coach buses for a quick trip to the race villages.
In order to accommodate over 70,000 runners, the NYC Marathon organizers divided up the participants into waves, colors and corrals. For instance, I was Wave 1, green, corral E, which meant I was a 9:40 am start, in the green village in the very last corral. To tell you the truth I was just happy to be in the first wave. The last wave was going to be starting close to 11:00 am which meant the average runner wouldn’t be even thinking about the finish line until around 3:15 – 3:30.
THE RACE VILLAGES
The villages were spread out, so once departing the bus and getting through a security pat down it was still a half mile walk to the green village. Dom, Ryan and I said our good-byes, and they headed off to the blue village as I set out to find green.
The Green village was in a unique location as the Verazzano bridge was literally above us. “Village” in this instance is actually defined as a gated off area for runners to loiter while waiting on the race start. The amenities included, UPS trucks to drop our baggage for after the race, Dunkin Doughnut tents that provided hot coffee and hot water for tea or hot chocolate, food tents that provided granola bars, bananas, bagels and other goodies, and of course portlets.
It’s 7 am, I am checked into my NYC Marathon village, I have had one cup of coffee, I am holding another, I am freezing and I still have two-hours and forty minutes until the start of the race. Here is where my frustration kicked in. In order to stay warm, I would usually want to move around, but I have 26.2 miles to run, so I want to stay off my feet. This means sitting down and being stagnant, which also means remaining cold.
I chose to find a place in the sun, with my back against the wind in order to stay off my feet. My marathon schedule has me participating in at least 6 marathons separated by only 2-3 weeks since Chicago, three weeks prior, so this journey is not about time but about finishing injury free. Therefore, I choose to shiver instead of stay on my feet. Experience dictates, that I will probably be standing for a period of time while waiting for the official start.
THE CORRAL
It was an hour and thirty minutes of chatting with a lot of other runners before the announcement came over that wave 1 needed to in the corrals by 8:55, so it was one last trip to the portlet, and the UPS truck before I headed to my official NYC Marathon corral.
Due to the amount of people in the corrals it was definitely a little warmer, even after I dropped a layer of clothes. I had a chance to meet another set of runners and we chatted about the cold, the route and other marathon experiences when off in the distance we heard the National Anthem being sung. This is the point where I start to get amped up a little. An association had been made in my head ever since my first race, that started my heart racing, my blood pumping and my anticubital areas start to sweat. I actually really enjoy the feeling.
THE START
As we started to move forward, I could see the first part of the wave running up the ramp of the Verzanno bridge, and my excitement just kept building and before I knew it, I crossed the starting mat and I was off and running.
I grew up in Chicago, with blisteringly cold winters and dealing with drastic changes in climate. However, after being in Florida for nine years, my blood has definitely thinned. While most of the other runners had shed their homeless charity layer of clothes, I decided to keep my hoodie and pants on a little longer. For me it was the right decision because the 35 mile-an-hour winds provided enough of a cool breeze to keep me from warming up. It also pushed me into the for wall. I was literally running in a diagonal from the speed and power of the wind. The thoughts popping into my head of the whole race feeling this cold was not boding well for my optimism.
Running off the bridge into Brooklyn, helped a lot. Buildings and underpasses blocked the wind to a point where by mile three I shed my pants and sweatshirt, so I was left with a long sleeve t-shirt, shorts, hat and gloves. At this point I was warm enough to be comfortable.
At mile four I noticed a Team RWB shirt ahead of me. Being the social creature I am, I started a conversation. Jaime, is a member of the Air Force Reserve and a civilian contractor to the Department of Defense and a good runner. We ended up keeping each other company until the last 5 miles and it made a huge difference.
Wind gusts continued to haunt us throughout the race. I knew as long as I kept running I would stay warm and keep the blood flowing through my legs.
THE MIDDLE
Around mile 15 I noticed the Queensboro bridge coming. I was warned about this portion of the race as the bridge. It is over a mile long and seems to go forever. Personally, I didn’t feel that way. Maybe because we ran on the lower portion of the bridge and it sheltered us a little from the cold and the huge welcome we received in Queens as we ran out of it. The area was packed with spectators cheering their lungs out. I couldn’t help but let a smile creep on my face. My pace quickened and the adrenaline started to kick in.
Running on First Avenue toward the Bronx held areas with different densities of spectators. It was reasonably flat until we reached the Willis Ave Bridge crossing over into the Bronx. It was not even close to being like the Queensboro or the Verzanno bridge, but it did change the elevation. Since it was at mile 20, my legs were shouting at me to stop. Honestly, I did end up walking a bit over the Madison Ave bridge. My quadriceps and hamstrings were getting extremely tight, so I ended up falling into a walk/run pattern. Nothing specific, but things were starting to hurt.
THE FINISH
At mile 22, along 5th Ave I was just trying to run more than walk. By mile 24, as we entered Central Park, my adrenaline kicked in for the last time. No matter how much it hurt I was running until I crossed the finish line.
I started to counting down the tenths of miles and just kept running. It was not a surprise when my watch said 26.2 miles that the finish line wasn’t even in site. After 4 hours and 6 minutes of running I finally crossed the NYC Marathon finish line and received my medal. It was not my finest or fastest marathon, but I will never forget the experience.
AFTER THE FINISH
Unfortunately, my NYC Marathon journey was not over. Volunteers were quickly ushering me out of the finish area. I grabbed water,chocolate milk, a banana, swag and headed to retrieve my gear bag. It was ONLY another, what felt like, 2 miles until I found the UPS truck where my gear was stowed. This was north of the finish line and I had to go south to get back to my hotel. I was freezing. My legs were completely wrecked and though other runners were putting on warm clothes, volunteers kept ushering me out. I changed into a dry shirt and jacket before leaving the park around 86th street, only to find transportation was not readily available.
Every taxi was full, and the only way to get back downtown from the park was by rickshaw. At a cost $40 + $3 a mile? No way. I kept walking but the pain was getting really bad and I could barely bend my legs. Finally, I reached Broadway and 59th and jumped on a subway. Before I knew it I was back at the hotel and ready to take a shower.
EPILOGUE
Yet, the adventure continues. I paid $50 for an extra couple of hours in the hotel to get a shower and pack up. Unfortunately, I had already exceeded. Now my key didn’t work and I had to fight to get them to let me into the room.
Obviously, I was slow, because, well, I just ran a marathon. It wasn’t even 5 minutes, that I was back in my room, that the phone rang. It was housekeeping asking when I was going to be leaving. Even after I mentioned I paid for the extra time and received permission by the manager, I kept getting harassed. Not the finest moment for Hilton.
After 45 years of of the NYC Marathon, shouldn’t the hotels have packages for people leaving on race day? They must know the race doesn’t even start until 9:30am with the average participant taking 4 hours and 17 minutes. Lesson learned – stay until Monday. It is worth the extra money.
It was definitely, a worthwhile experience. I was happy with my performance. I met some really awesome people. Most of all, I was finally was able to run the NYC Marathon after 4 years of waiting.
Carpe Vitam!
by Brad Minus | Oct 22, 2014 |
It is no surprise that Broadway musicals have embraced the world of multimedia. In my review of Ghost:The Musical, I even prefaced how as appealing as it is, it sometimes is a detriment to the overall production. The installment of more mediums on stage has increased to a point where sometimes the actor and music play second fiddle to the videos, music tracks and special effects that take to the stage. They almost become a character themselves. It begs the question, how were musicals produced before the digital age? Cinderella, at the Straz Center in Tampa, Florida, answers this question, and successfully I might add.
THE THEATRE
Entering the lobby of the Straz Center, on Tuesday night, felt as if I was going to be attending a Grand Ball myself. Numerous families had brought their young girls whom were dressed up like princesses about to attend a coronation. Therefore, it was a wonderful sight as fewer and fewer productions, that are completely family friendly, are being produced.
Carol Marsoni Hall was fired up with opening night energy which allowed me to reminisce about my own time on stage. The aura was intoxicating and the addition of the youthfulness, in the theatre, just made it more so. But of course, I digress.
As I took my seat I could see on stage what looked like a forest with several trees and greenery painted on set. It greeted the audience with a nice surprise. The set was not, in any way shape or form, trying to pass itself off as reality. While it was done professionally, it foreshadowed a different place and time where the suspension of belief could easily be ensued. As the show began it did just that. Transported us to a different land where magic could exist and the most fantastical dreams could come to life.
CINDERELLA THE STORY
The tale is the same. Cinderella, having been orphaned by her father after he died, is a slave to her surviving step-mother. With her biological children, she continues to keep Ella (the name she goes by at the start of the show) busy while continually find ways to ridicule her. At the castle, Prince Topher has just completed his schooling and has come of age to be crowned king.
In order to marry him off, Sebastian, his trusted advisor, organizes a ball. It gave the prince an opportunity to meet all of the eligible ladies of the kingdom. Of course Cinderella’s step-mother will have no part in allowing her to attend. With the help of Ella’s Fairy God Mother, Marie, she is able to appear at the ball anonymously. The problem is, the magic used for her dress and carriage will only last until midnight, at which time her dress will return to her rags, the carriage will return to being a pumpkin and her footman will return to the forest as a raccoon and fox. The Prince and Ella meet, and before she can even give her name, midnight arrives and she rushes into the night. The Prince, now completely obsessed with finding Ella, spends days and nights looking for her.
There are some slight detours from the original story and some modern comedic language added. The outcome is the same and some nice additions are made that include some wonderful lessons for the youngsters and adults as well.
THE PRODUCTION
To get to the point, I absolutely loved this production. It especially resonated with me because the production was almost completely, for lack of a better term, analog. There was no digital media. There were no videos, and nothing seemed to move automatically. Everything was done via human locomotion. From the Cinderella’s rags turning into her fabulous gown, to Marie (the fairy godmother) flying. It was completely, done via “old school” theatre, using ropes & pulleys, under-dressing, and wheels with the help of the stage crew and the actors.
Paige Faure’s portrayal of the naïve, kind and generous Cinderella, was as sincere of a performance I have ever witnessed. Her incredible singing carried her emotion through the house where the audience could do nothing but root for her to the very end.
With a different naiveté came Prince Topher, played by Andy Jones. His voice not only beautifully melded with Paige, but it also showed the maturity of harmonizing with the rest of the ensemble. While this show was completely family oriented, there was no doubting the attraction between the two leads. I couldn’t help but being held with anticipation awaiting for the two to finally find each other.
THE ENSEMBLE
This was a full ensemble piece and what was so intriguing was every member of the ensemble allowed for each of the characters to stand out. This includes the incredible resonating voice of Adrian Baidoo portraying a page with some short solos that were very memorable. Every actor was fully committed to their characters where it seemed like character and actor became one in the same.
The dance numbers were executed to perfection with no one single dancer pulling focus from the ensemble as a whole. Every member of the dance ensemble appeared to be classically trained which made every movement jaw dropping and attracted the focus of every eye in the house.
Blake Hammond’s Sebastian was ruthless but fun. Crazy Marie/the Fairy Godmother, played by Kecia Lewis, had a voice that carried through the audience. It brought us back to our childhood when we actually believed in magic. Step mother, Beth Glover was hilarious as was her daughter Charlotte, Aymee Garcia . The comedic choices created a duplicity for the audience to choose to like them instead of just wishing them to be gone.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I can go on and on about this performance and I have nothing bad to say. The only small, tiny, petty thing I could point out, was a technical issue. The sound in the first number “Me, Who am I?” which was a solo with ensemble harmonies. It was very difficult to hear the solo lyrics. However, the balance between soloist and ensemble was corrected for the following numbers. As a former performer, designer and director, I would chalk that up to opening night adjustments.
Cinderella at the Straz Center is a production that is a must see for every one of all ages. I highly recommend attending a production before it leaves the area.
Cinderella plays at the Straz Center, through Sunday October 26th, Wednesday & Thursday at 7:30pm, Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 2 and 8pm, and Sunday at 2 and 7pm.
by Brad Minus | Jul 23, 2014 |
The quest for the best running shoe can be daunting, but the search for the best zero drop running shoes can be downright frustrating. The majority of all the Altra Zero Drop reviews I personally have read, the consensus is pretty positive, and in this instance, it will be no different, because in my opinion, it has resolved my issue of finding the best zero drop shoe on the market. The Altra Torin 1.5.
What is Zero Drop?
To define zero drop is to first define heel drop, which is the difference between the height of your heel off the ground minus the height of the ball of your foot. For instance, most of the traditional running shoes out there have a 12-millimeter drop.
The heel is raised 12 millimeters above the ball of the foot. This causes more emphasis on the heel when running because that is where most of the cushioning is. A more minimalistic shoe will have a drop that is much lower.
For instance, the Brooks Pure Flow has a 4 mm drop. This shoe is great for starting the transition to a more minimal shoe giving all the benefits of a minimal shoe without causing the injury of the drastic change from traditional to minimalistic.
The Altra Torin 1.5 is a complete zero drop where the ball and the foot and the heel are equal keeping the foot more natural like walking barefoot. While it has the zero drop of a minimalistic running shoe, it does provide the protection of a good amount of cushioning in the sole. This is one of the reasons I truly enjoy running in this shoe.
Upper
The upper is durable but is thick throughout. I personally like this, because I feel the security of the shoe without having to pull the laces tight. In my opinion, the laces should never be tight. Once the laces are tied they should really never have to be untied unless you are using a runners lace. The laces should be tight enough to secure the heel but no more. This allows the runner to support themselves rather than the shoe supporting the runner.
The Altra 1.5 has the same wide toe box that is consistent with the whole line of zero drop running shoes. I love the wide toe box because it allows me to have splay my toes and grab the road with more surface area. My feet do not feel crowded in this shoe.
Altra changed the laces in the 1.5 from the original model. They are now flat vs the round nylon laces and they reduced the number of holes on each side from 7 to 6. It provides more space between the touch of the laces to the foot and security in the sinch of the laces.
The shoe also seemed to have less seems and the addition of a strap that cinches the tongue to the upper. It helps the security of the foot in the shoe.
Outsole
The outsole has not changed from the original Torin, but that is something I personally liked. There is enough cushion in the sole for protection without losing the feel for the road or trail underneath.
Altra Torin Original
Altra Torin 1,5
The ride of this shoe is extremely comfortable. Of course, this is why I enjoy the Altra line in the first place. The ride is smooth with great responsiveness on the road.
The interesting part of the shoe is the weight. When upgrading a shoe from an original version, the thought would be that the weight could be dropped, but in the new Torin 1.5 has an extra ounce added. The shoes weigh 10.5 ounces versus the original Torins at 9.5 ounces.
The flexibility has not changed either. The Altra Torin or the Torin 1.5 are not the most flexible of shoes, but they do have enough flexibility to give a good lever and lift from the ground. I am chalking the lack of flexibility to the design of the shoe being for the road and not the trail. Trail shoes should have a little more flexibility for the technical terrain.
Appearance
I do like the color of these versus the originals. The blue and orange weren’t bad, but they went a little more conservative with the grey, yellow and black. This is obviously a personal choice on the runner, but I thought I would put my two sense in.
The cost is a little more expensive at $120 dollars, but the shoes seem to last over 400 miles which most shoes will only last 250 to 300 before losing the cushion and ride comfort.
My Impressions:
Quality – 4/5
Upper-4/5
Outsole – 4/5
Flexibility – 3/5
Comfort – 4/5
Appearance – 4/5
Cost – 3/5
Have you tried the Altra Torin or the Altra Torin 1.5? Have you run in any of the Altra lines of shoes? What do you think? Please let me know in the comments below.
by Brad Minus | Jun 5, 2014 |
Here it is again, a long time since my last post. Life happens and when it does, watch out. It can really mess up the things you want to do versus the things you must do. I am learning to prioritize what is absolutely important to me versus what is important to everyone else. I hope to soon have that under control, but I digress.
Newton was nice enough to send me both a pair of the Newton Energy and the BOCO. I am reviewing them together since I have found they are the same shoe with the only difference being the BOCO has a tread that is made for the trails and the Energy is made for the road.
To be transparent and honest, I am a certified Newton Coach, so I am a little biased towards Newton. However, I rarely train in Newtons, as running is very personal I have my favorite running shoes to train in.
I do however, love the methodology behind them. For those that do not know, Newton running shoes have 5 lugs in the front of the shoe directly under the ball of the foot. The lugs have a higher or lower profile depending on the shoe.
The lugs serve as a reminder for running form by automatically driving the foot to land on the fore or mid foot, reducing the impact dramatically.
When paired with Newton Natural Run training, the shoe will decrease the effort level of transitioning to a mid or forefoot runner.
In my experience, after the runner has developed the habit, they no longer need to be running in Newtons, but most do not only due to muscle memory, but they also last about 4 times longer than other running shoes.
Prior to the release of the Energy, the core products Newton produced were the Motion, the Isaac, the Gravity and the Distance. These models needed a transition period for the runner to get used to the way the lugs lifted the heel causing some calf soreness.
The Energy now has a lower profile of lug, and a transition plate which actually allows the athlete very tiny transition period, if any, before the comfort of the shoe settles in.
The EVA foam that makes up the sole of the shoe is extremely comfortable and highly accommodating to the road.
The only conflicts I have heard is the heel cup is a little shallow for some, causing some slippage during long runs.
Since one of the core beliefs of natural runners is that shoes should be tied just tight enough to secure the heel, this could be a problem. I have always taught, the athlete needs nothing to support but themselves.
In other words, if the shoe is tied too tight, the shoe ends up supporting the runner. By tying the shoes very light and only tight enough to secure the heel, the feet, the calves, the ankles are strengthened with every activity.
I personally have not found an issue with the heel cup even without the help of a runner’s lace, but I have heard of the issues.
I did get an eleven-mile run on the trails with the Newton BOCO and was I surprised at how well the tread grabbed the terrain. 
The trails I was running were meant for Mountain Bikes and that meant steep climbs and steep downhills and there was not a moment I did not feel secure.
For new runners or for athletes transitioning to more efficient technique, I believe the Energy is the perfect shoe. They are the perfect shoe to transition with before trying one of the core Newton models.
The BOCO is a great trail shoe for anyone wishing to start or continuing a journey into trail running. They are comfortable, supportive and made me feel completely secure on the trails.
That’s my opinion and I am sticking with it. Happy Running!
Carpe Viam!
by Brad Minus | May 1, 2014 |
Special effects seem to be at a the crux of human entertainment these days, doesn’t it? Every episode of almost every studio made episodic drama, situation comedy and major motion picture is loaded with some flavor of special effects. Even shows like, “Big Bang Theory” or “How I Met Your Mother” have increased their effects budget with effects of dream sequences, stunts or layered images to help draw in the audience.
Pop-culture does not seem to have room for TV shows, movies or even plays that have to completely depend on the integrity and talent of the performers.
This was evident as I walked into the Carol Marsoni Hall of the Straz Center for the opening night performance of STOMP last night.
The house was littered with empty seats. The mezzanine and balcony were completely empty.
All I can say is to the lovers of music and theatre that decided to skip out on this performance, it is your loss. The simplistic cohesiveness of this ensemble show is something that does not come around all that often.
STOMP is a percussive music, comedy and movement performance that is matched by nothing I have ever seen. This group of seven performers make music without the use of musical instruments as we would define them. They basically use junk you may find in a dumpster in New York City. Garbage can lids, plastic tubs, match boxes, zippo lighters, are just a few of the items these talented performers use to make a beat come alive in a way that I was not only riveted, but I couldn’t help but want to move my feet with the beat.
The use of the artifacts along with their feet and the movement was visually stimulating as well. Within the first few numbers, all I could think of, was this group is making music with everything except the kitchen sink, and of course in the very next number four of the performers came out with kitchen sinks strapped to their torsos. Water in the sinks plus, cups and utensils seemed to come alive as the ensemble mixed their sounds together in one cohesive unit.
There is no special effects, no extra special lighting, no words, no special costumes just the performers and their props. Simple entertainment at it’s finest and extremely riveting.
Percussion was not the only thing used for entertainment. There was many parts of each number where comedy was used to infiltrate the performance with the laughter of the audience. Comedy alone is not easy, but comedy without one audible word for the entire show is extremely difficult and this group pulled it off with precision and ease.
This was one of the most entertaining ninety minutes I have had in a long time. What made it even more fun was the ensemble incorporated the audience within the show. Patterns of clapping, foot stomping, and finger snapping made for an interactive experience that just compounded on the immense fun this show had to offer.
In simple terms, STOMP was outstanding and I highly recommend everyone take the opportunity to go see it.
STOMP is playing at the Straz Center of the Performing Arts April 30 – May 3. Please visit the Straz Center website for more information.
by Brad Minus | Apr 24, 2014 |
Ghost The Musical Tampa FL – A Goof Review
The supernatural seems to be all the rage nowadays. The silver and big screens are filled with zombies, vampires, demons, spirits, you name it. Prior to the latest trends, the 1990 movie Ghost starring the late Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore was a blockbuster hit. Not only was it the top-grossing movie of 1990 but it took home Oscars for Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress (Whoopi Goldberg).
The theatre trend started with musicals becoming movies like Mama Mia and Rent, but lately, the trend has moved in the opposite direction to include Ghost. Can movies be turned into musicals and still retain the original vision of the screenwriter?
As I anxiously awaited the opening number in the orchestra section (main floor) of the Straz Center for Performing Arts‘ Carol Marsoni Hall, I pondered this in my head. I happened to notice in the program that Brian Joel Rubin wrote the script for the musical as well as the movie which increased my optimism and my excitement.
Now, as I have previously written in prior reviews, I love the theatre and especially musicals. I have experience on stage as a performer and behind the scenes as a designer and director, which is why my reviews tend to get a little in-depth. This one will be no different.
Ghost’s plot centers around Molly(Katie Postonik), who is in danger after her lover Sam Wheat(Steven Grant Douglas) is murdered. Sam, now a ghost, using a reluctant psychic, Oda Mae Brown(Carla R. Stewart) tries to save her.
This musical was a multimedia extravaganza, with video being used as an introduction and as background, and foreground for a good amount of the duration of the show. For example, video of stock tickers, traffic and crowded sidewalks as a background for a dance number to symbolize the hustle and bustle of New York City.
Most of the time, the ocular stimulus was way too much. It pulled from the actors’ performances as well as the dancers. There was so much going on that my eyes didn’t know where to focus. I literally had to decide what of the action going on-stage was supposed to be the central focal point.
My eyes didn’t feel that way all the time. The scenes underground with the Subway Ghost(Brandon Curry) were incredibly vivid and they worked really well. Unfortunately, most of the other moments where the talented dancers of the ensemble were visually drowning in the fast-moving video that played around them. There was a point that any audience member, focusing stage right, would miss some amazing movements going on stage left, due to the multimedia being shot in the foreground.
When I am asked to review shows at the Straz, it usually opening night in order to turn around the article so it can be used for marketing purposes. In my experiences as an actor and director, sometimes tweaks are taken care during opening night. There are the different sound, lighting, and technical obstacles that appear when the house is full of warm bodies which then lend to acting struggles as well.
With that being said, I was disappointed with the performances of both Katie Postotnik(Molly) and Steven Grant Douglas(Sam). Not only were their singing voices falling flat more times than not, but the chemistry and the heat needed between them was just slightly more than a flicker. There were small moments here and there, but they were few and far between.
The singing was flat overall without prejudice of the performer, which lead me to believe that maybe the monitors that feed the music on stage may not have been fully functional. If the performer does not hear the same pitches as the audience there will be perceptual differences which could sound like their singing is falling flat or sharp.
Robby Haltiwanger, who portrayed Carl Bruner, had more chemistry with Molly in the few scenes they shared than the entirety of scenes with Sam. There was a fleeting moment between them, but it had enough heat that it seemed to linger on stage for the rest of the show. Regardless, of the fact that he too fell flat during most of his singing numbers, his acting skills seemed far superior to those of Molly and Sam.
The best performances came from Carla Stewart(Oda Mae) and those performers playing her sisters, Lydia Warr(Louise) and Evette Marie White(Clara). Their pitches were spot on, and they seemed to have more fun on stage than a lot of the other performers. The characters of Oda Mae and her sisters are what I would consider the comic relief to what should have been a very emotional story. They brought much-needed hilarity at a point where the rest of the show was failing. My opinion must have shared with a number of the other audience members because it was only when these talented women came out for the curtain call that the ovation became standing.
One aspect that did disappoint me was that Carla tried to mimic Whoopi Goldberg’s performance from the movie. Of course, this could have been a directorial choice. It is evident that Carla is a phenomenally competent actor whom given the creativity mig
ht have made different choices that would have played to her strengths.
When a new musical is first presented on Broadway and then sent on tour, it usually takes five years for the rights to the show become available. During those five years there are minimal changes that a director can make from the original Broadway version, so a lot of the issues I mentioned may have fallen into that category.
In summary, while there were some great moments, the multimedia, inferior acting and pitchy voices tended to distract from what was an award-winning script.
Ghost is playing at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts through Sunday, April 27th. For more info please see the Straz Center website.
by Brad Minus | Apr 10, 2014 |
It seems that I cannot turn on a radio, browse the internet or watch the news without hearing a story about a celebrity scandal. It doesn’t matter if it’s a movie star, pop star, hotel heiress or a political figure, for some reason when a person gains that much fame, they feel invincible.
It seems like these situations have been occurring forever, doesn’t it?
Jersey Boys, at the Straz Center in Tampa, Florida, told the history of the famous Four Seasons pop group and all of the so-called “situations” they were in. Frankie Valli, Nick DeVito and the founder, Tommy DeVito. were four stereotypical New Jersey kids that wanted a way out. As juveniles and young adults Tommy and Nick were in and out of trouble with the law, until Tommy decided to start a group that took different
names until they finally arrived with the Four Seasons in 1960 with the help of writer/producer/singer Bob Guido.
The play brilliantly portrays the history of The Four Seasons in four parts, with each part
narrated by a different member of the band and supposedly reflecting that band member’s perspective on the band’s history. Most of the big hits of the group are sung either in episodic situations or portraying the band on stage either in concert or on television.
A huge surprise to me, was when I opened the program and found the roll of Frankie Valli is portrayed by Hayden Milanes. Hayden and I performed together in a couple of different shows in another life. Without any bias, Hayden’s performance was nothing short of amazing. The song “Big Girls Don’t Cry”, made Frankie Valli’s extraordinary range famous and Hayden seemed to recreate it with ease. Personally, I think the amazing richness in his vocal quality followed with his research of the character honored Mr. Valli to the extreme.
What was even more amazing is Hayden’s talent was only matched by the other members of the ensemble. Nicolas Dromard portrayed Tommy DeVito with the crassness and overpowering attitude of a bully, and sang the harmonies with excellence.
Adam Zelasko portrayed Nick with the quiet determination of the performer that took the back seat a lot of the time, but always tried to help his brother keep it together. Adam’s voice was powerful and played homage to Nick and the rest of the group with perfection.
The biggest corner was turned when the group was joined by Bob Guido, played by Quinn VanAntwerp. I am not a fan of giving extra praise to one actor or another, especially in a show that is ensemble driven, but as amazing as the other members of the group were, Quinn’s acting ability gave him a stage presence that just could not be matched. His singing had this subtle quality, that foreshadowed his actions in the coming scenes. Quinn was nothing short of brilliant which is saying something because all of the actors on stage were amazing.
Another character worth noting was Bob Crewe, the producer that put and kept the Four Seasons working and famous. Barry Anderson’s gifted portrayal of Bob was nothing short of fantastic. Even as a featured actor, he had a command of the stage that allowed him to stand out in the scenes that he was in.
The rest of the actors completed the ensemble with perfection. A few of the actors had multiple roles, and were played with such finesse that it was not apparent unless you read the program.
With all the well deserved accolades I have given Jersey Boys, I did notice a few problems from my orchestra seat. The balance of the microphones seem to be off when transitioning from singing to dialogue as there were several points where it was hard to hear.
The direction while good, had some unusual placement of the actors. There were times when I really needed to see what the actor was feeling, but their back was to the audience. Every novice director is taught to position the actors to face front as much as possible, but in the professional arena, those rules are thrown out the window in order to make room for new visions, art and realism. Unfortunately, there were a few moments where if this rule would have been applied it would have made for even stronger moments within the show.
Lastly, one of the designs I absolutely loved about the show were the sets. They were simple, and clean which allowed for the acting and singing to take center stage without focus going to some special effects. The sets were so simple the actors were even tasked with bringing furniture and props on and off the stage. I haven’t such simplicity since “Spring Awakening”. It added to the charm of the show.
All-in-all, this show is worth seeing. So many times national tours come through Tampa and just look tired. This show is incredibly energized and fun to watch.
A MUST SEE!
by Brad Minus | Apr 8, 2014 |
Time is such at a premium nowadays, don’t you think?
If I am not working, I am training. If I am not training, I’m coaching.
If I am not coaching, I am trying to find a way to leave my job, so I can spend time coaching and training because those are my passions.
Crazy right? Shouldn’t the title of this post be the definition of life?
I believe I was put on this earth to help people succeed. Obviously, I would more dedicate that success to health and fitness, but if I can help people find a way to spend more time training, and with their families then I would be extremely proud of that as well.
In my quest to find a vehicle to allow myself and others a way to drop the 9-5 routine and replace income, I have been involved with a couple of Network Marketing companies. I know, I know maybe your thinking, what a scam. While I have not been successful with Network Marketing, I have seen far too many people who believed and succeeded to write it off as a scam.
I have profiled two in my blog already. Jessica Crate and Rich O’Dea. Both of these amazing people are making dollars with Network Marketing and are spending more time on the things they love instead of spending time in cubical city.
Even better is because of the model of Network Marketing, people involved are not scratching for their next paycheck. Their business can grow without them lifting a finger. How much they get paid is directly related to the quality of the time they spend.
A power couple I have had the privilege of meeting, Anglike and David Norrie, spend their days with their little girl, traveling all over the world and making an income where money, bills, and retirement are just not an issue for them. Within a year of focusing on their goals, Angelike had left her six-figure career and was home creating the same income with just a couple of hours a day.
What is even more exciting is there are thousands of people out there just like them. As a matter of fact, according to Entrepreneur Magazine, Warren Buffett called Network Marketing, “the best investment he ever made.”
I am not sure about the rest of you, but that is pretty much all the convincing I need.
If you have ever been approached by a friend asking you to get involved in Network Marketing, or Multilevel marketing(MLM), the alarms probably went off in your head in big red letters. SCAM ALERT SCAM ALERT
Why? Because maybe you heard a story about someone who tried and failed, or maybe even one of the 830 out there was actually a scam. Do we write off the whole industry?
What is Network Marketing?
Simply put, it’s word-of-mouth marketing. In the 1800s how did everyone find about the general store in-town? They were told, right? Same deal.
You are passionate about the products of a company you are involved in. You tell me about it, I become passionate and then I start telling people the same story.
You get paid when I order and everyone below me orders. I get paid whenever anyone I have shared with orders and anyone they share it with orders.
At a high-level that is it.
You may already have heard of these companies.
Amway by far is the largest network marketing company out there. Ladies and Gentlemen, after 40 years it is still around and there are people still successful. Herbalife is probably the fastest growing company.
The next question is usually, well in order to be a member don’t I have to order products myself?
The answer is YES. Most of the time you are required a monthly order to stay an active distributor.
Is it a disadvantage? It depends on how you look at it. If you are really passionate about the product you would probably order it anyway.
Second, if you are telling the story, very quickly, you would probably be making enough where those costs are covered.
Finally, if you do have to order more than you need, it provides you with samples in order to enroll more people or you can retail those products for even more money.
Let me break it down. (Remember, this is coming from someone who has not yet been successful in Network Marketing.)
How do you start? Below is the high-level version of points I have received from successful people in Network Marketing.
First: Find a company with products you absolutely love and adore. Products you can be passionate about.
Second: Learn everything you can about the company, the products, the mission and the compensation plan.
Third: Become a product of the product. Use the products and review them for yourself. If you still feel passionate about them continue, or otherwise go back to step 1.
Fourth: Meet with your sponsor or upline and find out what makes them successful.
Fifth: Tell the story to everyone that will listen
Sixth: Enroll those that become as passionate as you, and then teach them what you did.
Seven: Watch the money come in.
Okay so that sounds pretty easy, doesn’t it?
The next objection is usually, I really do not want to engage my friends and family.
There are plenty of other ways to engage people without having to go to your friends and family.
It does make it a little more difficult, but once you have a running list of interested people it can actually be faster and more lucrative.
It entails marketing online using a blog, landing pages, video, social media or all of them.
This I will get into on a much later date as I am now in the process of learning all of it.
Why am I telling you this?
I am looking at a network marketing company that falls in the realm of what I am passionate about. Health and quality foods that have very little processing.
The company is called Purium and their flag ship product is called the 10-Day Celebrity Transformation Program. A catchy title for a 10-day cleanse, that is certified non-GMO, vegan, organic and is actually manufactured by Purium, not outsourced out like many of the other companies.
I am currently on the program of which I have been documenting via video on my channel.
As my readers, I am not asking you to get involved….yet. I am on day 3 of the cleanse and after I have completed it I will present my results and give you a full review.
Until then, check out my YouTube channel and follow along over the next week and see the differences.
Have you ever been asked to take part in a network marketing company? Did you get involved? How did it go?
Carpe Vitam!
~ Coach Brad
by Brad Minus | Apr 1, 2014 |
In our last episode (I always wanted to say that), I mentioned the mistakes I made with the Sarasota Half Marathon. I usually would never have a client race two weekends in a row and to tell you the truth I had no intention of racing either, but I did had a client who was supposedly running the Florida Beach Half Marathon as a training run, so my plan was to go and support.
At least, that is what I told myself the night before, but when the alarm went off and I found myself wide awake, I thought to myself.
“Self, I would really like to run today, but I want to support my client.”
“Brad, why don’t you just run with him. He is supposed to do an easy aerobic run anyway.”
“You know, Self, that isn’t a bad idea.” I then proceeded to get up, get dressed and head out the door.
Except for the long wait to park, it was pretty smooth sailing. I was able to sign-up, go back to the car and drop my SWAG and head back to the start.
I was also lucky enough to see Jessica Crate and Jessica Perez, my business partners, out there as well which only inspired me more. (More on the business thing in another post.)
I found my client, and another friend from TeamRWB, at the start and we decided on a 8:45 to 9 minute/mile pace. He had just finished the first two weeks of a grueling strength phase, so I wanted to make sure that this was just going to be a nice easy run. Right.
We started out and the energy took us, but I have to say we were talking the whole way. Even though I kept trying to slow us down, we couldn’t seem to run over an 8:30 pace.
As the miles went by I kept re-assessing, the pace and how we were feeling. The thing was, we were both talking comfortably without straining.
It was a little overcast and the temperature wasn’t bad, but the humidity was pretty high, so I just thought we will keep going and the minute the effort seems to increase we will slow down.
I accepted the fact, that maybe this was just our pace for the day.
Ft. Desoto while still a beach and it was a road I had been on many many times while training was beautiful that morning.
There were well over 2500 people racing and everyone seemed to be having a great time, so I felt lets just see how far this pace will take us.
The first ten miles we ended up averaging around 8:25 and we conversed the whole way, but then we passed the 10 mile mark, meaning there was only a 5k to go.
I think we both instinctively picked up the pace. He blamed me and I blamed him, but I think it was mutual.
We took the next three miles with negative splits, well under 7:50s. When the last 400 came up I took off and while I still felt fatigued, I had it in me.
We crossed 1:50 just a few seconds from each other. I had to cross first, right? I mean while I pledge myself as a triathlon coach, but I am a run coach first, so I had to set the example.
(I know it isn’t going to happen when I start training my Olympic athlete later this summer. For her I am going to have to ride a bike during road runs.)
I have to say, that it was a much more enjoyable race than Sarasota on the performance end. Could I have run faster? Yes, but even though it was an aerobic run, I beat my race time from the week before.
My client mentioned that he felt great on the run as well, and he was only 3 minutes off his PR.
Lesson learned and applied – Start easy and remain consistent. If the energy is available, start negative splits the last 5k. That is what seems to work for me.
Have you ever consciously applied some lessons from a previous race? Did you find you had a better race?
Carpe Vitam!
~IronGoof
by Brad Minus | Mar 29, 2014 |
The First Watch Sarasota Half Marathon was 3 weeks ago. I completed this last year and ended up with a Personal Record(PR). Unfortunately, it didn’t turn out the same this year, BUT….I had a great time and that is all that matters in the long run. (“long run”…pardon my punny sense of humor)
Last year the race was crowded, but it didn’t sell out till the last minute, this year it sold out a lot earlier, but thanks to a blogger friend of mine, Denise (deniseisrundmt.com), I ran this race for free. I just love my run blogging buddies.
This year the corral was so packed we couldn’t even move through the sea of runners to get to the section assigned to my pace. Luckily, I had Beth (Discombobulatedrunning.com) and Caitlyn (livesweatsleeprepeat.com) to share the chaos with.
It was great to hear a familiar voice over the loudspeaker this year, as it is the same voice I hear at every Ironman event I have been to. I am not sure, but I think his name is Mike Reilly. If I am wrong please leave me a comment and correct me.
I did make a mistake this year which cost me. I went out with Beth thinking
that I would just have a nice aerobic run and then things changed.
I got caught up in the beautiful views off the bridge and the architecture downtown, which didn’t hold well even though I was comfortable at that point.he energy.
We were about 4 miles in when she says to me, “You can go if you want to.”
” Nah, I would rather just stick with you and do this nice and easy” I replied.
Because our pace was faster than we were planning, she then exclaimed, “It sure looks like you want to.”
Something about that sentence tugged at me a bit, so I told her “ok” and took off.
I should have been a little bit concerned when the next four miles were a consistent 7:50 pace and I still ended up with 9:09 mile after waiting to go to the restroom at mile 8.
Of course at mile 9, things started to get heavy. I knew I wasn’t in-shape to run that fast, but I did it anyway and it cost me.
What was really embarrassing is getting chicked after mile 11 when I saw the multi-color Lululemon shorts of Beth pass me.
Really? Seriously? Did I really slow down that much?
I yelled to her and didn’t receive an answer, which she later told me she decided to negative splits.
I came across at 1:50:39, exhausted. It was a respectable performance, but not great. I did keep my average of being in the upper 50% of my competitive age division.
Lesson re-learned – know thy pace, stay consistent, only commit to negative splits with 5k to go stick to the plan.
It was great to see my buddies Nick & Ben take First Overall in the Relay.
Actually Nick passed on the first bridge as we were going out and he was finishing his leg. He looked really strong.
Have you ever had a race where you made mistakes, even though you consciously knew better ?
Let me know in the comments below.
Carpe Vitam!
~IronGoof
ht have made different choices that would have played to her strengths.
