I didn’t know what to expect when I went to see Magical Nathaniel Magic Show! at El Cerrito High School. In his early 20’s, he’s already been performing for about 9 years. He became interested in magic at the tender age of 3. I already admired this performer without seeing the show, due to the fact that not many of us get to follow the dreams we had as teenagers, let alone those at age 3. Continue reading »
Gloomy weather didn’t keep Oakland residents away from the Women’s March from Madison Park to Frank Ogawa Plaza. Here are a few moments and creative signs that I captured yesterday. Continue reading »
If you’re looking for something magical go no further than Cirque du Soleil’s 17th show presented under the Big Top, LUZIA. It’s its 38th original production since 1984, they have performed in more than 400 cities on six continents. The massive white-and-gold Big Top can be seen from the highway at San Francisco’s AT&T park. You’ll not only be taken to another world but you’ll be experiencing it first, the Bay Area is its U.S premiere. Continue reading »
Central Works’ closes its 2016 season with new play, “Into the Beautiful North”, written by nationally known playwright Karen Zacarías and based on the novel by Pulitzer Prize finalist Luis Alberto Urrea. The script is inspired by the classic Hollywood western “The Magnificent Seven,” which was adapted from Kurosawa’s, “The Seven Samurai.” With the multitude of theatre choices in the Bay Area it’s hard to find one that illustrates the life of Latinos. This one fills that void, at least for a short term.
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If you’ve ever played with Legos you’ll remember the feeling of accomplishment when your imagination came to life in your hands. In time, you outgrew the brightly colored block toys unless you’re like Nathan Sawaya. After years of creating with Legos as a hobby, he quit his corporate lawyer job to become a full-time Lego artist. This fascination of creating with Legos on a bigger scale has made him renowned around the world. At his current traveling show, The Art of the Brick, you can get up close with his work. Continue reading »
American Tumbleweeds by Marta Elva tells the story of the Ramirez family who reside in El Paso, Texas during the 1960’s. They often split time between Texas and their patria Juarez, Mexico. The story revolves around the coming of age of Inez, the border town, and how adult decisions affect children. That’s the simplified way to describe the book, as it’s hard to encapsulate all the intricacies that are involved in growing up bi-cultural and in Inez’s case, empathetic. Continue reading »
I’m not good when it comes to routine although my mom keeps reminding me that at my age I NEED to have one to keep the wrinkles away. So when my friend Said Cruz asked me to try out Nerium International Age-Defying night cream I was a little bit hesitant but, Mom. The truth is my avoidance is the result of skin that often has breakouts and irritation to products after awhile. Continue reading »
Visiting Seattle, Washington on limited time? You can easily visit two locations in one day in addition to the infamous Space Needle. One of those is the Chihuly Garden and Glass exhibition that opened in 2012. For frequent travelers the sculptures will immediately look familiar as Dale Chihuly’s artwork is dispersed throughout the world in small to large venues. This exhibit is exclusively dedicated to his work. Continue reading »
The stars of the movie came out for the 2016 Toronto Film Festival at Roy Thompson Hall. The cast, filmmakers and real life stars received a standing ovation from the audience. The film, starring David Oyelowo, Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o and newcomer Madina Nalwanga, is directed by Mira Nair and opens in U.S. theaters in limited release on September 23, expanding wide September 30, 2016. Continue reading »
Queen of Katwe is the true story of 10-year-old Phiona Mutesi (Nalwanga) who became a Chess Champion exposing her to a world outside the poor town of Katwe in Kampala, Uganda. Her mother, Harriet (Lupita Nyong’o), vigorously makes ends meet selling vegetables in the market. Continue reading »