Atlantis, The Palms Dubai Fireworks

I think it's safe to say that anything that happens in Dubai is going to be ten times what it would be in America. Considering how far they've come as a country, they are above and beyond when it comes to visuals and displays. However, to spend an estimated $20 million on fireworks for a less than 15 minute show seems quite ridiculous in my eyes. Especially since the show didn't take my breath away. In the beginning it just looks like they set off a bunch of the same fireworks in different spots at the same time. There's so much going on you don't even know what to look at. You've got a center set that seems to fly a little higher than the 10 or so sets on either side of it. The ones on the left side don't even look like they're getting higher than 15 feet off of the ground. If you ask me, it was a waste of $20 million dollars.

Citizen Kane- Rosebud

Although I have never seen Citizen Kane, after having watched that short video I don't believe I would ever want to. I personally am not a fan of scary movies so this doesn't quite fit into my movie collection. From the scene I watched it seems very erie, dark, and highly spooky. From what I could tell, a man took his last words before dropping the snow globe down the stairs. A woman, dressed as a nurse, entered the room and was unfazed by the dead man laying in bed. It's really a creepy scene, not one I wish to watch again.

Somewhere Over The Rainbow

Growing up, i've always been a fan of the Wizard of Oz. Thanksgiving is never complete until I've sat and watched the movie in its entirety. The song somewhere over the rainbow- i think it's very reflective and crucial to the story line, especially considering the movie begins in black and white and moves into color when Dorothy enters Oz. Judy Garland will and always will be the sole performer of this song- any other version is just fake.

Flip Book

My flip book represents a garden growing and then dying out... the cycle of life.

Grid Project

For our grid project, I was feeling rather homesick so I decided to do something fall themed. Since I had recently gotten into origami, I thought the pinwheels were a nice design. Using fall colors, I attempted to make it look like the foliage you see in the North.

Wicked

When I was in 6th grade my best friend Christina, her mother, my mother, and I went into New York City to see the Broadway show Wicked at the Gershwin Theatre. I'd already seen my fair of broadway shows at that point, but Wicked was nothing like I had ever seen before. From the decor of the theatre to the prop scenery before the curtains open, I was blown away from the first note. I have always been a Wizard of Oz fan- it's not thanksgiving until i've watched it after dinner, and to see the backstory was a truly special moment for me. By the next weekend, I had listened to the soundtrack enough times to know all the words to every single song performed.
One of the favorite songs, Defying Gravity, is truly a treat to see in show. At the highly climatic end of the song, our Elphaba is seen to be defying gravity while she hits a high F. I had always wondered how she was able to soar above the stage with no visible wires or harnesses, but I finally learned that Elphaba runs across stage to a hidden deck and then takes off. It’s operated by the actress herself so when she steps in the device it locks and she's standing on a steel plate. The whole thing lifts her off the ground and it looks like her skirt is extending forever and she’s flying. The device is locked around her waist so there’s no way for her to get out unless she presses the release button. Makes it seem a lot less magical, but definitely better than visible strings, (and safer).
I also thought it was very cool that they use MAC eyeshadow to make Elphaba her famous green color instead of a gross green body paint.

Vaudeville Acts

Vaudeville is a type of entertainment popular in the late 19th century in America. It consisted of a series of unrelated acts such as magic, dance, comedy, and animals. It was developed from the form of variety shows put on in beer halls for male audiences. In 1881, Tony Pastor introduced a successful "clean variety show" in New York City. He tried thereafter to get others to follow suit and clean up their shows for broader audiences.
I always enjoyed the thought of burlesque dancers, mostly because of the fast and vigorous dances these women put their bodies through. Watching the woman dance with the chair however, made me question whether or not it's real because that is some serious talent to be able to balance a chair on your face.
The woman in the swing is a little more traditional- you can see acts like that at a circus or a big tent show. Back then i can't imagine them having safety nets or harness's to ensure safety so I feel it's only right to give these performers extra credit for being so brave and nonchalant about swinging through the air.