Gay Days Expo at Doubletree by Hilton

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Gay Days was held in Orlando from June 3rd to June 9th. There were pool parties galore but each had a rather pricy cover. I decided to document the Gay Days Expo at Doubletree by Hilton Orlando (10100 Universal Drive Orlando FL). The expo featured vendors of all shapes and sizes. I discovered that the hotel charges for parking, so I drove down the street to an office complex I had once worked in and borrowed their garage. I had to walk maybe a quarter mile over to the hotel. This is the way I work exercise into my daily routine. It was of course a hot sweltering day, but the rad near Sea World cut through ancient palmettos and palms. It was like taking a stroll through an undeveloped Florida landscape. The view was only occasionally interrupted by harsh stylish hotels.

When I got to the Doubletree, I noticed someone painting a curb yellow on the opposite side of the driveway. I could small the paint. As I walked toward the hotel entrance, I glanced behind me and was horrified to see a trail of yellow foot prints leading back to where I had stepped into wet paint. The guy had painted the curb I had stepped on and not bothered to put any warning tape around it. Who in Florida would ever walk into a hotel? It is unheard of I suppose. My yellow foot prints were fading as I walked. Hopefully all the paint would were off before I entered the hotel lobby. Just to be sure, I scuffed my souls several timed.

It turned out that the expo hadn’t started yet. Today was the day that vendors set up their booths. I was given a swag bag with condoms and other information for safe sex and invited to look around if I wanted to. Only a few booths were set up, but in a separate room, the sex toy paraphernalia was almost ready. Fairvilla Megastore had a booth that was ready for business. A mannequin wore some strange briefs that hugged the glut muscles. The vendor made sure the packaging was tight in the crotch. Another vendor unwrapped and hung his merchandise carefully. Several muscular men came in from the hotel pool and started asking questions. Their skin was still wet and glistening. The product the vendor was hanging is used to somehow stretch a mans ball sack. I never knew that a large and sagging ball sack was an attractive thing to strive for. One of the bathers noticed me and said, “He must be hearing everything we are talking about.” I shouted back, I sure can, why do you think my legs are crossed?” Everyone laughed and they continued to discuss the best way to stretch sacks. Now I have to wonder if my own sack lives up to the ideal.

Other items on display included blowup dolls, dongs, items in leather and lace and feathery masks with Viking horns. Now the Viking horns were an item that I add spice in my day to day life. There were Midget dolls, Milf dolls, and dolls named like Big Jon, Jack, Miss Anna, and Bareback. Boxes were unpacked with care and time was running out. Vendors were told they only had 15 more minutes to finish for the day. Plans were made to go to The Parliament House for a party that night. There were parties all over town, but this would be my small taste of Gay Days for this year. When I left, my yellow footprints were still visible in the parking lot, but a warning sign and tape were now around the painted curbs. “Take nothing but memories, leave nothing but footprints.”

A Family Night Out at O’ Stromboli Gourmet Italian Eatery

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There was going to be an event at Taps From Scratch a new bar across the street from Stardust Video and Coffee. Right after work, I drove to the Audubon Garden District and since I had time to kill before the event, I had dinner at O’ Stromboli Gourmet Italian Eatery (1803 East Winter Park Road


Orlando,
FL).  The last time I was inside this restaurant, there were zombies at a table eating spaghetti. I still regret that I didn’t sketch that scene. The place looks totally different than I remembered. I think there has been a major renovation.

At the bar, a father and son were seated watching the Andy Griffith Show. The boy who was about the age of Opie, was exploring the restaurant. Staff had given him permission to wander behind the bar and into the kitchen. Dad was enjoying a beer and talking non-stop on his cell phone. Mom stopped in sweaty from an afternoon run. The waitress, all in black would occasionally run up a costumer’s tab on the computer.

I decided to order a lasagna which was quite good. A fly had made his way into the restaurant and I spent much of my time swatting it away. In Germany I remember flies were a constant nuance in restaurants but they are usually less of a problem in America. That insistent bugger certainly detracted from my dining experience. Since I was also sketching my attention became scattered. After I ate there was still quite some time before the Taps from Scratch event. I decided to call it a night. I doubt I’ll ever return to O’Stromboli unless I suspect zombies might be slurping up strands of spaghetti.

Skill Focus Burlesque Presents: Computer Crash Course

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I went to a rehearsal for Skill Focus‘ Computer Crash Course. his nerdy burlesque show will be about memes, cats,  internet celebrities and everything else you need to know about computers. I was surprised that the rehearsal space was a suburban home only 5 minute drive from my home. Skill Focus: Burlesque, voted the Best Theater Company in the Orlando Weekly 2013 Best of pole,  is Orlando’s one and only Nerdy Burlesque troupe.
These ladies and gents combine their love of all things geeky with the
sass and comedy of old-school burlesque, all while aiming to put on the
most epic show you’ve ever seen.

The second I arrived, the full run through got started. An announcer began to describe exactly how burlesque should be done. Lita LaRoux acted out the poses described to comic effect. She interacted with her feather boa like she was wrestling a snake. She went through the entire routine like it was her first time which was charming and funny at the same time. She finally did disrobe to display a bright pink corset. That as well came off with a luxurious flourish.

Dahlia Ivory Paige performed as Carmin Sandieo in a long red trench coat and wide brim hat that made her look like a femme fatale from a Film nuor. She was the one performer who sang while she did her burlesque act. She actually had a really good singing voice which in itself is worth the price of admission. Her act was a bit darker and more mysterious that the others which are usually comical. A male performer, Fifi Latio, performed as a pirate. A bright red wig and eye patch completed his look. Come show day he will be covered in glitter. I discovered a new word at the rehearsal. “Derp” seems to refer to an
awkward charm that comes when things don’t work out as expected.


Rosita Sparkles nailed the funniest burlesque of the evening. She performed as a crazed cyber girlfriend who will stalk her man and never let him go. She had a maniacal wide eyed gaze that made her every move hilarious. She had an audience member help her remove a glove and then she clutched the glove refusing to let it go. She didn’t just disrobe, she literally ripped off her clothes in a crazed passion. Ruby Darling, Skill Focus’ fearless leader had bright blue hair. She took notes about every performance so that they could be tweaked and improved before the show. Every performer develops their own routine and the results are often inspired. Ruby’s routine was set in the wild west and she had a flourish of skirts worthy of the Moulin Rouge or a raw unbridled western stage show.

Post rehearsal notes included how to step out of a skirt which involves lowering the skirt all the way to the floor while showcasing plenty of leg and keeping the butt elevated. There was one technical difficulty when Rosita couldn’t undo her corset. Ruby demonstrated how these clasps can become tangled and locked. Any guy might identify with the dilemma of trying to unclasp a bra and discovering that is refuses to give way. There is a technique of pushing away in a scooping motion that will free the clasp every time. There were many more acts that I described, so expect to be surprised.

Mark your calenders! Skill Focus Presents: Computer Crash Course will be performed on July 19th at The Venue, 511 Virginia Drive, Orlando FL at 10pm. 18+ ONLY! The Venue has a full bar for those 21and older.

Tickets:
$15 VIP front row seating
$10 General admission
Tickets available in advance at sfbcomputercrashcourse.eventbrite.com. It is going to be a wild and hilarious ride!

Weekend Top 6 Picks

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Saturday July 19, 2014

1pm to 5pm Free.  Family Days at the Maitland Museum. Maitland Art Center, 231 Packwood Avenue West, Maitland, FL. Family Days at the Museum is held on the 3rd Saturday of every month, and each program is held in a different location within the A&H Museums. Join us for this afternoon of family fun!

7pm to 10pm Free but bring a dish. Maya Sloan Potluck. 1418 Clouser Avenue, College Park, Orlando, FL. Meet residert author Maya Sloan at the Kerouac House.

8pm Friday 7/18 and Saturday 7/19  $20.00 general / $15.00 student and senior available by reservation.  The Receptionist by Adam Bock. Two shows only. John & Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center

812 E Rollins St, Orlando, Fl. Directed by Kevin G. Becker. Featuring Alea Figueroa, Josh Geoghagan, Rebekah Lane and Kevin Sigman. DiDonna Productions/The Empty Spaces Theatre Co(llaboration) presents
the Central Florida premier of Adam Bock’s The Receptionist, directed by
Kevin G. Becker, a dark office comedy that raises questions about
narcissism, willful ignorance, and blindly following the rules.

Sunday July 20, 2014

Noon to 5pm Free. Sunday’s with Smiling Dan. The Falcon Bar & Gallery, 819 East Washington Street, Orlando, FL. Weekly gathering of friends to listen to music and relax with a drink.

3pm to 6pm $10 The 6th Annual Southern Fried Sunday Benefit for The Mustard Seed! Wills Pub 1042 N Mills Ave, Orlando, Fl. 20 + Bands on Multiple Indoor and Outdoor Stages Along Mills Ave., Food Trucks, Vendors, Pin-Up Girls and Summer Fun All to Raise Funds for a Great Local Charity! http://www.mustardseedfla.org/

BANDS: Paddington Ambush, The Actomatics, Rickey Dickens and The Revival, Bellows, Buster Keaton, Good Graeff , Lauren Carder & The Multiple Me, The Chris Charles Quartet, Room Full of Strangers, adam and the plastic, Prison Wine, The Strange Trip, Uncle Sam’s Pride, Pickens Ivey, Jaggermouth (North Carolina), Jackson Rodgers & Forest Rodgers, JCarly + the Teeth and more!

Preferred Parking for Motorcycles & Vintage Cars will be available.

6pm to 8pm Free. Shut Your Face! Poetry Slam by Curtis Meyer! La Casa De La Paellas 10414 E Colonial Dr Orl FL. The only current ongoing slam in Orlando officially certified by Poetry Slam Incorporated, IE. Send a team to Nats as well as poets to The Individual World Poetry Slam & Women of The World Poetry Slam! $50 to the winner! If you’ve never seen or been in a slam before, it’s definitely worth checking out!

INFO: curtisxmeyer@hotmail.com

The Receptionist will Have It’s Central Florida Premiere at the Shakes This Weekend

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DiDonna Productions/ The Empty Spaces Theatre Co(llaboration) presents the Central Florida premier of
The Receptionist by Adam Bock directed by Kevin G. Becker. The show is a dark office comedy that raises questions about narcissism, willful ignorance, and blindly following the rules.

I arrived at a rehearsal a bit early. The Mandell Theater was empty but there were a few props left over from a magic show on stage. Since Empty Spaces, was presenting the show, I started by sketching the empty stage. As the sketch progressed, I wondered if I was in the wrong place.  Finally Kevin and Becky arrived. Office props were moved on stage. The office table was missing a leg and Kevin used carpenter’s glue to get it back in place. Comically it popped off as actors rehearsed their lines. Tissues were needed for one scene but for the rehearsal, toilet paper had to be substituted. Flowers were needed to liven up the office and magician’s tissue flowers had to stand in for the night.

Alea Figueroa and Rebekah Lane began going over a confrontational scene together. Martin Dart (Josh Geohagen), a charming rep from the Central Office had just left. Lorraine (Alea) ran in looking to see where he went. Beverly (Rebekah) shouted out, “He’s married!” “Well, he’s not happily married.” Lorraine replied. This sent Beverly off on a rant about how important trust and loyalty are. She was so worked up that you knew this came from personal experience. Beverly mentioned a friend who had started dating a man she met online. She off highhandedly mentioned that he was married, like it was no big deal, just another part of the equation. It was however a mistake, getting off on the wrong foot. Lorraine retreated to the office chairs and Beverly followed, relentless. “I was just flirting.” Lorraine replied her hands twitching nervously. Her eyes welled up. Then all the theater lights blacked out unexpectedly. “I’m lonely and I miss Glen.” she said in the darkness. It was a powerful heart felt performance heightened by the lights blacking out as part of tech. I had to wipe my eyes when the lights came back up.

Beverly is the receptionist and she is the life blood in a busy office. Her gossip with a friend on the phone is sporadically interrupted as she forwards calls to colleagues. She deals with Lorraine’s romantic troubles dating a narcissist by suggesting she read a book called, “Help, I’m Dating a Narcissist”. Beverly is good natured and believes the best in everyone around her. Exactly what business is handled in the office is slowly reveled. The boss, Mr. Raymond (Kevin Sigman) discusses a mysterious interaction with a client whom he believed might have been telling the truth. It seems office personnel get information and confessions by any means possible.

The appearance of Martin Dart from the Central Office upsets the office daily routine. Lorraine flirts with him playfully but when they get close, he grabs her hands in a vice like grip. She backs away in fear. It wasn’t until later, that I realized that her flirting might have been an attempt to find out why he was there. The Receptionist raises disquieting, provocative
questions about the consequences of complicity with evil. On the drive back home, I kept thinking about the show. The dark under currents are subtle and linger, raising many questions.


This show will be
presented as an immersive social theatrical experience taking the
audience through an interactive pre-show at the Shakes bar, discussing the process behind
performing and producing the show then moving into the theater to
watch The Receptionist followed by a lively Question and Answer back at the bar about the hidden meanings
and emotions that the show creates. Trust me you will have questions and you will love meeting the cast. This is a national trend where live theater is breaking away from the mold of being like a movie that you see and then immediately leave. By interacting with the cast , you get to experience the informal inspiring atmosphere that I love every time I sketch a rehearsal. It is great to meet the actors when they are playful, relaxed and can share their love of theater one on one.

Mark Your Calendar! 
The Receptionist by Adam Bock

TWO SHOWS ONLY
Fri July 18th – Sat July 19th @ 8pm
WHERE:
Mandell Theater
The John and Rita Lowndes Shakespeare Center
Located in Loch Haven Park across from the Museum of Art
Parking available in Loch Haven lots, or in Science Center Parking Garage off of Princeton (Next to Mennello Museum of Art)
TICKETS:
$20.00 general / $15.00 student and senior available by reservation
Will call/cash at door
(Group rates available for groups of 10 or more)
For reservations please call 407.328.9005 – will call cash only at door

The Buddy Holly Story in Winter Haven

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Magically, Buddy Holly seems to return to the stage in Winter Haven Florida every year. He has performed live in 2012 and 2013. This year Andy Matchett is playing Buddy. I’ve seen him perform as Buddy Holly before and it seems a roll he was destined to perform. The drive down to Winter Haven turned out to be more of an adventure than I had bargained for. My GPS showed multiple accidents on I-4 so I took back roads all the way south through Kissimmee. It poured on the whole trip south. lightning flashed brilliantly etching shadowed scars in my retinas. It seemed like everyone knew this back route because the traffic on the country road slowed to a crawl. A trip that the GPS predicted would be an hour became two and a half hours.

I was actually quite impressed by Theatre Winter Haven (210 Cypress Gardens Blvd, Winter Haven, Fl) when I arrived. Although the facade was a sterile cinder block wall, the interior was spacious and there was room in the wings for some impressive set changes. I also liked that an art gallery was part of the theater complex. Art on display in the lobby showed that there were some skilled draftsmen in the town.

The show is Co-Produced by Dr. and Mrs. Robert Cassell and Marilyn Riggs. Over 50 years ago, the man who changed the face of popular music
tragically died in a plane crash at age 22. The Buddy Holly
Story tells the story of the three years in which he became the world’s
top recording artist with a show that features over 20 of Buddy Holly’s
greatest hits including ‘Peggy Sue’, ‘That’ll Be The Day’, ‘Oh
Boy’,‘Everyday’, ‘Not Fade Away’, ‘Rave On‘ and ‘Raining In My Heart’.

Buddy Holly was someone who passionately knew what he wanted in his music and life. He met Maria Elena (Hannah Corlew) because she worked as a secretary at his recording label. From the moment he met her, he knew he would marry her. Five days later, he did. He truly lived like every day might be his last. Rehearsals and recording sessions were at times playful and exhausting as he strived for the perfect sound. His band, The Crickets (Marcus Brixa, Kemp Brinson and Josh McNair) grew disgruntled with the endless retakes.

The end of the show featured a high energy concert with Buddy, Richie Valens (Alex La Torre) who had some amazing hip moves, and The Big Bopper (Tom Mesrobian).  The entire ensemble was onstage for this high energy concert. It was a winter concert and there was a blizzard outside. After the concert these three performers would board a plane which was destined to crash. The music came to an abrupt end and a lone microphone stood in a spotlight. After the show, the director had notes for the cast. He said, “We have a good show, it was a good rehearsal, some things need to be gelled, touched and massaged.”


Driving home, the music was still echoing in my head. I drove past ancient MacDonald’s arches and then  neon restaurant signs that hearkened back to the 50s. There was nothing to remind me of the present. I was driving through the twilight year of 1959. Then the black country road erased all visual clues. The road curved and grass blurred past my windows in the headlight’s gleam. I had to trust that I could navigate each unknown curve at 50 miles per hour. It would be so easy to slip of this thin thread into the void.

The Buddy Holly Story runs from July 18 through August 3rd. Tickets: $24 Adults, $21 Students

Davis Gaines Performed an Intimate Cabaret at the Abbey

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On June 1st, Terry and I went to Double Standards, an intimate Cabaret by Davis Gaines at The Abbey (100 S. Eola Drive Orlando, FL).  Davis is best known for being the longest running phantom for Phantom of the Opera in LA. He often returns to perform in Orlando. Double Standards, featured unique and compelling song pairings, bringing fresh and unexpected takes on familiar standards from The Great American Songbook.

It was a relaxing evening of music with the audience sitting at round tables sipping wine. The pianist, Carol Anderson was amazing, Mark Neuenswander was on bass and Keith Wilson was on Drums. There were standard show tunes and old classics like Over the Rainbow. I respect Davis’ singing voice but often felt like some expressiveness was missing in his face, like LA had ironed away some of his soul. Regardless, he is a consummate performer, although he was quite fazed by the sound system being a bit off. He was unable to hear himself sing on stage. I’ve sketched him a number of times over the years, so you could say I’m a consistent fan.

Terry and I went out for Mexican food afterwards at Mucho Tequila And Tacos (101 South Eola Drive Orlando, FL). There was a huge confusing selection of margaritas. It seems Mexican restaurants are learning from Starbucks where you need to be an expert to get a drink. My fist choice turned out to be a bathtub sized drink, so I had to downsize. Terry wasn’t pleased with her food, but my Chimichanga was just fine.

July 4th Fireworks at Lake Eola Park

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July 4th was my first day back from a vacation in the Canadian Rockies. It turns out that they celebrate Canada Day on July 1st, the same week as our Independence Day. Terry and I went to watch fireworks in the small mountain town of Jasper Alberta. The whole town must have shown up to see the fireworks display on the soccer field of the local high school. Everyone found a spot on a steep grassy hill. Some people wore the Canada flag as a cape and there were plenty of Canada flag temporary tattoos. At the base of the hill next to the baseball diamond was a fenced in beer garden. People got anxious as it got closer to the start time which was very late. The sun sets much later way up north in the cool mountains.

It was still dusk when the first burst went off and echoed off the mountains. Streaming rockets that looked like comets reached up to the night sky.  There were fireworks I had never seen before like twirling disks and showering curtains of light. I watched the crowd whose faces became illuminated by the bright explosions. Huge bursts went off only a few feet above the ground. A mortar rotated, firing like a machine gun in quick succession. Smoldering embers burned out in the grass. The crowd was constantly muttering oooh and aaah in appreciation. There was a magnificent finale with bursts layered on top of each other in a thunderous roar. People applauded and were surprised by a second even bigger finale. Then there was the crush of the crowd as everyone tried to leave. I took Terry’s hand so we wouldn’t be separated. One family had watched the fireworks from a boat that sat on a trailer next to the park. “Only in Jasper” one local high school student remarked.

Terry wasn’t up to going to Lake Eola to see Orlando’s fireworks. She needed some down time after all our traveling. I ventured out on my own to sketch. People had staked out their viewing spots hours before the fireworks were to start. The family seated in front of me must have been tourists from Eastern Europe. They came prepared with a full picnic and plenty of reading material. All around the lake, the crowds grew thick. The Orlando Concert Band played John Phillips Sousa tunes in the Band Shell. When my sketch was covered with red white and blue, I decided to leave. You can watch fireworks every day of the week in Orlando if you drive towards the theme parks at dusk. A woman was grateful to take my prime viewing real estate. As I walked away from the lake, crowds flowed toward the lake. Robinson was shut down. A mom explained to her daughter, “Look, its a walking and biking street!” I continued upstream like a salmon.

On the drive home, I heard a noise that sounded like something was hitting the inside of my wheel well. I turned off my radio to listen. I finally realized it was the sound of fireworks. In every direction, huge plumes of sparkling spheres exploded. Everywhere I looked the sky was on fire. In my subdivision neighbors competed with each other for the biggest blast. It was a beautiful sight. Back at home I watched Dead White and Blue with my very content Cockatoo cuddling in my lap. I got to experience Independence Day in two different countries this year. I have much to be grateful for.

CG Industry Leaders Offer Insights to Students at Full Sail Live

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0n April 15th, 3D Arts Advisory Board Panel spoke to students at Full Sail Live. My entire class went to the event. The speakers were: Shane Cook from ILM who was working on Transformers which is now being released in theaters, Russel Barton who works at EA Tiberon for the Madden series of video games, Nate Home, Ryan Boyle who is working on Microsoft’s Video wall, Keith Guerette who works at Naughty Dog and is a lead effects artist, and Ryan Watson from Ubisoft. The leading consensus among the panel was that getting into the industry takes lots of perseverance and constant work. They each had setbacks and struggles. With CG work it isn’t uncommon to loose a days work when a computer freezes up. They have to shrug off the loss and feel that the next pass would be better than the first.

I was surprised and pleased to hear that they all cherish traditional drawing as a way to quickly relate ideas. This is something I stress often with my students but too often the use the computer as a crutch to execute unclear ideas. I met a student on a flight back to Orlando from Virginia. She was ecstatic that one  of the panelists told her that she was hire-able. Those encouraging words will go a long way towards lighting a fire that needs to burn bright for the duration of any career. I found it visually funny that the circular patters projected behind the panelists made it look like they each had a black halo.

Earth Day Celebration at Lake Eola

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April 19th was Earth Day and Orlandoans celebrated at Lake Eola Park. That day was also the 43rd World Wide Sketch Crawl, so I organized the Orlando Crawl to happen at the Earth Day Celebration. There were artist and vendor tents set up all through the park. I suggested that any artists could meet in the art vendor area, so that is where I set up to sketch. I sat right at the edge of a huge patch of Doug Rhodehamel‘s paper bag mushrooms. The mushrooms are part of his Spore Project which encourages people to be creative with the simplest of materials, a paper bag, stick and a rubber band.

Jon Glassman Gardner was set up in a tent nearby and he explained the mushrooms to people who were curious. Jon had dozens of colored glass magnets that had colorful patterns that resemble topographic maps. He discovered the pattern one day while pressing pigments between two sheets of glass. I’m the proud owner of several of these magnets that hold up sketches in the studio. He was also selling lanterns that featured his unique glass work. Between costumers, he was working on a spray can chandelier. He cut the cans open in a spiral pattern which made them look a bit like Man O War jellyfish. I believe he plans to group these together with lights to create the chandelier.

My plan to have artists meet at this event was flawed. The event was so large and crowded that it became impossible to find any other artists. One art student of Kathy Blackmore‘s introduced himself and I suggested he sketch something in the area. I should have given him my twitter handle or phone number so I could find him again in the crowd.  I assumed no one else showed up, but weeks later I was pleased to see that Plinio Pinto and Matthew Tardiff also sketched the Earth Day festivities that day. Though each artist was sketching on their own, they both found plenty of interesting subject matter to sketch. The next Sketch Crawl is July 12th. I need to get organized and learn how to bring artists together.