Keira-anne.com

Today is Raymi’s birthday.

She is there and I am here.

Big sigh and little tear.

Happy two-six, Raymi. ♥

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P.S. I need your help! So much about my move tomorrow has fallen into place beautifully, except this: I have all these wooden-framed Ikea mirrors stuck to my concrete walls with double-sided tape and can’t get them off for the life of me. It’s ridiculous. I tried using a blowdryer to heat the tape and it didn’t work either. I need a quick fix and fast! Doesn’t Mike Holmes read my blog?

While Tony N’ Tina’s Wedding could be described as “Romeo & Juliet meets Saturday Night Fever,” I’d say it could just as easily be summed up as fun-meets-fabulous.

After one great evening with Rebecca, I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to learn more about the show at last week’s open rehearsal.

It’s a near-unbelievable feat in the theatre world that a production that began as a student project in New York City over 22 years ago is still capturing theatre-loving hearts on all corners of the globe to this day. In fact, one doesn’t even have to enjoy conventional theatre to have a memorable experience with two of the most exuberant Italian families I’ve ever “met.”

For those that have never attended a production of TnT, or haven’t – ahem – read my previous blog post, the performance is an interactive comedy. It revolves around two rival Italian families who are forced to attempt to put their differences aside for a wedding on a grandeur scale between Tony Nunzio and Tina Vitale. As is anyone’s guess, those differences only seem to magnify rather than disappear – and with hilarious results.

Having been a theatre student in high school, watching the open rehearsal was much like a trip down memory lane of my own experiences. While I had expected to view a brief run-through of the play, what we as spectators were shown was much different. We saw the foundation and framework of the production.

After director Michael Fera ran through some of the history of the play and touched down on important aspects, the actors engaged in various theatre exercises – some of which involved the audience – as a way of essentially keeping things fresh. When a cast has worked together for quite literally years in some cases, it can be difficult to maintain a sense of unfamiliarity.

What I enjoyed most about the evening was the ability to not only interact, but also give feedback on the experience and on how we as an audience perceive things to be. What I imagine would be most difficult as a character in this play is having the constant ability to be on your toes. While there are certain points that need to be hit in order to tell this story, much of what happens on a nightly basis is entirely improvised.

Co-director Tanja Dixon-Warren has mixed feelings about the show coming to a close after 14 years. In some ways she feels “it’s time” to end things on a high note, but at other times it’s a difficult decision. While most local productions have a shelf life of four weeks, TnT has been going strong for well over a decade. The final performances are set to take place the weekend of May 29-30, 2009, closing with a gala-style production with the entire original Vancouver cast – black ties and tiaras are encouraged!

TnT runs weekly, Thursday through Saturday, at St. Andrews Wesley Church and The Other Space at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. For ticket information and pricing, please visit Hoarse Raven Theatre’s official TnT website.

I’m sitting in a sea of boxes and waiting for Wednesday’s move. It’s kind of weird to be sitting here doing nothing because the last four or five days have been seriously non-stop and nothing that I had planned on.

Friday night was the Juno Cup hockey game, pitting Canucks alumni against the rock stars. Lucky us got to pile onto the Gibson Guitars bus to be chauffeured to the event.

This bus is seriously insane… fully stocked with loads of junk food, autographed guitars, rock posters, leather seating, a baby grand and a wickedly sharp heater in the bathroom that I ended up sitting on, resulting in a heinous purple and blue bruise on my right butt cheek.

I put a serious dent into the jar of goldfish crackers.

I expected the arena at UBC to be packed out, but in truth, it wasn’t much of a game. The alumni were really just standing around and letting the musicians think they were playing. After the first period, we went back to the bus to eat more goldfish, drink more rye and watch Wedding Crashers until the game was over.

Thigh guitar.

Saturday night hotel dance party. Before the Gibson Guitars Juno party, we gyrated to Beyoncé and Britney.

I think Brad was okay with it all.

Gibson Guitars Juno party, Richard’s on Richards.

BNL!

Mr. Twilight was at the party but wasn’t “doing pictures,” so no luck. Raymi and I went up to him to chat it up instead, but he had way too much attitude for someone that will probably be starring in American Pie 11 someday. I did manage to snap a creeper shot, so I’ll post that once Fil watermarks it for me.

Sometimes there’s nothing left to do but dance. So we did, and we did it a lot and we did it sweaty.

I have become obsessed with this song/video (it’s truly amazing) so I decided I’d completely rip her off and dress just like her. Tank knotted in the back.

Finally something mellow today. Us three ladies hit the hot tub, pool and sauna and kicked ourselves for not doing it days ago. I would’ve fallen asleep in the sauna if I could’ve.

And this is Elizabeth and Nick’s dog, Mitzie. She loves the taste of my nostrils.

Thanks for amazingly endless good times all weekend, Raymi, Fil and Brad. Vancouver’s gonna miss you but I’ll miss you more.

It’s Fat Friday but I don’t know why. I mean, I know why I’m calling it Fat Friday, but I don’t know where the fat comes from. I could hardly squeeze into my jeans this morning. It was probably the chicken karaage.

Last night was Wednesday Part 2 plus more.

J’adore.

There was a lot of love going around. I think Raymi and Fil kinda like each other.

It’s Juno time and some band was playing on Granville Street. I don’t know who they were but it sounded like they were trying to play “Jai Ho.”

Rebecca got a new bag.

Bowling is fun so we did that. The guy who worked there told us to beware of the angry Irish man at the bowling alley, but I never saw him.

Three pairs.

Four pairs.

Forty toes.

Don’t you wish you knew?

I’m a tiny bit sad because we didn’t end up swimming in the pool or bobbing in the hot tub. But there’s always time, darlings… there’s always time. Plus, I’ll look radder (more rad?) in my bikini on Fat Friday than I would have yesterday.

Last night Raymi and Fil came to Vancouver. There was beer and gin and vodka and more beer and naked men in a hot tub and chicken and potatoes and beer.

Before…

…After

Raymi has more pics over here.

Gotta go – time for (almost) naked girls in a hot tub.

More scanning fun.

My Opa in clothing made for him by local Dene in the Northwest Territories.

My mom, Oma and aunt in Yellowknife – 1950s. They all look like little china dolls.

Oma was always so perfectly put together.

My dad the wee lad in Glasgow, Scotland – late 1950s. This picture of him is so perfect.

My auntie and I in Port Hardy – early 1980s.

I’m pretty sure my brother was the most adorable little boy – ever.

That will be all. Unless you missed all of these.

Last weekend I watched a film that has long been known as the “ultimate chick flick,” so it surprised me that I’d never seen it before Saturday night. Steel Magnolias seems to have most men running for the hills, but I was astonished at this movie. Our generation’s flock of actresses can hardly hold a torch to the women that dominated the screen decades ago. Shirley MacLaine and Olympia Dukakis had me in stitches!

I wanted to post this scene because it was unbelievably real while at the same time undeniably humourous. Whether you appreciate Sally Field or not, you cannot argue that her performance was pulled from a place so deeply authentic that we can all relate to it.

If you’ve never seen Steel Magnolias but plan to, be aware that this scene contains all kinds of spoilers.

Remember when Charley was just a puppy?

I’m sure Bumble tastes as good as it smells.

So much curious, unending, always forgiving, unconditional true love.

Today on the bus after work, another story of heartbreak. I overheard two women talking, one telling the other about her eight-year-old son. She hadn’t planned on children – ever – but got pregnant by the baby’s father within the first month she met him. She was already a single, successful, independent woman, but she married the man anyways. Three years into wedded bliss, she found out he had a vicious gambling habit and gambled away both her home in Vancouver and her home on the Sunshine Coast, her two paid-for vehicles and her $55,000 savings account. Now she’s two years divorced and boobs-deep in bankruptcy.

Yes, indeed… dogs will always be this woman’s best friend.

Sit back in your chair, clear your mind and breathe deeply. Now ask yourself the following question:

“Does anything in these three pictures appeal to me?”

Photo: Conductive on Flickr

Photo: Jaako on Flickr

Photo: Aaron Landry on Flickr

That’s what I thought. I’ve spent all afternoon boxing up more of my life (and tossing other parts of my life) and will be moving out of this apartment in exactly one week. It’s a bit of a juggle as I have to move all my belongings out of my apartment and into storage in the basement on the 29th, and then move it all again into a truck on the 1st to set up my new apartment.

Here’s where your chance to score some good karma for yourself comes in…

Next Sunday afternoon, I need some strong arms to help me take a few loads down the elevator to get everything out of my apartment. I’ll be supplying ice cold Island Farms milk and my favourite cookies made of deliciousness from Capers on Robson – they’re to die for!

On Wednesday, April 1, I have a few happy helpers (Rebecca, Angie and Tania) to trek it all to the new place, but one or two more would be even better. There’ll be frosty bottles of beer and piping hot pizza once all’s said and done!

So throw your hand in the air, yell “oi!” and tell me you want to help.