The refrain, "Every high thing must come down, every stronghold must be broken" nearly blew the conference doors wide open!! The passion, poise and anointing of Hillsong worship is undeniable, and it was truly amazing during the Joyce Meyer Conference. You could see off-stage that Joyce and husband Dave Meyer were wrapped up in the worship as well! My soul was stirred and my spirit refreshed!
Ever since the incredible album "Shout To The Lord" burst on to the worship scene in the early 90s, I have been a huge fan of Darlene Zscheck (pronounced "check" ) and Hillsong Music from Australia! When I saw that she and her team would be leading worship at the Joyce Meyer Conference in Portland, OR. I figured "Wow, this would be awesome!" I was right! Each of the four sessions, Darlene hit the platform with energetic praise and worship, that exalted Jesus and lifted up everyone into His presence! Doing mostly songs that she and the team wrote and recorded, she also tossed in some Chris Tomlin along the way. Her latest CD, "Revealing Jesus" provided the sessions most powerful moments with the song "Victors Crown."
The refrain, "Every high thing must come down, every stronghold must be broken" nearly blew the conference doors wide open!! The passion, poise and anointing of Hillsong worship is undeniable, and it was truly amazing during the Joyce Meyer Conference. You could see off-stage that Joyce and husband Dave Meyer were wrapped up in the worship as well! My soul was stirred and my spirit refreshed!
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While in Portland OR. for the Joyce Meyer Conference, I had Saturday night free so I attended the Broadway production of "Rock of Ages". A musical set in Los Angeles in the mid 80s that featured a lot of songs from the era. It's a rock 'n roll, love story of sorts! The live production, unlike the movie of the same name, had actors with great vocal skills able to add power to songs. Music numbers included, "Waiting for a Girl Like You," "I Want to Know What Love Is," "Don't Stop Believin'" and Jon Bovi's "Wanted Dead or Alive". The play was done well, but somehow I missed the 80s musically, so I only endured the show. The target audience, 40 somethings, loved it and showed their appreciation through out the performance. It was set in the Keller Auditorium in downtown Portland, a newer theater than the ones you find in Columbus or Cleveland.
Yes, he does look like a wild man, but Ricky Skaggs was ever the entertainer last night at the 2013 Spring Soiree, as presented by the ProMusica Chamber Orchestra of Columbus! This amazing 40 piece orchestra, featured loads of violins turned fiddles, captivated the sold out crowd at the Southern Theater. Ricky Skaggs, who got his break with Emmylou Harris in the late 70s, served up a hot dish of bluegrass music with precision, humor and fun. Along with his own group, Kentucky Thunder, Skaggs and the Orchestra played classic Skaggs music from across four decades! The hilarious "You Can't Hurt Ham" along with the crowd favorite, "Soldier of the Cross," performed along side #1 hits like "Highway 40 Blues" and the bluegrass anthem, "Uncle Pen." Ricky encored with my personal favorite, "Somebody's Prayin'". Great show from one of country and bluegrass music's most beloved performers!
Last night, I traveled to Renfro Valley, Kentucky to see 70s and 80s country music icon, Lynn Anderson. She has always been one of my all time favorites and I have all of her Columbia albums. This was my first time to see her in concert, and she is simply amazing! She opened with her hit "Listen to a Country Song" and rolled through many of her hits, including the grammy winning "(I Never Promised You a) Rose Garden"! During the show, Miss Anderson invited me and two other guys to come up on the stage with her and "help" her out. We ended up doing a little singing and dancing to Lynn's version of "Up On the Boardwalk". It was hilarious. There was definitely three left feet a dancin' on that stage! She was so charming and graceful through out the performance and sang her heart out. For great, old time country music check out www.renfrovalley.com.
70s and 80s icon, Natalie Cole graced the stage of Mershon Auditorium in Columbus last night. Dressed in an orange jump suit, Ms. Cole without fanfare, simply walked to the mike and began a 90 minute set of great jazz and pop standards. Included in the mix was "Stardust", "Our Love Is Here to Stay", a Sinatra tune, one from Sammy Davis Jr. and several others of the period including her father's "Get Your Kicks on Route 66". Natalie also sang a tribute to great friends and artists who have passed on, including songs made popular by Whitney, MJ, Etta James, Donna Summer and a couple more. Throw in 3 Spanish songs from her upcoming album, and 3 hits, "This Will Be An Everlasting Love', "Miss You Like Crazy" and "Unforgettable" sung with her dad, Nat King Cole, on the screen behind her, and you have an evening of terrific memories and song!
Last night, "War Horse" opened its' one week run at the Ohio Theater as part of the "Broadway Across America" series. Based on the novel and movie, "War Horse" depicts the story of a horse named Joey, the love of his teenage caretaker, and the frightening times of World War One. The story is a poignant tale told across England and France. The production is amazingly sparse, except for the magnificent puppet horses! It takes 3 individuals to maneuver these amazing beasts! After a short while, you actually begin to think these horses are real! Funny what the brain does...at least my brain, anyway! The story is well told and moves along at a good pace! At 2 hours 15 minutes, it could get long, but doesn't. The audience, like me, were enamored with the movements of the horses. Truly, the puppets were the star of the show. There is some singing through out, but I wouldn't call this a musical per se. Definitely beats "The 39 Steps" the last non-musical I went too (and slept through)! Check out "War Horse" playing through Sunday.
Traveled to Cleveland this weekend to see the KeyBank Broadway Series production of "Sister Act". Most people are familiar with the story because of the movie which starred Whoopie Goldberg. The stage production is a real gem! Tackles the struggle between finding strong friendships versus temporary riches and fame. While stuck in a Catholic convent under a witness protection program, the lead character learns what it means to be surrrounded by a family that loves and supports them. The comedy both spoken and in the music itself is simply wonderful! Poignant songs like "The Life I Never Led" and the title song "Sister Act" act as strong emotional numbers which pulls at the audience heart strings. In two words...LOVED IT!!! I've seen alot of Broadway Shows the last 5 years...I'd rank this one, top 5.
Most of us remember the 70s and early 80s sitcom "Barney Miller" starring Hal Linden, but most folks don't realize that Linden was a Broadway performer prior to his TV years. Last Thursday night, I enjoyed Mr. Linden as he walked us back through his stage and screen career at the Adventura Arts and Cultural Center, just north of Miami, Florida. Linden was backed by a great 7 piece band, which featured trumpet, trombone, clarinet and the usual rhythm section. What followed was a night of jazz, dixieland, and songs from Linden's Broadway catalog. Soon to be 83 in March, Hal Linden shows no signs of slowing down. His vocals are still strong and his gif t of gab carries him well through the evening.
Had the pleasure of seeing one of the great male vocalists of all time last Wednesday night, the incomparable Tony Bennett. Backed with just a simple four piece jazz band, Bennett recreated the many magical moments of his some 50 years in the music business. Great classics like, "The Shadow of Your Smile" and "San Francisco" were done in Tony's warm, laid-back style. Now at 86 years young, Bennett seemed to be in no mood to move over for the youngsters. His voice was strong and he was in total command of the 90 minute performance. I was taking notes on his presentation and delivery, knowing full well that I could learn some things from the master.
I knew this was going to be something unique when I got an email from the ticket office explaining that they had to move the production of "Priscilla Queen of the Desert" from one theater stage to another, because the costumes were too large for the original stage!! Anyhow, the story is about 3 drag queens ( if this makes you uncomfortable, substitute clowns, or mimes) who travel across the desert of Australia to help out a friend who is about to unite with his 6 year old son for the first time. Along the way, there is every excuse to sing, dance and choreograph some of disco's biggest hits. "I Will Survive", "It's Raining Men","I Love the Night Life", and many others. The humor is biting and somewhat predictable. The story moves along, and is actually somewhat coherent and compelling. But, it's the costumes that steals the show. Bright and beautiful colors, along with innovative costumes, like animated paint brushes, cupcakes and a big old VW bus that is christened "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert." The three queens finally get to their destination and the tender moments ensue. It was my first, but not last, trip to Playhouse Square in downtown Cleveland. This production was at the State. The Ohio and Palace Theaters are nearby.
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