Posts Tagged ‘New York’

Steinway Pianos – The Piano Of Choice For Nine Out Of Ten Convert Artists, Pianists, Composers And Performers

The history of Steinway Pianos is long as they date back to 1853 when the first Steinway piano was sold for $500 to a New York family. Steinway and Sons was founded by Henry Engelhard Steinway in New York. Steinway was a German Immigrant who had spent his previous career as a master cabinet maker. He built his first piano in his kitchen in Germany. By the time Steinway sold his first piano he had already produced 482 pianos.

Steinway worked with his sons to develop the modern piano based upon the scientific research and acoustical theories around at the time. Steinway Pianos revolutionized the design of pianos and became synonymous with quality, style, excellence, looks and musical inspiration. Because of this Steinway & Sons began to receive national and international recognition. In 1855, only 2 years after the companies conception, Steinway pianos received gold medals at the US and European exhibitions. The Steinway pianos soon became the piano of choice for royalty and the great pianists of the world. This recognition and admiration has continued to this day.

As the company grew the need for a bigger manufacturing area also grew. This let to Steinway & Sons opening a factory and employee village in Astoria, Queens – where they are still located to this day. A second factory was also build in Hamburg, Germany in 1880. The Steinway pianos continued to experience great success which could be accredited to Steinway’s dedication to building “the best piano possible” by basing his business on three basic principles:

  1. “Build to standard, not a price”
  2. “Make no compromise in quality”
  3. “Strive always to improve the instrument”

These strong principles combined with superior craftsmanship and some clever marketing has seen Steinway & Sons go from strength to strength in the piano industry. The Steinway pianos have also earned more than 125 registered patents which no other piano company has done.

In 1871 Henry Steinway died and his sons took over operation and continued the success of the Steinway pianos that their father had started.  They expanded into showrooms and retail so that more people had access to their beautifully hand crafted pianos.

Today 5000 Steinway pianos are crafter per annum worldwide and many prominent pianists are Steinway artists. When you choose a Steinway piano for your home you are choosing a piece of history as each piano is traditionally handcrafted and takes approximately one year to complete. It is no wonder that Steinway pianos are the piano of choice for nine out of ten convert artists, pianists, composers and performers.

If you are looking for a Steinway Piano then contact Chris at Chris Marshall Piano House who has an extensive range of new and used Steinway Pianos for you to touch, play, feel and test. Call him today on 0412 446 499 or via his website at www.chrismarshall.com.au where you can find out more about the range of pianos he has on offer.

“The piano is able to communicate the subtlest universal truths by means of wood, metal and vibrating air” – Kenneth Miller

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Wicked the musical is not wicked the novel

The Wicked Witch of the West, Elphaba, was born with a pea-green skin and is considered to be smartest but misunderstood Witch of The Land of Oz. In contrast to her, Glinda the Good Witch is a ravishing and somewhat snooty witch of the region( and not quite what you would expect). Both girls meet in the Land of Oz as the most spectacular musical of the year, “Wicked”, begins. Check out the details of wicked tickets here, and get hold of cheap wicked tickets now.

Wicked is based on one of the best selling novels, “Wicked: the Life and Times of the Wicked Witches of the West”, written by Gregory Maguire. Gregory Maguire creates a fantasy world so rich and vivid that we will never look at the land of the Oz the same way again. In many ways, it’s a contemporised’, satirical commentary on Oz. Ignoring the obvious ones like a land where animals talk and strive to be treated like first-class citizens. Or the short Munchkins who seek the comfort of middle-class stability, and the Tin Man who becomes a victim of domestic violence. We focus on the little green-skinned girl named Elphaba, who will grow up to become the infamous Wicked Witch of the West. The Wicked witch is a smart, prickly, and misunderstood creature who challenges all our preconceived notions about the nature of good and evil. The story grows more interesting and to enhance your interest, we have some hot seats for you in all theaters. Get discount on wicked tickets for all theaters hosting this play. We have tickets for wicked that you are looking for. Whether you are looking for tickets for wicked in Chicago, wicked tickets Pittsburgh, wicked Kennedy center tickets, wicked Boston tickets, wicked tickets Denver or simply looking for broadway tickets for wicked, in that case, you are at the best site that offers wicked discount tickets for all theaters.

An astonishingly rich re-creation of the Land of Oz, this book retells the story of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, who wasn’t so wicked after all. Taking readers past the yellow brick road and into a phantasmagoric world rich with imagination and allegory, Wicked just might change the reputation of one of the most sinister characters in literature. Check out the details of wicked tickets Chicago and buy the wicked Broadway tickets now. Also check out: we offer you Houston, TX tickets to any wicked performance. Wicked has enthralled millions of spectators in every theater, if you want to be one of them, than buy tickets to Wicked now, and be a part of the crowd. Moreover, we offer half Price Wicked tickets to our customers. Purchase tickets to wicked to any theater in your area or get hold of a wicked tickets Broadway to watch the engrossing performance.

Maguire’s story begins with a moral about understanding and appreciating differences among people and then becomes a cautionary tale of people in power creating monster villains to distract from their own misdeeds. In the course of the story, he shows that what is a monster to some is a humble, self-sacrificing hero to others. “I’ll get you my pretty and your little dog too” is what we all remember from the movie. Wicked twists this tag line, and manages to change our perspective. It is hard not to fall in love with Elphaba, and not start dreading her fate. A fate that we all know well from the movie!

Check out the hottest theaters that are hosting the exotic play. We present wicked’s Chicago tickets, Bushnell wicked tickets, Kennedy center wicked tickets, theater tickets for wicked Florida, Boston Opera house wicked tickets, wicked tickets NY as well as wicked tickets in Philadelphia.

The Wicked fairytale is brought to life by the Academy Award winner, Stephen Schwartz’s music and lyrics and the musical staging by the Tony Award winner Wayne Cilento. The direction of, by 2003 and 2004 Tony Award winner, Joe Mantello, has made the Wicked one of the spectacular plays of the year. Wicked Tickets are in high demand!

With a cast led by Broadway legend Ben Vereen, TV icon Rue McClanahan and breakthrough stars Shoshana Bean and Megan Hilty, there’s never been a better time to visit the Emerald City! The twists and turns in Gregory Maguire’s incredibly imaginative back-story to ‘The Wizard of Oz’ makes the audiences literally gasp with delight. But not only that, Wicked is a truly heartfelt story of friendship and love. As Richard Zoglin of ‘Time Magazine’ put it, “If every musical had a brain, a heart and the courage of Wicked, Broadway really would be a magical place!”

The plot focuses on the witches of Oz prior to Dorthy’s arrival from Kansas. The Wizard (Joel Grey) believes in “The Big Lie” and he practices what he preaches, making everyone believe that the show’s heroine, the Wicked Witch of the West, is evil. Wicked is an ambitious musical intended to satisfy both adults and children, with strong themes in a surprisingly complex book by Winnie Holzman. Throwaway lines that get big laughs are peppered throughout the script.

The scenery and costumes of the Wicked spring forth in fairytale colors, allowing children to enjoy the show also. Parents can enjoy the comical dialogue and masterful lyrics. The fairytale is complete with cameos by the Tin Man, Scarecrow, and Cowardly Lion, while The Wizard, acts as the catalyst that ultimately turns the former friends into the witches that they become. The process of bringing “Wicked” to stage was no easy engineering feat. Costing 14 million dollar, the play’s production involved over 150 people and took almost two years to become a reality. Built in Calgary, Ontario the show’s complex set took over a year and a half to design and had to travel over 1,500 miles to the Curran Theatre in San Francisco.

Wicked the musical is not wicked the novel. While the novel is its source, the musical presents only pieces of it, in a much simplified form, and often diverging wildly from the novel’s narrative. One might be tempted to think all this destroys the work; but in the end it enhances it. Wicked the musical puts the spot light on the story’s numerous ironies and interlaced levels of social commentary. The fiesta continues for 2 hour 30 minutes of utter magnificence. You can’t bear to blink your eye during the whole gala, for fear of missing some of Wicked’s glory!

Fans of Gregory Maguire’s novel “Wicked” may criticize the changes made by stage adapter Winnie Holzman. She finds a way to send Elphaba and Fiyero into a bittersweet sunset together, and she establishes several reference points to the familiar ‘Wizard of Oz’ film that are not in the Maguire book. But most theatergoers will find Wicked well worth the big ticket price. It’s an astoundingly good show that puts its politics front-and-center, all wrapped up in a big, entertaining package. A pre-Broadway run was opened in San Francisco at the start of 2003. It was not appreciated very well by the locals. In the original cast, Idiana Menzel acted as Elphaba, Kristin Chenoweth as Glinda and Robert Morse played the role of The Wizard. With extensive significant changes, it was reopened later that year at Gershwin Theatre in New York. Morse was replaced by Joel Gray. There were assorted reviews initially but the general mood became a lot more appreciative. The tide completely turned when “Wicked” got the acclaim it really deserved. Wicked was nominated for ten Tony Awards, including the award for the best Musical. Menzel got the award of the Best Actress in a Musical. The cast also nabbed a Grammy Award for the Best Musical Show Album.

This fantasy-filled musical was the winner of three 2004 Tony Awards including prizes for Best Costume Design and Best Scenic Design. Wicked also had the privilege of being the winner of 2004 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Musical Award! The uphill effort and zealous exertion of Joe Mantello has made Wicked a true spectacle for the eyes and ears! The popularity of this musical result in long lines to buy Wicked show tickets! The only element of the production that isn’t consistently first class is Schwartz’s songs. The tunes are a mixed bag, with several bland and forgettable power ballads included with his more distinctive and finely crafted songs. Most of the music rides on the same middling tempos, and little stands out melodically.

“Wicked” earned back its entire initial investment by December 21, 2004. In its first year it grossed more than 56 million dollar. The show has been playing to capacity crowds for almost every recent performance and grosses more than a million dollars every week. The show had a 14 million dollar capitalization. The show set out for extensive national touring in 2005. Successful tours were made to Toronto, Chicago, Denver, Dallas, Los Angles, Fort Lauderdale and Hartford. In late June of 2005 a permanent production of “Wicked” separate from the national tour, opened at Chicago’s Oriental Theatre with an open-ended run. “Wicked” will be the first show in decades to run on a permanent basis simultaneously on Broadway and in Chicago’s North Loop theatre district. The show also has a heart, a brain, and the nerve to have opened on Broadway. Wicked is a must see show.

Wicked co-producer David Stone reported that the show, which plays the 1,800-seat Gershwin Theatre, had a 26 million-dollar advance. “The advance and the weekly grosses are now higher than they have ever been,” said Stone. The musical took in 1,196,658 dollar more than any show on Broadway! No surprise, given it’s popularity among the literati and the glitterati. And the relative difficulty in obtaining tickets. Don’t forget that we are offering cheapest wicked tickets online, providing you with an opportunity to get hold of broadway tickets to wicked in your own city. Also check out wicked Dallas tickets, wicked tickets Houston, wicked tickets Toronto, tickets to wicked in St. Louis, wicked tickets Florida, wicked tickets Atlanta, GA, or even if you are looking for cheap tickets to wicked in Denver, we have got that for you as well.

The fall of this year is fully loaded by “Wicked” shows all over the United States. Atlanta, Saint Louis, Dallas, Hartford, Tampa, Denver and San Francisco are some of the metropolitan areas where people are looking forward to see one of the most popular shows of the year. The Canadian fans too are really anxious to witness such an astonishing fiesta. Most of the fans have already booked their “Wicked the Musical Tickets”. What? You haven’t got a ticket yet? Then what are you waiting for? Order at Ticket Nest for the discounted wicked tickets and have the flavor of the memory that will last a lifetime! Wicked is being played all over American theater. But no matter where you are, we have tickets to wicked for you. Check out the details as we offer Wicked tickets in Chicago, Denver wicked tickets, wicked tickets New York, wicked tickets in Houston, as well as Wicked tickets Boston in our magic box.

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The Lion King is a Tony Award and Olivier Award-winning musical based

The Lion King is a Tony Award and Olivier Award-winning musical based on the 1994 Disney animated film of the same name with music by Elton John and lyrics by Tim Rice along with the musical score created by Hans Zimmer with choral arrangements by Lebo M.

Perhaps the best loved animated-film Disney Theatrical adaptation, the Lion King is one of the first of the Disney animated films to sell as many if not more tickets than their film originals. Directed by Julie Taymor, the musical features actors in animal costumes as well as giant, hollow puppets. The use of these costumes and gigantic hollow puppets has the audience in wonder as the elephants, giraffes, lions, hyenas, and birds stroll around the prairie. The Lion King’s Tony and Olivier Award winning design is alone worth the purchase of tickets, but the story of a young cub struggling to grow up against tragic circumstances is really what makes the musical. The book by Roger Allers and Irene Mecchi with music and lyrics by Elton John and Tim Rice made the adaptation an instant classic. The classic has touched the shores North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and Africa since its debut in July 8, 1997, in Minneapolis, Minnesota at the Orpheum Theatre, and was an instant success before premiering on Broadway at the New Amsterdam Theater on October 15, 1997 in previews with the official opening on November 13, 1997. The Lion King retells the story of Simba and the Circle of Life without the benefit of groundbreaking animation. Instead the equally inventive costume and set creations by Richard Hudson, Julie Taymor, and Michael Curry brought the animals an the jungle to its legendary believability.

Winner of six 1998 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Scenic Design for a Musical, Best Costume Design for a Musical, Best Lighting Design of a Musical, Best Choreography, Best Direction of a Musical, also won following drama desk award for:

Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical — Tsidii Le Loka

  • Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Choreography — Garth Fagan
  • Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Direction of a Musical — Julie Taymor
  • Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Set Design of a Musical — Scenic Design by Richard Hudson
  • Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Costume Design — Costume Design by Julie Taymor
  • Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lighting Design — Lighting Design by Donald Holder
  • Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Sound Design — Sound Design by Tony Meola
  • Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Puppet Design — Puppet Design by Julie Taymor, Michael Curry

The musical staffled  in 1998 Max Casella, Theater World award and three Molière Awards.

The musical was produced in 1997 in Minneapolis, 1997 in Broadway, 1998 in Tokyo, 1999 in London and Toronto, 2000 in Los Angeles, 2001 in Hamburg, 2002 – U.S. National Tour, 2003 in Sydney, 2004 in The Netherlands, 2005 in Melbourne, 2006 in Seoul, 2007 in Paris and South Africa, 2008 in Taipei and 2009 – U.S. National Tour and Canada (Las Vegas, New York city, San Diego, Spokane, WA, Calgary and Egmonton (Canada) etc), and 2010 – U.S. National Tour (Madason, Boston, Philadelphia, Sacramento etc.)

This popular a production makes tickets very hard-to-find, but Ticketloot.com is your source for premium tickets for those sold-out shows. Pick up your tickets now and be a part of the magnificence of the Lion King!

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/music-articles/the-lion-king-is-a-tony-award-and-olivier-awardwinning-musical-based-1315932.html

Some Great Ideas To Celebrate Your Half Century Birthday

It always calls for a huge celebration after you reach the 50th year of your life. It is truly one of the most essential milestones and should be celebrated in the best way along with your loved ones. Your 50th birthday shows the completion of the half century and also almost the half life. New York City has always being a great place for celebration and it offers some of the most fantastic ideas for your special day. Being such a huge place, New York has many world class hotels and restaurants which offer an exquisite event places to celebrate your milestone. But most importantly, a unique birthday idea makes your day very special and memorable.

Theme birthday party has always been a great idea for birthday celebration and always love to celebrate this way. It is a very famous way of celebration birthdays and is a huge hit amid your guest and also offers a huge assortment of options. But whatever you choose the theme of the birthday party, it is very essential that you consider the age because a 50 year old man will not look nice celebrating his birthday in the 18 years old boy kind. You can select the Hollywood theme which represents the classic time of 70’s or 80’s. The party can be enhanced more with proper decoration and food. The drinks are always on the priority list as everyone like to celebrate with drinks. Music is yet another very important thing which makes a birthday big hit.

Before you decide on anything, it is very important that you consider the budget of your birthday. Shooting up the budget to the unrealistic figures is also not advisable. Planning everything well in advance is very essential as it will make sure that you do not regret later. With some proper planning and also some help from your family and friends, you can very well host your birthday party which will surely be remembered and cherished by your guest for many years to come.

(ArticlesBase ID #1262338)

For more information about New York Birthday Parties, please visit our website.

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Metallica Tour 2009 Dates – Fan Review

If you are a big fan then you have to know the name of this song:  Hush little baby, don’t say a word. Never mind that sound you heard, it’s just the beast under your bed, in your closet in your head . It’s enter sand man, geez. One of the greatest metal songs of all time.

Metallica’s latest album, Death Magnetic came out this month. This album is going back to the 90s roots. This band has become one of the most influential heavy metal bands ever. They have sold more than 90 million records worldwide. Overall, Metallica is within the ranks of the top 20-best-selling artists of all time.

The 2009 Death Magnetic European tour started in February on the fourth in Hockenheim, Germany and ended the 2nd day of August in Stevenage, U.K. This tour was fantastic. Most of Metallica’s fans have said that this album and tour is one of their best. This album hit good in Europe. The fans said they loved it. One person said it was  by far their best tour yet . They kicked their shows off with the best songs ever. They sang some of their new songs and some of their old songs.

The Metallica America Tour starts the 14th of this month (September) at the Sommet Center in Nashville,TN. They will be having 30 different shows within the US; they will be in Canada also. They will have nine different shows in Canada. The other 21 shows are in Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana, Texas, Florida, Georgia, Minnesota, Ohio, North Carolina, Virginia, New York, Nevada, Idaho, and California.  

Therefore, if you are a big Metallica fan then you should get tickets online before they are sold out. In Europe, the band sold out all its headlining dates for spring and summer 2009. There are great ticket selections on Ebay. People might have bought some tickets and decided to sell them on Ebay. Sometimes they are cheaper that way, and you can get better seats. Remember to check the sellers feedback and ask questions before purchasing tickets.

Your best bet is to get tickets as far in advance as you can, because with the Metallica tour opening in the US on September 14th, shows will continue to sell out fast. Plan ahead so not to miss the best Metallica show of a lifetime. Get your tickets before they run out.

(ArticlesBase ID #1225391)

Natalie enjoys researching products for quality and value based on customer experience. Get the Best Tickets for Less Here:
Metallica Tour USA

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