Recap: Good Morning, From Here, August 03 to 09
Monday
Before we start, get more coffee. I had a busy weekend! First up, Sargento’s one-man show, The Mentiras Experience, with Salvatore Rodriguez on piano, exploded into life in the Living Room at Casa Karma. Mentiras el Musical opened in Mexico City in 2009 and is still running! Sargento condensed the storyline of four women in love with a murdered man and played all those cleverly color-coded parts by adding straps to a harness (wardrobe additions designed by Andy Sands) as the women appeared in the dialogue. A complicated plot, hilariously disclosed by exaggerated acting and singing in the eighties-style in two languages. Just for fun, ask Sargento to say the word ‘murderer.’ The Mentiras Experience grew out of a continuing show at Garbo’s starring Sargento singing Broadway tunes he began learning a year ago or so for the Rise competition.
Sargento finished the So, You Think You Can Rise? in second place; that’s another funny story. His coaches at that time were Jan Dorland and Rob Burton. They have continued coaching and nurturing Sargento’s talent and energy and were like two proud papas at the show at Casa Karma. An unexpected joy during the after-party was hearing the magnificent Jorge Echeagaray, el Tenor del Norte, sing again. It was good to hug him, too!
The Voice Workshops at Act2 every Saturday morning continue to enthrall me, and I have seen improvements in the voices of every single singer. David Sabella is a master teacher who has dispelled everything I thought I knew about singing and has whittled the mysteries down to what it is: words put to music. A different way of talking with W O R D S being the most important aspect. He hammers diction, pronunciation, clarity, over and over, splitting vowels and consonants like chess pieces. It is fascinating, scientific stuff. Everyone is welcome to sit in and audit the class for 400 pesos. See you this coming Saturday from 11 to 2; don’t be late!
Two hours later, I was on the gorgeous Isla Cuale, just outside Las Brazzas Bar by the Aquiles Serdan swinging bridge, for the inauguration of a mural, “Lloviendo Bajo el Sol” or “Raining under the Sun.” The dedication to the life of Curro Prados Asensio, who died during Hurricane Nora on August 29, 2021, was made by Curro’s mom Arrancha, and Dauna Noble, the artist. More than 50 elements appear in the mural from a list of Curro’s favorite things written by Arrancha that Dauna integrated with color and much love. I had not seen Curro or his family for five years since they closed Babel Bar on the Island and moved to El Tuito, while maintaining the apartment on the Rio Cuale that collapsed during the storm. Curro was 13. I was so happy to hug Hector, Curro’s papa, and Arrancha again; they were a massive part of cultural life in Centro with Babel Bar’s live music drawing huge crowds every weekend. I remember those days watching Curro and his younger siblings running all over the island with their enormous dog, but they were always of service when their mom needed help at a fundraiser.
Go and see the mural and spend a minute in quiet contemplation.
From there, I walked through the gentle rain to the First Saturday of the Month Fiesta at Arte Vallarta Museo. My intention was to say hello to everyone and make my way home, not feeling in much of a festive mood. However, Curator Richard Di Via, encouraged us to stay for a choral performance led by Vallarta Symphony Orchestra conductor Aquiles Morales. I am SO glad we waited! Standing ovations erupted after solos by two sopranos who were absolutely wonderful! The performance started with a song sung in Mayan, wove in a large chunk of the opera Carmen, and ended with a twist on a song by German industrial metal band Rammstein. Wow, indeed! Aquiles assured me this was a warm-up to concerts at Casa Karma (this Friday at 7 pm. Tickets are 800 pesos with limited seating and hors d’oeuvres) and Los Mangos Library on August 10, 8 pm, 300 pesos. Aquiles has just returned from a tour in Montreal, Canada; it was so good to see him again. Join me at the exquisite Casa Karma for Labyirinthe on August 09 From Here.
Tuesday
I had a great pizza and mango smoothies (of course!) at Vallarta Factory with Georgia Darehshori yesterday. Georgia is hosting a feast of summer entertainment in the living room at Casa Karma, ranging from live theatre to a cappella choirs, tribute shows (Yes, Adele is coming back!), to a magic show! All the details can be found at VallartaCalendar.com. Look for FEATURED VENUES, click on Casa Karma and bada-bing, you will find all the shows taking place there. And, here’s another bonus of VallartaCalendar.com, if you don’t use Facebook, you can still read me every morning under the heading AROUND TOWN.
You can also add VallartaCalendar to your website if you have a business – a hotel, for example, or a rental accommodations site that caters to tourists. You can spend hours explaining to house guests where to go to see what’s going on in the city, or just say VallartaCalendar.com and you’re done!
We are also building a comprehensive list of performers in Vallarta that can be cross-referenced with venues in town. This list will put musicians together with singers and will be an invaluable source of shared information for venue owners and performers. If any of this applies to you, send information or inquiries to VallartaCalendar@gmail.com
If you are having an event, post it for free with as much advance notice as possible. Vallarta Mirror and Vallarta Calendar no longer want to hear any of the following:
“Oh NO! I missed another great show!
If only I had known about this the day before!
What is the point of posting on Facebook the day AFTER an event!?
As above, but… on the DAY of the event!
As above, but… an hour before it started?!”
All it takes is cooperation and a little bit of your time, but the rewards will be tremendous. We are in for an entertainment season unlike any other in the history of our city. I will literally be tossing a coin daily to see where my attention should go.
My new morning mantra: Make coffee, look at VallartaCalendar.com, and make a plan From Here.
Wednesday
A Scrabble game or two is in the offing if it’s Wednesday. And, because it’s the first one of the month, it is a Tournament. Come out to Qulture today at 12:30, the gloves come off, the clocks start ticking, and three or four games later, we will have a winner. You are welcome to just come and play and not compete, or bring your pom poms and cheer for your fave player. I’ll let you know who our new champion is in the morning.
Does everybody know what the Rearview Mirror is? Every Friday, the week’s culmination of articles published in Vallarta Mirror are compiled and emailed to those who subscribe (it’s free!). It’s a handy way to read all the contributors to Vallarta Mirror, just like getting a weekly newspaper delivered to your email inbox. https://vallartamirror.com/rearview-mirror-signup/
Tonight is the Greatest Show at Act2 at 7 pm. Find me and say hi From Here.
Thursday
You can always tell when I have lost a Scrabble Tournament – it takes me forever to have to sit down and actually write those words. But now it’s done, bravas to Sharon, who bribed me (again!) with fresh lemon/blueberry sourdough bread for winning two out of three. I will not mention the first game, where the point spread was 147 points, or the second game that you won by a mere three points; congratulations, my dear friend.
Okay, moving on from personal humiliation to the Greatest Show that I will miss so much next month when Act2 closes for vacations and refurbishing.
The Double Davids – Maiocco on piano and Sabella, singing and emceeing, kicked off another stellar show produced by Cate Valcic. Alfredo Mendoza was up first; he has shown the most improvement working with David M. His English-language songs are sung with clear and crisp pronunciation – he is smiling and moving and is a delight to watch on stage. Kudos to both of you!
Gaby and Miana each sang sola, then joined in a well-harmonized Adele song. Both were lovely in red. Elly boldly delivered a pair of Mexican boleros and was followed by Montse, who was appropriately attired in torn jeans.
Costa Rican couple Ale Matus and Dabit Azofeifa stole the show, as they are wont to do. If someone ever asked me what my first thought when I hear the word “accordion” would be, my answer would be an immediate Laurence Welk. Then there is Dabit, who manages to play beautifully with power and loads of sex appeal. What!? And Alejandra, first in my mind as a bumbling, stumbling, freaky-looking clown, walks onstage with puffed sleeves and arrogant hair and executes an Argentine tango sitting on a bar stool. This couple is unmatched at whatever they do separately, and when they come together onstage, the magic is remarkable.
Steven Retchless brought his alter ego, Stevie Hart, to the Casa Karma Red Room, where she sang and told us about the upcoming art show/sale in August to help fund Steven’s upcoming show(s). I will get details to you soon.
Yoalli preceded Andy Sands, whose mom was in the audience. Andy has a show coming up at Casa Karma. Again, I will get the details to you in a timely manner.
Cate Valcic closed the evening’s performance with a song from her and David Maiocco’s show tonight at 7 in Mary Ann’s Ovations Piano Bar. There is no cover charge for “Vaude-Villians,” which will be raucous and funny. See you there From Here.
Friday
A comfortably full house at Mary Ann’s Ovations Piano Bar had almost everyone enjoying dinner while awaiting Vaude-Villians to begin. The food from Yamada Sushi looks deelish!
David Maiocco, virtuoso pianist, and Cate Valcic sang and told stories, many centered around Ohio in general and Cedar Point amusement park in particular. Cate unleashed a torrent of Sophie Tucker jokes via Bette Midler that were truly hilarious in the telling.
Next Thursday, in the Casa Karma Red Room, there will be a classical music concert with David Maiocco on piano and David Sabella singing opera. OMG, I can’t wait for it. As I get program notes, I will pass them on.
Have a great weekend, everybody; check VallartaCalendar.com, and plan well! There are a few tickets left for Labyrinthe at Casa Karma tonight, presented by the illustrious Aquiles Morales. These amazing singers and choir masters will perform at sunset a cappella. It doesn’t get more magical than that From Here.
