Recap: Good Morning, From Here, August 24 – 30
Monday
A gorgeous Monday out there; it feels like November, cool, dry and clear. Of course, it’s only 7 in the morning, but soon it will actually BE November and the description will be perfect!
We had a stylin’ classy weekend with Chopin, Lieder, and opera and shared a moment of history that included praise bestowed by none other than Luciano Pavarotti. Classical Connections starred David Maiocco on piano and David Sabella, countertenor, singing in three languages. The two of them, sharing the spotlight, reduced every one of us to tears with the sheer enormous beauty of 19th and early 20th-century music. The Davids will have at least one new Classical Connections concert a month in season. Stay tuned for details.
I had a lovely mango smoothie with my writer friend Bill Makley, discussing metaphors and AI-generated text, howling with laughter at some examples we had encountered while editing. I dearly love my uber-smart friends. That conversation put me in an expansive mood for the next three hours at the last Voice Workshop for the summer season at Act2PV.
I have come to love each one of these singers who have challenged themselves to learn difficult songs, mostly in a second language, and have come away after each class, led by David Sabella, with more knowledge and practical tips on how to improve further. The difference in six or seven weeks is remarkable. Come and see them this week after the Greatest Show on Wednesday in Ovations Piano Bar. They will all have their turn at the mic.
Bingo was another washout. Good grief, it has been weeks since I have won a game! Sharon Gerber’s banana bread took a lot of pain away, however!
Enjoy this extraordinary day From Here.
Tuesday
Yesterday morning, while finishing my column, I glanced at my laptop and saw the last sentence starting in the middle of the page. I tried to backspace, the text went forward eating everything in its path. Similar things have happened before but I could not fix it so cut the last part, finished editing the rest, published it, then wrote a note of apology to Luis Villanueva saying his review would appear today. Weird these computer gremlins.
Last Sunday night at Casa Karma was a relaxing, laid-back, cocktail-in-hand, sitting on plush, comfortable sofas with a live trio accompanying the sunset. Award-winning singer, Luis Villanueva, celebrating eight years of living in Vallarta, opened with the Turtles hit, Happy Together, that set the tone for the balance of the intimate evening. Kimberli Powers and her husband Roger enjoyed drinks and hors d’oeuvres. Sitting next to me, marveling at his first time at this villa, was Studs Bear Bar owner Mike Owens.
What a difference live music makes! This was the second time I heard Luis sing without tracks in eight years. Excellent pianist Fernando Uribe (https://feruribeh.wordpress.com/) and saxophonist Mario Flores filled the Casa Karma living room with liquid melodies as luscious as Luis’s voice. The song choices were great, all over the place as far as genres go, with Luis’s signature song, Me and Mrs Jones, unparalleled with live orchestration. Bravos to all.
A memorable brekkie/lunch at Langostinos yesterday with dear friend and colleague Jerry Jones, owner and editor of Out & About PV magazine. We have been trying to get a meet-up for a year! That’s how crazy busy our schedules are, so we took advantage and spent nearly three hours eating our splendid omelets and chatting. We came up with lots of ideas for collaborations. We shall see what materializes over the course of season. I love him dearly.
A preplanned major shopping day today has dissolved for more important things. A full report in the morning, barring computer glitches From Here.
Wednesday
Did everyone enjoy the electrifying show last night? Wowie. The first colossal bang hit the school’s lightning rod just a few blocks from my house. The sound was deafening. Within the hour, I talked to Art and Angela Curley at Hacienda hda Gallery; they had been sitting in La Cappella and saw the lightning strike mere feet away!
Georgia Darehshori was going to walk over to meet me to go to Steven Retchless’s fundraiser at Hacienda hda Gallery high up in Centro. We wisely opted for an Uber and joined a bunch of other soggy folks at the eclectic gallery.
There were cocktails, a lovely cheese board, raffles, and a short, loving speech by Steven, who welcomed everyone. The show consisted of photographs taken by and of him and original paintings and prints of those. The Curleys auctioned off a lasagna dinner at their condo, and Life Coach and dear friend of Steven, Miana Melendez, donated a reading.
The weather kept a lot of people at home but we were happily elbow to elbow with Matt Karimi, David Smith, Hector Belloc, and the always glorious Jet de la Isla. Many more braved the elements to help their friend Steven achieve his monetary goals for his upcoming show.
Georgia and I enjoyed a quiet, careful walk down the steep, rain-slick hill, engaged in conversation and made plans to meet up at Act2 for the last Greatest Show of the summer season, tonight at 7 pm. See you there From Here.
Thursday
Another excellent rain storm last night; although we were all ensconced in the Casa Karma Red Room, and were unaware of the monsoon conditions as we celebrated the last Greatest Show for the Summer Season and pianist extraordinaire David Maiocco’s birthday. There was cake and heartfelt singing of Las Mañanitas that brought tears to David’s eyes. He has woven his skills and deeply warm soul into the fabric of Act2’s performing community. He leaves Monday for a couple of months, and will be missed.
Highlights of the Greatest Show included a duet with Dabit on accordion and Maiocco on piano. They presented the wildly lively Johannes Brahms Hungarian Dance # 5. Whoa! Standing ovation #1. The second followed quickly, with Ale Matus joining the duo on stage and lending her haunting voice in “All By Myself. Third standing ovation went to Stephanie Wright Watts who blew everyone away with her electrifying and complicated song, “Burn” from Hamilton.
Andy Sands, always outstanding, has his next October 01 at Casa Karma, Montse (who has her first solo show tomorrow at Ovations Piano Bar!), and Luis Villanueva sang a sorrowful duet with Act2 alum Ximena Esparza, Gabriela Heart, who has been studying with David Sabella at his Voice Workshops, never sounded better than last night.
A tour de force by all the performers, and kudos to Cate Valcic for producing excellent shows week after week. The Greatest Show is truly well-named.
Progressive Live Music March is tonight, 6 pm at La Catrina Cantina. Be there or be nowhere From Here!
Friday
Vallarta celebrated live music with passion last night thanks to Georgia Darehshori’s idea to combine venues and share entertainers in a love fest bedecked with balloons, chocolate tequila, and raffle prizes provided by Eddie from The American English Tree Language School. La Catrina Cantina was SRO by 6:30. So many performers turned up there wasn’t time to hear them all!
After a couple of hours of listening to favorites like Kevin Anthony, Diego Guerrero, Sargento, Luis Villanueva, et al., we took to the streets and followed our fave accordion player, Dabit Azofeifa, New Orleans’ Style, the few blocks to Act2. The weather stayed cool and dry, our “to-go” cups filled with tequila, we hit the plaza in front of Act 2 and were greeted by General Manager David Sabella waving us up the stairs for even more entertainment in the Ovations Piano Bar. Open Mic quickly ensued with Stephanie Wright Watts, Enoch and Dash, Will Walker, Ale Matus, Freddy Othelo, and on and on. David Sabella reprised his role as Chicago’s Mary Sunshine, showcasing his rare countertenor voice.
The night was a huge success by the sheer number of people who showed up. A shift of ideas creates miracles – take “low” season and make it simply what it is – summer! Rejoice that we are still here living in this amazing city that requires us to pay attention to one another every day of the year by singing and dancing with joy and love From Here.
