Becaaarrrrrrhhhhhse It's International Talk Like A Pirate Day

and because it brings a smile to my face.....

Perhaps with this fabulous sampling (OK -it's an ad - but so fun) of the Virginia Opera (on the stage in Norfolk, VA where my typist sang on a number of occasions) production in 2007, I should call:

International Sing Like A Pirate Day

What could be more Caledonian than Gilbert and Sullivan's Pirates of Penzance on such an holiday? Enjoy!





Be sure to listen all the way to the end of the video despite no moving picture to hear the presto agitato. :-)

Virginia Opera's hilarious production of Gilbert & Sullivan's "Pirates of Penzance," one of the most enduring topsy-turvy comedies to ever land on the musical or operatic stage, starred Gary Briggle as The Major General, Dominic M. Aquilino as The Pirate King, Alicia Berneche as Mabel, and native Richmond, Va. tenor William Ferguson in his Virginia Opera debut as Frederic, the dashing pirate apprentice!

Conducted by Joseph Walsh, directed by William Theisen.

Orchestra provided by the Virginia Symphony.

Steel Pirates - That Bird is Dead!

I had the pleasure of joining my friends in Steelhead last night for the weekly dance. The theme? Pirates. And that is always fun.

Having the distinct honor of dancing for a time with TotalLunar Eclipse, we spent some time talking about what events Loch Avie and Steelhead might collaborate on in the near future. Of course we also caught up on other things including buildings, themes, friends, and Boomtown. By the end of the night, I felt it only right to help a friend and so I volunteered that I would happily advertise a little for Steelhead Boomtown, so my first movie attempt (below) is "sponsored by" Steelhead Boomtown.

The dance was quite fun as always. Tensai was her incredibly creative self....adjusting, building, and scripting on the fly just to make our conversations come to life. Parrot Guns, dead parrots, giant parrots, casks and casks of rum. Barbeque fires. Oh - and monkey dances all around. The company of pirates was simply put - hilariously spectacular.

Arrrrrrrgh! Such fun for this Saucy Loch Wench!







The inspiration for many comments during the dance (Pet Shop Skit - Monty Python):

Mr. Praline: Never mind that, my lad. I wish to complain about this parrot what I purchased not half an hour ago from this very boutique.

Owner: Oh yes, the, uh, the Norwegian Blue...What's,uh...What's wrong with it?

Mr. Praline: I'll tell you what's wrong with it, my lad. 'E's dead, that's what's wrong with it!

Owner: No, no, 'e's uh,...he's resting.

Mr. Praline: Look, matey, I know a dead parrot when I see one, and I'm looking at one right now.

Owner: No no he's not dead, he's, he's restin'! Remarkable bird, the Norwegian Blue, idn'it, ay? Beautiful plumage!

Mr. Praline: The plumage don't enter into it. It's stone dead.

Owner: Nononono, no, no! 'E's resting!

Mr. Praline: All right then, if he's restin', I'll wake him up! (shouting at the cage) 'Ello, Mister Polly Parrot! I've got a lovely fresh cuttle fish for you if you
show...

(owner hits the cage)

Owner: There, he moved!

Mr. Praline: No, he didn't, that was you hitting the cage!

Owner: I never!!

Mr. Praline: Yes, you did!

Owner: I never, never did anything...

Mr. Praline: (yelling and hitting the cage repeatedly) 'ELLO POLLY!!!!! Testing! Testing! Testing! Testing! This is your nine o'clock alarm call!

(Takes parrot out of the cage and thumps its head on the counter. Throws it up in the air and watches it plummet to the floor.)

Mr. Praline: Now that's what I call a dead parrot.

Owner: No, no.....No, 'e's stunned!

Mr. Praline: STUNNED?!?

Owner: Yeah! You stunned him, just as he was wakin' up! Norwegian Blues stun easily, major.

Mr. Praline: Um...now look...now look, mate, I've definitely 'ad enough of this. That parrot is definitely deceased, and when I purchased it not 'alf an hour
ago, you assured me that its total lack of movement was due to it bein' tired and shagged out following a prolonged squawk.

Owner: Well, he's...he's, ah...probably pining for the fjords.

Mr. Praline: PININ' for the FJORDS?!?!?!? What kind of talk is that?, look, why did he fall flat on his back the moment I got 'im home?

Owner: The Norwegian Blue prefers keepin' on it's back! Remarkable bird, id'nit, squire? Lovely plumage!

Mr. Praline: Look, I took the liberty of examining that parrot when I got it home, and I discovered the only reason that it had been sitting on its perch in the
first place was that it had been NAILED there.

(pause)

Owner: Well, o'course it was nailed there! If I hadn't nailed that bird down, it would have nuzzled up to those bars, bent 'em apart with its beak, and
VOOM! Feeweeweewee!

Mr. Praline: "VOOM"?!? Mate, this bird wouldn't "voom" if you put four million volts through it! 'E's bleedin' demised!

Owner: No no! 'E's pining!

Mr. Praline: 'E's not pinin'! 'E's passed on! This parrot is no more! He has ceased to be! 'E's expired and gone to meet 'is maker! 'E's a stiff! Bereft of life, 'e
rests in peace! If you hadn't nailed 'im to the perch 'e'd be pushing up the daisies! 'Is metabolic processes are now 'istory! 'E's off the twig! 'E's kicked the
bucket, 'e's shuffled off 'is mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisibile!! THIS IS AN EX-PARROT!!

(pause)

Owner: Well, I'd better replace it, then. (he takes a quick peek behind the counter) Sorry squire, I've had a look 'round the back of the shop, and uh,
we're right out of parrots.

Mr. Praline: I see. I see, I get the picture.

Owner: I got a slug.

(pause)

Mr. Praline: Pray, does it talk?

Owner: Nnnnot really.

Mr. Praline: WELL IT'S HARDLY A BLOODY REPLACEMENT, IS IT?!!???!!?

Owner: N-no, I guess not. (gets ashamed, looks at his feet)

Mr. Praline: Well.

(pause)

Owner: (quietly) D'you.... d'you want to come back to my place?

Mr. Praline: (looks around) Yeah, all right, sure.