Tie Me Kangaroo Down Sport
G'day mates and a bonza crack through the covers as we settle down in
front of our idiot boxes for an Australian cricket tour of Sri Lanka. Shane
came! This vulture is honestly surprised that the zinc coated one actually
dared brave those nasty shopping-excursion bombs by touring. It only remains
to be seen if his flipper works better here than it did in India last year.
I guess this makes me a charter member of the world's largest anti-cricketer
club, but I refuse to repent.
Having said that, I have to also say that Steve Waugh's diplomacy at
the outset of this tour says volumes about the man's character. Hats off
to the Aussie captain; he may be a hard cricketer on the field but he seems
to be a pretty decent chap off it and merits all the success that comes
his way. It's mid way through another Sri Lankan batting collapse right
now and one has to wonder why history keeps repeating itself so often of
late. It will be interesting to see what the pundits have to say now. Having
blamed the World Cup fiasco on Ranatunga and bleated about the lack of
a proper coach, what say ye now that Rana is gone and Dav is back at the
helm? If rationality prevails, the excuses and finger pointing should be
left behind in the garbage pail and the business of putting the team back
on track commence forthwith.
For whatever my two cents may be worth, I think the selectors have got
the right idea with this new look team, and I think Sana-boy is the man
for the job - at least for a year or two when Mahela should be ready for
the mantle. What this team needs though, is discipline at the crease. Sanath,
Avishka and Mahela gave away their wickets in Galle last Sunday. All the
bowlers really did at that stage was plug away at a line and length. Nothing
wrong with that but nothing spectacular about it either. So come on guys,
let's forget the notion that we're going to belt everything around the
field; batting is about timing and shot selection (except where Mr Flipper
is concerned - him you may cart about all over the shop and good luck to
you too). Let's forget pinch hitting and get back to strokeplay if we're
going to win this series.
10 Things I Hate About You
No, this is not about Shane Warne this time. 10 Things I Hate About
You is the latest teen flick on the video shelves and it is a pretty good
one. Oh the plot is trite and highly predictable, but there are plenty
of laughs throughout the film to make it most watchable. 10 things also
takes a good look at kids who try to be different, not because they have
some deep-rooted psychological trauma in their past, but simply because
they don't know how to express their individuality in other way but by
being anti-social and casually-yet-calculatingly cynical. What one invariably
finds out after a little bit of digging is that even these kids are pretty
normal on the inside and just need a little bit of the right encouragement
to bounce back.
Throw in a teen-pregnancy-obsessed-single-parent-father, a porn-writing
counsellor and Spike Lee for a poetry teacher and you have some genuinely
funny supporting characters for the usual complement of angry girl, duh
girl, macho jerk, nice-yet-trod-on hero, brooding guy that no one knows
too much about and slapstick best pal.
Rating: 4/5
Video courtesy of Pearl Video, 8th Lane, Colombo 04.
Looking ahead, your Vulture is happy to say that the recent theatrical
drought is nearly at an end with Jerome de Silva's production of "The
Lion King" and Tracy Holsinger's "Slag" due in September.
On the video front, I cannot wait to get my hands on a copy of "The
Blair Witch Project", an ultra low budget indie film that wowed the
Sundance Film Festival earlier this year. Reviews to follow...
Broadway concert
Friday, September 3 is the date when "Broadway Showtime!",
a gala festival of American music is presented at the Bishop's College
Auditorium. The concert will feature five stars in Colombo's music galaxy
and a large symphonic pops orchestra under the baton of Lalanath de Silva.
Lalanath de Silva is no stranger to the Sri Lankan public. A dynamic
composer and conductor, his presentations have spanned the range from chamber
music concerts in aid of war refugees, through classical orchestral performances
of religious works, to dynamic premiers of Sri Lankan and Indian contemporary
composers.
Serela Athulathmudali one of the show's young stars has been performing
since she was very small and has participated in productions of The Sound
of Music, Les Miserables and the 100th Anniversary celebrations of the
Royal Schools of Music in Colombo. Serela has played leading roles such
as Dorothy in Wizard of Oz, and Nancy in Oliver. A student of the Colombo
International School, she commenced her singing studies with Mary Anne
David and has continued with Priyanthi Seneviratne.
Tharanga Goonetilleke was the winner of the vocal category of the Concerto
Competition held by the Symphony Orchestra of Sri Lanka in 1998. She is
an Associate of the Trinity College of London, and has won prizes at prize-givings
of the TCL. Tharanga will sing 'Sound of Music' by Rogers and Hammerstein,
and 'Summertime' by Gershwin with the Orchestra.
Chamithra Perera has been a pupil of Mary Anne David since the age of
seven. She is accomplished in the style of Broadway singing, and has a
very natural feel for jazz and blues. She has appeared in numerous productions
of the Merry-An Singers. She will perform 'Someone to Watch Over Me' by
Gershwin with the Orchestra.
Rohan de Lanerolle (Jnr.) a member of the Lylie Godridge (LG) singers,
has sung with the Philharmonic Pops Orchestra, and with the Lanka Philharmonic
Orchestra in productions of La Traviata, and as chorus leader of the Choro
Philharmonie in Rigoletto. Rohan has performed on invitation at the Singapore
Anglican Cathedral, Singapore in 1996, and in the lead role of Narrator
in Blood Brothers in Colombo, 1997. He will sing 'If I Loved You' by Rodgers
and Hammerstein with the Orchestra.
"Broadway Showtime!" is sponsored by IBM and Eveready in an
effort to support the arts, in a gesture of goodwill between the United
States and Sri Lanka. Appropriate American food will be available at the
Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) stall outside the auditorium!
The Circle of life
Majestic masks, regal costumes, saucy puppets and mirthful marionettes
breathe life into the splendour of the musical, The Lion King, as it hits
the stage next week. Under the baton of noted theatre director, Jerome
De Silva, the musical unfolds the magnificent spectacle of Simba's  heart-wrenching
journey to be king, writes YAMINI SEQUEIRA
There are cartoons and then there are cartoons. For those adults who
have perchance had the opportunity to sit through The Lion King cartoon
film, and haven't got themselves to leave before the last frame dissolves,
here's a second lease of life! Director Jerome De Silva and his theatre
group, The Workshop Players, bring The Lion King to life at the Lionel
Wendt, from September 1-12th.
A preview of the play on a languid Sunday afternoon was enough to set
the adrenalin running high. 'The Circle of Life', so brilliantly sung by
Elton John in the film, is given more than a fair run by the entire cast
of 73 actors. And the musical promises to be as majestic and breathtaking
as the medium of theatre can render it, and this is one aspect this director
uses so well. The magnificent costumes and masks implemented by fashion
designer Senaka de Silva are truly unbelievable.
While one may be sounding like a stuck record at this point, the fact
is that no expense has been spared and no theatrical device left unused
in rendering the play a spectacle of gargantuan scale.
A chance suggestion by some friends, to Jerome De Silva about The Lion
King musical, showing on Broadway and a CD of the soundtrack, were enough
to send him across the seven seas to the USA to actually sit through the
Broadway musical, twice! Thoroughly inspired by the endless possibilities
of the theme, the charged director returned to Sri Lanka and embarked on
putting together the cast for the film.
"While this musical is different from the ones I've done before,
I am, and so will the audience - be able to connect with the African culture
so well, wherein the musical is set. Our country too has a vast culture
of masks and puppetry like nadagam and kolam, and these devices form the
bedrock of this musical," says Jerome. Using every conceivable aspect
of puppetry was by itself a "voyage of discovery'' for him. While
the costumes are very close to the original ones used in the Broadway version,
they have been adapted by Senaka de Silva to suit the Sri Lankan taste.
Fabric, cane, foam, wood, have been used in the masks and costumes, with
clever mechanical touches to give the characters like Zazu, the hornbill
or Pumba, the wart-hog, a lifelike air. Moreover, all the faces of the
characters have been left exposed. "We didn't want the musical to
be a muppet show, where we parade overgrown soft toys. By exposing the
faces, despite elaborate masks, we were able to retain the 'humaneness'
of the characters as captured in the film," explains Jerome De Silva.
One of the toughest aspects of The Lion King, says Samantha Wijeratna,
a seasoned actress with the Workshop Players, was the African language
which is used in most of the chants in the musical. "The singing in
this case has to be from the gut, really gritty," she elaborates.
She plays one of the trio of hyenas who plot the death of Mufasa, in cohorts
with Scar, Mufasa's sly brother, who has his eye on the throne. An uninhibited
actress on stage, Samantha's plus points are definitely her clear voice
projection and unhampered expressions.
Another regular on stage, Jehan Aloysius, who was seen last year as
the romantic lover in 'The West Side Story' , is cast as Scar. Since a
lot of the spoken film dialogue is converted into songs, he says, it requires
actors to hit the right note, and this can be a tricky proposition. Jehan
feels a lot more subtleties in Scar's character like the almost effeminate
air, since as he claims in the musical, he is at the 'shallow end of the
gene pool' are deliberately worked in. These facets are largely buried
in the film and are aspects in the musical, that adults in the audience
will pick up on, instantly.
Despite a cast of 73, avers Samantha, the musical has moments of emotional
tranquility to balance the almost chaotic activity of the animals, for
example, during the stampede. The scenes where Mufasa and son Simba gambol
across the rolling plains covered with the gently stirring savannah grass
are well-orchestrated. Kevin Franke as Simba is most lovable. A surprise
is personality Noeline Honter, as Rafiki, the shaman baboon, a role she
has portrayed energetically. The stylized puppetry used has required that
the actors forge a symbiotic relationship between their dialogues, singing
and puppetry techniques. During the rehearsal, Jerome, repeats over and
again to his cast, how important it is for the masks and puppets to be
used to the maximum, in order to elicit a near-lifelike feel. The set itself
has been designed by him and will have vertical divisions, to depict the
various locales. The complexity of the production has called for a large
behind the scenes crew to monitor all aspects like sound, lights, etc.
This musical promises to be a sensory extravaganza for adults and children
alike. For, children will watch with amazement, that their favourite screen
cartoons characters have come to life and are so much more 'real' than
the characters on their screen. It would be safe to say that almost every
child is familiar with The Lion King and the lovable Simba. The story itself
holds morals for children - it teaches them not to run away from their
mistakes as Simba did, but to face the consequences of their actions. Mistakes
thereby, are seen as opportunities for discovery and growth. As also to
remember their duty and position in society and consequently fulfill their
role in it, thereby completing the circle of life. For adults, the musical
will open up a whole new vista in their imagination and reveal the endless
possibilities, the medium of theatre offers.
I don't know about you, but as a 30-something adult, I am unashamed
to say that I am as excited about going for the opening night of The Lion
King, as my four-year-old!
Taking to the skies
By Wathsala Mendis
What's the first thing that comes to your mind at the mention of flight
attendants? A prized job meant for glamour girls and boys, eh? Well, in
a way it is. But it's more the staying power than mere good looks that'll
stand you pretty. Could it be the reason why we have more males than females
in our national carrier?
Being a flight steward or stewardess is not just providing food and
drink for passengers but seeing to their maximum comfort from the moment
they board the plane till they reach their destination. Regardless of whether
they're in the first, business, or economy class, you have to meet the
demands of all passengers and treat them equally well, so that they're
happy from point A to B and will always come back. A good communicator
with a pleasing, outgoing personality and a genuinely caring nature would
be an ideal candidate.
There would be times when you have to think on your feet. Say, if a
passenger has a problem with his or her choice of meals, you should be
able to come up with an alternative. Occasionally, you'll come across that
awkward customer who requires loads of patience. There could also be invalids
or infants who need special attention.
Difficult situations call for calm, cool and collected people who can
think rationally and act fast. A creeping delay, for example, can leave
passengers angry and agitated. Some will miss their connections. It's up
to you to ease the tension and provide them with all the necessary information,
serve them food and beverages, and attend to their needs, if any. You should
be genuine as to the reasons for the delay rather than leaving them in
the lurch. While doing everything in your power to bring the situation
under control, it's important that you keep them posted about what's going
on, so that they'll understand.
An emergency could crop up during either landing or flight, say, a crash
landing or a case of decompression sickness where you'll have to assist
passengers to overcome the shock. Remember, you're responsible for the
safety of each and every passenger on board. Of course, you'll be well
trained on safety procedures to handle such situations.
Proper co-ordination in everything is vital in this job. And that cannot
be achieved without teamwork. Participation in extracurricular activities
will be a plus point in this regard.
Willingness to work at odd hours is essential as this job keeps one
on the go. You'll have to complete 60-70 flying hours a month, with 12
off -days in a six-week period. It won't exactly be to your satisfaction
when you have to miss out on family outings, parties, etc. since you have
to be on stand-by. Now good things don't come cheap, do they?
Talking about good things, rest assured you'll be rewarded with salaries
more or less in keeping with international standards. This will be in addition
to various perks in the form of foreign allowances, free air tickets to
family members, medical schemes, etc. Most importantly, you'll get the
opportunity to visit places others could only dream of! There are also
special incentive packages for those who're fluent in foreign languages
like French, German or Japanese.
Now does that sound good or what?
"I'm leaving on a jet plane..." Bon voyage!
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