Split personality. Liking the arts, especially opera, and hockey and Los Toros. I know, I know THAT one is non pc currently. But I can't help it saw some in Spain and got hooked, but good.
But on the other hand right now opera and hockey are in the forefront!
With just a few minutes to to end of regulations...Barons 4-0 vs Aeros who sport a team mostly made up of newbies.
Listening it seems the Barons goalie is really good. Endras was pulled after he allowed 3 goals, for Kuemper who stopped everyone except that last one on the first OKC powerplay and that's how it ends.
Aaron Boogaard received large penalties,
David McIntyre several as well.
That's all folks.
# Skaters in Bold still with Wild I think..
2 Wes O'Neill D
3 Jamie Fritsch D
5 Jeff Penner D
7 Kris Fredheim D
8 Kyle Medvec D
10 Greg Stewart LW
11 Matt Marquardt LW
13 Kris Foucault LW 14 Jon DiSalvatore RW
16 JP Martignetti F
19 Jarod Palmer RW
20 Chad Rau C
21 Mike Bartlett RW
22 Jeff Taffe C
23 Tysen Dowzak D 25 Warren Peters C
26 David McIntyre C
27 Carson McMillan C
29 Aaron Boogaard RW
32 Mike Hoffman D
36 Mike Kramer F
37 Justin Fontaine RW
39 Chay Genoway D 41 Jed Ortmeyer RW
52 Sam Lofquist D
56 Joel Broda LW
61 Tyler Cuma D
# Goaltenders
31 Matt Hackett G
34 Dennis Endras G
35 Darcy Kuemper G Sun., Oct. 2 - Next Preseason game at Texas (5 p.m.)
UPDATE:
Wild assign defensemen Nate Prosser and Drew Bagnall as well as forward Casey Wellman to the Houston Aeros.
Matt Kassian, Mike Lundin and Cody Almond are on injured reserve.
The Active roster stands at 23 players, with 14 forwards and seven defensemen, including the real surprise, rookie Brett Bulmer (Apr 26 1992 -- Prince George, BC
Height 6.01 -- Weight 165 -- Shoots R)!
Whose name we saw on the Kelowna Rockets Roster as LW just the other night!
Nick Johnson who was picked up off waivers from the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday morning and barely made it to the game..
The forwards: Mikko Koivu, Dany Heatley, Devin Setoguchi, Guillaume Latendresse, Matt Cullen, Pierre-Marc Bouchard, Darroll Powe, Kyle Brodziak, Cal Clutterbuck, Colton Gillies, Brad Staubitz, Eric Nystrom, Johnson and Bulmer.
The defense: Greg Zanon, Marek Zidlicky, Nick Schultz, Clayton Stoner,Jared Spurgeon, Marco Scandella and Falk.
Goalies: Niklas Backstrom and Josh Harding.
I still have to post on Opera in The Heights'La Fille Du Regiment by Gaetano Donzetti.
The first production of its season. And what a sparkler!
Having had a soupcon of arias sung by all 4 of the major roles' singers during the annual OVATIONS event the day before we left for Seattle and Alaska ( thus no blog on it), I was darn sure it would be a huge success! And so it is, and will be for 3 more performances - see how to get your last minute tickets below!
Newly appointed Maestro and Artistic Director Enrique Carreon Robledo
(he, who wowed us all with his conducting of Don Carlo last season at The OH!) had the orchestra well in hand and the soloists played rather well. On the piano Keith Chapman.
Maestro's control extended to singers and chorus who sang with panache, verve and seemingly pure joy in doing a comedy - for a change - in which NO ONE dies! Truly... no one does!
Now, I don't have samples of the voices heard with such pleasure at the OH.
BUT, just to give you, chers readers, an idea what this music by Donizetti can do for your funny bone:
Contralto Ewa Podles
Or maybe you like to soar with the High Cs' - like this byTenor Brownlee in recital "Ah, Mes Amis"!
In the case of The OH! production, which, BTW, was shortened cutting out one or two large crowd scenes and a few minor bits, I guess to keep the performance to the stated 2 hours 15 minutes with just one intermission, the cast made it a very pleasurable and stunning evening. It was a rapt audience of seasoned opera fans and young people from universities and schools. Rather refreshing to see them enjoy this comedy to spirited music!
Erica Miller, soprano, as Marie gave it her all, singing with an incredibly agile, soaringly beautiful, clear voice, with more than just a hint of laughter, she also managed to infuse comic pouting;
all in all, a veritable show of vocal fireworks!
Her beloved Tonio, was sung with staunch endurance (all performances-there was no alternate Tonio) bytalented tenor GennardLombardozzi..what a vocal feat!
And what a delightful smile he had (no wonder Marie falls for him:-)!
And he nailed those fiendish high notes beautifully, too!
Sergeant Sulpice benefited from the worldly experience of seasoned bass Stefano de Peppo who strutted, sang, and postured with some rather, ahem, sensuous Italianate charm and a warm rich sound.
(Chers readers know how low voices appeal to me :-)!
Marie's newly found 'aunt'- actually her mother - was acted with perfect comic timing by the somewhat light mezzo soprano Nancy Markeloff, an OH audience favorite in such roles!
Cameo roles were well filled by baritone Wesley Landry as Hortensio, Maxim Bitner, also a baritone, as Corporal, and Nathan de Paz, a young tenor, as A Peasant.
Among the chorus were found such favorites as soprano Traci Davis, tenor Johnny Nichols, Jr, plus several new comers who acquitted themselves rather well blending their voices under Chorus Master Fuller.
Two speaking roles, Cassandra Black as Duchesse de Krackenthorp and Kevin James Lusignolo as a bumbling Notary, did their bit of slapstick comedy to lighten the mood.
upper row the Marie of Erica Miller
all photos by the talentedGwen Turner Juarez
lower row the Marie of Ashlyn Rust (not heard)
The story is simple, Marie abandoned as a baby, is raised by a regiment of soldiers under the watchful eye of "Papa" Sulpice, who does not quite like her falling in love with Tonio, but because he can't deny her much, says yes to the union in the end. BUT now comes the new found 'aunt' who wants Marie to be 're-made' into a 'fine aristocratic' marriageable young society lady. In the end however, love wins out!
And Marie and Tonio may have lived happily ever after!
That part the opera does not address, alas.
BTW you have 3 more chances to see this sparkling comedy at The OH!
Judging from the blogs and articles making the rounds in the Hockey World... fans are ready everywhere for some hot and heavy action. Summery gossip and blahs are definitely on the way out! All over opinions and comments are sprouting wings.
Those could keep a reader busy 24 hours IF we let ourselves to be sucked into twitter,
Facebook, LinkedIn, blogs and more.
I just cannot see how one person can do it all.
And carry on a normal life (family, cleaning, shopping, cooking)
and let's not forget relaxing with one's favorite pasttimes, other than hockey!
And that brings me to a question for you: Have YOU read a good book lately?
On day one in Seattle (before embarking) The Museum of Flight took our breath away...
planes, planes and more planes, old and new...
'The Newsboy Plane delivers not just mail
A WW I plane looms overhead
Speed and altitude of an SST
SST- ready for take off to Paris? Naw retired, alas.
And this is the one in which previous Prezzies flew!
The current one has a new AF ONE!
Space Needle and
Monorail Track
Just a rather eye catching ad? as seen from above
Seattle Waterfront
And Dinner at Pikes market
after all that, we were NOT "Sleepless in Seattle' at all... LOL.
After the cruise a visit to Seattle ART Museum a must, lunch included and strolling back to hotel up and down those steep streets...good exercise after the cruise, eh?
Protesting - or just gossip huddles?
Lumiere.. but no son!
African Jewelry and artifacts
Watchdog with key to wind up LOL?
A real stick figure reflected inside the this coat of many 'dogtags'.
but my real favorites were the "Caterpillar Suits" by South African Artist Walter Oltman
"Leaves" kinda look like waves- but then we saw so many of those!
And last but not least.. some textiles and furniture
Man and Black Square... my tongue in cheek title of these 2 pieces.
And to round it all out... we have to have well rounded trips, don't we? a Hockey Game by 16-20 years old 'boys' what fun.. full house and - fans there, too, did not like the on ice officials.. all 4 of them (FOUR at a Minor Game?) So they screamed THAT chant that Aeros fans here use for opposing goalies.... just hockey lore I guess ;-)! The Everett Silvertips vs Kelowna Rockets.
Boys - quick on skates, some more so than others. Goalies lanky and agile.
How the fans feel about him!
Coach Love
Brown
Adam Brown for Kelowna, won the shoot out for them.
Kent Simpson a bit slow in getting up for rebounds, seemed to me
Skaters with promise (in my eyes anyway) Cody Chikie,
good sense of where to be effectively,center of the Rockets;
and of the Silvertips Josh Birkholz (20) , RW , a speedy skater; and Ryan Murray (19) on Defense did quite well in penalty kill.
That one went in past Simpson
Brown pushing puck out and away and after a OT and Shoot Ourt the Rockets went home with their first win of the season
But as our knowledgeable host (below in deep thinking mode!) said, the Tips have a new coaching staff, lots of new players that need to be welded into a team yet,
and the Rockets had several returning players used to their coaching staff!
Not all is lost, judging from the onslaught of fans waiting in huge lines to get into the shop the TIPS are well liked and supported. I could NOT believe my eyes seeing all that merchandise with Silvertips emblems.. key rings, glasses, hands, sweat shirts, Tees, Jerseys, gloves, scarves, flashlights... you name it was there.
Also player packets and some even had Kevin Constantine still on it - after all those years - he is not forgotten.
was pulled after he allowed 3 goals, for Kuemper 
who stopped everyone except that last one on the first OKC powerplay and that's how it ends. 
received large penalties, 
several as well. 
vs 
. 
