Barnes & Noble Exclusive: The Phantom of the Opera at the Albert Hall on DVD and Blu-ray

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Barnes & Noble exclusive release of the DVD includes bonus
souvenir program. (photos: TheHopefulTraveler)

Much like how Walmart or Target distribute exclusive versions of compact discs and DVDs, Barnes & Noble has done the same. The exclusive versions sold by these retailers mainly include additional material that is not included in the versions sold elsewhere.

The latest Barnes & Noble exclusive is the DVD/Blu-ray release of "The Phantom of the Opera at the Albert Hall in Celebration of 25 Years". Unlike their exclusive CD releases of the 2008 'South Pacific' and 2009 'West Side Story' New Broadway Cast Recordings, the Phantom 25th DVD/Blu-ray discs themselves do not include any additional material and includes all the same material sold at other stores and online.

The B&N exclusive is a bonus 24-page mini-reproduction of the celebration's souvenir program. The program does not includes only highlight pages from the original program sold at the show.. But what makes this mini program a collectible is the credit for Wendy Ferguon who played Carlotta at the event. Due to an illness, the scheduled actress, Keira Duffy, could not perform. However Duffy's name and photo had already been included in the printing of the original full-sized programs.

Click HERE to purchase the DVD or HERE for the Blu-ray from barnesandnoble.com. Be sure the product description online says "Barnes & Noble Exclusive". The version I purchased at my local B&N store had no sticker or anything on the cover to indicate it as such. But the sales associate assured me the program was included and indeed it was once I opened the packaging.

Above and below: Pages from the souvenir program in the DVD package.
The program includes a credit for Wendy Ferguson (above center) which
was in the original program sold at the event.

COMMENTS ON EXCLUSIVE RELEASES
Now I have mixed feelings regarding these exclusives. First of all the exclusive versions are not widely publicized so you may have already purchased the item elsewhere not knowing there was an exclusive and being a collector you may have to pay for another copy to obtain the additional material.

Secondly these exclusives can get out of hand if you are looking for a definitive version. For example Sony Masterworks released three versions of the 2009 'West Side Story' New Broadway Cast Recording. There was the standard version sold in most stores that included 16 tracks. Then there was the iTunes release which included 18 tracks. The two additional songs was "A Boy LIke That/I Have a Love" sung in English (in the show the song is performed in Spanish) and "Jump" instrumental track.

However the Barnes & Noble release of the recording included 19 tracks. The three additional tracks were different from the bonus tracks on the iTunes release: "I Feel Pretty" sung in English (this song also performed in Spanish in the show) and two instrumental tracks of "Somewhere" and "Tonight".

Thirdly these exclusives are limited releases so once they're gone, they're gone. Luckily the iTunes version of this 'West Side Story' is still available but if you already own the CD, you would have to purchase the entire recording on iTunes. The bonus tracks are not available for individual sale.

If you do get these exclusives and know that they are such, you will probably feel you got something extra rare once the original stock is sold out.

I am happy I was aware of these and other exclusives sold at these stores as I was able to purchase them before they were no longer available. However I know I would be disappointed if I was a fan of these productions and lost out on getting one of the exclusives.

New Phantom Mask Logo for 'The Phantom of the Opera' on Broadway

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Left: New Phantom logo debuts in Times Square at the corner of 7th and 47th;
Right photos: The new marquee at the Majestic Theatre.
(image: Dewynters)

(image credit: Peter James Zielinski/BroadwayWorld) 

The marquee of the Majestic Theatre in New York City got a makeover late in December. For 'The Phantom of the Opera's' 25th year on the Great White Way, the new Phantom logo which advertising company Dewynters refreshed for London has now been adopted for the show's Broadway home.

The former version was the white mask on a black background. The newer logo is much brighter with the mask enlarged on a blue-colored background. For more photos, visit BroadwayWorld.com. For info about the advertising company for 'Phantom', visit Dewynters.com.

Dewynters is responsible for some of the most iconic advertising artwork for theatre in New York and London which includes the waif for 'Les Misereables', the brush-stroked helicopter for 'Miss Saigon', the girl in the wedding dress for 'Mamma Mia' and the feline's eyes for 'Cats'. Below right is the old version of the 'Phantom' logo.

NIght Unfurls Its Splendor at a Matinee: 'The Phantom of the Opera' Celebrates 10,000 Performances

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The Limited Edition Commemorative Playbill.
Click HERE to purchase from Playbill.com.

When 'The Phantom of the Opera' opened in January 1988, few would have predicted that Andrew Lloyd Webber's lavish musical would be celebrating 10,000 performances and on the road to reaching a full quarter century on Broadway. On February 11, 2011 at the 2pm matinee the show just did the former and is guaranteed to do the latter in 2013.

Playbill.com revealed the extent of the celebrations at this milestone performance. But Patrick Healy of the New York Times put the event into perspective:

• The production cost $8 million and has grossed over $845 million just on Broadway.
• The musical has come to define modern Broadway by proving the purchasing power of women and tourists, the durability of repeat business and the lure of the spectacle.
• Thanks to persistent marketing, strict quality control and flexibility in ticket pricing, 'Phantom' has thrived where shows with bigger stars and better reviews brought down the curtains.
• In December 2011, the show earned more in a single week, $1,579,428, than in any of the 1,256 weeks since the musical reached New York.
• One pair of investors decided to put $500,000 into 'Phantom' in 1987 and have gone on to earn about $12 million through Broadway and national tours.
• More than 40 percent of 'Phantom' patrons have seen it at least once before, and a majority of the 'Phantom' audiences in 2011 saw no other Broadway show that year; about 68 percent were women, and nearly 60 percent were tourists.
• On Broadway only 30 percent of shows ever turn a profit.
• The show's weekly operating cost have been tightened over the years to about $600,000, modest for any musical and low for one with such elaborate sets and costumes.
• The show turned a profit almost every week in 2011.
• The musical benefited considerably from the multimillion advertising budget for the 2004 film adaptation.
• 'Phantom' did its best yearly business in 2011, grossing $44.8 million.

Click HERE to read the complete article on nytimes.com. For me this show will always be one that propelled my interest in the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber and live theatre. Though I had to make do at first with purchasing the vinyl two-record set and a copy of a libretto, it would be at least a couple of years before I actually experienced a live production of the show in Los Angeles in 1990. But I have seen the musical at least a dozen times more since and I see no reason why I shouldn't see it again.

Dining at Disney's Aulani Resort & Spa's Ama Ama

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Ama Ama entrance. (photo credit: Star Adverstiser)

View of Ama Ama from the beachside of the restaurant.
(photo credit: MattGeneral/flickr)

Outdoor seating at Ama Ama. (photo credit: HawaiiLogue)

The obvious attraction of Ama Ama, Disney's Resort & Spa's Aulani fine dining restaurant, is the atmosphere. The restaurant's dining room is open air and offers expansive vistas of the beach at Ko Olina and the view made even more striking at sunset when our party dined there on Friday night.

Thatched roofs shelter guests in three seating areas. One section allows guests to enjoy drinks and pupus at the bar. We were greeted by a pleasant hostess and after a short wait (but long enough that we had to sit down on the benches just inside the entrance) we were escorted to our table.

Again it's the view that counts wherever you sit and it's unlikely there is a bad table in the house but guests should request if they specifically would like indoor or outdoor seating. My understanding is that hotel guests normally have any priority for reservations and seating choices.

The menu itself is a lumbering wooden thing with the hotel name etched into the cover. I noticed several guests enjoying an Aulani Wave ($13), one of Ama Ama's signature cocktails. It's striking not for the coconut rum, mango and passion fruit liquor, pineapple juice mix but for the souvenir multicolored glow cube in the cocktail itself. Fun but I opted for a glass of white wine (King Estate Pino Gris, Oregon $12) and its subtle fruity tone.

Walnut bread with butter and black and pink Hawaiian sea salt.
(photo credit: TheHopefulTraveler)

Chicken firecracker with pineapple sauce.
(photo credit: TheHopefulTraveler)

An appetizer of chicken firecrackers (four pieces, $17) is a spicy take on the spring roll and pineapple dipping sauce started our dinner accompanied by walnut bread with black and pink Hawaiian sea salt to sprinkle on the butter. It was unusual to have the extra salt but nevertheless it was an interesting start.

I can't say how my guest enjoyed the rack of lamb ($45) but I was less than enthused for my entree, the seared ahi tuna shrimp with Kamuela tomatoes, basil and Nicoise olives garnished with eggplant caviar ($36). The ahi was overcooked so the sear which is usually in stark contrast with the bright fresh uncooked part of the fish was lacking. At least the remaining ingredients helped to make the dish partially satisfying.

Rack of Lamb (photo credit: TheHopefulTraveler) 

Seared ahi tuna and shrimp (photo credit: TheHopefulTraveler)

Although the Hawaiian chocolate cake with Ka'u coffee cream and caramel chard ($10) did look delicious, my choice was the lighter flavor of the coconut panna cotta with chilled passion fruit broth and green tea tulle ($10). Dessert did not disappoint especially when accompanied with table-side pressed coffee ($9.50)

As characteristic of Disney hospitality the server was attentive without being overly so. Musicians traveled through the restaurant entertaining diners which adds to the atmosphere or becomes distraction if that's not your thing. For the fine-dining prices, Ama Ama should be reserved for special occasions especially if you live in Honolulu and making the long trek to Ko Olina.

Ama Ama is named after a local mullet fish popularized in Hawaiian songs.  Click HERE for online reservations, menu samples and more information about Ama Ama and Aulani's other restaurants. Located at 92-1185 Aliinui Drive in Kapolei, self-parking is validated for four hours with a $35 dining purchase. Hours: breakfast 7am-10:30am; lunch 11:30am-3pm; dinner 5:30pm-10pm. Reservations strongly recommended. Attire not permitted: tank tops, swimwear, men's hats, cut-off pants and torn clothing. See specific restaurant attire info online.

Coconut panna cotta (photo credit: TheHopefulTraveler)

Hawaiian chocolate cake (photo credit: TheHopefulTraveler)

Sunset at Disney's Aulani Resort and Spa

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(above photos: TheHopefulTraveler)

Living in Hawaii I often don't appreciate the things we take for granted about living on an island in the middle of the Pacific. One of them is the simple pleasure of taking the time to admire the sunset. 
These photos were taken on Friday from Disney's Aulani Resort and Spa while taking a stroll along the hotel grounds and prior to dinner at their Ama Ama restaurant. Away from the hustle and bustle of Honolulu, the peaceful surroundings around the resort community of Ko Olina adds to the peaceful feeling of watching the ocean at sunset. There are four man-made lagoons at Ko Olina and the Aulani fronts the northernmost of the four. The photos are in reverse order of the time they were taken that evening.

(above photos: TheHopefulTraveler)

Felted Needle Care Kit

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Needle Care Kit

Notes

My sister knits with wood needles so I made a little Needle Care Kit. It consisted of:Felted Bag 
225 Sand Paper cut into hearts (for small splinters on needles) 
Pure Beeswax Discs (to polish needles) 
Polishing cloths in cut into heart shapesThe Bag:I used the magic loop method. 
Use 2 strands of yarn to give bag some bulk.CO 36 stitches. 
Knit 6 rows 
Row 7: K2tog, Yo, K1 
Knit for desired length of bag. 
Close using 3 Needle Bind-Off.Crochet a single crochet chain using 2 strands of yarn for desired length.Felt bag using very warm water in a mixing bowl with a few drops of liquid dish detergent. Work with your hands or a wooden spoon until the bag is felted to your satisfaction.Dry flat on a towel or blocking pad.This was a fun gift!

Project info

Name
Felted Needle Care KitPattern from
My own design - felted.Craft
Knitting

Needle and yarn

Needle
US 9 - 5.5 mm

Yarn
Garnstudio DROPS AlpacaHow much?
1 skeins = 182.0 yards (166.4m)Colorway
Orchid Mix 4434mColor family
PurplePurchased at
Nordic Mart in San Luis Obispo, California

Seabury Organizers...

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If you chat long enough to any knitter the topic of needle organization will eventually rise to the top of the conversation.  We all fight with the long and unyielding straights, the DPNs that seem to multiply like bunnies and the unruly cables of the circulars.  It's part of the price we pay to be a fully enabled knitter but I found a small way to organize my double pointers.

Part of my Christmas was a ticket to the Marketplace at Vogue Live! Knitting convention in NYC.  It was such fun and I had the joy of having my husband accompany me and actually enjoy it.  Well, maybe I'm taking a little bit of a liberty when I say he enjoyed it but being the good and kind man he is, he fully involved himself in my hobby and made the day so very enjoyable.  When we came upon the 'Seabury Organizers' booth, I found the answer to at least part of my needle woes.  They had an ingenious Spiral system that would neatly keep my needles secure while still giving me completely access and a cool little display.  My husband was kind enough to purchase this system for me along with a matching small project bag.

I had to take a moment to share with everything this very cool organization system.  They also have a way to use the system to organize your DMC thread and it would work great for make-up brushes, pens, earrings, the list goes on and on.  It was such a cool idea and the designers were such wonderful people, I had to put a little blurb on my blog to show off their product.

Please take the time to take a quick look at their site and plan for future gifts, or yourself...

Seabury Organizers

I will be putting a blog soon with all the pictures of Vogue Live! but until then...keep on Knitting!!!

Seabury Organizer Spiral and Project Bag

Seabury Organizer Spiral and Project Bag

Many Blessings,
Lynne