I am holding the first single CD of Vlad Krutskikh. It’s entitled “Hello Hello Dance Mix” and has five energetic songs which can be played at every party.  The lyrics of the English version of the song “Allo“  are written by American poets James Koch and Jason A. Phelps for the original music by Vitaliy Ososhnik. Vlad has achieved worldwide popularity as a  lead singer/dancer with the Russian pop group Street Magic (also known as Volshebniki Dvora). Street Magic was  formed in 1989 by its artistic director, Vitaly Ososhnik, and has since become well known on the music scene. In 2007, they received an award for Outstanding Young International Variety Group at the 28th Annual Young Artist Awards in Hollywood, California.

I am glad to present to you an exclusive interview which Vlad gave for theskykid.com only a few weeks after the release of his new new album and the big concert of Street Magic at Novosibirsk, Russia.

theskykid.com :

[EN] What do you find most exciting and/or difficult about being an internationally recognized star?

[RU] Что тебе нравится и какие трудности испытываешь, будучи узнаваемым артистом в многих странах ?

Vlad Krutskikh :

[EN] I am pleased when people recognize me, but I do not have a star complex, I respect the fans because they are people just like me.  As to your question about the life of a star- some people think that is  is simple  , but  its gets much more complicated with all the tasks that have to be done in a day.  I go to school six days a week, I have daily music and singing lessons (solfège), dance rehearsals, I announce on radio and tv. Time for fun is therefore short, so I make the most of my fun-time.

[RU] Мне приятно, когда меня узнают, но у меня нет звёздной болезни. А что касается вашего вопроса – кому то может показаться, что жизнь звезды -- это просто. Это миф. Я учусь в школе, у меня ежедневные занятия музыкой, сольфеджио,  репетиции по хореографии,  записи на телевидении и радио, гастроли. Времени на развлечения не хватает.

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theskykid.com :

[EN] Where do you like to spend your holidays?

[RU] Где ты любишь проводить своё свободное время (выходные например)?

Vlad Krutskikh :

[EN] Russia is famous for its festivities.  The Russian people have always celebrated these holidays with great fun.  I like to celebrate holidays with my family and friends.  For me, being on holiday is when I feel an explosion of positive emotions.  My favorite holiday is New Year’s Day.  It has almost been two weeks since this New Year’s, but great memories still remain. . .  I love to go to the dog exhibitions, together with my dog Cleopatra (Kleopa).  In the summer I also love to roller skate.  On weekends, I am most happy.

[RU]Россия славится своими праздниками. И русский народ всегда отмечает эти праздники с размахом. Я очень люблю отмечать праздники в кругу семьи и друзей. Для меня праздник -- это всегда взрыв положительных эмоций. Любимый праздник -  Новый Год.  Прошло уже почти 2 недели, а впечатления ещё остались.… Очень люблю всякие выставки для собак, и часто хожу на них вместе, со своей собакой Клёпой. Летом очень люблю  кататься на роликах.  В свои выходные  я не скучаю.

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theskykid.com :

[EN] There are a variety of resources on the Internet where one can read about Street Magic and you in particular? Do you stumble on these blogs and have you ever left a comment in any one of them ?

[RU] В интернете много ресурсов где можно прочитать о группе Волшебники Двора и о тебе в частности.Какие сайты или блоги ты посещаешь, оставляешь ли свои комментарии в них?

Vlad Krutskikh :

[EN] Yes, you know, in the Russian language the Internet has several resources -- sites that have information about the group “Street Magic”, and about me.  Our fans have made them. There are only two official sites -- volshebnikidvora.ru and vladkrutskikh.com.  On the Russian site, we make on-line conferences.  They are held regularly, we will respond to visitors’ questions.  By the way, if you think that it is always delight and praise -- then you are wrong … have to read about the criticism sometimes … as for Twitter -- this is probably the only site where I often find myself.  Many thanks to all who wrote on my page.

[RU]  Да, вы знаете, в русскоязычном интернете есть множество сайтов, на которых есть информация про группу «Волшебники двора», и про меня. Делают их в основном наши поклонники. Официальных же сайтов всего два. Это сайт volshebnikidvora.ru, и vladkrutskikh.com. На этих сайтах  мы устраиваем он-лайн конференции. Они проходят регулярно, мы отвечаем на вопросы посетителей. Кстати, если вы думаете, что это всегда восторг и похвалы – то вы ошибаетесь.. Иногда приходится и критику про себя читать… Что же касается Твиттера – это наверное единственный сайт, куда я очень часто захожу. Большое спасибо всем кто пишет на моей страничке.

theskykid.com :

[EN] How do you feel singing in English?

[RU] Есть ли какие-то особые чувства когда ты поешь на английском языке?

Vlad Krutskikh :

[EN]  To sing in all the world languages is impossible.  When I recorded songs in Japanese, a Japanese producer helped me with the speech.  When I work in the studio with the English text, there is always the producer who helps me.  I received very much help from producer Simon Barron and musical director Vitaly Ososhnik.  When I sing in any language -- Russian, Japanese or English, I try to convey to all audiences all my warmth and my feelings, my love.  I live with those songs that I sing on stage.

[RU]  Знать все языки невозможно. Когда я делал записи на японском, мне помогал продюсер по японскому языку. Когда я работаю в студии с английским текстом всегда присутствует продюсер по английскому языку. Мне очень помогают продюсер Саймон Бэрон и  музыкальный руководитель Виталий Осошник.  Когда я пою на любом языке – русском, японском или английском, я пытаюсь донести до слушателей всё своё душевное тепло,  свою любовь… Я живу теми песнями, которые пою на сцене…

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theskykid.com :

[EN] How you see yourself 10 years from now?

[RU] Каким вы себя видите через 10 лет?

Vlad Krutskikh :

[EN]  I really wish my life will be always connected with entertainment.  I love to sing.  In the world there are many interesting things and I want to try myself yet, maybe the role of radio and television presenter.  Perhaps it would be correct to say that I want to connect my life with creativity.  I will do everything possible.

[RU] Я очень хочу, просто мечтаю, о том, что моя жизнь будет связана со сценой. Обожаю петь. Интересного на свете много и немного хочется попробовать себя еще и в роли радио и телеведущего. Наверное, будет правильно сказать, что я хочу связать свою жизнь с творчеством. И я сделаю для этого все возможное…

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theskykid.com :

[EN]  How old were you when you first started to dance/sing?

[RU] Сколько вам было лет, когда вы начали петь/танцевать?

Vlad Krutskikh :

[EN] I was interested in music since early childhood.  When I heard music on the TV, I immediately stopped playing and ran to look. I sang the TV songs that I knew. Fortunately, my parents noticed this and took me to the casting session for the group Street Magic.  I have been singing there for 9 years.  I am now 14 and most of my life has been in Street Magic.  All the guys from our group -- are my friends.  We are always together.  We have common interests.

[RU] К музыке меня тянуло с раннего детства. Если на экране кто-то пел, то я бросал все и сидел у телевизора. Я показывал пальцем на телевизор и говорил маме, что хочу туда. Потом пел те песни, которые запомнил. К счастью, родители заметили это и отвели меня  на кастинг в группу «Волшебники двора» . Я пою там уже 9 лет. Мне сейчас 14 и большая часть моей жизни прошла в «Волшебниках Двора». Все ребята из нашей группы – мои друзья. Мы всегда вместе. У нас общие интересы, переживания…

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theskykid.com :

[EN] What western influences or talent inspires your work?

[RU] Какие западные влияния или талант вдохновляет вас в работе?

Vlad Krutskikh :

[EN] I am not a fan of any group.  I believe in making good songs that inspire your life and personal behavior.  My goal is not to create myself as an idol, but to be a good musician.

[RU] Я не являюсь фанатом каких либо групп. Воодушевляет меня в работе, наверное, просто хорошее настроение, и отличные песни некоторых взятых исполнителей. Считаю, что вдохновлять должна собственная жизнь и личные поступки. Не создай себе кумира…  А учиться надо на классике.

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theskykid.com :

[EN] Who are your idols in Music and Dance?

[RU] Кто ваши кумиры в музыке или в танце?

Vlad Krutskikh :

[EN] I love to listen to music of different artists and different genres of music. But to identify anyone specifically, I cannot.  I listen to what is playing in the car when I go to school or music lessons.

[RU] Слушать люблю разных исполнителей. Но кого-то конкретно выделить очень сложно. Слушаю то, что играет в  машине, когда я еду в школу или на занятия.

theskykid.com :

[EN] What did you think of Hollywood and America? Any plans to tour Europe? US?
How has your association with the Young Artist Awards benefited Street Magic in their quest for recognition?
Would you like to make another journey to the United States and what would you look forward to seeing again?

[RU] Что вы думаете о Голливуде и Америке? Есть какие-нибудь планы насчет тура по Европе? По США?

Дала ли связь «Волшебников двора» с Young Artist Awards преимущества в достижении популярности?

Вы бы хотели совершить еще одно путешествие в США и что вам не терпится увидеть снова?

Vlad Krutskikh :

[EN] I have been in America more than once, to receive awards given to Street Magic, and you know, I still have great memories of that wonderful country.  It is a very beautiful country.  I especially liked the extreme amusement park “Six Flags”.  I even was upset the day when we had to leave.  Because I was very fond of America and I want to return, not for a few days, but longer.  I want to walk in Los Angeles at night … the Young Artists Awards may bestow more awards upon us, I hope that happens, it will realize my dream of coming back.  But of course the most vivid and unforgettable experience, which probably I will remember all my life -- this is the red carpet, which -- when I was on it -- sent shivers through my body.  I privately threw a Russian coin on it, which would make me come back again.  And you know, actually I have always been lucky.  I think this superstition will not prove to be simply just words -  that coin will make me go back to that wonderful country.

[RU] Мы были в Америке, на вручении нам премий, и вы знаете, у меня до сих пор сохранились отличные воспоминания о вашей замечательной стране. Очень красивая страна. Особенно мне понравился парк аттракционов «Шесть флагов». Я даже расстроился в день, когда надо было уезжать. Потому, что я очень полюбил Америку. И хочу чаще приезжать, и не на несколько дней, а дольше. Хочу погулять по ночному Лос-Анджелесу…  Так же очень хочется ещё не раз побывать на вручении премии Young Artist Awards, я надеюсь, что хотя бы эти мои мечты осуществятся. Но конечно самое яркое, и незабываемое впечатление, которое, наверное, буду помнить всю жизнь – это красная ковровая дорожка, по которой когда идёшь – мурашки бегают по телу. Я когда по ней шёл, украдкой от всех кинул на неё монетку, нашу российскую, что бы вернуться сюда вновь. И вы знаете, на самом деле мне всегда везет.  Думаю, что это суеверие не окажется просто словами. А эта монетка – заставит меня вернуться в вашу замечательную и страну.

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Vlad Krutskikh Official Web site ***   Vlad Krutskikh@Twitter *** Street Magic Official web site

I would like  to thank Vlad for agreeing to be interviewed and everyone who made this the interview possible -- helping on the various stages of its preparation (the formulation of the questions, the translations , media selection…etc) . Thank you !

Feedback and comments are appreciated . In any language (-:

Happy Birthday to you.  Happy Birthday to you.  Happy Birthday Dear Billy.  Happy Birthday to you!

Have you ever wanted to send the boys who currently play Billy in Billy Elliot the Musical best wishes on their birthdays?  We’ve collected the birthdays of all the boys in New York, London and Chicago and listed them here, in one place.

Those interested in the birthdays of the boys who formerly played Billy in London, Australia or New York can find that information here.

Thanks to BillyAddict and the Friends of Billy Elliot forum for help in compiling this information.

Please Note:  If anyone has the birthday information for Dean Charles Chapman, please leave a message in the comment section, below.

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“…Powerful pop songs blending Gavin DeGraw’s moody melodies and James Blunt’s sweet sensibilities. 14 year old Zach delivers.”

It is almost unbelievable that few days ago I hadn’t even heard of Zach Raizman. More so because his music seems to be in my favorite genre and I was literally blown away by the songs in his album A Mind To Be Thinkin’ (released in Feburary 2007). It almost feels like I have been living on another planet as Zach has been around for quite a while and has a significant fan base. Zach has a lot of experience performing in a variety of musical stage productions such as “Oliver”, “The Wizard of Oz” and  “The Lion King”. It seems the stage experience is an invaluable step for the future development of the young performers – one off the top of my head as another example of that – the musician Sam Verlinden, who also performs in musicals such as “Oliver” and “Tommy“.

Amid the hours it takes to prepare for school, theatre auditions and rehearsals, vocal lessons, and acting workshops, Zach still finds the drive to work on his own music on his own terms, performing at venues like ‘The Fringe Fest’, ‘Red River Ex’, ‘Academy Coffee House’ or ‘McNally Robinson’. He also hand picked Juno Award Winning producer Brandon Friesen to help him craft his first full length CD – ‘Mind To Be Thinkin’.  “I chose the title because, even though I’m 14, I want people to know that I make my own decisions when it comes to my career, that I can think for myself and don’t necessarily have others doing that for me. You know… that I can think for myself”, remarks Zach.

Zach’s album, A Mind To Be Thinkin’ , includes twelve songs which range from touching ballads to ones featuring up-beat tempos and lively vibes. The first song from his album, Fabulous, has a rocky sound with some well arranged vocals, while the song, Beautiful, will make you remember a loved one and is quite melodic and has cool echo effects to go with the well written lyrics. The song, Show, is to be classified more as pop than rock. The Power of One is a slow paced song  that I can describe with one word only – inspirational. Naturally my favorite songs from his album are the most lively ones: I Told You So and Breath – especially Breath, I just could not resist singing along when it plays .

Maybe you are a long term fan of Zach’s music and this post looks totally out of date to you.  Or maybe you would want to add your own take on his album using the comments system below. Or maybe you just found out about Zach Raizman from this entry.  If the latter is the case, I envy you because you will experience the thrill associated with this discovery -  wonderful music you can listen for hours and hours.  Whatever the case, I hope you enjoyed my introducing you to his music.

I felt like doing another post featuring a few photos taken by me. I don’t know if it’s a good idea – but since the photos in my last article from the series   My photos : Tenerife  focused on one destination or topic, I decided to do a little experiment and publish some photos that have one thing is common: fire and fireworks.

The best practice when posting photos online is to pass them through a program such as Photoshop or PhotoImpact. This time, however, I decided to publish the photos as they were taken. The most recent photo from the set below was taken about a week ago – the rest are from a camping trip a few years ago. As always, comments are appreciated. And, yes, you can see the very first post of the MyPhotos series  here.

PS : I have not forgotten the Flickr Favorites series (so you can see what other people can do with their cameras).

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For half a century the Nicolas stories, written by René Goscinny, creator of Asterix, and illustrated by Jean-Jacques Sempé, have been a staple of almost every French childhood. A few months ago, I wrote about the  book which I discovered by accident. When I read the stories of Nicolas, I fell in love with the book and the writing style of Goscinny. I was beside myself when it become known that a film based on the book, Le Petit Nicolas, would be released in the near future. Thanks an excellent website and creative trailers, my impatience to see the film grew greater day by day. I was aware that most likely I would have to see the film in French,with no subtitles and dubbing, but having read the book I knew most of what happens by heart. As I expected, the fact that my French is limited to only a few simple phrases did not impose any limitations to my viewing pleasure.

The cinematography was quite similar to that of  Toto the Hero, which makes me think that it is currently quite a modern technique which which to do films in France .

A pleasant touch in the film was the appearance of the well known French actor,  Gérard Jugnot ( you may remember him as a teacher and choirmaster in another classic French film  Les choristes). As soon as I saw him, I could not resist smiling, especially considering the scene in which he was acting. The film is packed with hilarious scenes and this is probably the first time I would consider a movie equally as good as the book it is based on. Oh well.  Admittedly the book by René Goscinny is just a bit funnier though in its 90 minutes of screen time, it really entertains the viewer.  But, in my opinion, the film would succeed better as a believeable and realistic story if it didn’t end so soon. Those 90 minutes pass quite rapidly, which makes we wonder if another hour of filming would have been beneficial to the film.  There would have been more time to include more of the original stories, as many were left out.

Overall its a good comedy and I think everyone will like it !

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Blue Jeans is quite a delightful film. It had gained a good reputation since 1977 when it was produced, even if since that year several more films having the same name were released which often cause confusion in people looking to find the French masterpiece  directed by Hugues Burin des Roziers. A charming coming of age plot which has the usual for this genre focusing on first love, youthful confusion and peer relationships. We observe a familiar tale in which a group of French boys are sent to England to improve their English and discover the world …and discover the world they do as soon as their parents are out of sight. They start making plans for how to impress the English girls and most have already thought of a specific strategy. Amongst them is the film’s protagonist -- the eleven year old Julian(Gilles Budin).

Soon after the group arrives in England, it becomes clear that having adventures, hanging out at the local arcade and of course checking out the British girls are what the boys understand by the term “language vacation”.  Julian is lucky to spot a beautiful girl at the arcades -- Janet — and they spend some wonderful times together  -- laughing, talking and holding hands while taking night walks at the beach. The whole romance of first love -- you know the one you can’t forget (nor can I …). Yet, things are about to change for Julian (in my case it was a letter from the girl I loved, in which she told me  that others may spread rumors of her being with other boys while I was away at the seashore, but that they were all lies.  I found that letter odd, especially since I later found out the rumors were true). And in the case of Julian -- he just discovers one day that the girl whom he admired now has another boyfriend who, to makes things worse, is also French, older and seems to be indifferent that the girl with him was the girlfriend of Julian before.

It’s interesting to observe the reaction of Julian  -- seeing that his girlfriend dumped him for an older boy.  He decides to see what that boy has that he doesn’t.  Jean-Pierre ( the older boy) doesn’t seem to mind Julian hanging around with him. At one point they exchange their pants as Julian thinks that it’s the Blue Jeans of Jean-Pierre that gives him such an aura with girls. This act, however, is misinterpreted by Julian’s friend, who starts teasing him about the time he spends with Jean-Pierre, saying he has become “a little blonde fairy-boy” for hanging out with Jean-Pierre, even exchanging their pants.  This is the part of the film that brought back some memories for me as I also once exchanged my t-shirt with one of the boys I played soccer with.  But that was more like a friendship thing than anything else and thankfully in my case the inappropriate remarks did not have much chance to spread. Yet for Julian, things become quite difficult -- he becomes sad and confused, and the other boys in the summer camp make sure that  he is not left alone.

The film is good and I would recommend you see it. I am not sure if it can be compared with titles such as You Are Not Alone, and  This Special Friendship -- even if one may sense some overtones existing in the three films. What really matters to me is that the coming of age story is well told and developed throughout the film. The soundtrack is quite good (French chansons with coming of age lyrics)  and good acting  by the  majority of the film’s cast.

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This review would not have been possible without the valuable support of SCVMC.net who provided the DVD for it.

For its American fans (and fans-to-be), the good news is: one of the best – and, until now, more inaccessible – coming-of-age films is now readily available as a streaming-only selection at Netflix.  (In fact, it’s only been available as a Region 2 DVD since 2007.)  Thus, we have reason enough to both review and celebrate that long-neglected jewel of 1970, The Go-Between.

Joseph Losey’s film of L.P. Hartley’s 1953 novel (perhaps most enduring for its opening line: “The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there”) certainly stands the test of time, though it’s slightly encumbered by a Sixties-style editing technique – namely, sometimes jarring (though thankfully infrequent) cuts between past and present.  Winner of the Palme D’Or at the 1971 Cannes Film Festival, The Go-Between is in no way deserving of the obscurity that’s befallen it over these past 40 years.

Set during the particularly hot summer of 1900, in a resplendently lush English countryside, the story follows young Leo’s at-first idyllic stay at a modest Norfolk estate.  Leo is the guest of his school chum; but the friend almost immediately is confined to bed, because of illness, leaving Leo alone with the adults – and with one adult in particular.

On the verge of his thirteenth birthday, Leo is defenseless against the charms of his friend’s older sister, the beautiful Marian (Julie Christie).  The emotional tangle that begins to ensue, as Leo becomes the unwitting conduit between his crush Marian and her lover Ted (Alan Bates), starts to take its toll on the boy, as the ways of the world begin to open wide his innocent eyes; and the bright shining light of his childhood starts to give way, almost inevitably, to the darker landscape of adulthood.

 As is often the case with disturbing events of adolescence, Leo’s exposure to such affairs of the heart, and his own pivotal role in the tragic outcome of the matter, forever alters the essence of who he is and, more importantly, negatively shapes the man he will become.  The repercussions of that fateful summer will echo down through his lonely, isolated years, until the present time of his narration of the story, when he’s an old man looking back at it all, on the occasion of a return to Norfolk.

Leo is perfectly rendered by Dominic Guard, who is probably most widely known for his later role in the equally exquisite Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975), in which he also played a smitten young man caught up in tides of lust.  Toward the latter part of The Go-Between, there’s a terrific exchange between Leo and Ted in which the young actor more than holds his own with his adult counterpart.  I’ve seldom seen a young actor better control both his words and his body, in the verbal give-and-take of that confrontation.

Harold Pinter’s adaptation of the novel is overall excellent.  For brevity’s sake, there are a couple of understandable omissions, such as the importance of Leo’s feelings of guilt from an earlier incident at school, where he felt responsible for another tragedy.

Moreover, for the treble fans of this site, there’s a moving scene, after a big cricket match, in which Leo is called upon to sing.  He chooses “Angels Ever Bright and Fair” as his selection, and his voice briefly floats across the dinner hall, sounding “like a lark” – or, at least, so Ted later tells him.  (The book has also recently been adapted as a musical.)

The Go-Between, long hard-to-find, is now much easier to access.  As coming-of-age films go, it’s surely one of the finest.

The following is an introduction to the screenplay of the future film Ulterious written exclusively for the readers of TheSkyKid.com :

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A movie about a boy should start with the boy. Mine does.

Well, it’s not a movie yet! For now, it’s only a screenplay, called Ulterious. Once it’s made, however, it will be the kind of film that would be reviewed here, and discussed here, and hopefully cherished, by all those who love coming-of-age movies.

Some of my favorite films are stories of boys caught in conflict: Ivan’s Childhood, The Return, Forbidden Games, Hope and Glory, The 400 Blows, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Devil’s Backbone, Come and See, Bicycle Thieves. When I set out to write this screenplay, I kept those films in mind.

Ulterious is a story of good versus evil, as two teenage boys square off against each other. One boy, Caio, is a skateboarding detective – the story starts with him, as he’s the hero, a sort of junior Philip Marlowe on wheels, cheap cigarettes and all. The bad boy, Max, a Katrina Orphan, is cold and deadly, in the classic “Bad Seed” mode – we learn that fact about him early on.

As the tale begins, Caio’s best friend, Tadeu, has gone missing. Max is the reason why. Once Caio’s investigation starts to unfold, he begins to suspect Max; then, more than anything, he wants to bring Max down, hard and fast.

But, as Max is modeled on The Talented Mr. Ripley, he proves a very slippery fish to catch.

In a film like Talented Mr. Ripley (or Purple Noon, another interpretation of the same Patricia Highsmith novel), the audience is tricked into pulling for the bad guy, despite all their best impulses. (Of course, it helps to cast Matt Damon or Alain Delon as Ripley.)

Well, in Ulterious, I want the viewer, in the face of all moral qualms, to want Max to get away with it, no matter how bad Max has been, and no matter how much they’d like to see Caio catch him. (Fortunately, like the Ripley books, I have sequels in mind, so I don’t want Max to get caught either!)

For a story like this to succeed on the screen, the bad kid has to be good at being bad, but in a likeable way. In a film like Joshua, for instance, the filmmakers make the boy look perfect: not a hair out of place, his every word precise, his tie straight, his khakis obsessively creased. How could there be something wrong with Joshua when he looks so right?

Max, however, is an anomaly: he’s a poor black kid (Louisiana Creole) transplanted and adopted into blue-blooded Boston – into the Northups, an old-money family on the North Shore. He didn’t fit in, at first. By the time the story begins, however, he’s overcome all obstacles that he’s confronted and conquered almost everyone whose ever had the nerve to stand in his way (with the possible exception of his racist great-grandfather).

To help make the opposition between Caio and Max more physical, I made them wrestlers. Caio has always gotten the better of Max on the wrestling mat. Furthering their antagonistic relationship, Caio represents the lowly public middle school, whereas Max fights for the upper-crust Northup Prep squad.

In the background of all this, there are two other teen boys who figure prominently in the Ulterious storyline: one, most obviously, is the missing boy, Caio’s best friend. Tadeu is also a wrestler, but he’s night-and-day different from Caio. For one thing, he’s gay – and just starting to become up-front about his sexuality, so that there’s no doubt in anyone’s mind.

The other boy is a runaway slave, who escaped on the Underground Railroad 150 years previously. Like Tadeu, his journey ended at the old Northup house, where Max now resides. Thus, the past becomes the present, as original sins begin to stain the modern fabric, and everything comes full circle, pulling Caio and Max down deeper into a spiral that will lead them onward.

Ulterious is a completed, 119-page screenplay, available as a .pdf, .txt, or .fdr file. It’s low-budget, high-quality, good to go.

For more information, please see my blog.

Do you remember Ricky Rodríguez? He is the young star in the feature film Muchacho del Flamenco. Ricky was already featured at theskykid.com when he agreed to an exclusive interview right after he got his role in the film. As many of you were interested in the recent developments about the film,  I contacted  the  film’s producer, Mr.Stephen Rider, asking him for an update.  He informed me that Ricky and the famous flamenco dancer and choreographer  Rafael Amargo are already working together at Rafael’s show and are already developing a strong bond. Mr.Ryder also provided a short video clip which once again demonstrates the extraordinary talent of the young Spanish dancer:

( the quality is not perfect , but the video is superb and quite rare)

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Highly recommended to me as a powerful and emotional drama, The Leaving of Liverpool became a film I was looking forward to see. Moreover, I was impatient to see if this made-for-TV film would be good enough to compare with the best coming of age movies made for TV as outlined in a post I wrote last year. Before you go on reading the review, keep in mind that I was warned of several shocking scenes – which may make the film unsuitable for people under the age of twelve.

The film tells the story of a group of British orphans who, after the end of WWII, are send to Australia and other parts of the world that once were part of the British Empire. in an attempt to offer them a chance to start a new life amongst the so called “Commonwealth“.   The story begins at an orphanage located in Liverpool where we first observe the way the children were treated by the ones responsible for their upbringing. Strict discipline and corporal punishment were common at many institutions ran by the Catholic Church.

We are introduced to the characters on whom the film will focus. Christine Tremarco and Kevin Jones star in the roles of Lily and Bert. Both first time actors they deliver  extraordinary performances to which the film owes much of its success. Lily is brought to the orphanage by her mother, who leaves her there with a promise to be back in six months.  Bert, who has spend most of his childhood at the institution, notices Lily’s distress and, along with his best friend  – a young deaf boy ( David Kaff ) - tries to distract the scared girl by showing her how to march.

Soon the kids are gathered into the study hall for an important announcement. They are to be sent to different countries to experience “great adventures” and contribute to the educated white population of several countries such as Australia, New Zealand and Canada. When Lily and Bert hear the announcement in the school hall, they are quite  confused by it -  Lily is scared and does not want to live in any other country, but wait at the orphanage for her mother.  Burt convinces her that it’s all just a game and nobody is going to be sending them anywhere.  That’s only logical he tells her.

Yet, it turns out that the child migration schemes are quite real and in the next scenes we observe how the kids are prepared for their “big  adventure”. They find themselves in an operating room, their tonsils being removed and next  at the harbor waiting to board a huge ship designated to Australia. Once they arrive in Australia, after a long sea trip that does not pass without accidents, the kids are separated – girls from boys, brothers from sisters - and sent to distinct parts of the country.  Yet, instead of being housed with a new family, or finding themselves in better conditions, the children are sent to work camps and reformatory institutions.

The first part of the film focuses on the experiences of Bart and his best friend, sent to Bindoon in Western Australia where the boys are used as slave labour to build a new religious seminary. The second part of the film focuses on Lily. Separated from  the boys upon arrival, she is made to believe that her own mother signed a paper which allowed the people governing the immigrant program to send her whenever they desired.  This Australian screen website features a great overview of the film, featuring Curator’s notes and two clips from it.

AP Photo/National Archives of Australia

The Leaving of Liverpool is based on real  events as was recently confirmed by the Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd who issued an apology to thousands of impoverished British children shipped to Australia. You can find an article related to this at Newser.com which is illustrated with three documentary photographs. The New York Times also has an extensive article on the subject titled Australian Leader Apologizes to the ‘Lost Innocents’ .

The film is set to a slow pace and its total duration is 205 minutes. It was first broadcast in the form of mini series back in 1992. In their reviews of “The Leaving of Liverpool“, many people wrote that the film touched their hearts.  Being a fan of  realistic dramas, I was expecting that my experience wouldn’t be much different. Yet, after the final credits rolled, I admitted to myself that even if the film was good and the story well told it failed to “involve me emotionally as much as some other dramas such as ” The Cure ” or ” Song for a Raggy Boy“. The film, however, is a must see for every fan of the coming of age genre as the story of Lily and Burt demonstrate the best characteristics of coming of age films focusing on the characters’ life changing experiences up to and through adulthood.

I would not hesitate to recommend The Leaving of Liverpool, but suggest that, because of its length, one is better off seeing its two parts on two separate days as this would allow for more time to reflect on the scenes in the film.

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The first production of Billy Elliot the Musical in a country where the primary language is not English, will open in Korea this coming August at the LG Art Center in Seoul.  The show has traditionally been popular with Asians visiting London’s West End. However,  many fans of the musical are taking a wait-and-see attitude about whether this story of a coal miner’s son from the north of England in the 1980’s -- with its Geordi accented English that the show’s casts have had to master whereever it has been performed around the world up to now -- will stage well when performed in a language other than English. Some wonder whether the lack of  that distinct sounding dialect will lead to the loss of the  feel of “Englishness” that it is believed contributes a great deal to the production’s success.  It’ll be a test of the show’s ability to transcend cultures and language and may have impact on future productions of BETM in countries where English isn’t the primary language.  Productions  have already been announced for Japan, Holland and Germany starting in 2011.

Preparations for the Korean version of the show got underway with auditions for boys 10-13, almost a year ago in February, 2009 in Seoul, and continued around Korea through the summer. From the hundreds of boys who tried out, the number was whittled down to 10 finalists who then began attending “Billy School” — the year long training/rehearsal program first developed by the creative team of the show for the original London production.

The school, which has been underway since late last summer, includes training in singing, dance (ballet, street, tap and acrobatics) and acting.

In the following two pieces of video footage recently released, it appears the school is going well and the boys are rounding into shape to play the demanding role of Billy.

Credit: Videos by nellojnkeis

As the time gets closer to the opening of the show, watch this space for additional information on the Korean production.

Get your tickets for Billy Elliot the Musical at :

Billy Elliot tickets