November 2007 - Posts

• Photo Shoot, Theater, and a Snow Fight!

  After a fun party last night, at the best Brazilian restaurant in Chicago, where we celebrated both Nanae's birthday and our A DREAM OF ARABIA team (MAQAM team, the creative team, etc.) with lots of food, drink, and a big chocolate cake, today we have much ahead of us.  The day started at 5 AM with taking care of company business, then hair/makeup for Nanae's photo shoot at 8 AM, the grueling photo shoot at 11 AM, and then off to the theater to meet with the technical director and crew and hammer out final production details.  That final meeting was like a credit card commercial:             -Supplies for the meeting:  $150             -Cost for stage and set models:  $500             -The look on everyone's face when Nanae and I set up the entire show on the stage with our modular set-models:  PRICELESS!  Some adjustments will have to be made to accommodate for the stage's unique configuration and size which will be easy to do.  There is going to be a lot of work ahead to get the stages ready for opening night.  Overall it was a great meeting and we were even asked to give a lecture to the theater students on how to put a show together - a great compliment.  By the end of the day we were so tired and Nanae and I stopped to get a bite to eat.  At this point it was snowing and the city was covered in white - everything looked like it was straight out of a Christmas movie with the snow gently falling all around us.  There really is no place like Chicago during the holidays.  I guess we still had some energy left as a snow fight ensued!  For a little person Nanae can really throw a snow ball!!  The evening ended with hot chocolate and plans for tomorrow's long day of rehearsals.    Posted Nov 30 2007, 09:36 PM by Bashar with no comments Filed under: Chicago, Sets, rehearsals, MAQAM, nanae, stage, holidays, creative team, snow

• Chicago Rehearsals

  Nanae, the star of  A DREAM OF ARABIA, is in town for a few days so that we can work on some of the dance numbers, do rehearsals, finalize details with the theater, and review dancer progress.  We are very fortunate to have a great cast of professional dancers of the highest caliber with the talent, skills, and training necessary for the show.  The schedule is intense and the rehearsals are grueling because this is not just a dance show - it is a theatrical experience!  Nanae is the only dancer we have ever signed as an exclusive MAQAM Artist.  She is an extremely talented dancer who respects the art, the culture, and most importantly herself.  We take our work very seriously as we have the opportunity to shape the experience of thousands, if not millions, of people of an entire culture.  I was personally impressed with Nanae's artistry, her commitment to be the best, and her drive to create a professional forum where works of cultural significance may be presented.   As we continue our mission of "From East to West, Bringing The World Together One Note at a Time", I am very proud that the bridge of understanding we are building between East and West happens to go through Tokyo.  Posted Nov 20 2007, 08:06 PM by Bashar with no comments Filed under: a dream of arabia, tokyo, cultural, respect, rehearsals, MAQAM, nanae