Akeelah and the Bee Comes to Life At Arena Stage!

(L to R) Johannah Easley, Sean Phinney, Leo James, Molly Yeselson and Ana Christine Evans in Children’s Theatre Company’s Akeelah and the Bee at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater November 13-December 27, 2015. Photo by Dan Norman.

If you are in the Washington, DC area this holiday season, you must take a trip to the south side Chicago neighborhood recreated on Arena Stage to see AKEELAH AND THE BEE – now playing through December 27, 2015!  Doug Atchison’s 2006 original screenplay was adapted for the stage by Cheryl L. West and directed by Charles Randolph-Wright.  West and Randolph-Wright recreate a modern version of the beloved film that appeals to audiences of all ages and backgrounds.  We had so much FUN – laughing, cheering, hoping and falling in love all over again with our favorite characters.  The live performance puts you right on their block,  in their homes, their school and at the National Spelling Bee itself!  The stage and theater create a sense of intimacy that really makes Akeelah and the Bee come alive!  It’s an experience you don’t want to miss.

 

Zaria Graham as Georgia, Nathan Barlow as Reggie, Aimee K. Bryant as Gail and James A. Williams as Dr. Larabee in Children’s Theatre Company’s Akeelah and the Bee at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater November 13-December 27, 2015. Photo by Dan Norman.

We all go through life aspiring to dreams and passions that people around us don’t understand.  However, Akeelah shows us that sometimes you have to do what is necessary to make those dreams come true for yourself.  If you have at least one person in your life that you can find to inspire you, the others in your life will be inspired by your ardent pursuit of your dreams and will be come your biggest fans!

(L to R) Leo James, Johannah Easley and Shavunda Horsley in Children’s Theatre Company’s Akeelah and the Bee at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater November 13-December 27, 2015. Photo by Dan Norman.

 

(L to R) Greta Oglesby as Batty Ruth and Milton Craig Nealy as Drunk Willie in Children’s Theatre Company’s Akeelah and the Bee at Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater November 13-December 27, 2015. Photo by Cameron Whitman.

 

The talent in this production is BRILLIANT and EXCEPTIONAL!  Each character is flawlessly portrayed and fully developed. I look forward to following many of the actors in future performances.  They each have an amazing gift and I thank them for wanting to share it with the world.

Treat you and your family to the gift of a live performance of AKEELAH AND THE BEE this holiday season!  I promise, you will not be disappointed.  ~ @Lifeisanexquisitejourney

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Embracing My 50th Season of My Exquisite Journey

I had a chance to spend a couple of days in South Beach, Miami to celebrate my 50th birthday!  I loved every moment of it!

Sunrise Salutations for 2015

Happy New Year!  I was so excited that I made it to my destination to watch the first sunrise of 2015!  I love the quiet in the morning when most people are sleeping and the time to just reflect on God’s awesome creation.  In the dawn of a new day, I can reflect and connect with my Creator.  It is a very personal time for me!  (Now this is the first time that I am noticing this little yellow dot in the photos – any insight on how to avoid that in the future will be appreciated!)

Tips to Avoid Blurry iPhone Photos

If you are like me and probably most anyone with a cell phone these days,  you are snapping photos left and right!   Over the past couple of years, I have been intentionally taking photos of our everyday activities.  The reason I named my blog Life is an Exquisite Journey was to be able to capture some of the exquisite moments that me and my children experience on our collective and individual journeys.

It is amazing to me how much more attentive I have become to the details of life and the beauty around me while viewing my world through my iPhone camera lens.  My iPhone cameras has been the gateway to my actively engaging in my love for photography.  I’ve always admired the work of other photographers and now I am developing an eye for my own personal artistic perspective.  I devour every new piece of information that I receive to be able to incorporate a new technique or strategy for the next photo opportunity.

Today, I ran across this article,    How to Never Take A Blurry iPhone Photo Again, by Emil Pakarklis.  Emil shares several key points to remember when taking your photos:

1.  Don’t Rely on Auto-Focus

2.  Keep Your iPhone Steady

3.  Reduce the Effects of Movement

As I was leaving the Salamander Resort & Spa early this morning, I tried to grab of photo of this piece of art.  It is a map of Virginia framed in metal and filled in with corkscrews!  It represents the myriad of Virginia wineries that are sprinkled throughout the state.  The detail and variant colors of the corkscrews is what really attracted me to the piece.  However, I tried to take the photo while I was walking through the room.  Instead, I should have “reduced the effects of movement” as Emil suggests and stopped to manually focus the image in my camera lens, while keeping my iPhone steady.  I  would have gotten the desired result – a photo capturing the detail that I could see with my naked eye.

Emil provides great visual images of the PROBLEM PHOTO and the PHOTO with the SOLUTION applied.  Great tips as I try to work towards perfecting my craft.  I thought you might be interested in Emil’s suggestions as well!

Meanwhile, I need to make plans for my next visit to Salamander Resort & Spa to retake this photo and many other exquisite captures!

Hugs and Blessings!

Life is an Exquisite Journey

 

 

 

Farmers Market: Vibrant Color, Vibrant Taste

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16 Things You Need To Know Before You Date An Introvert

It is very important to appreciate the personality differences in one another. It helps us to build stronger, lasting, fulfilling relationships. I am very much the introvert and these reminders on how to relate with us are right on point!

Zola’s Exquisite Journey as a Classical Double Bassist

NSO Summer Music Institute Orchestra

“The National Symphony Orchestra Summer Music Institute is a four-week festival of orchestral and chamber music for young people ages 14-21 at the Kennedy Center. Musicians from around the country participate in the Institute, which consists of orchestral and chamber music coached by NSO musicians, conducting and master classes, private lessons with NSO musicians, and additional enrichment sessions. Several of the local students are graduates or current participants of the NSO Youth Fellowship Program, an orchestral training program for talented young musicians. Also included are students participating in the Young Artists’ of Color national training initiative of the Kennedy Center.” The National Symphony Orchestra Summer Music Institute is a four-week festival of orchestral and chamber music for young people ages 14-21 at the Kennedy Center. Musicians from around the country participate in the Institute, which consists of orchestral and chamber music coached by NSO musicians, conducting and master classes, private lessons with NSO musicians, and additional enrichment sessions. Several of the local students are graduates or current participants of the NSO Youth Fellowship Program, an orchestral training program for talented young musicians. Also included are students participating in the Young Artists’ of Color national training initiative of the Kennedy Center.  – NSO – SMI website.

My daughter, Zola, a classical double bassist, had the distinct honor and pleasure of performing with the NSO Summer Music Institute Orchestra the past two years.  What an amazing experience and opportunity!  If you have any young musicians in your life, encourage them to apply for the NSO Youth Fellowship.  It includes housing, a stipend, and intense training and performance experiences!

Last night, I had the pleasure of attending the final performance of the NSO Summer Music Institute Orchestra which was held in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall.  Simply PHENOMENAL!  It is always a WONDER for me to sit in front of the Double Bass Section and watch my daughter transform right in front of my eyes.  She fully immerses her soul and her being into this gift that she has been given.  I am thankful for the doors that have been opened for her through her dedication, hard work and talent.  May Zola continue to inspire others along her Exquisite Journey!

Enjoy  last night’s performance!

 

 

Exquisite Moment of the Day

The MOST Exquisite Moment: Seeing My Billboard Ad in New York City!

From the first Facebook post from my college friend to the 2:44 a.m. text on Sunday morning from a high school friend telling me that they saw my face on a billboard in NYC,  I knew I would  go completely BONKERS if I did not have a chance to see the billboard for myself!  I mean it is not every day that a mom of five meets a photographer, poses for some shots for an ad campaign and then ends up in the featured photo of a New York Times article that highlights the campaign and the billboard with her image on it!  WHEW!  Talk about a series of EXQUISITE MOMENTS!

In comes the most generous and thoughtful exquisite gesture – an offer to fund my trip to NYC so that I can see the billboard for myself!  I have tears in my eyes just thinking about the magnitude of this gesture in my heart.  So off I go – on a day trip to see myself on 42nd Street in NYC!  I was so excited I couldn’t sleep.  I got three hours of sleep before I had to ride to the bus station which thankfully was only 10 minutes away.  I thought I would get some sleep on the bus – but NO!  I was just to exited about the whole entire trip because this was my first time going to New York City and I was so looking forward to the adventure!

The bus arrived in the city at 12 noon.  It was the perfect day to walk the city!  With so much to see but first things first, I have to make my way to the Pfizer Building.  GPS in hand in Walking Mode of Transport here I go.  I will confess I got turned around for a minute but I finally found my footing and was on my way!

 

As I was taking in all of the sights I realized I was almost there!  The address f the Pfizer Building is 235 E. 42nd Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues!

Then there it was!!!  It is REALLY BIG!!!  LOL!  But I was so happy to finally be able to see it in real life!  As Exquisite Moments would have it, an employee recognized me as I was getting my photo taken in front of the billboard.  She was so excited to see one of the models live, that she rushed me into the lobby and ran upstairs to grab one of the executives in charge of the campaign.  Lo and behold, it was one of the executives that was there at the photo shoot!

As you can see I am quite happy that I finally had a chance to see the billboard live and in person!

ICYMI: There’s a NEW face on 42nd Street – MINE!

When I did my first photo shoot last month, I never thought my face would end up on a huge ad banner on 42nd Street, or featured in the New York Times. Perhaps you saw the article about the launch of Pfizer’s “Fear of Getting Old” (#FOGO) campaign?  With a social media campaign emphasis, the article is going viral.

 

Pfizer’s new campaign is an effort to refocus on an initiative carrying the theme “Get old.” Credit Wendy Barrows

 

It’s a bit of a fairy tale story – local mom from Fairfax County, VA meets photographer, poses for corporate ad and her image is chosen as one of the faces of a splashy new campaign.

Who knows what’s next??!!!

The #FOGO Girl ~ Michelle Lynn Thompson