Touring the Leaning Tower of Pisa

Information for Travelers Touring the Leaning Tower of Pisa

The Tower of Pisa is built using medieval architecture design and is located in the city of Pisa, Italy. It is one of the monuments in Piazza Dei Miracoli translated as Square of Miracles. It started its construction on August 9, 1173, and is said to have stood upright for five years before it began to lean. The reason for it leaning is attributed to the dense clay the foundation was built in. The clay was not strong to hold the tower upright, and it began leaning after the third floor was completed. The government halted the construction for 100 years hoping that the clay would settle and have strength to hold the tower’s weight. Five architects and engineers are credited with building the Tower of Pisa. The first phase was constructed by Bonanno Pisano or Gherardo di Gherardo while the second phase was built by Giovanni Pisano and Giovanni di Simone. Tommaso Pisano finally finished the building. This famous monument was completed in the 14th century, the year 1399 and was declared a world heritage site by UNESCO in 1987.

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Here are interesting facts about Tower of Pisa that you should know of;

1. The name Pisa means Marshy Land.’

2. The Tower of Pisa is not the only leaning tower in Italy. The others are bell towers of St.Michele de Scalzi church and St.Nicola church.

3. The cathedral and baptistery that are adjacent the tower of Pisa are equally sinking.

4. In 1565, Galileo Galilei was baptized in the baptistery

If you are planning to visit Tower of Pisa, then it is advisable to book online since it is cheaper at 15 € while you will pay 18 € when bought on site. When booking online, you will be required to provide either an ID number or passport number. It is fun to climb the tower which has 251 steps so come prepared to have an excellent view. You can carry a camera to document the monument’s architectural design since it is unique and one to die for.

The baptistery and cathedra are equally fantastic tourist attractions which are not as famous as the Tower of Pisa. If you are planning o visit them, you will be happy to know that the queue is not as big as the tower. You can pay 6 € for both Baptistery and Cathedral, and can get to view the Cathedral free of charge between November 1 to March 1.

The tower of Pisa is open daily except on specific public holidays; thus I am important to Google on their official site to know the days they will not be opened. You can access the tower by taking a train to Pisa train station then walking from there to the tower. One can also take a bus or a taxi o the venue if they do not desire to walk. If one is planning o visit the tower of Pisa and the surrounding monuments, then it is good to have ample time o visit them. The beauty of the architectural designs in Romanian style require time, thus book a hotel in the outskirts of Pisa and have the time of your life. For a double room with breakfast, you can get at the rate of 80€.You can equally check booking.com that has over 200 hotels o choose from.

You need to have comfortable flat shoes if you are planning on climbing the stairs to the highest one to have a panorama view of the city. Since the climbing requires a lot of physical effort, be sure to leave your luggage at the bag drop area that is provided free of charge and manned by security personnel.

There are a wide variety of things to do apart from climbing the tower of Pisa such as dining, dancing and enjoying life in Pisa. Carry enough cash to be able o enjoy yourself and attend a variety of events that are prepared by university students in Pisa.

Be Wowed By Hamilton, the Broadway Musical

The New York Times touts the Broadway musical “Hamilton” as one of the most discussed shows since The Book of Mormon, the religious satire which opened to much critical acclaim in 2011. The Wall Street Journal claims its the hottest ticket in New York City.

This play, which showcases the most important aspects of American history, has garnered more accolades than other popular musicals in memory. Of course, you must uncover the reason for the hype behind it before you rush to grab tickets.hamilton3

As its name suggests, the musical traces the life of American founding father, Alexander Hamilton. The riveting lyrics and music are by rapper, actor, and celebrated composer Lin-Manuel Miranda. Miranda based the musical on the biography of Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow. He imagined it as a musical after finishing the first few chapters. Chernow became the show’s historical consultant. Further research on the talented artist’s part revealed that there was a 1917 Broadway play which showcased Hamilton’s life. It had actor George Arliss in the starring role.

Miranda began the Hamilton musical endeavor with a project he named the Hamilton Mixtape. Organizers invited him to showcase music from In The Heights at the White House Evening of Poetry, but he wowed them with the first song of The Hamilton Mixtape instead. It later became the show’s opening number. The musical debuted at the Richard Rogers Theater on Broadway in August 2015.

The production story behind the musical is intriguing. For a start, the show and its dialogue are sung throughout, but this was not always so. Miranda had the help of a playwright. There was a spoken version of Act One, but the artist and his team found that it was hard to go back into speech if the show started with the opening number. Hence, a musical version of the first act developed.

How Miranda came up with the music will surprise you. He wrote King George’s song, which heralded the split between America and England, while on his honeymoon. Another song, Wait for It, was born on the subway. The lyrics in many of the numbers refer to other rap music and musicals. My Shot imitates parts of Mobb Deeps Shook Ones Part II. Miranda’s music has the approval of Stephen Sondheim, the man behind In the Woods.

Casting decisions are interesting as well. Miranda could not decide whether to play Hamilton or Aaron Burr at first. The two are contrasting characters; Burr preferred to take a back seat while Hamilton was dynamic. He felt that like he was in Burr’s position many times in his life. In the end, however, he chose to play Hamilton.

The stars of Hamilton are more charitable than you may think. They performed at events to raise money for the foundation that Eliza Hamilton initiated.

Miranda’s creative efforts have paid off in a big way. Advanced ticket sales on Broadway are unprecedented, and The American Broadway League lauded Hamilton with a record 16 Tony nominations. It won 11 of them, including the one for Best Musical. The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences honored it with a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. To top it all off, it secured the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama as well.

What makes this musical hit the high notes of success? Watching a production such as this is rare. Written by a young, gifted composer, Hamilton has made a cultural impact across America. It gives history a fun edge. Teens and youth can connect with the songs, which rappers like Drake, LL Cool J and Kanye can perform. It enthralls you, although there are no special effects, montages or snapshots. Miranda’s commitment to improvement has steered the show to never-before-seen heights. He took the trouble to collect feedback from the audience after shows and matinees.

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Note that producers scheduled his understudy, Javier Munoz to appear in his place as Alexander Hamilton when President Obama and his family watched one of the Saturday matinees. He did not change his plans, but stayed in the audience and clapped for Munoz instead. It is his endearing humility that continues to draw fans. The creative genius has left the production, but its storyline, lyrics, and music are so resilient that it will survive such dramatic changes. It will open in Chicago in September, and in San Francisco in 2017.

Why are Hamilton tickets so expensive? There are costs to cover. Though the show receives about $1.5 million per week in ticket sales, a significant part of the revenue goes to renting the Richard Rogers Theater and paying the actor’s salaries. Further compensation goes to artists who helped to develop the musical in workshops.

Costly as they are, you may find it getting your hands on Hamilton tickets an enormous task. At present, you can secure them through resellers, but they come at astronomical prices. They start at $139, and prized seats behind the orchestra are at an astounding $549. Some orchestra seats sell at a shocking $3334.

Take heart if you want to get your hands on tickets because there is hope. If you want to watch shows at the Richard Rogers Theater in NYC, you can leave your email on the contact page of the official site, hamiltononbroadway.com. To avoid ticket resellers and fraud, buy them from Ticketmaster, Broadway.com or Ticketmaster Plus. Look forward to shows in Chicago’s The PrivateBank Theatre, where it opens on September 27. There will be extended runs of future shows in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

This breakthrough showcase of American history promises to be running for a long time to come, so fret not if you find securing tickets a hassle. You will soon get a sense of its appeal because it will come to theaters near you.

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Must visit museum when visiting Chicago, IL

The Field Museum in Chicago, IL, is one of the most outstanding museums in the world. It has successfully maintained its status through its size and high-quality scientific and educational programs together with its artefact collection and extensive scientific specimen. It’s high quality and diverse permanent exhibitions have always attracted a wide range of visitors annually.

This being one of the biggest natural history museums worldwide. It offers visitors with so much to learn. In addition, people will find out how epic this museum can be. The services provided are top notch guaranteeing much fun for the whole family. The museum area is great and people will definitely feel safe walking around.

The museum is well maintained by a team of professional staff. This ensures that all the material is kept safe for the longest time possible. In addition, it has one of the best permanent collections that can be found in a natural museum and also it temporarily hosts other museums’ exhibits. It has the largest and most complete skeleton of Tyrannosaurus Rex ever recovered.

3wx7t   There are so many exciting features that make this museum interesting. To begin with, the 14 feet prehistoric predator provides an excellent experience that can be appreciated by the visitors. Also, there is the famous evolving planet exhibit that offers the Sue’s contemporaries which is a must visit for every visitor. It is impossible to do everything in just one day making it an interesting museum to visit.

There are many permanent exhibitions to see in this natural museum. Some dioramas and exhibitions include mammals of Asia, nature walk and mammals of Africa. This gives visitors an opportunity to view the diverse habitats inhabited by animals. Also, visitors should expect to see the Grainger gems hall which offers a big collection of gems and diamonds from all over the world.

The underground adventure cannot be ignored. Guests are given the chance to view the world beneath them. They can see how soil and insects appear from that size and learn more about soil biodiversity and why it is important to have healthy soils.

Guests can have a glimpse of the ancient Egypt life where about 23 human mummies are displayed together with many mummified mammals.

For individuals visiting Chicago, this museum will provide a great opportunity to relax as well as learn so much. The exhibits are great, probably the best in the world. Visitors who are fascinated by dinosaurs will love this place as there is plenty about dinosaurs. This will provide a lifetime experience to Chicago visitors.

Each year, there are around 850 million visits to American museum exhibits. This is by far more compared to the attendance to theme parks and sporting events combined. By 2006, these museums already received approximately 524 million visits from online visitors. Americans from all walks of life visit museums yearly.

26599   Visitors who love anthropology, archaeology, earth sciences and zoology will appreciate what this museum has to offer. This is because it concentrates largely in these fields. It has professional staffs that maintain its collections including meteorites, gems, fossils, cultural artefacts and anthropological collections.

There you have it, so the next time you find yourself in Chicago, make sure to pay The Field Museum a visit and experience for yourself why its a must see.

Cats on Broadway Show Returns

Cats on Broadway Show

The musical that once took Broadway by storm is set to return. According to the original creator, he got the idea after reading a poem written by T.S. Eliot in a book titled “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats’. As soon as he got off the plane that day, he set pen to paper and created one of the most famous acts on Broadway. The musical ceased production after eighteen successful years. At the time, it had clocked in 7,485 performances, for those that can’t venture to Broadway to see it, there’s even a DVD of the show available.

This performance art musical centers around a group of cats known as Jellicles. On a special, they make “The Jellicle Choice’. This is when they determine which cat will get to go to Heaviside Layer. This is a type of heaven for the cats. After that, the cat comes back, with a new life.

The musical begins with all the cat characters dressed in cat costumes. They then proceed to act out “The Naming of Cats’. At this point, the audience begins to learn about each cat and its special characters. All the cats have a unique trait that makes them stand out. A special cat to watch out for is Grizabella “The Glamour Cat’. This cat helps to propel the entire story forward. The rest of the tribe members shun him despite him being a Jellicle Cat.

Grizabella was not in the original version of the production. The cat was only added after T.S. Eliot’s wife gave some unpublished materials to the creators of the musical. After studying the unpublished material, Andrew Lloyd Webber recreated the final masterpiece with Grizabella. T.S. Eliot had written the poem “Grizabella’ for his grandchildren. However, he felt that it was too sad a story and decided not to tell it.

Elaine Paige almost never made it to the musical. Her stroke of luck only came after Judi Dench got injured and they had to look for a replacement for her. The actor went on to produce a top ten recording of the song “Memory’ featured in this musical. The song “Memory’ has gone on to be recorded by more than 150 renowned artists the world over.

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During the original show, it was the longest running production on Broadway. However, it has been surpassed by another musical also by Webber. The show is so beloved worldwide that it is now available on cruise ships. The cruise ship Oasis of the Seas intends to offer a full production of cats.

In the final scenes, the human Old Deuteronomy has to come up with a Jellicle choice. It is at this time that Grizabelle makes an appearance. She sings the now famous “Memory’ song. It is a recollection of a glorious past before things took a turn for the worst.

The other cats accept her back and give the Jellicle Choice to her. She gets the chance to go to Heaviside layer. Before the show ends, Old Deuteronomy will address the humans watching the entire event. The show has a happy conclusion and the audience leaves in high spirits. It is one of the highlights of performance art show in the last few decades.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Usage Of Film Studios For Filming Productions

Thomas Edison started the first production studio in the United States. He would produce small films that were later distributed to various theaters. However, he did not have a solid distribution system. Later on, other companies such as universal pictures took up the mantle to create a complete film ecosystem. This led to huge profitability that has defined film in the United States and around the world for many decades since.

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Progression

During the middle of the twentieth century is when the film industry really took off. Huge film studios were built. In addition, huge walls surrounded these facilities. This was an effective way to keep paparazzi out of the way. At this time is when the paparazzi in this era also took off in a major way. This was in part due to the evolution of the camera. At the same time, it allowed film production companies to protect their content. It would have been very easy for a company to steal an idea and hastily produce a film from it.

At the same time, some proprietary film production techniques were is development. Companies did not want their secrets being leaked to rivals. Another reason for this walls was that it allowed for better noise control . Vehicles in that era were quite noisy. This could complicate the production of audio using the equipment of the time. Production studios also use many lights. These bright lights could be considered a nuisance, which could lead to conflicts with the authorities.

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Today

The use of film studios continues to exist up to now. However, most companies have reduced the amount of space they hold. For instance, Century City used to be owned by 20th Century studios before they sold it off as real estate. However, technology has brought a revolution in film production.

Most studios now rely on CGI to create some of the amazing effects we can see in the films of today. However, they retain huge chunks for when they need to do some films that require physical space.

Some More Advantages of Studio

For one, studio reduces the complexity of logistics planning. Getting actors to a physical location will increase the amount of production time. For instance, taking actors into a jungle could expose them to nefarious illnesses. They could catch a bug or are attacked by something that destroys their career. Natural lighting can also be a problem for some actors; it may mean that they have to squint through the scenes. This can distract them from being able to communicate through facial expressions. So using a combination is sometimes employed, such as movies shooting in South Beach for the beach scenery and than utilizing a film studio in Miami to finish the interior set shoots.

Studio production can also be quite cheap. This can be measured in terms of equipment. Transporting equipment to the location will mean some of it is lost or damaged. This leads to further costs for the film. Besides that, the weather has been of late very unpredictable. A sunny, cloudless day could suddenly turn very dark and wet.

Shooting on Location

This does have its advantages. With a bit of editing, it can lead to some very great scenes. For instance, the film The Revenant’, which won Leonardo Dicaprio his first Oscar, was shot on location. Everything was done using natural lighting. This led to some of the best scenes in filmography in a while that were not CGI.

Why Are All Films Not Shot On Location

Lately, there has been a trend towards shooting on location. Sometimes filmmakers do this because they want to make film real to their viewers. However, this may not always be possible. Some films require the creation of scenes that only exist in the filmmaker’s mind .For instance, the movie Avatar would have proven quite challenging to make on location. It would have brought to the fore the vision of Cameron’s Pandora to the fore.

Conclusion

The main reason film has been moving to on location shooting is that filmmakers want to connect with their audience. However, there is a need to recognize this will not always work out. As pragmatism sets in, most high-budget filmmaking will move back to the studios. Studio film production is the only way to balance economics and fulfilling customers’ appetite. Production studios allow film companies to produce films and make a profit to produce the next film.

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Slava’s Snowshow a performance art show

Slava’s Snowshow

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Slava’s Snowshow is a performance art show created and performed by Slava Polunin. He is a Russian theatre artist who fuses traditional and contemporary performance arts in clown developing for this show.Slava Polunin is a native of a small town called Novosil which is 225 miles in the south of Moscow. His love for Marcel Marceau and Charlie Chaplin encouraged him to develop a passion for clowning. He underwent training in St Petersburg where he perfected his performing arts skills in mimicry, street performances as well as visual comedy. This prompted him to set up his Litsedei, his first company in 1979. After presenting a sensational performance in Cirque du Soleil’s Alegria where he a minor artist, Slave then went on and created his on performance art show, Slava’s Snowshow.

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This show has become a multi award-winning show, winning awards like Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatrical Experience, Time Out Award in London and Olivier Award for Best Entertainment. The show was also nominated for Tony Awards for Best Special Theatrical Event. It has brought international awareness, thrilling viewers in more than 120 cities across the world. The show has made appearances in London, Sydney, New York and not forgetting its debut city, Moscow.

This show has been thrilling theatre-goers for more than 20 years. Slava,s Snowshow presents a wonderful fantasy world, which most audiences have never seen, a world where a cobweb cloaks the audience and a small piece of paper starts a heart-stopping blizzard of snow. The show combines hilarity and pathos with spectacular, breathtaking performance at the show. The Slava’s Snowshow is a science in which Slava is an expert. The show is always seen to seek a new artistic challenge that keeps the team’s stage show attention-grabbing. The show changes direction, style and mood while performing to keep it interesting.

Slava’s Snowshow inherits a tradition dated back to the performance art show of ancient Rome and Greece. Therefore, Polunin presents the art of the foreigners. Slava is the figure of amusement in this show and covertly, wisest of all. He performs like a stumbling fool who, as a matter of fact is more dexterous than everyone else. He is fully grown up, but he still retains his child-like sensation and imagination. This show is poetic and emotional, a performing art that turns the natural scene of clowning into a great skill of visual grace. This show has numerous magical transformations and combines slapstick with stunning imagery. It gradually builds towards the triumphant closing sequence which brings amusement to the audience. This show is a visual masterwork adored by children and adults alike.

Slava also uses silent cinema to thrill his audience. He borrows this from Marceau, who was a great artist, who used great magic silence to grab the attention of spectators. He also borrows performing art styles from Jean-Louis Barrat, a French actor and a well-renowned artist.Although the show has been running from late 1980’s, it has been reinventing arts now and then. Polunin considers the significance of spontaneity as the key to ensuring that his shows remain creative.

The Oscar Statuette Awards

The Oscar Statuette Awards

The Oscar Statuette is a highly coveted trophy that is awarded to the film industry. This award was developed shortly after the creation of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In 1927, the organization responsible for the creation of the award held a meeting in Los Angeles where it was set up its future goals. Among the agenda of items under discussion was the question on how to best award moviemakers that had attained outstanding achievements in life. Honoring outstanding performers were aimed at improving performance within the budding movie industry.

The organization agreed to set up a yearly award program. The preparation of such a program also entailed the development of a trophy that was majestically suitable. One of MGM’s Art Directors developed a design of a knight statuette that depicted a knight that holds a sword and stands on a reel of a film. This first design by director Cedric Gibbons made the first prototype to the present Oscar Statuettes. The design Gibbons was later transformed into an actual sculpture by George Stanley-a Los Angeles-based sculptor. With the first three-dimensional prototype the majestic and world-famous statuette was born, but the name Oscar would later be coined from an unknown source.

The initial awards of the Oscars were issued on May 16th, 1929. Since the initial issuance, which took place in the Blossom Room of Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, 2,947 Oscar Statuettes have been presented to various popular people in the moviemaking industry. On every January, new statuettes are molded and given fine finishes by R.S. Owens and Company. The company has held manufacturing rights of the Oscar Statuettes since 1982.

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The statuettes have a height of 12″ inches and weigh approximately 8 pounds. The reel on which the sword-holding knight stands has five spokes that stand for the five initial branches within the original academy. The five branches included writers, technicians, producers, directors, and actors. The statuette still retains most of its original features of the design, but the size of the statuette’s base had been changing till 1945 when the present standardized size was adopted.

Though officially known as the Academy Award of Merit, this piece of award is now popularly known by its nickname- ‘The Oscar.’ Whoever originally coined the nickname is unknown, but there are at least three people cited as the possible coiners of the name. The first one was Sidney Skolsky, a Hollywood columnist that had gotten tired of writing the lengthy name of the award and decided to nickname it as ‘The Oscar.’ The next person that has been credited is Margaret Herrick. Herrick was a former librarian of the Academy, who supposedly nicknamed the statuette after her uncle. Bette Davis is the third person that supposedly named the statuette Oscar’ because of its rear end that reminded her of her husband when he left the shower each morning. However, the term ‘The Oscar’ was not adopted in its present official sense till the late 1930s.

The Oscar is considered the top award in the film and movies industry because it is among the first awards of its kind to be developed in the world and it covered moviemakers in one of the largest moviemaking industry in the globe-Holly Wood. There are approximately 25 categories of awards. However, no one knows how many statuettes will be given out till the envelopes are unsealed. The nominees are usually picked by the academy and voted on by the populace, and there are possibilities of multiple recipients and ties occurring in the award of the Oscar Statuettes.

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Hope you enjoy the stories we share with you, learn about culture, the arts, and maybe take in some new broadway shows.  To enrich your life with the beautiful world of art.

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Will