Battle-of-the-bands.info/blog

Murder Mystery Theater, the kind that you can hire to come to your company party or large event, is growing in popularity every day. It seems that new troupes are popping up every day in cities across America. There are several to choose from now. Why this explosion in popularity?

Well a good murder mystery party is truly exciting and unpredictable. If the mystery is well written, it is intriguing and captivating for your guests. When a good murder mystery company does your party, the guests escape to a different world.

When you are talking with a potential murder mystery company, there are questions they should be asking to help you decide on the best set-up for your party. Would you like contemporary settings, or should we theme the party in another era like Victorian England or the Roaring Twenties? Would you like over the top actors, putting on a show, or actors that blend in with your guests and keep them guessing? Do you want a plot that is light and silly, or more serious sleuthing? Should we do a dark black comedy, or a modern Sopranos style parody?

When I was 23, I got my first taste of the mystery dinner theater world. In NJ, I worked with a troupe that specialized in the campy over the top mystery dinner theater. Silly scripts, comedic characters that were hokey, but it was so much fun. That was the style and what people expected. I fit in perfectly, I got to hone my spontaneous improv skills, table to table, cracking people up. I even wrote a campy script that is still being used today by that same company.

A few years later, I relocated to Los Angeles, CA. Out west, the murder mysteries we performed were contrasting: the goal was to have your actors blend right in with the guests, you did not know who was who. The mysteries they solved were actually challenging and intriguing, the writing was superb, the plots filled with twists. When someone would discover something, the guests were truly amazed and excited and captivated. But still I would see too much down time in between these moments, a little slower moving night, and I wanted to see actors talents utilized more.

One character in this style did not blend in, the lead detective was outed of course from the start, and drove the night. A fun and important role, I auditioned for the role, telling the producer that I would be a cross between Columbo and Jay Leno. I developed performed that character in mystery dinners across the country with this company, who called themselves the Rolls Royce of Mystery Companies.

Finally I started my own Sharpo Mysteries, with my wife Nora. We have crafted the company to be a perfect mix of fun comedy and serious sleuthing. We write mysteries with diabolic motives, some characters that blend in, and some that are over the top to keep everyone entertained. It’s a perfect mix. The mysteries are intense and clever, but the main focus is for the participants to truly have fun. We like to add strolling magic and party starters during the cocktail hour, it’s an all encompassing entertaining night.

This balance is actually hard to come by in a mystery dinner troupe, so be sure to ask these questions when making your choice. See you at the show!

Tags: Arts & Entertainment by Eric Sharp
No Comments »

Wear the Batman costume and be good this Halloween. Or be very bad and wear The Joker costume. It’s easy to be someone at Halloween, you can’t be in real life. Your personality can be just the opposite, you are in life. It’s time for make believe.

Dark Knight, the 6th of the Batman movies, is by far the top movie of this year. Very soon it will be the dollar movie in history. As in the past, Batman, the good, is to save the people from The Joker, the evil. They are the prime characters of Dark Knight. Gone from this movie, but not forgotten, is Batgirl.

You will be the star of your Halloween parties, when you wear either, The Joker Dark Knight Halloween Costume or the Batman Halloween Costume. Everyone wants to be the star this Halloween. Don’t be left out. You will also be a star , if you go as Batgirl. Just be sure you have the body to do so.

The classic adult costume for Batman is the Batman Dark Knight deluxe muscle chest costume. For infants,toddlers, children,tweens,adults, and adults plus, the Batman Costume is available. Even your dog can be in the Batman dog costume.

The star of The Joker costumes, is The Joker deluxe adult costume. But children, adults, and adults plus can wear The Joker costume.

There has to be a Batgirl, with Batman and the Joker, available in toddler and adult.

You can add to your own self made costume or added onto the Batman or Joker costumes with, gloves, wigs, gauntlet, masks. There are a wide variety of masks available such as, Scarecrow character, Grumpy, Happy. Joker Clown, Chuckles, Dopey, and not to out in the cold, are different styles for Batman. Your friends, wearing the masks of these characters, will really make for a Dark Knight.

Will this Halloween be your Dark Knight? A night, never forgotten by you and your friends. It will be if you wear either the Batman Dark Knight Halloween Costume, or The Joker Dark Knight Halloween Costume.

Tags: Arts & Entertainment by jmark
No Comments »

Planning for a vacation, looking for excitement and fun filled places then Las Vegas could be the place, and As always when traveling and going on these vacations it is apt to first select the appropriate place for the type of vacation you plan to go on, then after deciding start with your bookings travel, hotel and other transport, before all this plan your budget. Las Vegas vacations can be great fun but it will also require a good budget.

With the internet, it is easy you get all the information online and you can decide as per your budget and as per your planning. There are flights booking online 24 hours of the day and just incase you may decide to go by road in your car then also it will be fun. By road then you can also take the opportunity and visit the other important locations. As Mexico is know for its tropical climate, beaches and Mayan ruins, and Florida for its Disney World, so Las Vegas is know for its exotic casinos and night life.

Las Vegas vacations do not have much for offer if a person is visiting there with children. Children are not allowed near the slotting machines in casinos and the authorities are very strict about this. Children are not allowed to venture outside after 9 P.M. without adults accompanying them. So if a person is planning a Las Vegas vacation with kids then he should ensure that his hotel has ample activities for the kids.

Being a place for the loving people and couples, there are umpteen exciting places to visit. Affordable packages and good hotels are easily available for booking. Here the couples get them so engrossed in the enchanting casinos and night clubs, where dancing and loving is profound. Here marriage is a usual thing, many come here just to get married and have the fun of their lives.

There are many sightseeing and locations like the Grand Canyon National Park, Bryce and Zion National Parks, and Las Vegas Ice Center. There is also this Hoover Dam, and the Shark Reef at Mandalay Bay which is full of magnificent aquatic creatures and exotic fish, where you go through the underground tunnel to view the sea creatures. These are the places you can enjoy with your family and children.

There are also a number of Spas for men and women and a huge number of four star Spas which give the best experience to its customers. With the variety of choice of food and wine you will really feel like a King/queen.

Golf Fans can enjoy golfing from the more that sixty golf courses in and around Vegas and they are not very far off. These golf courses are very well providing beautiful greenery, waterfalls and view of the mountain and it is truly a golfer’s “Heaven on earth”.

Las Vegas being a place of fun, love and entertainment has attracted many top brands and designers to set up their business. Here you can leisure yourself by doing some shopping after a finishing with the casinos and night clubs, it will be a memorable experience shopping as Las Vegas can boast of being a premium shopping destination.

Tags: Arts & Entertainment by Mike Mulkern
No Comments »

Movie rentals are a very convenient variant for home movie watching. The trend these days for movie buffs seems to be online movie rentals. Of course there are still lots of offline rental stores out there but their amount is decreasing year by year.

This is a good reason to use all the useful information the internet has to offer. The internet is full of great movie sites, review sites, blockbuster charts and so on. All of which can help you make the best out of your movie downloading experience.

The have fast unlimited 24/7 downloads, no time limits, resume anytime, no bandwidth limits, no content limits You can download as many games, music, software, and movies as you want. Using their exclusive and easy burning software, copy any file to DVD or CD.

With access to all of your favorite DVD’s and TV shows, the days of hunting at the local DVD store appears to be on the way out with the introduction of this quick and easy movie download system. After subscribing, you will have access to any movie you want, and you will never pay more than the onetime subscription price.

The world of DVD rentals has come into a new phase with the introduction of what is called a movie download service. A movie download service removes any delay and provides the customer with an instant movie to watch right on their computer. This means no more waiting for a DVD to come in the mail and never having to go to the video store again.

In the internet, you can find greatest collection of different genres like comedy movies, drama, beautiful romance movies and musicals, action and horror movies, and much more. Though source is quite new, there are old movies too.

When searching for a full version movie download service there are a few things you should keep in mind. Firstly, choose a service that not only has movies but has TV shows, music and other media as well. You can find sites that allow you to download all of these for a very low price, so make the most out of what you spend.

Undoubtedly, technology in no ways has stopped growing, and with the time, new technology keeps on coming in various ways of viewing your favorite movies. Additionally, it is now quite doable to transfer the movie downloads on your mobile phones and see it whenever you like to and also can share it with your friends by transferring it to their mobile phones.

A customer should also look into the reputation of the company. When it comes to movie hosting, it is important for the company to have a website and a website host that can handle the traffic and the bandwidth needed for such actions. A quick review of what others have said about the company should tell a person if there is a problem with the website being slow or down a lot.

With the availability of high speed broadband everywhere, there are nowadays many internet movie downloads sites on the internet. The latest to join in the internet movie download site is Apple with its itunes movie store. You can easily download a movie and watch it on your ipod, pc or mac.

Watching Internet Movies without the monthly cost offers the best option in today’s Economy Worldwide. As the price of energy continues to rise and an economy that keeps spiraling downward, the cost of living has skyrocketed in various ways without showing any signs of relief.

You should also watch out for movie websites where you can download full version movies absolutely free. This sounds too good to be true however, you don’t have to worry about giving your Credit »”>credit card information. In fact, you don’t even have to sign up to do that. What you need to look out in these sites is the spyware in their movies.

While a majority of people know that you are able to download movies on the internet, not everyone knows how to go about it, and what the benefits are. The good news is that it is very easy, even for the non-computer savvy, like myself.

Divx formats has the best quality video formats so its advisable to search for your favorite movies in divx formats. Some websites on the internet showcase their movies in Divx formats. If you are the type that loves high quality products, always go for websites that has got divx formats.

The internet has given us the ability to purchase so many things. From books, novelty items, electronic gadgets, music and even to videos, these can be purchased online. You’re not even limited to this country alone.

Tags: Arts & Entertainment by Robert Eagle
No Comments »

It may surprise you but some singers were not born with the ability to sing. It sounds funny, but if you can talk or can sing. And if you want to sing, there are ways to improve your singing skills through different methods that you use, the time you spend to apply these methods, and your discipline.

As you start learning the basics of voice, you will discover that other parts of your body such as the lungs, shoulder, neck, nasal area, parts of the mouth and the diaphragm all play a role in your singing. They all work in conjunction with each other and your vocal cords as you sing. Make your fitness and physical condition your top priority as you learn the basics of singing so that it becomes routine for you.

You need to realize that singers can train their muscles in a way reminiscent of athletes training theirs. Learning to sing, thus, is like learning to play a sport, and you have to practice to get better. You have to learn various techniques like proper breathing, air flow, finding your pitch, projection, breath control, phrasing and, of course, music theory.

When you train yourself to practice breath control, you will find your singing improved. Good breath control goes hand in hand with your vocal exercises and warm ups, and with repetition you will do it naturally. It will help you express emotions while you sing also. If you emote well, the audience will feel more involved in your performances.

If you want to be a singer and a performer you must discipline yourself to practice, but don’t do too much as you could harm your voice needlessly. Most people need a teacher or a coach if they take their voice seriously, and it is fairly difficult to find a good teacher. Another choice is a buying a well-recommended onlilne singing course that takes you step by step through the basics up to advanced techniques.

Excellent experienced voice teachers are often rare to locate, and when you do find one they are extremely expensive. Search the Internet for online courses and you will find many recommended singing courses to choose so that you can train yourself. Keep in mind you will have to show some perseverance and self-control so that you can complete each lesson with goals in mind.

What’s great about working with an online voice course is that you can be trained at your own rate when you want. Beginning student singers can learn the fundamentals of singing at home, with no costly lesson fees. Make sure you have the determination and self control to spend time practicing and setting small goals for yourself.

A skilled singer or performer should make a demo tape that displays the best songs. An agent who represents entertainers or performers will require a demo tape from you if you want to be taken seriously as a singer. If you can’t afford it, try to compile your own demo tape with the very best sound quality you can muster. You can always redo the tape with new songs, especially if your voice is improved.

Tags: Music by Thomas L. Smythe
No Comments »