Alegria: A joyful experience

Alegria is the Spanish word for joy. A Cirque du Soleil show is always a joy.

This is my second Cirque du Soleil show. I thoroughly enjoyed their Totem show earlier this year in Concord. Alegria was at the Bobcats arena in uptown Charlotte last night. It was a great event, although I do think I prefer the Grand Chapiteau (Big tent) shows like Totem.

Cirque's website says there are eight key characteristics that make up who they are.

1. Imaginary worlds
2. Dance
3. Daring
4. Dexterity
5. Grace
6. Art forms from around the world
7. Acting
8. Acrobatic performance

What do you get when you combine these eight things? An awesome show! Alegria has been touring for 17 years and it is no surprise. The show was lead by a princess-like figure in a beautiful, sparkling dress who sang her heart out throughout the entire show. The show is all about power and how humans deal with and express power throughout history.

There was a lot of audience interaction throughout the show. Audience members were brought on stage to dance and one even used the flexible bars for a jump rope. The people sitting on the floor were not only brought out to dance, but were also covered in papier-mache. I wouldn't have minded the snow, but I would have minded the clowns making me dance with them, so I was glad to be a few rows up. I am not terrified of clowns, but I have seen It and I have no desire to slow dance with that!

Performers from all over the world performed a series of death-defying stunts with flaming knives, trapezes and trampolines. One set of contortionists did things that I did not think were humanly possible.

A Cirque production is so aesthetically beautiful, it's hard to take it all in sometimes. As I walked back outside and into a (still hot at 10 p.m.) uptown Charlotte, everything still felt sort of magical.

Mr. Shue, NKOTBSB, pelvic thrusts, puking and a close encounter with AJ McLean

As you may know, last night was one of my most highly-anticipated resolution events, the New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys (NKOTBSB).

Elizabeth and I dressed in our awesome outfits and headed to the Greensboro Coliseum. Little did we realize, we were not as committed to the NKOTBSB experience as others. Quite a few people dressed in head-to-toe 80s attire. One girl sewed her old NKOTB sleeping bag together to make a skirt.

The opening act was Midnight Red. Yeah, so let's move on to the second opening act! Matthew Morrison from Glee performed a few songs. He did a great job. Mr. Shue can dance! He did a performance of Kanye West's Gold Digger that brought down the house. He also did a dance montage to an original song, "Don't Stop Dancing" that incorporate dance moves from Gene Kelly, Michael Jackson and Patrick Swayze. You can check that one out on YouTube if you're interested.

Before the main act, three stalls had to be shut down in the bathroom because of puking. I don't know if people were that drunk or just that excited! Either way, that's a definite party foul.

A random girl came over to tell Elizabeth and me that the Backstreet Boys always come in

to the audience into section 112 to sing and that we should be ready, as we were sitting in 112, for a special appearance.

Finally, it was time for NKOTBSB to take to the stage. After one of the longest introductory videos ever and some fireworks, both groups came out together to the melody from Cold Play's Viva la Vida. Together, both groups sang a compilation of a few of their songs.

Then it was time for New Kids on the Block! They sang some of their more recent songs, like Summertime. Then the Backstreet Boys returned to sing some of their newer stuff.

And then the boys from Boston were back! They started out with The Right Stuff, so we knew that it was finally time for our old school favorites!

Throughout the evening, the two bands swapped the stage to take turns singing their favorites. While all the guys (like all of us) are definitely looking older, some things never change. Donnie is still ripped and can rip off a wife-beater in about 2.5 seconds. Jordan still hits those high notes and Joey is still adorable.

All of the guys seemed to determined to grab their crotches or thrust their pelvises as much as possible in each song. At one point, Joey was basically pole dancing on the mike stand. Elizabeth said it got old, but I enjoyed every second of that!

The guys really played to the audience. The New Kids went out into the audience and sang "Please Don't Go Girl" to audience members that were a bit higher up. The Backstreet Boys pulled four girls on stage to serenade them individually. They all signed autographs throughout the show and threw their sweaty discarded clothes to the crowd.

At some point during all the excitement, another girl puked directly behind us. The effort to clean that up and block traffic coming through seemed like a covert military operation.

And then, the moment we had been prepared for arrived. About five feet from where we were sitting, AJ McLean of the Backstreet Boys was escorted out and worked his way through the crowd to sing. I managed to get a couple of not-so-great videos. You can barely see him, but here they are. FYI: That is not us screaming. We're more NKOTB than BSB girls. This, of course, caused absolute mayhem and chaos. A little girl was even pushed, making (understandably) her mother ready to fight.

The boys returned to the stage and finished the show. It was great. Both bands did a great job. Some of the best numbers incorporated both groups. Their finale encore performance was Backstreet's Back and Hanging Tough. Elizabeth and I danced and danced and had a great time. This show was worth the wait!

Why NKOTB will be awesome (Alternate Title: When Ran Met EE)

I was somewhere in the range of 8-10. My mother and I can't seem to remember exactly the time frame we are talking about.

It was an exciting period in my life. I had every single New Kids on the Block album, on cassette, on my person at all times. I slept on top of my bed in a NKOTB sleeping bag. I sang my freakin' heart out, without a single tune in key, of course. I had a NKOTB lunch box, t-shirts and of course some really freakin' awful hair. (Pictured here with my NKTOB sleeping bag)

The most exciting thing that happened, however is when my mom and her (still) best friend Luanne surprised me and Luanne's daughter Danielle with tickets to New Kids on the Block!

This was my first concert and I got to see my future husband (Jordan) perform? Amazing! We went to the amphitheater in Raleigh. I am not sure what I was expecting, but somehow in my state of euphoria, I imagined an intimate candlelit setting where Jordan would propose, (Not sure where my mom would be during this intimate encounter) I would leave town and travel the world.

Well, what really happened was we went to a crowded venue with thousands of screaming girls. And I mean, screaming. And even though I loved NKOTB so, even Danny, I couldn't imagine SCREAMING. Were these girls barbarians? Then, they started throwing their bras and panties on the stage and I got real nervous. What the heck was going on?

So, honestly, I remember the performance of You Got It (The Right Stuff) because it was my favorite and they rocked it out, but I do not have strong memories of the rest of the show because I was busy being terrified. Why was everyone screaming?

My mother and Luanne proceeded to JOKE about throwing their panties and were yelling out, "Jordan, we want your dads!" Of course they would never really throw their panties, but I was not mortified and terrified. I think at one point I began physically shaking.

After I recovered from the post-traumatic stress, I began to love NKOTB again. My love for Jordan turned into a love for Donnie and then Joey. What can I say, I was fickle.

And then, just like that, NKOTB broke up. They became sort of a joke. I grew more mature and I moved on to my Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews and then eventually, that's right ,Britney and Christina phase!

But the kids from the block always held a special place in my heart. And in a little over a week, I get to join one of my best friends in the world for a NKOTB show!

Which brings me to the second part of this post, my love for Elizabeth, EE. Because if this sounds kind of like a love letter, it is.

I met EE in Dr. Beverly Christopher's Freshman English 101 class. There was a really obnoxious girl in there who wouldn't ever just SHUT UP. At one point, when I was rolling my eyes, EE was rolling hers too. In that moment, our eyes met and a forever friendship was born.

I like to tell people, "Our friendship has been going strong for 11 years!" And then EE likes to add (because it's true) "With a year and a half or so of hiatus."

So, 11 years strong, with a year or so of hiatus. While the reasons of said hiatus are the business of EE and me, the hiatus happened and we missed each other. So, in early February of 2009, EE and I reconnected on Facebook and then we started talking on the phone. And e-mailing. And calling.

And in August of 2009, an adorably pregnant Elizabeth met up with me and Misty for a steak at Outback Steakhouse in Charlotte and the forever friendship was reborn.

Just like that, we picked up like we'd never left off. EE was still hilarious, caring and warm, everything I'd missed during our hiatus. She was pregnant with Tyler so our friendship became one where I got to be a part of such a joyous experience in her life. I attended her baby shower and one week later, super cute and 8 months pregnant, she came to Charlotte for my 28th birthday party.

When Tyler arrived, I was in Greensboro within a few days holding this little bundle of joy that looked so much like EE. Eight days after he was born, his Baptist Aunt Randi had the absolute honor of participating in his Jewish bris, one of the most beautiful ceremonies I have ever seen.

Over the last three years, EE and I have started a new forever friendship, one that has to factor in mommyhood and a job that keeps me pretty busy. But we make it work. Because ever since that day in English class, we knew we would be forever friends.

A couple of months ago, EE literally stood beside me, along with some other awesome friends, when we had a graveside service for Nana. I was so nervous and my friends helped me through it. And when she told me a few months ago she was pregnant again, I squealed for joy.

And when I see her next weekend, I am going to joyfully rub her tummy and let him/her know Aunt Randi is here!

And then after that, Ran and EE are going to hit the town and go see New Kids on the Block. Because after the past 11 years, you only do something special like that with those forever friends.

The Fun Factory

Last night, I went to the NC Music Factory, a new entertainment complex right outside of uptown Charlotte.

A few weeks ago, Groupon had a great deal: $20 for six tickets to the new Charlotte Comedy Zone.

Armed with some awesome friends, we started our evening at a German restaurant, VBGB. I had a delicious pretzel!

Then we headed over to Wet Willie's, a frozen daiquiri bar, that was pretty fun and delicious. At the Comedy Zone, the opening act was Danny Niblock. He was followed by Josh Phillips, who I thought was hilarious. He had a lot of jokes about the South, and Walmart, so I could relate.

The main act was Grandma Lee, a 77 year-old comedian. Apparently, she is famous from the Jenny Jones Show, (That's right, Jenny freakin' Jones. Hello, 90s.) America's Got Talent and Last Comic Standing. She was pretty funny, although I definitely enjoyed the introductory comedians more.

The new Comedy Zone is a pretty cool facility. It's sort of in a basement, so it has this nice underground feel to it. The server we had was great. They are sort of like ninjas running around in the dark. I will definitely be back!

After the show, we made a return to Wet Willie's. What a fun place!

My next event is in two weeks, New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys in Greensboro!

The funniest man in America

Wow, it's June!

This is definitely the longest I've ever managed to keep up with a New Year's resolution. Dear readers, I cannot tell you how good it feels to give yourself a nice New Year's resolution.

For my June event, my friend Jean and I went to the Lake Norman Comedy Zone. It's basically just the upstairs of Galway Hooker pub, which turns into the Comedy Zone on Tuesday nights. I will be glad when we have a Comedy Zone in Charlotte again-something not so out of the way!

The comedian was James Gregory. He's an older comedian whose comedy mostly focuses on Southern culture and food-two of my favorite things! He was billed as the funniest man in America, but I couldn't find out where they came from even with an extensive Google search. He was really good, very funny. I especially enjoyed his rant about how he's afraid to fly. That is definitely something I can personally relate to.

It was a great show and the environment was nice. It was a full house, but a small venue.

Next month, I have two events planned so far: Another comedy show and something I've been looking forward to FOREVER: New Kids on the Block!!

Five hundred twenty five thousand six hundred minutes

This month I returned to the theater with my friend Cheryl to see the musical Rent.

We went to Theater Charlotte, a local community group that puts on several shows a year. It was amazing.

The theater itself is adorable. It only holds a small crowd and is a casual atmosphere. It felt like the performers were singing right to us.

Rent is about a lot of things: Love, friendship, poverty, AIDS. Most importantly, rent is about life and death. How do you live your best life? What does your life mean? How does your life impact others?

I don't think I am spoiling anything by saying one of the friends in the group, Angel, dies of AIDS. Angel, full of life and love, leaves behind a grieving, fractured group of friends who have to decide how to carry on and make the most of their lives.

This show made me laugh and made me cry. It is a bit provocative.

An interesting thing about the musical Rent is that it's writer Jonathan Larson died of a sudden heart attack before the show hit Broadway. So, how do you measure a life?

I do my best thinking by writing

Editor's Note: Once again, this has nothing to do with my resolution. But I lost my Nana last week, so this is something I have a therapeutic need to share.

Nana died on Tuesday, April 26. This is the eulogy I delivered on Thursday, April 27 at her grave site.

At Granddaddy’s funeral, almost nine years ago, I stood in front of most of you to talk just like I am doing today. I remember sitting in the pew, thinking there was no way I could talk in front of all those people. I was scared, just like I am today. Nana held my hand and told me that I could do it. Before I knew what was happening, I was standing up there, in front of everyone reading the words I’d written. Nana gave me courage.

Over the last 29 years, Nana held my hand a lot. When we went for walks. When she picked me up from school. When Granddaddy was in the hospital after his heart attack.

About eight years ago, Nana asked me if I would speak today. Even though she’s not here, I can almost feel her holding my hand and telling me I can do this.

Nana loved a lot of things. She loved her flowers. She loved coffee. She loved to cook. She loved naming the birds that flew in and out of her yard. But more than anything, she loved Willie. Nine years ago Nana’s heart was broken. The man that always held her hand and gave her courage was gone. A few weeks ago, she held my hand for the last time and told me that she would give anything in the world to feel Granddaddy’s arms around her again.

53 years is a very long time to hold someone’s hand. And nine years was a long time for her to live without him. She never really felt complete.

Nana used to tell me that when they were dating, Granddaddy would come and pick her up, against Grandma Parker’s wishes, and say, “Baby, let’s go.”

I believe that early Tuesday morning, finally, Willie stuck out that hand that she knew and loved so well and said, “Come on baby, let’s go.”