Tag: Gary Mitchel

Culture on My Mind – The Impact of Theatre Education

Michael FalknerLeave a comment

Culture on My Mind

Culture on My Mind
The Impact of Theatre Education
May 26, 2023

This week, I’m back to the performing arts with the Theater and Musical Lovers YouTube Channel.

The channel and its associated Facebook group were established as an unofficial gathering of Dragon Con attendees who love theater, musicals, and the performing arts. Their goal is to create a community of fellow thespians and fans at the convention. This time, they took on education.

“Learning is about much more than science and math. Doing theater, music, and art in school really helps children’s minds grow because they’re using different parts of their brains. Parents who care should insist on that.”

– Julie Taymour

Theater is often thought of as a hobby and relegated to the sides of education that are considered less important than math, science, and other technical fields. On May 16th, Gary Mitchel and Sarah Rose were joined by educators who disagree with that assessment and they discussed why theatre education is important in today’s world, the lasting impacts it makes, and why we all should encourage more arts education in schools and communities.

This panel’s guests included Jennifer Simmons, Primetime Steve, Alicia, and Charles Pillsbury III. 

Note: Depending on security settings, you may have to click below to see the video directly on YouTube. You should definitely subscribe to their channel for more updates.

The Theater and Musical Lovers Group will be hosting more of these panels. If you’re interested in participating or have some topic ideas in mind, head over to the group on Facebook and drop them a line. You can also find them on Instagram and coming soon on TikTok.

You can find Gary and Sarah on the socials: On Twitter, they are Gary_Mitchel, SarahRose_KPK, and Daisuki_Suu; on Instagram, they are Gary_Mitchel and Daisuki_Suu; and Gary’s horror-themed podcast that he hosts with Erin McGourn is A Podcask of Amontillado. Of course, the Theater & Musical Lovers channel can be found on YouTube.

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Culture on My Mind is inspired by the weekly Can’t Let It Go segment on the NPR Politics Podcast where each host brings one thing to the table that they just can’t stop thinking about.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

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Culture on My Mind – Phantom of the Opera: A Salute to the Music of the Night

Michael FalknerLeave a comment

Culture on My Mind

Culture on My Mind
Phantom of the Opera: A Salute to the Music of the Night
May 1, 2023

This week, I’m back to the performing arts with the Theater and Musical Lovers YouTube Channel.

The channel and its associated Facebook group were established as an unofficial gathering of Dragon Con attendees who love theater, musicals, and the performing arts. Their goal is to create a community of fellow thespians and fans at the convention. This time, they took on a champion of Broadway.

For 37 years, The Phantom of the Opera has been there, inside our minds! From its debut in the West End through its legendary run on Broadway, Phantom has dominated what most people think about when you mention theater.

On April 21st, Sarah Rose was joined by guests Lauren, Max, Ashley, Kurt, and Jenn to discuss the sweet intoxication, the chandelier, the secret sewer lair, and the music of the night. 

Note: Depending on security settings, you may have to click through below to see the video directly on YouTube. You should definitely subscribe to their channel for more updates.

The Theater and Musical Lovers Group will be hosting more of these panels. If you’re interested in participating or have some topic ideas in mind, head over to the group on Facebook and drop them a line. You can also find them on Instagram and coming soon on TikTok.

You can find Gary and Sarah on the socials: On Twitter, they are Gary_Mitchel, SarahRose_KPK, and Daisuki_Suu; on Instagram, they are Gary_Mitchel and Daisuki_Suu; and Gary’s horror-themed podcast that he hosts with Erin McGourn is A Podcask of Amontillado. Of course, the Theater & Musical Lovers channel can be found on YouTube.

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Culture on My Mind is inspired by the weekly Can’t Let It Go segment on the NPR Politics Podcast where each host brings one thing to the table that they just can’t stop thinking about.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

Culture on My Mind – A Great Ape at 90

Michael FalknerLeave a comment

Culture on My Mind

Culture on My Mind
A Great Ape at 90
April 21, 2023

This week, I’m thinking about the king of kongs.

Rather, King Kong, the gorilla monster that debuted in 1933. His first appearance was in the novelization of the 1933 RKO Pictures film. That film, King Kong, premiered two months later and was a smash hit, spawning various sequels and remakes and adaptations and parodies and spoofs and… you get the point. The film franchise alone consists of twelve titles. Those are split among seven American films (produced by RKO, Warner Bros., Legendary, Paramount Pictures, De Laurentiis Entertainment Group, and Universal Pictures), two Japanese tokusatsu kaiju films produced by Toho, and three direct-to-video animated films (produced by Warner Bros. Family Entertainment, BKN International, and TF1 for the fanmade sector).

On April 7th, Joe Crowe was joined by ape enthusiasts Mark Finn (@FinnsWake on Twitter) and Rick Klaw (Tachyon Publications) to celebrate the Eighth Wonder of the World, the greatest thing your eyes have ever beheld.

 

These Classic Track Quarantine Panels are typically held once every two weeks (or every fortnight, if you will). If you want to play along at home, grab your internet-capable device of choice and navigate the world wide webs to the track’s YouTube channel and/or the group on Facebook. If you join in live, you can also leave comments and participate in the discussion using StreamYard connected through Facebook, YouTube, and Twitch.

Gary can also be found on A Podcask of Amontillado, a horror-themed podcast that he co-hosts with Erin McGourn.

If you want to connect with the track, Joe, and/or Gary on the socials, you can find them on Twitter (ClassicTrack, JoeCroweShow, and sneezythesquid) and Instagram (SciFiClassicTrack, JoeCroweShow, and Gary_Mitchel). And, of course, to celebrate more pop culture awesomeness, you can find Dragon Con all year round on the internet, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

You can find those discussions and more every other Thursday as the American Sci-Fi Classics Track explores the vast reaches of classic American science fiction.

The episode art each week is generously provided by the talented Sue Kisenwether. You can find her (among other places) on Women at Warp: A Star Trek Podcast.

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Culture on My Mind is inspired by the weekly Can’t Let It Go segment on the NPR Politics Podcast where each host brings one thing to the table that they just can’t stop thinking about.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

Culture on My Mind – More Than Musicals

Michael FalknerLeave a comment

Culture on My Mind

Culture on My Mind
More Than Musicals
April 3, 2023

This week, I’m back to the performing arts with the Theater and Musical Lovers YouTube Channel.

The channel and its associated Facebook group were established as an unofficial gathering of Dragon Con attendees who love theater, musicals, and the performing arts. Their goal is to create a community of fellow thespians and fans at the convention. This time, they assembled to talk about the larger world of stage entertainment and how theater goes beyond the musical performance. From magicians to ballet, Shakespeare to improv, there is far more to the stage than most people realize.

On March 27th, Gary Mitchel and Sarah Rose were joined by professional dancer Sorsha Masters and Atlanta-based improv artist Tim Millard to discuss their crafts, the highs and lows of live performance, and how anyone can get started.

Note: Depending on security settings, you may have to click through below to see the video directly on YouTube. You should definitely subscribe to their channel for more updates.

The Theater and Musical Lovers Group will be hosting more of these panels. If you’re interested in participating or have some topic ideas in mind, head over to the group on Facebook and drop them a line. 

You can find Gary and Sarah on the socials: On Twitter, they are Gary_Mitchel, SarahRose_KPK, and Daisuki_Suu; on Instagram, they are Gary_Mitchel and Daisuki_Suu; and Gary’s horror-themed podcast that he hosts with Erin McGourn is A Podcask of Amontillado. Of course, the Theater & Musical Lovers channel can be found on YouTube.

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Culture on My Mind is inspired by the weekly Can’t Let It Go segment on the NPR Politics Podcast where each host brings one thing to the table that they just can’t stop thinking about.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

Culture on My Mind – Battle of the Fictional Bands 2023

Michael FalknerLeave a comment

Culture on My Mind

Culture on My Mind
Battle of the Fictional Bands 2023
March 31, 2023

This week, I’m thinking about two battles involving fictional bands.

Such things are traditions among the crew at the Dragon Con American Sci-Fi Classics Track. While the rest of the world builds brackets around college basketball (and mourns their busted brackets—congratulations, Fairleigh Dickinson University!) these geeks ponder and debate which fictional bands would come out on top in head-to-head competition.

This time around, the battle was two-fold. First, the question of the best solo acts. Second, the best team acts.

On March 16th, Joe Crowe and Gary Mitchel were joined by Keith DeCandido (@KRADeC on Twitter), Kevin Cafferty (Gleaming the Tube), Shaun Rosado (@pneumaz on Twitter), and Sherman Burris (@NerdBurger358 on Twitter) to determine if it will be Rex Manning Day all year long.

On March 23rd, Joe Crowe and Gary Mitchel said farewell (for now) to Keith and picked up Leigh Tyberg to question which fictional band was the best. Surprisingly, there never seems to be any love for King Thunder.

These Classic Track Quarantine Panels are typically held once every two weeks (or every fortnight, if you will). If you want to play along at home, grab your internet-capable device of choice and navigate the world wide webs to the track’s YouTube channel and/or the group on Facebook. If you join in live, you can also leave comments and participate in the discussion using StreamYard connected through Facebook, YouTube, and Twitch.

Gary can also be found on A Podcask of Amontillado, a horror-themed podcast that he co-hosts with Erin McGourn.

If you want to connect with the track, Joe, and/or Gary on the socials, you can find them on Twitter (ClassicTrack, JoeCroweShow, and sneezythesquid) and Instagram (SciFiClassicTrack, JoeCroweShow, and Gary_Mitchel). And, of course, to celebrate more pop culture awesomeness, you can find Dragon Con all year round on the internet, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

You can find those discussions and more every other Thursday as the American Sci-Fi Classics Track explores the vast reaches of classic American science fiction.

The episode art each week is generously provided by the talented Sue Kisenwether. You can find her (among other places) on Women at Warp: A Star Trek Podcast.

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Culture on My Mind is inspired by the weekly Can’t Let It Go segment on the NPR Politics Podcast where each host brings one thing to the table that they just can’t stop thinking about.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

Culture on My Mind – The Art of Plays

Michael FalknerLeave a comment

Culture on My Mind

Culture on My Mind
The Art of Plays
March 6, 2023

This week, I’m back to the performing arts with the Theater and Musical Lovers YouTube Channel.

The channel and its associated Facebook group were established as an unofficial gathering of Dragon Con attendees who love theater, musicals, and the performing arts. Their goal is to create a community of fellow thespians and fans at the convention. This time, they assembled to talk about the non-musical – better known as stageplays – and what they love about them, why they work, their favorite playwrights, and more.

On March 4th, Gary Mitchel and Sarah Rose were joined by Kris, JJ, Mera Rose, and Matt Duron to explain exactly why the play’s the thing.

Note: Depending on security settings, you may have to click through below to see the video directly on YouTube. You should definitely subscribe to their channel for more updates.

The Theater and Musical Lovers Group will be hosting more of these panels. If you’re interested in participating or have some topic ideas in mind, head over to the group on Facebook and drop them a line. 

You can find Gary and Sarah on the socials: On Twitter, they are Gary_Mitchel, SarahRose_KPK, and Daisuki_Suu; on Instagram, they are Gary_Mitchel and Daisuki_Suu; and Gary’s horror-themed podcast that he hosts with Erin McGourn is A Podcask of Amontillado. Of course, the Theater & Musical Lovers channel can be found on YouTube.

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Culture on My Mind is inspired by the weekly Can’t Let It Go segment on the NPR Politics Podcast where each host brings one thing to the table that they just can’t stop thinking about.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

Culture on My Mind – Jukebox Musicals

Michael FalknerLeave a comment

Culture on My Mind

Culture on My Mind
Jukebox Musicals
February 17, 2023

This week, I’m back to the performing arts with the Theater and Musical Lovers YouTube Channel.

The channel and its associated Facebook group were established as an unofficial gathering of Dragon Con attendees who love theater, musicals, and the performing arts. Their goal is to create a community of fellow thespians and fans at the convention. This time, they assembled to talk about musicals that take a different approach to storytelling by starting with a collection of songs and working backward to develop a story and link them all together. The jukebox musical – Ain’t Misbehavin’, Mama Mia, American Idiot, Rock of Ages, and the like – sometimes works, sometimes doesn’t, and sometimes is just fine.

On February 13th, Gary Mitchel and Sarah Rose were joined by Greg Houser (website), Jacqueline Cocanougher, Rob Levy (Modern Musicology Podcast), and Steven R. Denham to put in their quarters and let their dancing shoes tell the tale.

Note: Depending on security settings, you may have to click through below to see the video directly on YouTube. You should definitely subscribe to their channel for more updates.

The Theater and Musical Lovers Group will be hosting more of these panels. If you’re interested in participating or have some topic ideas in mind, head over to the group on Facebook and drop them a line. 

You can find Gary and Sarah on the socials: On Twitter, they are Gary_Mitchel, SarahRose_KPK, and Daisuki_Suu; on Instagram, they are Gary_Mitchel and Daisuki_Suu; and Gary’s horror-themed podcast that he hosts with Erin McGourn is A Podcask of Amontillado. Of course, the Theater & Musical Lovers channel can be found on YouTube.

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Culture on My Mind is inspired by the weekly Can’t Let It Go segment on the NPR Politics Podcast where each host brings one thing to the table that they just can’t stop thinking about.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

Culture on My Mind – Quickly Canceled

Michael FalknerLeave a comment

Culture on My Mind

Culture on My Mind
Quickly Canceled
February 10, 2023

This week, I’m thinking about cancellations.

Like, quick cancellations. The kind that hit science fiction on television and accelerate a good thing from airwaves to destitution in three episodes, then on to cult status at convention bootleg bins or Shout Factory DVD sales sometime thereafter. Some genre shows get six seasons and a movie – and sometimes, they even deserve the honor! – but other shows were lucky to get a single shot after a mid-season pickup.

On February 9th, Joe Crowe and Gary Mitchel were joined by Tom Morris (The Good, the Bad, and the Nerdy Movie Podcast) and Shaun Rosado (@pneumaz on Twitter) to reminisce about those few brave shows that inspired so many angry letters to television executives. After all, what did the Fox say? “Firefly and Wonderfalls are canceled.”

(Always too soon, I know.)

These Classic Track Quarantine Panels are typically held once every two weeks (or every fortnight, if you will). If you want to play along at home, grab your internet-capable device of choice and navigate the world wide webs to the track’s YouTube channel and/or the group on Facebook. If you join in live, you can also leave comments and participate in the discussion using StreamYard connected through Facebook, YouTube, and Twitch.

Gary can also be found on A Podcask of Amontillado, a horror-themed podcast that he co-hosts with Erin McGourn.

If you want to connect with the track, Joe, and/or Gary on the socials, you can find them on Twitter (ClassicTrack, JoeCroweShow, and sneezythesquid) and Instagram (SciFiClassicTrack, JoeCroweShow, and Gary_Mitchel). And, of course, to celebrate more pop culture awesomeness, you can find Dragon Con all year round on the internet, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

You can find those discussions and more every other Thursday as the American Sci-Fi Classics Track explores the vast reaches of classic American science fiction.

The episode art each week is generously provided by the talented Sue Kisenwether. You can find her (among other places) on Women at Warp: A Star Trek Podcast.

cc-break

Culture on My Mind is inspired by the weekly Can’t Let It Go segment on the NPR Politics Podcast where each host brings one thing to the table that they just can’t stop thinking about.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

Culture on My Mind – A Weird Al World

Michael FalknerLeave a comment

Culture on My Mind

Culture on My Mind
A Weird Al World
February 3, 2023

This week, I’m thinking about weird things.

We all know who “Weird” Al Yankovic is. We all know of his parody songs. We even know how many comedy songs on the internet are incorrectly attributed to him. He is a favorite artist of mine and many geeks worldwide. It only makes sense for the Dragon Con American Sci-Fi Classics Track to talk about him and his legacy.

On January 19th, Joe Crowe was joined by James Palmer (@palmerwriter on Twitter), Kevin Eldridge (The Flopcast), Kyle McCraw (a man with no verifiable internet presence), and Mike Faber (The ESO Network) for a celebration of his legacy and their favorite memories of his pop culture skewerings.

These Classic Track Quarantine Panels are typically held once every two weeks (or every fortnight, if you will). If you want to play along at home, grab your internet-capable device of choice and navigate the world wide webs to the track’s YouTube channel and/or the group on Facebook. If you join in live, you can also leave comments and participate in the discussion using StreamYard connected through Facebook, YouTube, and Twitch.

Gary can also be found on A Podcask of Amontillado, a horror-themed podcast that he co-hosts with Erin McGourn.

If you want to connect with the track, Joe, and/or Gary on the socials, you can find them on Twitter (ClassicTrack, JoeCroweShow, and sneezythesquid) and Instagram (SciFiClassicTrack, JoeCroweShow, and Gary_Mitchel). And, of course, to celebrate more pop culture awesomeness, you can find Dragon Con all year round on the internet, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

You can find those discussions and more every other Thursday as the American Sci-Fi Classics Track explores the vast reaches of classic American science fiction.

The episode art each week is generously provided by the talented Sue Kisenwether. You can find her (among other places) on Women at Warp: A Star Trek Podcast.

cc-break

Culture on My Mind is inspired by the weekly Can’t Let It Go segment on the NPR Politics Podcast where each host brings one thing to the table that they just can’t stop thinking about.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.

Culture on My Mind – Where the Drama is Local, Act II

Michael FalknerLeave a comment

Culture on My Mind

Culture on My Mind
Where the Drama is Local, Act II
January 30, 2023

It’s time to talk about the performing arts again. This week, I’m back to community theater and the continuing panel discussion courtesy of the Theater and Musical Lovers YouTube Channel.

The channel and its associated Facebook group were established as an unofficial gathering of Dragon Con attendees who love theater, musicals, and the performing arts. Their goal is to create a community of fellow thespians and fans at the convention. This group came together a couple of weeks ago to talk about community theater and local productions, but they decided that they weren’t done yet.

On January 23rd, this group of passionate curtain callers staged an encore to discuss the charms and pitfalls of local theater.  Gary Mitchel and Sarah Rose were joined once again by Greg Bell, Christi Chalmers, and Ell Rhodes to chat about the creativity, passion, and drama that you can find in your own hometown.

Note: Depending on security settings, you may have to click through below to see the video directly on YouTube. You should definitely subscribe to their channel for more updates.

The Theater and Musical Lovers Group will be hosting more of these panels. If you’re interested in participating or have some topic ideas in mind, head over to the group on Facebook and drop them a line. 

You can find Gary and Sarah on the socials: On Twitter, they are Gary_Mitchel, SarahRose_KPK, and Daisuki_Suu; on Instagram, they are Gary_Mitchel and Daisuki_Suu; and Gary’s horror-themed podcast that he hosts with Erin McGourn is A Podcask of Amontillado. Of course, the Theater & Musical Lovers channel can be found on YouTube.

cc-break

Culture on My Mind is inspired by the weekly Can’t Let It Go segment on the NPR Politics Podcast where each host brings one thing to the table that they just can’t stop thinking about.

For more creativity with a critical eye, visit Creative Criticality.