"My Valentine" in Sign Language featuring Natalie Portman and Johnny Depp

When a friend sent me the link to this video, titled "Natalie Portman and Johnny Depp signing Paul McCartney Song", I thought at first, that there was a typo. Normally when I find videos like this, the person posting it usually mistypes "singing" as "signing" and thus dashing hopes of seeing some actually signing a song - especially big-name stars like these two.

Giving it the benefit of doubt, I opened the e-mail link to find the title did ring the truth - this time. Indeed, both Natalie Portman and Johnny Depp do sign - really sign - in a series of three beautiful videos released by Paul McCartney (of Beatles fame for those not in the know) titled "My Valentine".

The series of three music videos give three different performances - one by Natalie Portman alone, one by Johnny Depp himself, and one with both. Each of these three performances is compelling on its own.

It's exciting to see a music video done in sign language - and even more thrilling when it's done by well-known performers such as Portman and Depp.

And now, the videos themselves - enjoy!

Official video featuring both Johnny Depp and Natalie Portman:

Link: http://youtu.be/f4dzzv81X9w

Natalie Portman alone:

Link: http://youtu.be/FAApccf11hs

Johnny Depp alone:

Link: http://youtu.be/35I6Iue_XDE

For more information regarding these music videos, please visit Paul McCartney's website at http://www.paulmccartney.com/web/guest/news/-/blogs/paul-mccartney-directs-his-own-my-valentine-videos-featuring-natalie-portman-and-johnny-depp?_33_redirect=%2Fweb%2Fguest&

What are your thoughts on this?

BCEFA Now Captioning Videos!

BCEFA, better known as Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS within the theatre community, has responded to a request via Twitter to caption their videos shared through YouTube. Check out their first captioned video here (http://youtu.be/ORfuVm8Revw)

"Broadway Backwards 7 Promo"



Be sure to leave them a message to thank them! (Either at Youtube or their Twitter account (@BCEFA).

If there is a certain Broadway show/channel or any theatre arts organization that has Youtube videos and should have them captioned, be sure to share with us so we can get them to join the list!

Superbowl Snub?

This is a belated post - I recently started my internship at VSA Arts MN (yay!) and only got a chance to publish this posting. My apologies.

As we may have heard (through various sources - Facebook, Twitter, blogs and vlogs, etc) of the issue that occured during the recent Superbowl game between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots. Namely during the preshow tradition of selecting a celebrity to sing the national anthem - as well as having someone sign it. This year was no exception. Kelly Clarkson did a great job singing the anthem (and she did not flub the words! Yay for her!) as well as "America the Beautiful". Our own Miss Deaf America - Rachel Mazique - was chosen to present a sign language rendition of the song.

Yet when NBC aired the presentation, there was no cutaway shots to Miss Mazique or any peeks of her beautiful signs. No opportunity for millions of viewrs to catch a glimpse into the world of the Deaf. No opportunity for the Deaf community to be proud of one of their own. No opportunity to present ASL on the 'big screen' for all to see.

Even Miss Mazique was not asked to stay for the game itself. (Meaning she did not see Madonna's AWESOME show during intermission - er - half time. (Pardon my ignorance of sports-related terminology- there is a reason I'm in the arts field!)

Why promote an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity (through a joint collaboration between Pepsi and NAD) that doesn't even make it on national TV?

There is a petition going around demanding that NBC and the NFL issue an apology to Miss Mazique and the Deaf community for this potential 'snub'.

You can view (and /or sign) the petitions at http://www.change.org/petitions/nbc-nfl-commissioner-and-others-miss-deaf-america-left-out-from-tv-for-national-anthem-in-asl

and
http://signon.org/sign/nbc-grant-miss-deaf-america?source=s.em.mt&r_by=1173875

For more information, do check out Chicago's coverage at http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2012/02/07/supporters-no-one-saw-miss-deaf-america-at-super-bowl/

While I, myself, am not a sports fan, I do feel the need to support a fellow sister as Rachel (former Miss Deaf Illinois) and I (as former Miss Deaf Minnesota) competed together at NAD's 2010 Miss Deaf American program - and the fact that we both grew up ten minutes away from each other in the suburbs of Chicago : )

Another Broadway Musical Joins in Captioning Videos

Good news!

Another Broadway musical has joined in captioning videos on their YouTube channel, following in the footsteps set by Rent and Disney on Broadway's Mary Poppins and The Lion King. So, which one is it?

Godspell.

That's right - Godspell, a modern-day retelling of the Gospel according to St. Matthew - has started captioning their videos taken from the new Broadway production and welcomes Deaf and Hard of Hearing fans to watch these videos!

Here's the first one captioned: Hunter Parrish ("Weeds", Spring Awakening) sings "Beautiful City" in the recording studio.



Link: http://youtu.be/EXezjFLTl-c
(Don't forget to toggle the 'CC' button on the bottom right).
Be sure to visit the video and leave them a message of thanks to show your appreciation - and come back later for more captioned videos!

In the Spotlight: Hennepin Theatre Trust

With the upcoming touring production of Disney's The Lion King making a return to the city where it started all those years ago - and to the very same theatre even, I have decided to honor the theatre orgranization who also made it possible for me to see my first interpreted Broadway touring show.

Flashback to the year 2007. My family and I had just moved from Idaho to the Twin Cities area (that's Minneapolis-St.Paul for those not familiar with geography). It was a year of big changes for me - transferring to my third school, a new job for my father, the I-35 bridge collapse - and what spurred a renaissance of theatregoing for me. One of the reasons I agreed to move to the Twin Cities was the lure of sign language interpreted performances. I had grown up with limited access to the theatre (see earlier postings for additional information).

So I had no expectations whatsover when my family and I reserved tickets to see The Lion King at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis in November of 2007. From the moment the curtain opened to the standing ovation at the end, I was hooked. I couldn't have been more fortunate as the two sign language interpreters did a stellar job of translating the music and lyrics of the show. I loved how they translated "Hakuna Matata!" Loved the opening scene with "Circle of Life". Loved every moment of it.

I have not had an less-than-stellar experience with this particular theatre organization. The box office folks, the ushers, and the house manager have gone out of their way to make not only myself, but the Deaf community feel welcome. Even with the occasional odd request from a certain theatre afficionado, they still maintain the magic of live theatre.

 What requests? Well, there was the time where I saw Rent four times in a single weekend - and they made it possible for me to acquire student rush tickets and still have optimal sightlines for lipreading on the non-interpreted days. Or when I needed to bring in a script and flashlight for The Phantom of the Opera the second time I saw it - days after I saw the interpreted performance. (Folks out there may remember the ill-fated performance of Aida at another venue where the script was nearly consficated in a misunderstanding between the Box Office folks and the ushers). Or the time I needed to exchange tickets for a performance of Mary Poppins to a later date so my mother could see it once she flew back home (not to mention that I had already seen it thrice thus far). Or when I needed a copy of the script (or two) so I could mentally prepare for the show - and to work with the interpreters as a coach. Or that they listened to the requests made by Deaf patrons to bring captioned performances to add to their repertoire.

I have had theatre highs and theatre lows, but no organization has had far more highs than low (I can only think of one - with the scheduling mishap of High School Musical where half of the Deaf patrons showed up at an earlier show to find no interpreter present - but that worked out in our favor with compenstation given. That pales to the number of highlights.) Not only that, they consistenly bring out top-ranking sign language interpreters who clearly know their craft. I've loved the shows I have seen at the Orpheum and the State theatres (yes, even Cats - while I hated the show as a whole, the performance was worth it just to see the interpreters - and the occasional flirting cat). The Lion King. My Fair Lady. Jersey Boys. High School Musical (what parts I understood without interpreters, that is). Wicked. Spring Awakening. Rent. The Phantom of the Opera. Cats. Grease. Mary Poppins. A Chorus Line. In the Heights. Billy Elliot. 

Thank you.

In front of the Orpheum Theatre on Hennepin Ave.

For those in the area, please check out their website at www.hennepintheatretrust.org

New Blog to Visit

Hello all, and a very happy new year to all!

I would like to start off the new year with a bang - and start another blog. The new blog will keep up with the Harry Potter 365 and one-quarter days challenge of writing about the beloved wizard for three hundred sixty-five and one-quarter consecutive days.

Now, why did I mention this on this particular blog? One, I am the author, and two, some of my postings will relate to the artistic world and/or the Deaf world including memories and cultural comparisons. Any posts I do relate to the artistic world or the Deaf world will be mentioned here - so fear not about missing revelant entries.

Please come and visit us at www.harrypotter365challenge.blogspot.com (Feel free to join in the challenge - or keep up via commenting).

New Schedules

During the blog renovation, I moved the cluttered list of scheduled sign language interpreted and captioned performances to the tab bar on top to make it look more streamlined. In doing so, I updated the schedules with the venerable favorites but added several new schedule links, especially for our folks across the pond. I also removed some inactive listings and updated the links (as some organizations such as VSA Arts MN updated their websites as well).

I now have comprehensive and semi-comprehensive listings for the following cities:
US: New York/tristate area, North Carolina, Chicago, Minneapolis-St. Paul, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Detroit, Seattle, Portland and Washington, D.C. (I removed Philadelphia as Creative Arts' website was no longer functional).

UK: London, Edinburgh (added Edinburgh through a lucky Google search)

Australia and New Zealand are the newest additions to the list.

c2 (USA) and Stagetext (UK) are both captioning / subtitling organizations that also provide listings for other cities not mentioned on the list, so be sure to check them out as well!

But the list is far from complete. While many theaters and arts organizations do provide a list of accessible shows, they are usually venue by venue, necessitating the patron to check them all to see what was available. Comprehensive listings like HandsOn and VSA Arts MN help make the search quicker by having them in one area rather than spread over twenty websites. Until then, we will continue to keep our eyes open for hidden listings out there.

If don't see a particular city's listing, please do give us a shout-out and we will add it to the listings for other patrons to peruse!

In the Spotlight: International Center on Deafness and the Arts

Here's the first entry in the new series of postings In the Spotlight where an organization or event will be reflected upon. First up is Centerlight Theatre, a project under the International Center on Deafness and the Arts banner. The organization based in the northwest suburb of Chicago in Northbrook, Illinois is where I got my start in the theatre arts - and as I mentioned in an earlier posting, the Academy-Award winning actress (and former Dancing with the Stars contender) Marlee Matlin did as well. There must be something in the water in Chicagoland to produce such a rich crop of Deaf artists!

The organization consists of several programs including the renowed Centerlight Theatre where shows are put on simultaneously in sign and voice (namely musicals); Story-N-Sign, Traveling Hands Troupe, Icodance, International Creative Arts Camp and the traveling Museum on Deafness. For more information regarding a particular program, please visit the website at www.icodaarts.org .

The following video showcases the programs and success of the organization:

Watch on YouTube

To see what Marlee Matlin has to share about her experiences at ICODA as a youth, please watch the following video:

Watch on YouTube

My start with this amazing organization came at age six when my grandmother mentioned it to my mother. We trooped out to see a production of Bye Bye Birdie put on by the teenagers and adults. I still remember sitting on the floor (adults sat in chairs but us kids sat up front on the floor for the best view) and gawking up at the actors who I couldn't believe were Deaf and Hard of Hearing. There was a misconception amongst deaf youngsters back then that when they turned 18 and 'grew up' they would become hearing - or die. This debunked the 'myth' since the original belief formed when we really didn't have much exposure to Deaf adults - and successful ones at that. So seeing Deaf teenagers and adults put on a show - let alone a musical - was mind-boggling. I wanted to be part of it.

(Flashback: as I saw the latest ASL Films production of Versa Effect, I recongized the principal as the actor who played Mr. McAfee all those years back in Bye Bye Birdie! Dug out my box of old Playbills and programmes to make sure : )

Enter Youth Fine Arts Day where I participated in a full day of arts and crafts amongst other Deaf and Hard of Hearing youngsters. What I remember most vividly about this day was the talent showcase where I performed "Do-Re-Mi" from the musical The Sound of Music. Here is a picture of me signing 'name' as in "Mi (me), a name I call myself":

(Please disregard the horrible "stylish" fashion that was all the rage in the mid-1990s. A time capsule portrait, indeed.)

Soon after, the center put on a production of Alice in Wonderland and I auditioned for the show. I knew I didn't want to be Alice (after all, she was blonde... and a bit lost. : ) The character of the Caterpillar seemed a better match - I was quite the bookworm back then and the prospect of reading onstage while in character was appealing. I got the character I wanted - but imagine my disappointment when the stage prop serving as the 'book' wouldn't open! There went my chance of secret-reading on stage while ignoring Alice's pleas for help navigating Wonderland. Here's a picture of myself with some of my fellow castmates:

(An appropriate caption for my facial expression would be: "Dude, what's up with the book that wouldn't open? What's the point of having a book that nobody could read?")

My mother made my lovely costume and I still have the leftover scraps of the fabric used to tuck away in my memory box. I wonder if the original costume is still in the costume archives at ICODA? Perhaps I should ask...

What has ICODA done for myself? I stand by what I mentioned in this article, Champion for Deaf Children: "Alumni include Kaitlyn Mielke, 25, who credits her stage experience for transforming her from 'a shy child who simply nodded yes or no to everything, to a full-emerged drama queen.'

 'I became more confident in myself, in school, in life, at work - everywhere,' says Mielke, a student at the University of Minnesota and Miss Deaf Minnesota."

 In short, ICODA and the folks involved helped pave a path in many disciplines, not only the theatre and the arts, but in self esteem, in confidence, communication as well. Echoing Marlee Matlin's words, "if it weren't for ICODA, I wouldn't be where I am today."

If you're in the area, be sure to stop by and catch a performance of Into the Woods, playing Dec. 2nd-18th at the beloved Black Box Theatre at the center! To the actors and crew involved - break a finger : )

Alan Champion Memorial Fund

In an earlier posting, I wrote about giving back to the community. There are many organizations and events that one could donate/contribute to (whether it is by monetary means, or volunteering oneself, the choices are endless). The Alan Champion Memorial Fund for Interpreted Theatre presented by the HandsOn organization based in New York City may be one for readers to consider.

For those who may recall my earlier posting on the late Alan Champion (alter ego: Mr. Broadway Interpreter), the fund continues in his name to encourage more sign language interpreted events.

 "At his request and in his honor we have established the Alan Champion Memorial Fund, where your support will go to help us continue the sign interpreted theater he so dearly loved. We hope that Alan’s legacy will be that interpreted theater continues to thrive and flourish for the benefit of the Deaf community." (HandsOn)

As a longtime patron of the arts, I decided to donate to this organization this holiday season.  I try to pick different arts organization every year to donate to. This year's contribution was made in memory of my late grandmother who also had a passion for the theatre and shared my love of musical theatre. She was the one that told my mother about the arts program at the Center on Deafness (now the International Center on Deafness and the Arts) and spurred my theatre days as a spectator and as an artist. Fond memories of signing "Do-Re-Mi" from The Sound of Music during its Youth Fine Arts Day as well as performing onstage as the lovable Caterpillar in Alice in Wonderland come to mind.

 (Fun Fact: the Academy Award-winning actress Marlee Matlin also got her start at the same organization performing as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz.)

If my contribution enables that a child or adult has the opportunity to experience something I love and hold dear - the magic of live theatre - then it is defintely more than its worth.

Please consider making a contribution to an arts organization, either locally or nationally or even internationally to promote access to the arts for all. If you have made a donation, please share the name of the organization/event in the comments section to inspire others to follow suit!



*Photo Credit: BroadwayWorld

Giving Thanks

The holiday season is upon us. Gifts - parties - cards - checking our lists twice to make sure we've gotten everything done in time for Santa to do his yearly rounds.

It is also the time of the year where many people give to charities and funds. In consideration of the American holiday of Thanksgiving coming up soon, I would like to share a moment to list the the things I"m grateful for:

- Sign Language Interpreted performances, no matter how few there are out there. The fact alone that they continue to exist and bring joys to hundreds of Deaf theatre patrons brings happy memories of seeing my first interpreted Broadway (touring) musical at Disney's The Lion King.

- Captioned film showings * as well as captioned live performances *. We've come a long way from captioned television to the continuing campaign to caption the Internet.

- Organizations and agencies that promote access to the arts for persons with disabilities including the Deaf; from Theatre Development Fund in New York to VSA Arts and its chapter affliates and everything in between as well as our sister organizations over the pond.

- Scripts (when I can get my hands on them) and CD insert booklets with song lyrics. They have proven invaluable from time to time in terms of preparation.

In short, I would like to thank all the sign language interpreters, captioners, professionals, advocates, allies and audiences everywhere - you know who you are. Keep up the hard work!

 To honor those who have shown their passion for the arts to ensure access for everyone by going above and beyond, I plan to give back to the arts community to keep the circle moving. (cue "Circle of Life" from the musical The Lion King here). I ask you to do the same - whether to a local theatre organization, or a 'Send a Child to the Theater' program, or any arts access organization - be sure to keep the circle moving.

Thank you.




*For our non-American readers, please consult the Schedules tab to find your captioned showings