Help me, Mr. Wizard!

[jingle_jangle]

Thanks to all my fellow Wizards. I'm sticking to guitars and basses from now on...

[kiramdear]

Yer a good sport, Paul

[wayang]

It's all been invaluable info, and I'm grateful for all of it. We obviously have some decisions to make...but with the show coming up on Sunday, we're just going to leave things as they are, wrap as many blankets as possible around the set pieces (13 in all), and stack them carefully on top of the two tons of wood-'n'-bronze in the rental truck. Since all the pieces were well primed and then painted with latex, maybe we'll be okay 'climate-change-wise'. The biggest threat to the art in the long run may be transporting...so, after this gig, we're considering building big 'road cases' on casters, with padded slots for each piece. Fortunately, I'm now an expert on that following my recent year-long brush with the trade fair exhibit industry...

At any rate, we're putting off tackling that 'til later...gotta focus on this show, and packing my aging 'hard-drive' with all the new musical material. That, and finishing the platform and stairs that will be incorporated into the center of the set for the dancers' entrances. I'll be installing carpet on them on Friday. That process I don't need advice on...I just gotta watch out for my funky old knees...

Thanks again for the help...and please don't say "break a leg "; after a certain age, that phrase gets a little too scary...

[kiramdear]

Go knock 'em dead, Dane. Any chance of a subsequent video document for our greedy eyes and ears?

[wayang]

There will be video...weather, authorities, and the gods of technology permitting. Believe it or not, it's supposed to be filmed by an Indonesian television crew from Sulawesi, but there are rumors of visa problems...as usual, culture offers the front seat to security and heads for the back of the bus...

[wayang]

A follow-up to this thread...I would have posted these photos in the 'gig' threads, but since this gig was all about the new set, I thought I'd put 'em here. These are from our Mar. 1 show at the Denver School for the Performing Arts...first, some shots taken during the 'melaspas' dedication ceremony before the show (note the offerings)...in the Balinese religion, Agama Hindu, this type of ceremony has to be performed before the first use of anything that's been built or made, and a particular type of ceremony is required for a 'structure', such as a house, temple, or even a theatrical set. One of the interesting aspects of this is that Made Sumayasa, the artist, has to ask forgiveness of the spirits of the trees whose wood was used in the construction, since those spirits (like human spirits) can only be released from the physical 'body' by burning, and therefore are still 'alive'. Of even more concern to Sumayasa is the fact that all Balinese building that involves wood must install each piece of wood in the growth orientation, i.e.: 'leaf' end pointing up, 'root' end pointing down. (I find this of particular interest, since I think there might be a practical as well as spiritual reason for this...it seems to me that wood is probably stronger when placed in the direction in which it grew...there's a biophysics PhD thesis in there somewhere...). Since Home Depot does not keep track of this orientation, Sumayasa undoubtedly made some unintentional 'mistakes' for which, for his own physical and spiritual well-being, he is required to make additional special atonements.

Pre-ceremony:

During the ceremony:

Our dancing 'girls', Ni Ketut Murni and Ni Komang Erawati, in their finest 'tee-hee' pose before the show:

[wayang]

The artist, I Made Sumayasa, with his son Noah before the show:

Sumayasa performs his last gig with us (he and his family are moving back to Hawaii, where his wife has gotten a position at the University in Honolulu):

Our musical guru since 1992, I Made Lasmawan:

Pak Lasmawan's 19-year-old son, I Putu Tangkas Mayena, performs the masked dance Jauk Manis:

[wayang]

The dancers enter through our new Candi Bentar to perform the last piece of the evening, Legong Kraton:

Sumayasa receives a standing ovation from the full house:

Sumayasa with Putu Tangkas:

We sure are going to miss him and his family, but let's face it: 'they're going to a better place'...

[kiramdear]

Great pics, Dane! Looks like it was quite a show.

[doctorwho]

Great pics, Dane! Looks like it was quite a show.

+1

[jps]

Very impressive, Dane! When is the show traveling to NE Ohio?

[wayang]

As soon as we get some younger roadies, Jeff...with stronger backs...

[johnallg]

Dane, how large a Balinese population is there in your area? Looks like a wonderful presentation. Obviously well-supported.