Steven Skelley

Miley Cyrus & Robin Thicke's  VMA "Blurred Lines" Performance Not A Shock Miley Cyrus' performance on the VMA's was gross but not surprising. After listening to every news show rant about Miley Cyrus' performance on the VMA's, let me add a little logic. 1) The performance was screened at rehearsal by MTV. It was no surprise to them. They generated days of free publicity. It generated more post-show talk than Lady Gaga's performance and the N'Sync reunion performance. 2) Miley is a multimillionaire 20 year old with an adult publicist who is "advising" her on how to lose her child-star image and appeal to a high school and college age audience. This was a planned performance built around the lyrics of a hit song about a man who has "blurred lines" when looking at a "good girl" he wants to have sex with. 3) Her performance, while risqué (and unappealing to me), fit the risqué lyrics of Robin Thicke's song.

Why do we celebrate Mothers Day anyway?   by Steven Skelley I am one of those people who wonders why we humans do the things we do. Every time I hear a phrase like “Don’t let the cat out of the bag,” or “It’s raining cats and dogs,” I wonder why we say something so crazy.  I often wonder about why we celebrate certain holidays or why we have the traditions we do within those holidays too. One year, I was hired to create and perform a musical Christmas program. I put my inquisitive nature to work and researched the stories behind all our favorite Christmas songs: who wrote them, when, where, and why. The songs took on much deeper meanings once we all knew the stories behind the songs.  (photo: Sherill May McWilliams Skelley) I was recently hired to offer a lecture on Mothers Day Sunday. I had written a song titled Thank You God For Making Moms and I had co-authored a book titled Every Day Is Mothers Day. I could easily talk about both of those but I wanted to go deeper. So, I decide

Seussical: The Musical A theater review by Steven  Skelley With more progress being made each month toward LGBT equality and acceptance, LGBT families are looking for entertainment options. "Seussical: The Musical" is an excellent and empowering production that is a delightful blend of characters we have come to know and love and the important theme that anything is possible if you are true to yourself. "Seussical: The Musical" by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty debuted on Broadway in 2000 and is based on a mixture of characters and storylines from the iconic books of Dr. Seuss. After its’ Broadway run, "Seussical: The Musical" enjoyed two national tours and a United Kingdom tour. Because of its’ positive theme and familiar characters, it has become a favorite for regional theaters, community theaters and schools. If you enjoy community theater, you will definitely find yourself smiling often throughout the Emma Parrish Theater/Titusville Playhous

Willie Nelson & Family Concert Tour by Steven Skelley This article originally published in EDGE magazine at h ttp://www.edgeonthenet.com/index.php?ch=entertainment&sc=music&sc2=reviews&sc3=performance&id=140256 The  Willie Nelson and Family  concert tour is exactly what you would expect from one of popular music’s iconic artists -- hit after hit that had the audience singing along like old friends around a campfire. With 10 Grammy Awards, seven American Music Awards, nine CMA Awards and more than 40 million albums sold in the U.S.A., there is no doubt that Willie Nelson brings a tremendous talent and decades of musical insight to the stage.  What is surprising is how, at age 79, he can still put on a show that rivals any of the current crop of young guns in the music business today. When he took the stage at the King Center, Willie looked frail and pale from the flu battle that has caused the cancellation of his previous concert a day before but h

Hit & Run movie review by Steven Skelley What happens when an actor/car enthusiast decides to write and produce a movie and casts his girlfriend and closest friends? Love it or hate it -- Dax Shepard's pet project ”Hit & Run”  is exactly what happens and exactly what you would expect from such a project. Shepard plays Yul Perkins. He is a former bank robber and getaway driver who testified against his gang and is now hiding out in a small town in the Witness Protection program. Kristen Bell, Shepard's real-life girlfriend, portrays Annie Bean - - his college professor girlfriend who has been offered her career dream job in Los Angeles where Perkins committed his crimes. Perkins decides to risk his own life in order to fulfill his girlfriend's career goals. He just needs to get her to Los Angeles in time for her job interview. Luckily, he has kept his hot rod getaway car locked in the garage ever since he entered Witness Protection. When A

The following Steven Skelley review appeared in EDGE magazine at http://www.edgeonthenet.com/index.php?ch=entertainment&sc=theatre&sc2=reviews&sc3=theatre_reviews&id=140258 Stomp by Steven  Skelley EDGE Contributor Sunday Jan 6, 2013 What happens when you combine innovative theater, modern dance, rhythmic music and the eclectic energy of performance art? "STOMP" is what happens, and it is an amazing experience. "STOMP" is the creation of Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas. After working together in the UK as members of the street band Pookiesnackenburger and the theatre group Cliff Hanger in the 1980’s, Cresswell and McNicholas created "STOMP." It previewed at London’s Bloomsbury Theater and premiered at The Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh. It was an instant hit earning the Guardian Critic Choice Award and the Daily Express Best of the Fringe Award. "STOMP" soon went on world tour to sold-out venues earning even more