Some of the most thrilling aspects of stage performances involve combat. For example, what would Hamlet be without its numerous battles? What would Gilbert and Sullivan's Pirates of Penzance be without its piratical swashbuckling? Whether the performance is a comedy or tragedy, a "straight" play or a musical, there may be scenes of combat.

Of course, real fighting on stage is not advisable, simply because it would be highly dangerous for the performers involved. Theater creates convincing illusions; combat is no exception to this. Therefore, an entire array of practices has been developed by directors and choreographers. Usually, they incorporate actual moves from martial arts or other disciplines, but change them to be less dangerous for the actors involved. These techniques are collectively known as "stage
combat."

One of the more common types of stage combat is stage fencing. Stage fencing uses many of the moves and techniques common in traditional fencing, but modifies them. For example, a move may be altered so that the sword used does not travel near the actor's face.

Stage fencing may incorporate several different weapons. Among these are the stage foil, which resembles a regular foil, the dagger, and the broadsword. Rapiers may also be used. Stage combat moves vary depending on what sword is used; for example, a rapier fight will be more "nimble" than one using larger weapons. The swords may either be real, or props constructed to look like weapons. The latter, of course, is less dangerous for the actors, but requires more work to seem real.

In most productions, the stage fencing routines are developed by the choreographer of the play or musical. For larger scale productions, or for routines involving many intricate techniques, a separate fight choreographer may be used. These
choreographers are trained especially in stage combat, and are more skilled in developing flashier routines.

Stage combat, when executed in the theatre, is highly routine. Although the moves may seem thrilling and immediate, they have been rehearsed time after time at varying speeds. Improvisation cannot be a part of swordfights on stage, simply because it would be dangerous to introduce an unexpected change when swords are involved. Despite this routine, however, when done well, stage combat can be spectacularly done and extremely convincing.

You are an artist. You may be an actor, a painter, or a writer, but you are an artist. And of course, you are running a business. Or is it a hobby? The biggest question of all is – do you know the difference? Think about what makes a business a business. Think of how a big company runs things. They have a business bank account and business credit cards, they keep records of all business expenses, they keep records of all sales, they pay all their expenses from their business bank account, and they know when they have made money (a profit) and how much. And you would certainly never see the CEO going out and buying printer supplies from his or her personal bank account.

You need to ask yourself, do you run your business like this. If the answer is no, then you are not running a business. If the answer is no, then what you are doing is merely engaging in a hobby, and it may be an expensive one. You might be saying, “But I’m no accountant, I’m an actor.” True. However, as painful as it may be, you can learn to keep proper track of your business finances and keep them separate from your personal finances. This is the kind of thing that is not taught in acting schools, art colleges, or writing seminars, but it should be: it can make all the difference in success or failure as an artist.

At Abundance Bound, Inc, financial education is our priority, and one of the first things we discuss with our clients is their financial starting point, because you need to know from where you are starting in order to know how to get to where you want to go. Having an accurate “snapshot” of your finances as they are is essential as you begin the wealth-building process, and it also allows you to truly see how much, where, and on what your money is going. (If you would like assistance with this, email mailto:info@abundancebound.com and put Chart of Expenses in the subject line. We will send you an Excel chart that allows you to track your monthly income and provides an extremely detailed list of possible expenses to help you remember all of the different ways you are currently spending your money. There are also free tele-seminars that will help you make sense of the financial education process at our website (see below).

The absolute most important thing to do for your business is to separate all your personal income and expenses from your business income and expenses. As we mentioned above, you would not see the CEO of a Home Depot go out and buy printing supplies from his or her personal account, and you should not do this either. This means you need to have a business bank account. If you do not, then all your income and expenses are mixed together and it is far harder to keep track of everything. You can easily start a DBA (Doing Business As) which will allow you to qualify for a business account (for more information visit www.legalzoom.com).

So, you have a personal account and a business account. Now you place your personal earnings (your day job such as waiting tables, tutoring, etc …) in your personal account and you put your business earnings (acting jobs, work sold to a publisher or at an art exhibition, etc …) in your business bank account. Likewise, you would pay for all of your personal expenses (rent, groceries, clothes, vacations, etc …) out of your personal account and you would pay for all of your business expenses (acting school or art classes, head shots, mileage to/from auditions, etc …) from your business account.

This is very straightforward. The thing is it is simple, but not necessarily easy. First, it depends on how organized a person you are and it depends on your desire to do these things. The point is they can, and must, be done if you are to run your artistic business truly as a business. Right now, you may want to say, “STOP! I don’t make enough money from my business to pay for all of my business expenses.” If this is the case, simply make a loan from your personal account to your business account, and make sure you record that loan. When the business becomes profitable, you sell a piece of art, or your acting career takes off, it can then repay the loan. Be sure that it does.

You should also have a separate business credit card (even if the card is in your personal name). You should only be charging personal items to your personal credit card (and hopefully you are paying off the balance every month) and business expenses should only be charged to the card that you have designated as your business credit card - something specifically for artist development. This way, if you are carrying a balance on your business credit card, then the interest will be tax deductible. This is not possible if there is even one personal expense on the card.

Now, what about those expenses that cross the line – sometimes they are personal and sometimes they are business. These are things such as mileage on your car or household expenses if you work from home. For these expenses you must keep very clear records of when and how much of your expenses are personal vs. business. Keep a small book in your car to record business mileage. Make sure you keep all your household bills (mortgage/rent, phone, hydro, etc …) filed away so that you can use them to determine what portion you can write off as a business expense.

There are three reasons why it is important to treat your business like a business and follow the suggestions above. These are:

If your business is not run as such, you will never be successful. And if you do not treat your business as a business, you will never make a business income.

If you do not keep appropriate records, records that clearly indicate you are running a business, then, if you are audited, the IRS may classify your business as a hobby. This could mean loss of tax deductions, and you may even have to pay penalties. Worse, the IRS could go back through previous years returns, and apply the same filter to your deductions (we had a student who, before he started with us, had this happen to happen to him. Needless to say, that was not a happy day for him!). This is not what you need when you are trying to make your business profitable.

You will be able to track the progress of your business easily. You will be able to look back a year from now and say, “Wow! My income went up by that much?” Or, “Yes! I finally turned a profit this year!”

You can do this. Have faith in yourself and your business. It will grow and you will be successful. Just remember to keep the personal separate from the business and keep clear records of the two. Then you can watch your business grow and never look back.

Stage work would definitely be very difficult to carry on without the use of an all-purpose item such as gaffer tape. Often called gaff tape, this is a very common tool used by photographers, film and theater directors to organize any form of artistic performance; basically consisting f cotton cloth with an adhesive part, gaffer tape is sensitive to pressure and incredibly strong at the same time. Where is gaffer tape actually used on stage? Well first of all, think about all those countless cables that seem to be in the way all the time; when going backstage you'd be surprised to see all the “cable” web that hides behind a scene.

Hence, gaffer tape is mainly used for securing light and motion cables directly to the floors, the walls or to any other surface where they're needed. Gaffer tape actually covers two main roles: on the one hand it ensures a safe work background by eliminating exposure to electric sources, and on the other hand, it camouflages the cables from the audience. Nevertheless, there are plenty other situations when gaffer tape works wonders: very often a simple, but absolutely necessary, fix is required, and gaffer tape sheerly makes the easiest and safest solution to it.

Some other times, gaffer tape replaces the so called artist tape in the fixation of a prop or in the labeling of the special broadcasting channels used for a certain show. There are all sorts of gaffer tape models, and they are special not just in size and design but in color as well. First of all, narrower gaffer tape may be required for certain applications, whereas others depend on wide sizes. Moreover, the color of the gaffer tape is equally important when it comes to integrating a certain prop in the background without showing any sign of differentiation.

For people who'd like to have it customized according to some particular specifications, gaffer tape can be ordered with many online manufacturers. Yet, the most common and widely used variates are the black and gray ones since the are generally applied to electricity cables that have this very same color. After being removed, there are no traces of gaffer tape left behind, which is a great feature for the clean use on occasions when residues are completely bothersome. It is not uncommon to try and substitute gaffer tape with duct tape for instance, but the latter is definitely lower in quality, leaving lots of residues behind.

In the past, Volkswagen has been an engine supplier for motorsports but it pulled out in the 1980s. But the largest European automaker is now making a comeback as it announced earlier this year that they will be supplying engines to teams competing in DTM. The announcement was welcomed by enthusiasts of the sport who remembered the championships won by teams supplied with engine by Volkswagen. Recently, the automaker announced that the engines are ready to see action and it will be used come August 31.

The new engine is a 2-liter engine with an output of 210 horsepower and it will be used on three cars. Maximilian Gotz and Jonathan Summerton, both driving for Italian Team RC Motorsport along with Marco Holzer driving for AM Holzer Rennsport, will be the first three drivers who will be using the new engine from Volkswagen.

Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen said that the engine has been tested already in the lab and it is now time to see what it can do in competition. "The new Formula 3 engine from Volkswagen has completed many hours of rig testing and reeled off plenty of test kilometers on the track. Now it’s time to test it in direct competition," said Nissen.

Nissen added that the first races that the new Volkswagen engines will be used will provide them with information on how to further improve the performance of the racing engine. "The first races are intended to help us assess where we stand and to give us new information we can use in the unit’s evolution for the coming season," said Nissen.

According to the manufacturer, the engine that they will supply to racing teams competing in Formula 3 is based on the design of an engine used for production cars. The production version of the engine is only rated to produce 150 horsepower but it has the reliability that Volkswagen is known for. The engine that will be supplied to Formula 3 teams uses lightweight materials, has a robust design, and is compact. Although the racing engine is much more powerful than its production version, it would be a perfect fit for production cars which are equipped with Volkswagen splash shields and other auto parts.

Jonathan Summerton have been testing the new engine on the tracks and the driver said that the engine is performing well and that he is now looking forward to competing with the new Volkswagen engine to see how they match up against other teams. "Power and performance of the Volkswagen engine are already at a high level. I’m eager to see where we stand compared with the competition," said the Florida native.

Aside from Summerton, the other two drivers will also be testing the new engine for three hours on Thursday. Gotz said: "The possibility to test suits us well because it allows us to work out the optimal set-up for our car without being pressured by time." Marco Holzer, on the other hand, said that the partnership with Volkswagen is a step forward for his team. "The collaboration with Volkswagen is a major step forwards for us,” said Marco Holzer.

Online PC game publisher YNK Interactive announced the open beta date for their highly anticipated massively multi-player online role-playing game, Rohan: Blood Feud. Open beta will begin on Tuesday, May 27th at 6:00pm PST. Having been working around the clock since the end of the Closed Beta fixing bugs and making many refinements and improvements, YNK Interactive has added several of players' suggestions into the game, and will continue to welcome player input during the Open Beta phase.

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On 2nd November 1965 a normal occurrence happened at the Talwar Nursing Home in New Delhi. Just like many newborns, I was born with the umbilical cord entangled around my neck. A nurse said that it was by the blessings of Hanuman and that I would be a very lucky child. I don’t know if I believe in it but it is the one thing I was told by my parents about my birth that I remember.

We lived in Rajinder Nagar, I even remember the house number it was F-442. I have vague memories of my playschool, I think it was called Tiny Tots and was right next to our house.

After playschool I began my formal education at St. Columba's High School, New Delhi. It was near Gole market, run by Irish brothers who believed in discipline and a very high standard of education.

I can recall my first day and the teacher who interviewed me, Mrs. Bala, asked me to tell her what my father’s profession was. And at that point my father had a transportation business, I had seen him dealing with tempos, trucks, etc. I believed anyone having anything to do with vehicles was a driver. So I replied that my dad was a tempo driver. Mrs. Bala told me that I had very cute dimples and then asked me to kiss her. That was my first kiss. Oh yes, and I was admitted to the school.

We were given black and golden stars for our behaviour and test results. Five black stars meant lying across Mrs. Bala’s lap and getting spanked three times, I think. Being quite naughty I was spanked a lot. I wish the same treatment was meted out to me even now. Looking back one realizes that what one thought punishment was actually quite pleasurable.

Overall my early years of schooling were quite wonderful. I had my share of spanking, and was often made to stand in the corner with my finger on the lips. I was forced by my teacher to learn how to swim by being thrown into the water and expected to survive with gallons of water in my stomach, eyes and ears. Till date I hate swimming…and my teacher for subjecting me to this torture.

But all said and done I love all my teachers. They were very kind and sweet. I guess the essence of one’s life is developed during these formative years. And I feel I had the best formative years because of the nice teachers I had.

Here’s to all of them…good morning ma’am and thank you ma’am.

Incidents & Accidents

One important turning point in my life occurred because I was very bad in Hindi. I used to get 2 or 3 on 10 and always failed in this subject. Once, my mother told me that if I got full marks in Hindi she would take me to see a Hindi film in the theatre. I had never been to a movie hall before. So I stayed up all night and studied my butt off and managed to get full marks and my mother took me to see my first Hindi film, in a theatre.

Two things happened because of this incident. One, I became quite the Hindi pundit and later always did very well in Hindi. And secondly, I got the feel for Hindi films. My command over the language helps me immensely to essay my roles in films today. The moral of the story is, if your mom tells you to study hard, do it. You may just become a film star and your education will help you one helluva lot. But if your mother is insisting on anthropology or biochemistry or perhaps aromatic therapy, then ignore her.

I remember sitting on the wall and blowing flying kisses to the schoolgirls passing by. Once a girl came complaining to my dad but my father was sure that it could not be me as I was too young. He made the girl wait so that she could see me and realise that it was the neighbour’s son who was teasing her and not me. But to my father’s embarrassment I walked in without my pants on and on seeing the girl blew her a flying kiss and told my dad that this was my sweetheart. This was the first and last girl I ever made a pass to.

St. Columba's School

Right or wrong…east or west, my school is the best. St. Columba's was a strict disciplinarian school run by Irish brothers. One could not wear the wrong uniform or grow their hair beyond a certain length. Many a times I had to get my hair cut in front of the whole assembly of students early in the morning. The barber used to be from a nearby street-side shop who hadn’t bathed or brushed his teeth. He was as sorry to be there as I was to be sitting on his uncomfortable chair. And before beginning his hack job, he would ask if I wanted a Dharmendra or an Amitabh cut. By the time he was through, I just hoped I didn’t look like a porcupine or a pineapple. My hair never recovered from these frequent attacks. ;-) This truly is the secret of my hairstyle, if one can call it that.

I was quite a good student, though I never studied throughout the year. The only time I studied was the night before the exam, when I wouldn’t sleep a wink and go straight for the exam. I did rather well and this gave me the opportunity to do a whole lot of interesting stuff in school.

In School…

My favourite soccer stars are Socrates, Pele, Maradona and Mattheus. And I loved Aslam Sher Khan and wanted to be like him and represent the country.

Electronics was my favourite subject at my A levels, and I think I got the highest marks in it when I passed out.

Mathematics was my weakest subject in school and I still have a problem with numbers. So much so if someone tells me a phone number I have to ask for it several times before I can write it down on paper. I even forget my office and residence phone number.

English, and especially Shakespeare, was my other favourite.

Mumtaz…

Mumtaz was my absolute favourite. We used to listen to the radio at night and this is when all my dancing abilities were best showcased. One had to just tell me that the song on radio was from a Mumtaz film and I would move 20 frames per second, like the way people move in the old Charlie Chaplin films.

I loved the way she moved her hips. I think nobody in this world can be as beautiful a sight as she used to be. She was sensual, innocent, naughty and very energetic, all at the same time. She was the first personality I mimicked. I loved to walk like her and dance like her.

Usually actors have very important personalities and performers as their idols. Mine was Mumtaz. Not to say that she was unimportant or not special. What I mean is that for a guy she was an unconventional role model. To me she was the single most important cause of my tilt towards anything that had vaguely to do with the performing arts.

My favourite song used to be from a Shammi Kapoor film, Brahmachari. Its lyrics still intrigue me: “Chakke pe chakka, chakke mein gaadi, gaadi pe nikli apni swaari...” Anyone who can explain the meaning of "chakke" to me, please send me an e-mail. (If you're serious about this, you can get the email address at www.srkworld.com!)

My Father

My father, Mir Taj Mohammed, was 10 years older to my mother, Fatima, and therefore much older to me. I remember him as a gentle giant - 6’2” tall with typically Pathan good looks, grey eyes and brown hair. But he was very well-read and well educated too. He did MA, LLB and knew six languages - Persian, Sanskrit, Pushtu, Punjabi, Hindi and English. He was, in his time, the youngest freedom fighter.

Even today whenever I bump into people who knew him, they talk about his sense of humour, and how he was a gentleman. And I remember the same about him. I wish I could be like him or bring up my child in the same way that he brought us up but I don’t know if I will be able to because I am more temperamental than he was.

Somehow, my sister and I listened to him more than we listened to our mother. He was gentler than her. Of course, my mother loved us too but with my father we were friends. We used to sit for hours and listen to him talk on various topics. We used to call each other ‘yaar’. I did call him ‘papa’ but yaar was used more often. Probably because he never cajoled or pampered us like people do their children but instead, always treated us as individuals, as adults. It was always one-to-one.
My father had a great sense of humour. We used to stay on the top floor of our building. Once, an old couple staying on the ground floor complained to my father, “Upar se cheese neeche aati hai.” My father laughed at the comment and said, “Newton discovered that long ago."

In another incident, I was teasing a south Indian girl next door by blowing up their letter boxes. Her mother came home to complain and my father opened the door. The lady could not speak Hindi well and she said, “Aapka ladka ladki ko chedta hai meri.” He replied, “Is she as pretty as you are?” She said, “What?” My father repeated his question. She replied, “Yes…” My father said, “Then I don’t blame him. If I had met you earlier even I would have been after you!” She smiled.

Besides his sense of humour, another quality I have imbibed from my father is his passion for reading. My father was a very good human being. I try to imbibe that too. I think I have inherited his goodness, though not to the full extent. The only aspect I didn’t inherit was his love for gardening. My father even enjoyed talking to flowers but I have never done that. Perhaps when I am older…

I have definitely inherited my absent-mindedness from my father. I have seen him walk out of the house in just a shirt, shoes, socks - without his pants! He would eat his breakfast in the toilet! He would just forget he was in there. I too forget names, I forget to eat sometimes. But where work is concerned I do not forget anything.

My father never screamed or shouted at my sister and me. My mother did that; even fulfilling his quota. He never hit us but scolded us once or twice. Even if he got serious for even a second, it would scare me but after a while he would laugh it off. He once told me, “Shit, I can’t even get angry with you.”

In another incident, he told me, “Look, your sister is now supposed to be studying. So I will go into her room and throw the novel she is reading, out of the window. You go and get the novel back.” He went, shouted at her and threw the book out. It was a joke and his method to tell us what is to be done.

My dad had a hot temper, not like an Army officer, but he liked correct behaviour. He didn’t expect me to get up and touch the feet of elders but a certain kind of respect had to be shown towards them. Even today if an elderly person is seated next to me, I cannot keep my feet on the table. He never told me not to do so. His persona made me realize that I should not do it.

One routine which formed on its own was my dad giving me milk in the morning. It started because my mother could not get up sometimes. Then it became a routine. He would warm the milk and give me but later decided against it. So every morning we would we would walk to the Mother Diary booth (a milk dispenser typical of Delhi). He would insert a token and I would cup my hands and drink milk directly.

I never got irritated or angry with my father. In fact, I used to love watching my father come home in the evening. My dog would react to him when he was 15-20 feet away from the house. I would rush down take his bag and walk back with him or pick him at the bus stop if he came in a bus or car.

Because of my father, every activity in the house, every duty, was transformed into a game. He charged us with the idea that we were doing such-and-such work because we were having fun. Because of this, I find work fun. That is why, I guess, I’m so energetic. I enjoy small things like sitting and watching a squirrel climb a tree or sleeping on the terrace in the Delhi summers. It becomes a game for me - the best thing that could happen to me that day.

At four years of age, my father taught me that I alone would have to deal with my screw-ups. I was very naughty in school and in the colony and I regularly got into trouble. Once, during a game, I threw a rock at a boy called Tara. The rock bounced on the ground, hit his face and broke his teeth. He began bleeding. We were very scared. I had not done it on purpose. The boy’s father got drunk in the night and armed with a knife, came knocking on our door. As soon as my father opened the door, that man began abusing and screaming: “Your son hurt my son. I’ll kill him.”

He was a rowdy kind of a guy but my dad asked him if he wished to speak to me! Imagine, there was this drunk person with a knife in his hand and my father sent me to speak to him! My father closed the door, came inside and questioned me, “Shah Rukh, have you hurt somebody?” I said, “Yeah.” My mother was hyper but he coolly said, “He is standing outside, go deal with him.” I told Tara’s father, “Uncle I am really sorry. I didn’t mean to harm Tara. It just happened.” I was literally in tears. Of course he didn’t mean to hurt me. My father had that much confidence in human nature, I guess. Dad later opened the door and asked if everything was sorted out. He told that man, “If you have a problem with me, you talk to me. If you have problem with my son, you talk to him.” I could have taken my father’s stand to mean that he didn’t want to stand by me, but I realised that it was his very nice way of teaching me that if I got into trouble, I would have to sort it out myself.

My dad taught me that in the long run, honesty always pays. In my school, St Columba’s, whenever we took a day off we had to submit a leave letter or we would get caned. My father never stopped me from doing anything. If I said, “I don’t want to go to school today,” he would say, “If you don’t feel up to it, it’s okay.” And he would give me a leave letter next day.

One day, he called me and said, “Today you go to school and tell your teacher that you don’t have any excuse for being absent yesterday. I used to be really scared of Brother Morris, our tall, well-built Irish teacher. When he caned us, it really hurt. I told him, “My father normally gives me the letter but today he didn’t. Not because he did not want to but he said I have no excuse for not coming yesterday.” Brother said, “That’s the right attitude. At least you did not lie. You were honest.” And he let me go. My father had seen the whole world and had wonderful experiences in his life. He had fought for the freedom of the country, joined Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan, fought the elections against Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad and lost. He enjoyed the fact that he had lost even his zamanat, perhaps he was happy to lose to a great person. When he was 16 years old, he left his home in Peshawar and walked to Kashmir, India. He studied law in a girl’s college, in Delhi. He had no place to stay, so he went to the principal, an Englishman and asked him to let him stay in the hostel. There he was the only guy. It was illegal. He said he pulled it off because he was a charming and decent guy.

(To be Continued in Part - II)

Perhaps you’ve always promised yourself a trip to London to catch a show you’ve always wanted to see, but have never had the time. Well, now is the ideal time as the West End goes through a mini-revival, offering a fabulous choice of productions.

Theatres in London regularly feature exciting new productions, but there are also a handful that have been playing to packed audiences for many years, including one notable mystery thriller that has been performed continuously for well over half a century.

The current longest running production, beating its nearest West End rival by an incredible 23 years is Mousetrap. The classic ‘whodunit’ first opened at the New Ambassadors theatre on 25th November 1952, and after enjoying a 22 year residency moved to the St. Martins theatre where it still thrills audiences today, notching up well over 20,000 performances.

The musical with the longest current run in the West End is Les Miserables, recording 23 years of continuous performances. Close behind comes another classic musical, The Phantom of the Opera. Indeed, musicals account for seven out of the top ten longest running productions in the West End. Here is the top ten, including the genre of the production, and the amount of time they have been packing in the crowds:

Mousetrap (thriller) – 56 years
Les Miserables (musical) – 23 years
The Phantom of the Opera (musical) – 22 years
Blood Brothers (musical) – 20 years
The Woman in Black (ghostly thriller) – 19 years
Chicago (musical) – 11 years
Mamma Mia (musical) – 10 years
The Lion King (musical) – 9 years
We Will Rock You (musical) – 6 years
Stomp (vaudeville) – 6 years

In addition to the phenomenal long-running successes there has also been a glut of new productions over the last two years; many are musicals inspired by high-profile TV reality show competitions in which the public vote for their favourite unknown to appear as the lead in the stage production.

As a result, popular productions such as Grease, The Sound of Music, Joseph and several others are packing them in every night as the UK population clamours to see the stars they voted for to star in the new West End productions in person. The enduring popularity of West End theatre isn’t about to diminish allowing many a hotel in Oxford Street and nearby Piccadilly to cash in on their proximity to the most popular productions.

If a trip to London is on your mind, then make sure that you do your research, get a hotel close to the production that you are going to watch, and book as early as you can.

Perhaps you’ve always promised yourself a trip to London to catch a show you’ve always wanted to see, but have never had the time. Well, now is the ideal time as the West End goes through a mini-revival, offering a fabulous choice of productions.

Theatres in London regularly feature exciting new productions, but there are also a handful that have been playing to packed audiences for many years, including one notable mystery thriller that has been performed continuously for well over half a century.

The current longest running production, beating its nearest West End rival by an incredible 23 years is Mousetrap. The classic ‘whodunit’ first opened at the New Ambassadors theatre on 25th November 1952, and after enjoying a 22 year residency moved to the St. Martins theatre where it still thrills audiences today, notching up well over 20,000 performances.

The musical with the longest current run in the West End is Les Miserables, recording 23 years of continuous performances. Close behind comes another classic musical, The Phantom of the Opera. Indeed, musicals account for seven out of the top ten longest running productions in the West End. Here is the top ten, including the genre of the production, and the amount of time they have been packing in the crowds:

Mousetrap (thriller) – 56 years
Les Miserables (musical) – 23 years
The Phantom of the Opera (musical) – 22 years
Blood Brothers (musical) – 20 years
The Woman in Black (ghostly thriller) – 19 years
Chicago (musical) – 11 years
Mamma Mia (musical) – 10 years
The Lion King (musical) – 9 years
We Will Rock You (musical) – 6 years
Stomp (vaudeville) – 6 years

In addition to the phenomenal long-running successes there has also been a glut of new productions over the last two years; many are musicals inspired by high-profile TV reality show competitions in which the public vote for their favourite unknown to appear as the lead in the stage production.

As a result, popular productions such as Grease, The Sound of Music, Joseph and several others are packing them in every night as the UK population clamours to see the stars they voted for to star in the new West End productions in person. The enduring popularity of West End theatre isn’t about to diminish allowing many a hotel in Oxford Street and nearby Piccadilly to cash in on their proximity to the most popular productions.

If a trip to London is on your mind, then make sure that you do your research, get a hotel close to the production that you are going to watch, and book as early as you can.

When as play is shown to audiences very seldom is a thought given to the immense amount of hard work which has gone into the production of a play. One of the key elements for any play is that of a script. While it is important to have a script it is even more important that the play script be ones that is very good at capturing the imagination of the audience.

You will find great examples of play scripts which have gone on to successfully capture its target audience. These will of course include the famous My Fair Lady, Cats and also Starlight Express. These plays are ones that many people have gone to see many times while they were offered for the publics’ pleasure. you should understand that the script which is behind these various plays is the main reason why the popularity of these plays still linger even when they are not in our sights.

While there are many ways of getting a good play script it is still a good idea that the script reflects original ideas. This way the audience is going to see an item that will hold their interest instead of a play where the dialogue and even the play theme are well known. Some of the best play scripts that you can find are immortalized in memorable plays like South Pacific, My Fair Lady, Cats, The King and I, Rent among others.

The play scripts which have been developed by the creators of these plays allow talented actors, actresses, dancers, singers of stage and drama to show their incredible talent. There is another use for these play scripts. For the actors these scripts allow them the ability to remember the lines they need to say.

Likewise the places where the other actors need to insert their lines are clearly depicted. This means that each person will know where they need to start and finish. A play script is ideal for the directors of the play as well as the other people like the musical director. For these people the script will have various details which can help them steer the play in the direction that it needs to go.

As you see for us to enjoy a great play there are a multitude of items which need to be thought of. And among these a key item is that of a well thought out play script. Play scripts are therefore among the most important items that you can find to make any type of play a roaring success.

Stage work would definitely be very difficult to carry on without the use of an all-purpose item such as gaffer tape. Often called gaff tape, this is a very common tool used by photographers, film and theater directors to organize any form of artistic performance; basically consisting f cotton cloth with an adhesive part, gaffer tape is sensitive to pressure and incredibly strong at the same time. Where is gaffer tape actually used on stage? Well first of all, think about all those countless cables that seem to be in the way all the time; when going backstage you'd be surprised to see all the “cable” web that hides behind a scene.

Hence, gaffer tape is mainly used for securing light and motion cables directly to the floors, the walls or to any other surface where they're needed. Gaffer tape actually covers two main roles: on the one hand it ensures a safe work background by eliminating exposure to electric sources, and on the other hand, it camouflages the cables from the audience. Nevertheless, there are plenty other situations when gaffer tape works wonders: very often a simple, but absolutely necessary, fix is required, and gaffer tape sheerly makes the easiest and safest solution to it.

Some other times, gaffer tape replaces the so called artist tape in the fixation of a prop or in the labeling of the special broadcasting channels used for a certain show. There are all sorts of gaffer tape models, and they are special not just in size and design but in color as well. First of all, narrower gaffer tape may be required for certain applications, whereas others depend on wide sizes. Moreover, the color of the gaffer tape is equally important when it comes to integrating a certain prop in the background without showing any sign of differentiation.

For people who'd like to have it customized according to some particular specifications, gaffer tape can be ordered with many online manufacturers. Yet, the most common and widely used variates are the black and gray ones since the are generally applied to electricity cables that have this very same color. After being removed, there are no traces of gaffer tape left behind, which is a great feature for the clean use on occasions when residues are completely bothersome. It is not uncommon to try and substitute gaffer tape with duct tape for instance, but the latter is definitely lower in quality, leaving lots of residues behind.

On 2nd November 1965 a normal occurrence happened at the Talwar Nursing Home in New Delhi. Just like many newborns, I was born with the umbilical cord entangled around my neck. A nurse said that it was by the blessings of Hanuman and that I would be a very lucky child. I don’t know if I believe in it but it is the one thing I was told by my parents about my birth that I remember.

We lived in Rajinder Nagar, I even remember the house number it was F-442. I have vague memories of my playschool, I think it was called Tiny Tots and was right next to our house.

After playschool I began my formal education at St. Columba's High School, New Delhi. It was near Gole market, run by Irish brothers who believed in discipline and a very high standard of education.

I can recall my first day and the teacher who interviewed me, Mrs. Bala, asked me to tell her what my father’s profession was. And at that point my father had a transportation business, I had seen him dealing with tempos, trucks, etc. I believed anyone having anything to do with vehicles was a driver. So I replied that my dad was a tempo driver. Mrs. Bala told me that I had very cute dimples and then asked me to kiss her. That was my first kiss. Oh yes, and I was admitted to the school.

We were given black and golden stars for our behaviour and test results. Five black stars meant lying across Mrs. Bala’s lap and getting spanked three times, I think. Being quite naughty I was spanked a lot. I wish the same treatment was meted out to me even now. Looking back one realizes that what one thought punishment was actually quite pleasurable.

Overall my early years of schooling were quite wonderful. I had my share of spanking, and was often made to stand in the corner with my finger on the lips. I was forced by my teacher to learn how to swim by being thrown into the water and expected to survive with gallons of water in my stomach, eyes and ears. Till date I hate swimming…and my teacher for subjecting me to this torture.

But all said and done I love all my teachers. They were very kind and sweet. I guess the essence of one’s life is developed during these formative years. And I feel I had the best formative years because of the nice teachers I had.

Here’s to all of them…good morning ma’am and thank you ma’am.

Incidents & Accidents

One important turning point in my life occurred because I was very bad in Hindi. I used to get 2 or 3 on 10 and always failed in this subject. Once, my mother told me that if I got full marks in Hindi she would take me to see a Hindi film in the theatre. I had never been to a movie hall before. So I stayed up all night and studied my butt off and managed to get full marks and my mother took me to see my first Hindi film, in a theatre.

Two things happened because of this incident. One, I became quite the Hindi pundit and later always did very well in Hindi. And secondly, I got the feel for Hindi films. My command over the language helps me immensely to essay my roles in films today. The moral of the story is, if your mom tells you to study hard, do it. You may just become a film star and your education will help you one helluva lot. But if your mother is insisting on anthropology or biochemistry or perhaps aromatic therapy, then ignore her.

I remember sitting on the wall and blowing flying kisses to the schoolgirls passing by. Once a girl came complaining to my dad but my father was sure that it could not be me as I was too young. He made the girl wait so that she could see me and realise that it was the neighbour’s son who was teasing her and not me. But to my father’s embarrassment I walked in without my pants on and on seeing the girl blew her a flying kiss and told my dad that this was my sweetheart. This was the first and last girl I ever made a pass to.

St. Columba's School

Right or wrong…east or west, my school is the best. St. Columba's was a strict disciplinarian school run by Irish brothers. One could not wear the wrong uniform or grow their hair beyond a certain length. Many a times I had to get my hair cut in front of the whole assembly of students early in the morning. The barber used to be from a nearby street-side shop who hadn’t bathed or brushed his teeth. He was as sorry to be there as I was to be sitting on his uncomfortable chair. And before beginning his hack job, he would ask if I wanted a Dharmendra or an Amitabh cut. By the time he was through, I just hoped I didn’t look like a porcupine or a pineapple. My hair never recovered from these frequent attacks. ;-) This truly is the secret of my hairstyle, if one can call it that.

I was quite a good student, though I never studied throughout the year. The only time I studied was the night before the exam, when I wouldn’t sleep a wink and go straight for the exam. I did rather well and this gave me the opportunity to do a whole lot of interesting stuff in school.

In School…

My favourite soccer stars are Socrates, Pele, Maradona and Mattheus. And I loved Aslam Sher Khan and wanted to be like him and represent the country.

Electronics was my favourite subject at my A levels, and I think I got the highest marks in it when I passed out.

Mathematics was my weakest subject in school and I still have a problem with numbers. So much so if someone tells me a phone number I have to ask for it several times before I can write it down on paper. I even forget my office and residence phone number.

English, and especially Shakespeare, was my other favourite.

Mumtaz…

Mumtaz was my absolute favourite. We used to listen to the radio at night and this is when all my dancing abilities were best showcased. One had to just tell me that the song on radio was from a Mumtaz film and I would move 20 frames per second, like the way people move in the old Charlie Chaplin films.

I loved the way she moved her hips. I think nobody in this world can be as beautiful a sight as she used to be. She was sensual, innocent, naughty and very energetic, all at the same time. She was the first personality I mimicked. I loved to walk like her and dance like her.

Usually actors have very important personalities and performers as their idols. Mine was Mumtaz. Not to say that she was unimportant or not special. What I mean is that for a guy she was an unconventional role model. To me she was the single most important cause of my tilt towards anything that had vaguely to do with the performing arts.

My favourite song used to be from a Shammi Kapoor film, Brahmachari. Its lyrics still intrigue me: “Chakke pe chakka, chakke mein gaadi, gaadi pe nikli apni swaari...” Anyone who can explain the meaning of "chakke" to me, please send me an e-mail. (If you're serious about this, you can get the email address at www.srkworld.com!)

My Father

My father, Mir Taj Mohammed, was 10 years older to my mother, Fatima, and therefore much older to me. I remember him as a gentle giant - 6’2” tall with typically Pathan good looks, grey eyes and brown hair. But he was very well-read and well educated too. He did MA, LLB and knew six languages - Persian, Sanskrit, Pushtu, Punjabi, Hindi and English. He was, in his time, the youngest freedom fighter.

Even today whenever I bump into people who knew him, they talk about his sense of humour, and how he was a gentleman. And I remember the same about him. I wish I could be like him or bring up my child in the same way that he brought us up but I don’t know if I will be able to because I am more temperamental than he was.

Somehow, my sister and I listened to him more than we listened to our mother. He was gentler than her. Of course, my mother loved us too but with my father we were friends. We used to sit for hours and listen to him talk on various topics. We used to call each other ‘yaar’. I did call him ‘papa’ but yaar was used more often. Probably because he never cajoled or pampered us like people do their children but instead, always treated us as individuals, as adults. It was always one-to-one.
My father had a great sense of humour. We used to stay on the top floor of our building. Once, an old couple staying on the ground floor complained to my father, “Upar se cheese neeche aati hai.” My father laughed at the comment and said, “Newton discovered that long ago."

In another incident, I was teasing a south Indian girl next door by blowing up their letter boxes. Her mother came home to complain and my father opened the door. The lady could not speak Hindi well and she said, “Aapka ladka ladki ko chedta hai meri.” He replied, “Is she as pretty as you are?” She said, “What?” My father repeated his question. She replied, “Yes…” My father said, “Then I don’t blame him. If I had met you earlier even I would have been after you!” She smiled.

Besides his sense of humour, another quality I have imbibed from my father is his passion for reading. My father was a very good human being. I try to imbibe that too. I think I have inherited his goodness, though not to the full extent. The only aspect I didn’t inherit was his love for gardening. My father even enjoyed talking to flowers but I have never done that. Perhaps when I am older…

I have definitely inherited my absent-mindedness from my father. I have seen him walk out of the house in just a shirt, shoes, socks - without his pants! He would eat his breakfast in the toilet! He would just forget he was in there. I too forget names, I forget to eat sometimes. But where work is concerned I do not forget anything.

My father never screamed or shouted at my sister and me. My mother did that; even fulfilling his quota. He never hit us but scolded us once or twice. Even if he got serious for even a second, it would scare me but after a while he would laugh it off. He once told me, “Shit, I can’t even get angry with you.”

In another incident, he told me, “Look, your sister is now supposed to be studying. So I will go into her room and throw the novel she is reading, out of the window. You go and get the novel back.” He went, shouted at her and threw the book out. It was a joke and his method to tell us what is to be done.

My dad had a hot temper, not like an Army officer, but he liked correct behaviour. He didn’t expect me to get up and touch the feet of elders but a certain kind of respect had to be shown towards them. Even today if an elderly person is seated next to me, I cannot keep my feet on the table. He never told me not to do so. His persona made me realize that I should not do it.

One routine which formed on its own was my dad giving me milk in the morning. It started because my mother could not get up sometimes. Then it became a routine. He would warm the milk and give me but later decided against it. So every morning we would we would walk to the Mother Diary booth (a milk dispenser typical of Delhi). He would insert a token and I would cup my hands and drink milk directly.

I never got irritated or angry with my father. In fact, I used to love watching my father come home in the evening. My dog would react to him when he was 15-20 feet away from the house. I would rush down take his bag and walk back with him or pick him at the bus stop if he came in a bus or car.

Because of my father, every activity in the house, every duty, was transformed into a game. He charged us with the idea that we were doing such-and-such work because we were having fun. Because of this, I find work fun. That is why, I guess, I’m so energetic. I enjoy small things like sitting and watching a squirrel climb a tree or sleeping on the terrace in the Delhi summers. It becomes a game for me - the best thing that could happen to me that day.

At four years of age, my father taught me that I alone would have to deal with my screw-ups. I was very naughty in school and in the colony and I regularly got into trouble. Once, during a game, I threw a rock at a boy called Tara. The rock bounced on the ground, hit his face and broke his teeth. He began bleeding. We were very scared. I had not done it on purpose. The boy’s father got drunk in the night and armed with a knife, came knocking on our door. As soon as my father opened the door, that man began abusing and screaming: “Your son hurt my son. I’ll kill him.”

He was a rowdy kind of a guy but my dad asked him if he wished to speak to me! Imagine, there was this drunk person with a knife in his hand and my father sent me to speak to him! My father closed the door, came inside and questioned me, “Shah Rukh, have you hurt somebody?” I said, “Yeah.” My mother was hyper but he coolly said, “He is standing outside, go deal with him.” I told Tara’s father, “Uncle I am really sorry. I didn’t mean to harm Tara. It just happened.” I was literally in tears. Of course he didn’t mean to hurt me. My father had that much confidence in human nature, I guess. Dad later opened the door and asked if everything was sorted out. He told that man, “If you have a problem with me, you talk to me. If you have problem with my son, you talk to him.” I could have taken my father’s stand to mean that he didn’t want to stand by me, but I realised that it was his very nice way of teaching me that if I got into trouble, I would have to sort it out myself.

My dad taught me that in the long run, honesty always pays. In my school, St Columba’s, whenever we took a day off we had to submit a leave letter or we would get caned. My father never stopped me from doing anything. If I said, “I don’t want to go to school today,” he would say, “If you don’t feel up to it, it’s okay.” And he would give me a leave letter next day.

One day, he called me and said, “Today you go to school and tell your teacher that you don’t have any excuse for being absent yesterday. I used to be really scared of Brother Morris, our tall, well-built Irish teacher. When he caned us, it really hurt. I told him, “My father normally gives me the letter but today he didn’t. Not because he did not want to but he said I have no excuse for not coming yesterday.” Brother said, “That’s the right attitude. At least you did not lie. You were honest.” And he let me go. My father had seen the whole world and had wonderful experiences in his life. He had fought for the freedom of the country, joined Khan Abdul Gaffar Khan, fought the elections against Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad and lost. He enjoyed the fact that he had lost even his zamanat, perhaps he was happy to lose to a great person. When he was 16 years old, he left his home in Peshawar and walked to Kashmir, India. He studied law in a girl’s college, in Delhi. He had no place to stay, so he went to the principal, an Englishman and asked him to let him stay in the hostel. There he was the only guy. It was illegal. He said he pulled it off because he was a charming and decent guy.

(To be Continued in Part - II)

Arc Lights
When I set up Dreamz Unlimited the logic was to start a company where everybody was well-fed, got their money and were self reliant. The idea behind Arclightz was to have an equipment unit which would back up Dreamz Unlimited.

We saw things in perspective. The only way you can make a film without compromising is to make a film cheap. The simplest way to make a cheap film is to have a backend equipment company. So that’s Arclightz. And how will Arclightz run? We will earn our equipment cost within three or four hirings and by the third film we will have no equipment costs. So that film will be cheaper. It will not be much cheaper but will at least save a crore of rupees on a seven crore budget.

And then some of the set props we make can be used again. And everything is backend. We don’t spend 35 lakhs on the publicity, we spend 25 lakhs and own the unit. Today if I buy publicity equipment, it will cost me 25 lakhs. But now that I have made the investment, I will have that equipment free to make the next film. So slowly, slowly there will come a time when I won’t have to spend any money on too many things.

Going Digital

Internet is a medium which is there for the taking right now. Like television was at one point. I want to there when that medium happens. This time I won’t let go of the opportunity, like I did with television. I have a camera and filmmaking equipment. Tomorrow, if I’m not making a film for 20 days and if this medium catches on, then I may make a 10-minute film for this medium. All the companies are finally going to tie up.

So then the entire unit may finally turn out to be self reliant. And mutually beneficial if all my partners think alike. It is not about just about making the Internet company successful. At the backend is software, which comes from the creative team at Dreamz Unlimited. For the equipment we have Arclightz. So all three should be interdependent which I believe is the correct model to have.

I see a huge studio with post-production facility on one floor and equipment storage on one floor and the office of the creative on top. So when you come in, you get the three mediums under one roof. And if that company can be a five-star hotel with a multiplex inside and three floors of office, it would be great. And that, without being pompous, is the dream behind SRKWORLD.

Dreamz Unlimited

The logic of Dreamz Unlimited is not to make money but to make different films and to make sure not to lose money. We should not have to sell our houses to run the company. So when I decided to join hands with Aziz and Juhi for Dreamz Unlimited I was very clear that the company should be self-reliant. I was not aiming to be the biggest film producer in the world but I wanted that we should be able to make our kind of films without being dependant on producers who were not like-minded.

Our first film, Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani, was not as successful as we would have liked it to be, but the publicity has made us a name in the market within a year. Today, if I ask you what is the name of Sunny Deol’s production company, you would probably not recall Vijeyta Arts. But everyone knows Dreamz Unlimited.

TV

Since I entered films through television, I do have a soft corner for the medium. A few years ago, I was trying so hard to convince all my friends to get a headstart in television but no one thought it was good idea. In fact, I had spoken of doing a game show, but everyone around told me that people won’t accept a big screen star who appears on the small screen. So now, a little late perhaps, we are starting to provide software for television, though not necessarily featuring me. Once again, the idea is to make the kind of programmes that we would like to watch, programmes which don’t insult your intelligence. We know we can provide content which is at least a little above the average.

Vision

My childhood was not a wealthy one, but a contented one. My family was not rich but then we never saw poverty either. Since my father had been a freedom fighter he had a lot of connections and he could have gone on to become a lawyer or a politician, but he tried to set up his own business. He tried his hand at many businesses but he was too nice to make money at someone else’s expense, so he was never very successful. He was never depressed or unhappy though. I call him the most successful failure.

At the Asia ‘72 Expo, he got permission to set up a chola batura stall. He hired a small staff to prepare the dish and it was a huge hit because it was right next to the Russian Centre, which had samples of mud from the moon. We made money from it but he distributed it amongst the people who worked with him. Then, he had a transport business but his partner cheated him. He had a refinery business. He also had a huge furniture business. My mother felt that he was too nice a man. He couldn’t take advantage of people. He would just give out money. At one point he used to also run the canteen at the NSD. To date, actors like Mr. Raj Babbar and others owe him some money.

That’s the way he lived and that’s the nature I have too. But I also saw my mother suffer because of his niceness. I realised when my mother died that there is a reasonable essential quality about money. Since then I have always remembered one thing: you should do business to the extent that you have a position of choice. You get that position of choice when you fulfil your basic needs. It should not be that you don’t marry because you don’t have enough money. That is my basic line of thought when it comes to business. Even when I price myself, I don’t go according to my stardom or the market rate. My price is based on how much I require. There are a lot of times when I have been underpaid because of this attitude and there are a lot of times when I have been overpaid too.

Secondly, at heart I’m a retailer. It should never be that you have to sell your personal belongings to make the business run. It should pay for itself. This is the basic premise of a retailer. If you open a shop it should pay for the electricity bill, the water tax and the staff salary at least. It may not make crores, but it should be self-sufficient.

Also, I believe that you should not take interest money. I believe in the Islamic principle that you should not take money if you don’t deserve it. You should work for it. I don’t dabble in shares. Nor do I dabble in speculation, lottery, gambling. I know it’s an old-fashioned thought but I believe that money is no good money. I don’t think I deserve it unless I have wrestled for it, boxed for it, run for it, made a painting for it…I like that money.

These four principles cover my business philosophy: You should work for it, you should not lose money in any business, you should make enough money so that you are in a position of choice. And finally, if you start a business employing a lot of people, the end result, regardless of whether it made money or not, should be that all those people involved should be happy that they gave it a shot.

Many people say creative artists should not do business. But I don’t do business at that level. Then again, a lot of people tell me I’m a very good businessman, but that’s not true either. I believe in simplicity and clarity in business. I believe in honesty and quick decision. And I am ready to give more than what you expect from me. But what you promise should be delivered otherwise I feel cheated because I invariably give in more than what was negotiated for, whether it’s a film, an ad, a TV serial or the production of a film.

Also it should have some newness to it. It should not be the done path. I have never taken amazing big risks in business as I have done in my career…which also became a business at one time. It should be a little bit different from what others are doing. If I find that everyone is opening a toy store, I would like to open a toy store with one special toy which nobody has.

One of the greatest gifts of God to me is that I have never felt a lack of money. God has given me a lot of things - name, talent, fame, looks, success - but the one aspect he has given me for which I am most grateful is that I have never had to ask for money. Even in my growing years, I remember I once told my mother, ‘Mom, can I have a car?’ not knowing whether she could afford one, but the next day she would tell me, ‘You know, Shah Rukh, while going through the accounts I realised that an FD is lying with me.’ And from that money I would find a car standing outside the door.

When I wanted to buy a flat, Ratan Jain gave me cheque of seven lakh rupees. When I wanted to buy a bungalow, star prices suddenly shot up so much that I had the money to buy the bungalow. When I couldn’t afford a Pajero, the dealer gave it to me at half the cost. It has always been like that. If I have wanted something it has always come to me. That’s why I never wish for material things. Maybe God has said that He will grant my wish only 48 times in his lifetime so I don’t want it to run out.

I have not been greedy for wrong things. But in a different context, I think greed is the mainstay of life. I believe that you should have a greed for knowledge, for money so that you can have choice, greed for love. Greed is the core of mankind’s existence. Greed is what makes me what I am. I am greedy for doing more than what I am doing. I am geedy for more money too. I have enough money right now, but I will never let go of a chance to make money. Opportunity knocks only once. And if you don’t let her in she walks past and knocks on the other door. Opportunity is like a lady. Dad used to say ‘waqt ki choti aage hoti’. Opportunity is like a woman and her braid is in the front, so if you let her pass you can’t catch hold of her. You have to hold her when she is facing you. So I believe in initiative and in striking when the iron is hot.

Before me, no actors and actresses used to do ads. Friends of mine like Anil Kapoor and Juhi used to say I was stupid. I take the credit for bringing honour to stars doing advertising. Now every star is doing it. No medium is too small for me. I will dance at weddings, I will dance on the street, on stage, on TV… Today, Amitabh Bachchan is the biggest star, thanks to the small screen.

I did ads because I need the money. And I find nothing wrong in having money. It is a proud moment for me when I earn money through my work. With the money I earn at weddings, I get the choice of not doing a film I don’t want to do. Many actors have done 70 films out of which 30 are just for the money. Like, many actresses are stuck with films they did only for money.

I am very proud of the fact that I never did a film because I wanted money. Even Guddu was to be directed in a very fine way by Lekh Tandon, though it didn’t eventually work out that way. I never did a film because I wanted to buy a house. A person who does a film because of money will dislike the film when it does not do well. This doesn’t happen with me. There is not a single film from the 35 films which I dislike. As a matter of fact, I have made it a point not take money when I do guest appearances. So that door of making money is closed for me. There is no easy money for me. That is my business philosophy. You should only earn money with your hard work.

Whatever business I do will be in some way connected to entertainment. I dream of one day owning a five-star hotel with a multiplex cinema and a bowling alley. I think there is some entertainment value attached to the hotel business. It forms a part of the entertainment industry. I like people to watch me shoot at Marine Drive and to have a smile. Similarly I would want people to come out of my hotel with a smile on their faces.

There have been several high profile musical productions debuting in the West End recently to varying degrees of critical acclaim. But, regardless of whether the autumn openings continue their runs into 2008, musicals look set to dominate the West End box office over the next few years.

Prominent amongst the successful new shows unveiled recently include ‘Hairspray’. The musical opened in late October in London’s West End to rave reviews and has recently extended its run by seven months as a result. First opened on Broadway in August 2002 at the Simons Theatre where it is still playing to packed audiences this American import is now booking until 25th October 2008 at the Shaftesbury Theatre. West End veteran warbler Michael Ball stars as cross-dresser Edna Turnblad with comedian-turned-actor Mel Smith supporting as “her husband” Wilbur and newcomer Leanne Jones plays Tracy, their daughter. Following its success on Broadway, Hairspray has been made into a Hollywood feature film starring John Travolta.

Indeed, productions based on films, or vice-versa, appear to be all the rage in the West End. Dirty Dancing, another recent addition to the West End theatres, has also extended its booking period until April 2009, after a successful opening in late October. Writer of the film’s screenplay Eleanor Bergstein used her own childhood experiences of holidaying with her family in the Catskills in the USA as the basis of the story and has successfully adapted it for this stage production. Josef Brown, who played the lead in the Australian production of 2004, stars as Johnny joined by Sarah Manton as Baby.

Another former film now gracing the West End stage ‘Desperately seeking Susan’, which originally starred Madonna and Rosanna Arquette in the celluloid version, is not doing quite so well in the stage adaptation that features the music of Blondie. The production recently premiered at the Novello Theatre and is currently booking until mid-April 2008, although judging by the unfavourable reviews it may ultimately record a shorter run that that.

Conversely, Grease is taking the West End by storm. Originally a 70’s film musical starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, this production has made a successful transition to the West End stage and looks set to enjoy a long run until the end of the decade.

As well as modern musicals, classics such as Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s Joseph have undergone a successful revival thanks to the BBC talent show ‘Any dream will do’ which has given 26-year-old winner Lee Mead the starring role in his West End debut. That must be one of the best
theatre breaks for a young actor since the last BBC talent winner Connie Fisher captured the lead role of Maria in the Sound of Music!

Some of the most thrilling aspects of stage performances involve combat. For example, what would Hamlet be without its numerous battles? What would Gilbert and Sullivan's Pirates of Penzance be without its piratical swashbuckling? Whether the performance is a comedy or tragedy, a "straight" play or a musical, there may be scenes of combat.

Of course, real fighting on stage is not advisable, simply because it would be highly dangerous for the performers involved. Theater creates convincing illusions; combat is no exception to this. Therefore, an entire array of practices has been developed by directors and choreographers. Usually, they incorporate actual moves from martial arts or other disciplines, but change them to be less dangerous for the actors involved. These techniques are collectively known as "stage
combat."

One of the more common types of stage combat is stage fencing. Stage fencing uses many of the moves and techniques common in traditional fencing, but modifies them. For example, a move may be altered so that the sword used does not travel near the actor's face.

Stage fencing may incorporate several different weapons. Among these are the stage foil, which resembles a regular foil, the dagger, and the broadsword. Rapiers may also be used. Stage combat moves vary depending on what sword is used; for example, a rapier fight will be more "nimble" than one using larger weapons. The swords may either be real, or props constructed to look like weapons. The latter, of course, is less dangerous for the actors, but requires more work to seem real.

In most productions, the stage fencing routines are developed by the choreographer of the play or musical. For larger scale productions, or for routines involving many intricate techniques, a separate fight choreographer may be used. These
choreographers are trained especially in stage combat, and are more skilled in developing flashier routines.

Stage combat, when executed in the theatre, is highly routine. Although the moves may seem thrilling and immediate, they have been rehearsed time after time at varying speeds. Improvisation cannot be a part of swordfights on stage, simply because it would be dangerous to introduce an unexpected change when swords are involved. Despite this routine, however, when done well, stage combat can be spectacularly done and extremely convincing.

I recently had an email from someone who had visited our website, liked what they had seen, but had a question about our methods and philosophy. The question was this:

“What about if I am an artist and I don’t want to change my profession and also I don’t want to have another job on the side? I want to keep my work and have great benefits from that.”

In other words: I don’t want to do anything apart from my acting career, and I want to get well paid for it. What do you think about that?

My immediate response was a mixture of amusement and irritation. Of course, for everyone pursuing an artistic career, what we all ideally want to do is get paid a ton of money for doing what we love (just make sure you have had your financial education before this happens - you don’t want to end up a morality tale!). If you are a dramatic actor, making $100,000 per episode for being in a high quality night-time drama is about as good as it gets. For a musician, platinum albums generating millions in residual payments is where it’s at. For a sculptor, having ones work on display in private collections and museums world-wide would bring home more than enough bacon for any number of New York apartments and trips to South America. But, assuming that it may be some time before we find ourselves in those enviable positions, what are we going to do about money?

And that, I think, is the problem with thinking along these lines. Sure, there are those, very few, people who are lucky or talented enough to walk out of their acing schools and into full time acting careers, or whatever other artistic endeavours you chose. But, for the rest of us, there will be a period (anywhere from a few months to several years), where we will have to do something else in order to make ends meet, while we wait for the income from our art to allow us to live in comfort.

“Have to”. Those are the operative words in that sentence. Not “want to” or “like to” but “have to”. There is a great line in “Gladiator”:

“Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to”.

Now, do you have to have another job while you pursue your artistic career? Not necessarily; but unless you are either supported to willing to live on the streets, then it is something that you seriously need to consider alongside your artist development.

For the person who asked the question above, I would say this, finally: At Abundance Bound we have tools to help you work out exactly how much you need to earn in order to live (email us at mailto:info@abundancebound.com with “Chart of Expenses” in the tag line for help with this). Having gotten that number, you can then find work, be it your own business or a regular job, that will provide that amount in the least time possible, leaving you free to pursue your art around it. If you can sell enough pieces or work enough days to not need anything else, then that is truly great for you, and the focus now becomes what to do with the money you are earning, so as to get the greatest benefit out of it (that is where financial education comes in)

But, for the rest of us, truly consider the options before you. Take control of your financial lives so that you can pursue your art free form the crushing weight of financial stress. Bite the bullet and handle things now, so that they do not get out of control later. And, above all, never stop focusing on your artistic success, because by doing that, all things are possible.

In different cities in America some theater organizes special broadway and off-broadway show for children. In major cities and town there are many show organize each day. The local newspaper and the big hordings at the main road are the key source of information about the show. There are different types of show organized for the children’s where children gets the more entertainment. It is ideal to select the proper show from your children. Here are the tips to select the broadway show for your children.

1. First tips is to identify the show from the newspaper and magazine or hordings. You must have to discuss with your children and know their interest. There are broadway or off broadway shows organized so you have to select the proper one for your child. Also give some description about the show. Once your children get agree on the show you move further.

2. You must have to get the inquiry about the show time and availability of the booking. You must have to decide which class of ticket you need to buy from the booking office. Also confirm the timing of the show. You must have to through about various alternative for the tickets.

3. While booking the show ticket you must have to ask for discount. There are many show offer different types of discount if you book in advance or if you book the ticket in bulk. The theater give discount from 20 percent to 60 percent.

4. It is advisable to book your ticket in advance to avoid last time rush and get the good discount on the ticket.

5. It is essential to presence in the show early because you get the idea about the seat location and select the proper seat. Also interest with your child while show get start.

Audi engineers the parts and accessories of their vehicles under strict supervision. The car manufacturer specifically wants its models to have highly efficient systems and components as so to derive peak performance. This is actually not new to the world of automobile production. Most companies compete at a lock-horn level just to stress their products’ functionality. However, a particular company proves to be a notch higher than most of its competitors. Receiving countless awards and recognition, Audi produces parts like the Audi brake caliper and the Audi brake dust shield, regarded to be two of the best in the industry.

A brake caliper is basically the assembly that houses the brake pads and pistons. There are two types of calipers. First is the fixed caliper. It cannot be moved relatively to the disc, and uses one or more pairs of pistons to clamp from each side if the disc. Second is the floating caliper. This type is the one that moves or slides in synchrony with the disc. This happens when a piston on one particular side of the disc applies pressure on the inner brake pad until it makes contact with the braking surface. After this, the piston pulls the caliper body with the outer brake pad so pressure is applied to both sides of the disc. Audi brake calipers ensure efficient braking every time the brakes are pressed.

On the other hand, the Audi brake dust shield provides compact protection against dust accumulation in the brake system. Brake dust shields are usually aluminum plates that are installed between the rim and the brake disc just like a hub cap. The Audi brake dust shield is securely tucked under the wheel and safeguards the area where dust accumulation mostly occurs.

These are just two components that Audi manufactures with great care. Immediate replacement of a faulty brake caliper or dust shield is necessary to maintain efficient performance output and longevity of the Audi automobiles.

A wide-screen TV, a DVD player, and speakers are typical components of a home theater system.

People who enjoy complete surround sound from DVDs and HDTV broadcasts use up to seven speakers and a subwoofer to enhance the experience. You may not consider features such as Pro Dolby Digital or 7 point surround sound as being very important. But if you want to sit at home, and enjoy the ambience of a cinema, you will relish the above features. Again, this depends on where your house is located. If you live in an area where your neighbors might complain of the noise, the surround sound may prove a disturbance.

You could opt for a powerful system, provided you have a separate room. For a large room, you will need an 80 watt receiver. If you are a newbie owner of a home theater system, you can start with a small number of quality speakers, and add more later, along with a sub woofer.

You need a large screen HDTV model that delivers a quality image to enhance your movie watching experience. HDTV sets are available with different display resolutions such as 720p (1280 by 720 pixels), 1080i or 1080p (1920 by 1080), 1366 by 768, and 1024 by 768.

In order to create the surround sound experience of a movie theater in the privacy of your home, you should opt for a perfect combination comprised of front and left speakers, a center channel speaker, surround speakers and a subwoofer. You want to make sure that the various speakers work together, as a single unit, in cohesion. Merely buying speakers of a recognized brand or model might only insure that they individually deliver great sound, while not working as a cohesive whole.

If you wish to be hassle free, not having to worry about whether your receiver and speaker set match, then, a Home theater in a box (HTiB) system is just what the doctor ordered.

If you want a powerful, pure and complete home theater experience, opt for a Denon 4308. A Denon AVR-4308CI model has many features to enhance your enjoyment of high-end Denon audio/video performance.

These include a single unit that functions as an amplifier/ preamplifier/ control center, with a built-in DVD/ CD player or changer, a surround sound decoder that can decode all the major surround sound formats, including Dolby Digital, DTS, and Dolby Pro Logic II, six speakers, and wireless remote control, all incorporated into this system.

It comes with a versatile HDMI switching, wireless PC networking, a built-in HD Radio tuner, and flexible multi-room A/V options. It even includes Dolby True HD and DTS-HD Master Audio decoding aimed at providing superior surround sound performance with high-def disc players and discs.

The 4308 receiver also supports digital to analog conversion for multi-zone applications and second zone component video output. Faroudja FLI2310 processing is used in 4308ci, which is found in the Oppo DVD players.

Denon offers two years warranty on parts and labor.

Decades of dominance have made Denon products synonymous with unquestionable quality among audiophiles. Denon are undoubtedly the world's foremost manufacturers of high-end audio and video equipment for professional studios and consumers.

Buying a Denon (including the Denon AVR 4308) from a reliable source does make a difference.

While other young adults make their way through high school and college, Brian Nieh, Regina Dong, and Serena Liang spend 14 hours a day training, studying, and dancing with the Divine Performing Arts, a New York based troupe of classical dancers and musicians.

Many of the 100+ performers that make up Divine Performing Arts are young Chinese artists who have lived most, if not all, of their lives outside of China. But despite their western upbringings, they have come to be seen as the torchbearers of traditional Chinese culture.

The genuine traditional arts of China have nearly perished under the last six decades of communist rule, and these performers see it as their mission, having grown up in a free society, to bring the true spirit of their people back to life.

During the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s, in particular, China’s 5,000-year-old culture was decimated. Buddhist and Daoist monasteries were destroyed, and traditional arts and music were shunned as relics of the feudal era. Even Confucianism, which had long been the moral philosophy at the heart of Chinese culture, was attacked and replaced with the glorification of violence.

“I didn’t understand Chinese culture before, but if you think about, who does? It is hard for anyone, even the people in China, to know anymore. So we are digging it up and letting the world get to know it,” says 19-year-old Brian Nieh.

“Having grown up in America, being born here, my dad would try to teach me about Chinese culture and read me classical stories,” says Nieh. “But once I joined Divine Performing Arts I realized I didn’t know anything. In preparing for the different dances we learn about Chinese culture, and then the audience learns through us.”

At first glance, it seems strange that American-born teenagers could even properly perform traditional Chinese dances, much less be at the forefront of a movement to revitalize a profound, ancient culture. They grew up on MTV and skateboarding, not Confucianism and ballet, but they somehow beautifully balance this dialectic life of ancient Buddhist principles and texting their friends on their cell phones.

Rediscovering the essence of traditional Chinese arts requires more than just learning the old moves and designing classic costumes, according to Nieh. “You have live a more traditional life, spiritually and morally. It has to come from within.”

“People from communist china have the best techniques and are the most flexible, but their dances are deviated. It’s not about who has the best abilities. We are trying to communicate with the audience. That’s the energy of our group together. The audience is looking at the whole group so we just try to contribute to the group,” states Nieh’s fellow dancer Serena Liang.

Their altruistic approach to life and dance comes from what is known in Chinese culture as “Xiu Lian,” or self-cultivation, an ancient concept describing the process of refining one’s character through Buddhism or Taoism. The performers at Divine Performing Arts say the only way to convey beauty and purity in their performances is to develop it from within themselves by stressing honesty, compassion, and leading virtuous lives.

“Everything comes from cultivation,” says Regina Dong about how she is able to convincingly depict heavenly maidens and Bodhisattvas on stage. “We cultivate to reach their level, learn about them, look at paintings and statues, and try to be in the same state as how we imagine them to be.

“We have to dance with a pure heart in order to accurately portray a Buddha or Bodhisattva,” she says.

Serena says she quietly went into the audience once to watch a part of the show that didn’t require her to be on stage. “The synchronization of the dancers with each other, with their heart and body, they cooperate, you can see their hearts are not for themselves. It was a very pure moment, just watching my friends performing so perfectly.”

Michelle Blakely is an incomparable actress who has worked on Broadway alongside Bernadette Peters and Rosie O'Donnell. An alum of many of our corporate events, we caught up with her to reflect on her life on Broadway.

HOB: You were fantastic in Annie Get Your Gun. What was it like performing in such a beloved musical opposite Bernadette Peters?
MB: Bernadette has always been one of my idols. In one of our scenes, she got the giggles after flubbing a line. Some of the cast started to "break scene" and laugh with her. I was stone-faced and the last hold out until I couldn't stand it anymore and joined in. At this point, the audience applauded wildly and cackled with joy. It was truly an authentic Broadway moment.

HOB: How funny! Do you like getting such a big response from the audience, or is it distracting sometimes when people are singing or clapping along with your song?
MB: Those personal interactions with the audience are the most gratifying part of performing. Whether attendees are a group of scientists, bankers, real estate agents, or doctors, those audience interaction moments are pure energy. You feed off the audience and, in turn, they feed off of you. When you have that synergy, it's very powerful. It's definitely an experience that you won't get at a movie theatre or watching TV!

HOB: Speaking of movies and TV, how do you feel audiences respond to live entertainment, when filmed performances seem to be more prevalent?
MB: At the reception after our recent event for Citi, I met a man who had never seen a Broadway show. He said that he was aware that there would be entertainment throughout the evening, but he was surprised at how engaged he became during the performance. He was thoroughly amazed by the talented singers and dancers, and ended up singing along and bopping to the beat!

HOB: Have you ever had an experience like that with an entire audience?
MB: One of the groups that really stands out in my mind was a Bayer corporate audience in Colorado Springs, many of whom were from Germany. Before going to Colorado, I was concerned that our show may not translate. But the audience was one of the most appreciative and vocal audiences I have ever experienced with a corporate event. After the finale, the CEO made an impromptu speech about our wonderful performance and how the magic of Broadway had influenced his life. It was a very moving night for us all.

HOB: Sounds like a fantastic evening. What are some of your favorite Broadway shows?
MB: There are so many memories I have of brilliant performances that I've seen on Broadway. Jennifer Holliday bringing down the house during a matinee of Dreamgirls, Lilly Tomlin single-handedly mesmerizing the audience with her one-woman show, The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life... Even recently watching Fantasia's star turn in The Color Purple. I'm constantly inspired and reminded why I was drawn to the live theatre.

HOB: One last question, what song from Broadway do you feel a personal connection to?
MB: The song "Something's Coming" from West Side Story is very special to me. It's about how you never know what the future can hold, and what wonderful thing is waiting for you around the corner. I feel it encapsulates the entertainment business, as well as the human experience. The power of the unknown future gives you hope for a better tomorrow.

Michelle Blakely's Broadway credits include Annie Get Your Gun as the standby for Bernadette Peters, later playing opposite Ms. Peters as "Dolly Tate," Grease with Rosie O'Donnell as "Patty Simcox" and understudy for "Sandy," Tom O'Horgan's Senator Joe as "Dorothy Kenyon," and The International Tour of Grand Hotel as "Trude." Her films include You've Got Mail, Mr. Jealousy, and The Twilight of the Golds.