I’ve recently been trying out new software by Vertus called “Bling! It” which is a simple program that removes backgrounds from photos and allows you to replace the backgrounds to jazz up the photos for things like improving eBay auctions to profile pictures.

Granted, I am a user of Corel’s Paint Shop Pro and could literally do all this with the software I already have, but Bling! It is so quick and easy to use, and it automatically makes the output files the perfect size for putting up online that it’s a big saver of time that I could be done with a picture and on to the next one before I’ve finished removing the background in Paint Shop Pro. Don’t get me wrong, I love Paint Shop Pro, but generally when I’m looking to sell some of my stuff on eBay, I’m doing a batch of items at once and I don’t need such a robust program to do the images for my eBay auctions. The time savings I get by using Bling! It, translate into the ability to put up more items on eBay in less time and as they say time is money.

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Louise Pitre, who was the original Donna in the original Toronto and Broadway casts of “Mamma Mia!” is back with a new show, this time drawing inspiration from the World War II era. The musical, “Could You Wait?” is a show near and dear to Louise’s heart because it affords her a rare opportunity to work with her husband, Joe Matheson. Together with Diane Leah on piano, the trio have crafted a touching story about finding love and being separated by war and posing the question if the pair could wait for each other.

The show showcases the awkwardness of the initial stages of courtship and how long distance relationships can build via correspondence. Each deals with the awkwardness of what to say and what not to say as each letter exchange occurs before ultimately deciding to wait for each other, despite the concerns of their respective parents. The story gets told through the use of actual World War II era songs along with five songs written especially for the show that fit seamlessly into the show as if they could have been hit songs from the era.

The show hasn’t been seen outside of Ontario, yet. But the cast recording is available and it’s a welcome addition to my collection. Mamma Mia! introduced me to Louise Pitre’s wonderful voice, but it was her albums that made me a fan. So when I found out about this cast album, it was a no brainer, and I had to order it, no matter the cost. And the total cost ended up being about $30 US, but worth every penny. Louise and Joe sing brilliantly together and the songs are excellent showcases for their voices. I bet the show the was spectacular to see too. I hope they get the chance to introduce more audiences to it.

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Between the Australian films, “The Adventures of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert” and “Muriel’s Wedding” helping to usher in a revival of attention to ABBA and their music, it seems that ABBA’s stage musical, “Mamma Mia!” has helped usher in what has been dubbed the era of the “Pop-sical” a musical based on established Pop music catalogues. While a lot of musicals based on bands and movies have been short lived, some such as “Hairspray” have gone onto success in both stage and movie form. In truth, a stage musical based on “The Adventures of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert” has more in kin with “Hairspray” than it does with “Mamma Mia!” in that both Priscilla and Hairspray are the musical adaptions of films, it’s that Priscilla’s film actually has several key references to ABBA.

No doubt due to the fact that ABBA’s catalogue has now been transformed into a successful musical in it’s own right, the powers that be didn’t want to dilute that success by allowing the makers of “Priscilla” the opportunity to use ABBA songs once again in it’s new stage version. In a way it’s kind of sad, but as they say, challenges tend to be the mother of creativity and not to be deterred, the stage musical has adapted in a way to weed out the ABBA references and incorporate a lot of other music not originally tied to the film. (more…)

Joining the already existing official cast versions in English, Dutch, German, Spanish, and Swedish, Universal Korea has put out a cast album of the Korean language version. Like the Dutch and German cast recordings, this is taken from a live performance as opposed to a proper studio recording. I always find it interesting to get cast albums in other languages and this one has proven to be no exception. It’s yet another language to hear ABBA songs translated into.

Getting a copy of this recording has proven to be a little bit of a challenge, but some perseverance has paid off and not only have I found a retailer that will ship it internationally, they also have a very reasonable price for it. In fact, they didn’t even have it listed until I contacted them to see if they could get it. Once they checked with their suppliers to confirm they could get it, YesAsia.com listed it and they have it available for $15.99 US with all sales in US Dollars (which is so low these days it’s great for others around the world to buy in US dollars.) (more…)