A stunning spectacular for the whole family: Mystic India

#MysticIndiaSA

We were invited to the launch of Mystic India at The Teatro at Montecasino on Tuesday night!
It starts today, 29 April until the 1st of May. (Why for such a short time?)
It is stunning!
It is spectacular! 

Go see it!! You won't be disappointed!
(I would take my Littlest and Eldest as well!)

Mystic India

 I have always had a fascination with Indian music. My mother worked with an Indian co-worker while I was still at school, and he used to send me the latest Indian music of the time (1980s oh boy!). I was mesmerized! We also came across many belly-dancing techniques from the Indian dance move culture while I was busy doing belly dancing classes. The Indian culture is rich and fascinating!

Mystic India - the formal talk:

"Seen by over half a million people during countless worldwide performances and tours, Mystic India is an internationally acclaimed Bollywood music and dance spectacular based on the concept of ancient India’s transition into modern India.  

Featuring some 22 talented musicians, brilliant dancers, mind-boggling aerialists and acrobats, as well as 750 lavish costume changes, the show is bound to keep you at the edge of your seat. The flamboyant costumes and extravagant sets have been custom-designed in India’s film capital by a team of 40 creative designers and collaborators over the course of the last four years.  

This production intertwines a mesmerising combo: Traditional India meets the urban streets of Mumbai and New York. It is hip and trendy with all the glitter and bling to make it an all-out sensory sensation. This feast showcases Bollywood at its finest and audiences can brace themselves for an explosion of colour and energy.  

Audience members will be invited along for a festive journey through Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, and even through the evolution of Bollywood films via a visual display that fuses dance, theatre and special effects."

My photos does not do it any justice!

Mystic India

Bollywood in South Africa ! - Mystic India so much energy and Colour! #mysticindiasa #theblubloodway https://t.co/ngYLRubSDj

— Karen du Toit (@karentoittoit) 26 April 2016

Wow! Photos don't do this justice! #mysticindiasa #theblubloodway @MONTECASINOZA pic.twitter.com/Um150A9PI1

— Karen du Toit (@karentoittoit) 26 April 2016

Just go and see it!


Hubby and I made it a date night, and tried out Deena's Aarya at Montecasino. It was our first time there! (definitely not the last)
The Indian curry paired very well  with the show!

Deena's Aarya

Stuart Taylor with Bespoke the perfect antidote

@TheStuartTaylor with #Bespoke at Montecasino Theatre Studio 

I always love a comedy! The best way for me to unwind and relax is through comedy. That's why I was so pleased when the fabulous Wenchy invited me to Stuart Taylor's show Bespoke at Montecasino last night!

It was a real hoot! There are no holy cows left after the show, but as Stuart Taylor says: The Theatre is the safe space! I can't repeat what's been said over here! For it would not go down as well as he can say it!
But it's good! Staurt Taylor makes us laugh at ourselves as South Africans and at our idiosyncrasies and pervasive racism! I also love the parenting anecdotes!

The show only runs until 1 November, and The Montecasino Studio Theatre is not a big space. Book at your earliest!!

I had to capture the outgoing quote, because that is what "Bespoke" is all about:
"You can put any label on that shit, as long as you are happy with who you are!"

YOU define YOU!

"You can put any label on..,, as long as you are happy with who you are" @TheStuartTaylor #Bespoke @Monte_Theatre pic.twitter.com/JWtRrouzNS

— Karen du Toit (@karentoittoit) October 15, 2015

Thanks Stuart Taylor for making us laugh at ourselves, and thanks Wenchy for the invite!

Mamma Mia! - Great show

 I was lucky enough to win two tickets to the opening night of Mamma Mia! at Montecasino on Tuesday. It is a bit difficult in the middle of the week to attend shows, especially when it is two and half hours... (we only got to bed after midnight). But it was extremely enjoyable!

The international cast is very professional. They have been to 77 cities in 36 countries and have been seen by over 4.5 million people.

The highlight was the three "older" ladies in the roles of the mother and friends of hers!  Also of course 22 of ABBA's songs. The audience really loved singing along, especially when they performed some of the songs again at the encore at the end! The ladies in the audience also got a lot of eye-candy from the male dancers/singers in the show! An all-round feel good entertainment!

We were sitting in the middle, but had no problem with the view or sound. There was a short break in the beginning, when they announced a technical glitch, but it was quickly sorted. I wish I could have taken photos during the show, because the lighting and characters are very colourful!

The obligatory selfie, me with a red nose because of a cold

Radio 2000, M-Net and Fairlady presented the show here in South Africa. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that Fairlady celebrated it's 50th birthday. Every second seat had a Fairlady magazine.

Fairlady has been one of my choice magazines since I was a young girl. My mother used to buy one every week. Then I bought them when I went to university. We had a standing movie day on a Wednesday where we went to Johannesburg to watch a movie, but also to buy our magazines to read them in the afternoons... (*sigh* - those were the days!) 

I still buy a Fairlady when I have something left on the budget (or Not!...).

I highly recommend Mamma Mia!
I don't even like musicals, but with the music and the great performances it makes it worth seeing!

Coffee & Chocolate Heaven

Coffee & Chocolate Expo at Montecasino

I love love love coffee!
I love love love chocolate!

Combine these two at the Coffee & Chocolate Expo and you get a little bit lot of Heaven!

I was so lucky to win two tickets through Waiting for Meg at The Sun House blog.
(One day I will win the big cruise, or the car, but until then this was a good keep-on-filling-in-the-competitions motivation!)

I did not think I could get too much of either coffee of chocolate, but it is possible! We did not explore all the options, or I and Little Missy would have combusted in sugar and caffeine overload!

Tasting Queen

Our first coffee stop

Cappuccino's

The outdoor area at Montecasino

We had an espresso chocolate beer here

One of the many many stalls here

We did not explore all the workshops and coffee and chocolate tastings.
Next year I also want to check out the app (http://eventmobi.com/coffeechocexpo/) that they  helped us to download with all the info and news and navigation about the expo.

Did I mention there was wine as well? There was!

Next year, definitely!

Wordless Wednesday #198 - Watching the rugby

Montecasino Bird Gardens

We get so caught up in our daily suburbia life, that we sometimes have to make an effort to get out and get in touch with a bit of nature. Sad that we don't have waving grasslands and animals on our font porches anymore...

But luckily we have some places that helps us get in touch with a bit of nature. I have never been to the Montecasino Bird Gardens before, and it's a shame!

It is a great place to take the kids!

They have regular bird shows:

The Cape Vulture which is apparently very near to extinction (very sad!)

One of the locals

Snake!

The bird was looking for that sweet honey in the cups that people can feed them with...

Ice-cream,  a great way to end the day!

Montecasino Night out for 2

Montecasino Piazza

Montecasino has a great special offer going on called Night out for Two. Hubby and I were treated to it with a special night in the hotel thrown into the deal as well by his company!

It was great to chill all by ourselves for a whole evening. Drinking red wine and listening to jazz on the Piazza. We had dinner later at Billy G.

We could have spent the voucher for the casino that comes with the deal. But there is nothing that I dislike more than spending time in a casino. I do not like throwing my money into a machine. I would much rather eat it...

We went to watch a late night movie. Morning Glory is a delight with Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton. It has been a while since we left a movie theatre after midnight!

SunSquare Hotel in background

After a great breakfast we headed home to fetch The Toddler at Grandma and Grandpa. She enjoyed it so much; she was not even fazed when we arrived there!I think it is some sort of punishment as well: "You left me here: I am not going to show you how much I missed you!"

We really missed her, but it was great to spend some time alone... One of my New Year's resolutions is bearing fruit: spending more time alone with Hubby. (2011, here we come!)