I’ve wanted to do a profile on Kaitlin Olson, who plays Dee on It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, for months now; but she’s not a mom and I really try to stick to the mama theme on this site. But now, that’s all changed, because…

Surprise bitches! Sweet Dee is pregnant.

Well, technically Kaitlin Olson is pregnant, but how amazing would it be if they wrote her pregnancy into the show? I would LOVE to see a pregnant Dee. Or a spin-off with her as a mom. That would be seriously funny. Always Sunny guys: I’m totally available to write for this show. Did I mention I’m Irish and well-versed in dysfunction?

Olson is married to Rob McElhenney, the creator/producer of the show, who writes, directs and plays the role of Mac. The mama-to-be told People magazine, “Rob and I are so excited, it’s stupid.”

Sweet Dee is my favorite member of the gang. This “Day in the Life of Kaitlin Olson” video is hilarious.

In case the Drunken Deceptacons video wasn’t proof enough of my ridiculous tendencies, I pieced together more evidence for you. The Always Sunny in Philadelphia website has this widget that allows you to put together a one-minute trailer for the show. So, naturally, I thought this would be a great use of my time and creative energy. I’m sure you have better things to do with your free time, but if not, go on the site and make a Sunny Trailer Mashup and post the link in a comment.

Always Sunny, Always Funny on MerchMama

model. cabaret singer. guitarist. vintage boutique owner. mother of scarlett and henry.

Karen Elson is one of those artists who likes to dabble in lots of creative outlets. She was modeling and performing with The Citizens Band, a political cabaret group, when she met her hubby Jack White. White produced her album The Ghost Who Walks due out this summer and also directed her debut video (source: Pitchfork). The mama of two also owns a vintage boutique shop in Nashville called Venus and Mars Vintage.

Here’s the Karen Elson video “The Ghost Who Walks”

The Alliance Theatre in Atlanta transformed itself into an Ancient Chinese playground last weekend with the premier of Disney’s Mulan. This Families Centerstage production included a festival in between shows with crafts tables and demonstrations of Chinese music, dancing and Kung Fu. The decorations, dancing dragon and pounding drums definitely set the mood for the adventurous story of Mulan. I had the opportunity to take my kids (who are 4 and 5) and my mom, who was visiting from Virginia, to the show.

Disney’s Mulan is the story of a girl who breaks tradition by abandoning her familial obligation to marry and running off to fight in the army. Mulan is motivated both by the Hun army’s invasion of China and her desire to protect her injured father from fighting in another war. Because women are not permitted to fight, Mulan disguises herself as a man and trains to defend her country, a crime that is punishable by death.

Mulan is played by Leslie Bellair, who rightly captures both the naivety and the gusto of a girl determined to define herself in the midst of family expectations, tradition, and a war. She is funny, without being too over the top, especially in her foible attempts to look and sound like a man. Ms. Bellair’s voice is also impressive. Her performances of  “Bride Practice” and “Reflection” are right on the mark.

The entire cast of Mulan is strong, but Alecia Robinson and Bernard Jones are especially worth mentioning. Bernand Jones plays the Matchmaker, Young Xiao, and the Emperor, but his most notable character is Mushu, the goofy dragon who longs to be a dignified ancestor. Mushu definitely gets the most laughs and deservedly so. Ms. Robinson plays several characters, and along with the other actors, switches gender. Adults will appreciate her quips as the wise-cracking Grandmother Fa.

There’s a whole lot of cross dressing going on in this play, some for comic relief, but also keeping in theme with the story. The underlying message of Mulan is that the masculine and feminine (or symbolically yin and yang) lie in all of us. There cannot be masculine without feminine, nor yin without yang. Like the Chinese elements of Earth, Water, Fire, and Metal, one cannot exist without the other, and their opposition is not conflicting, but rather complimentary.

The set reflects the mountainous terrain of Ancient China with water elements and two giant lion sculptures bookmarking the stage. The color scheme of pale blues and white create a subtle and reflective backdrop to the colorful costumes of the players. The costumes are appropriate without being stereotypical. The ancestors tall-reaching puppet arms and heads are especially beautiful, looking like Chinese kites floating across the stage. Also worth mentioning are the Hun soldiers’ costumes, which are earthy layers of brown fur and leather.

The Alliance Theatre’s production of Mulan is a charming, adventure-filled musical that swiftly moves through the journey of a girl’s desire to honor herself, her country, and her family. It’s enjoyable for kids and the grown-ups who love them. The play runs through March 19.

Disney’s MULAN

Music and lyrics by Matthew Wilder and David Zippel, Stephen Schwarts, Jeanine Tesori and Alexa Junge; Music adapted and arranged/additional music and lyrics by Bryan Louiselle; books adapted/additional lyrics by Patricia Cotter; based on the 1998 Disney film “Mulan” and the story “Fa Mulan” by Robert D. San Souci; set design by Kat Conley; costume design by Sydney Roberts; lighting design by Pete Shinn; sound design by Clay Benning; musical direction by Christopher Cannon; production stage manager, Liz Campbell; dramaturg, Celise Kalke; casting by Jody Feldman; choreography by Hylan Scott; directed by Rosemary Newcott. The Alliance Theatre at the Woodruff Arts Center, (404) 733-4650. Through March 19. Running time: one hour.

WITH

Leslie Bellair (Mulan)
Blake Covington (Shang/Young Yi/Magyar)
Alejandro Gutierrez (Zhang/Groomer #2/Old Yi/Qian-Po)
Bethany Irby (Yun/Fa Li/Yao)
Bernard Jones (Mushu/Matchmaker/Young Xiao/Emperor)
J.C. Long (Laozi/Shan Yu/Groomer #1)
Brandon O’Dell (Hong/Fa Zhou/Ling)
Alecia Robinson (Lin/Grandmother Fa/Chen/Chi-Fu)

Disney’s Mulan is running through March 19, 2010. The Alliance Theatre is offering Jaimes readers 50 percent off adult tickets! Just enter the promo code DISNEY when ordering tickets.

ORDER TICKETS

The Alliance Theatre
1280 Peachtree Street Northeast
Atlanta, GA 30309
(404) 733-4650

Ever imagine what you’ll be doing at 70? I always pictured myself in a snazzy track suit doing backbends in yoga class. My grandma is big into bingo, but my attention span is not so good for games. I have an uncle who plays pedal steel guitar and sings in nursing homes in Virginia. That’s right, he plays the old folks home circuit. Not a bad idea. His shows have got to be better than the visits from elementary school kids. But, now that I’ve discovered Beverly “Guitar” Watkins, I think I may do something else in my 70s, like tour the U.S. Of course, I would probably be one of those old rocker ladies rather than a blues guitarist, but either way, I’m wearing leather pants. Beverly does.

Beverly “Guitar” Watkins is an Atlanta-based blues singer and musician, who is still touring at 70 years old. She got her first guitar at nine and hasn’t put it down since. Early in her career, she toured nationally with Piano Red and the Houserockers. The band was known for the singles Dr. Feelgood and Right String but the Wrong Yo-Yo (is that not the best song name ever?). After the band broke up in 1965, she played with Eddie Tigner and the Ink Spots, Joseph Smith and the Fendales, and Leroy Redding and the Houserockers until the 1980s. Since her 1999 debut album Back in Business, she’s been playing shows under her own name.

“Sounds so good, I gotta play it one more time.” Beverly “Guitar” Watkins

Ms. Watkins was always well-known in the blues community, working alongside James Brown, BB King, and Ray Charles, but she started gaining mainstream recognition when the Music Maker Relief Foundation started booking her on their blues festival tours.

There are a bunch of videos of Beverly Watkins online, but this one of her playing for the Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls is my favorite.

Download Beverly “Guitar” Watkins at iTunes

Check out the video for “Get Better” by Mates of State.

2010 Tourdates
February 17 Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground
February 18 Portland, ME @ Portland City Music Hall
February 19 Northhampton, MA @ Iron Horse Music Hall
February 20 Hamden, CT @ The Space
February 21 Brooklyn, NY @ The Bell House

MerchMama

Kathryn Bigelow is nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director for the movie The Hurt Locker. She is only the fourth woman to be nominated for Best Director, and only the second American woman to be nominated in this category. At least the nominations are getting closer in years…

Lina Wertmuller Seven Beauties 1976
Jane Campion The Piano 1993
Sofia Coppola Lost in Translation 2003
Kathryn Bigelow The Hurt Locker 2010

“If there’s specific resistance to women making movies, I just choose to ignore that as an obstacle for two reasons: I can’t change my gender, and I refuse to stop making movies.”

Source: Filmsite

As soon as it gets warm out, I’m reenacting this scene.

Scorpio is off the album “Sunset/Sunrise.” You can download it at iTunes

Annie Clark plays under the name St. Vincent. She trained at Berklee before playing with The Polyphonic Spree and Sufjan Stevens.

This video of Annie covering The Beatles “I Dig a Pony” sucked me right in. This is the kind of musicianship our daughters need to see.

Download St. Vincent at iTunes.