All posts tagged San Jose

Memphis at Broadway San Jose

by Paria Amini on October 27, 2012 in Events, Local, Review

Felicia Boswell (Felicia) in the National Tour of MEMPHIS - photo by Paul Kolnik

Four-time Tony Award Winner Memphis has made its way back to the Bay Area! Memphis tells the story of Huey Calhoun, a young white DJ who has fallen for the music of rock-and-roll. Along the way, Huey meets Felicia, a beautiful and talented black singer who steals his heart. In an era of segregation, Huey fights for the music and woman he has come to love, pushing the boundaries and changing the status quo.

The theater was packed for opening night of Memphis at the Center for Performing Arts in Downtown San Jose. The show is the first for the new 2012-2013 season at Broadway San Jose. Ticket holders took their seats and waited for the curtain to go up and the performance to begin. With an exquisite cast of dancers, singers, and well-rounded performers, it is no surprise Memphis has received such critical acclaim.

The powerful score and captivating story makes Memphis an unforgettable performance. The cast effortless captured the personalities and attitudes of the characters set to play, for an overall wonderful execution of this musical. In addition to the superb cast, the great deal of attention that went to the stage and costume design, as well as the lighting and live music, brought the unforgettable Broadway experience here to the Bay Area.

Memphis will be at Broadway San Jose and the Center for the Performing Arts in San Jose running through October 28, 2012. Tickets are on sale now at the www.sjtix.com box office or call 408-792-4111 for more details. Whether you’re a long-time fan of the theater or a newbie, you won’t want to miss your opportunity to see Memphis while it’s still in town! Be sure to follow Broadway San Jose on Facebook and Twitter for updates on their new 2012-2013 season and special messages for fans/followers!

The Pearl Fishers

by Paria Amini on September 12, 2012 in Events, Lifestyle, Local, Review

On Saturday evening, Opera San Jose opened its 2012-2013 season with Georges Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers. First performed in 1863, when Bizet was only 25 years old, The Pearl Fishers is a story about the troubles of friendship and love. Taking place on the island of Ceylon, two men and old friends, Zurga and Nadir, reunite after many years apart. Some time ago, Zurga and Nadir had fallen in love with the same woman–a love that nearly destroyed their friendship. The two vow to remain faithful to their friendship until death, that is, until the beautiful woman from their past returns, and Zurga and Nadir must face their demons once more.

Sung in French, The Pearl Fishers is divided into three parts. Rarely performed, the opera is well-known for the duet between Zurga and Nadir, Au Fond du Temple Saint (In the Depths of the Temple), otherwise known as “The Pearl Fishers Duet.” The famous excerpt combines the tenor and baritone in a song about friendship, brotherhood, and love. Sung exquisitely by Alexander Boyer (Nadir) and Evan Brummel (Zurga), the audience simultaneously feels each of the emotions Zurga and Nadir experience as their inner turmoil is translated into a beautiful and complex aria. This duet sets the stage for this sublime and wonderfully executed opera.

The Pearl Fishers is a fabulous way to begin the 2012-2013 season at Opera San Jose. We are anxiously looking forward to the coming performances! The Pearl Fishers runs from now until September 23rd at the California Theatre, 345 South First Street in downtown San Jose. Tickets are on sale at the Opera San Jose box office, by phone at (408) 437-4450, or online at www.operasj.org.

San Jose Personal Trainer says “Stop Creating Obstacles!”

by John Heringer on August 13, 2012 in Fitness, Health, Health & Beauty

Editors Note: To find out more about F.A.T and their life transforming programs check out: www.fastactiontraining.com

What’s happenin’ everybody?! Are you ready to get your head back in the game and finish off your summer months strong? It’s crazy how summer and vacations and BBQ’s can completely throw people off of their routines and all of their fitness and fat loss progress comes to a crashing halt or even starts to regress!

This blog post and Monday Motivator is here to help attack that issue and make all of you “Solution Finders” instead of basking in and complaining about the “Problems.” So read up and then comment below on what one or two of YOUR solutions are with some issues you’re having currently. Chances are that when everyone shares some insight, there is going to be a lot of solutions available that you can try and implement into your life!

Ok so without further ado, here’s a great quote by Mr. Henry Ford that made me think about all of this. Henry said this:

“Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goals.”

You simply cannot give yourself the opportunity to take your eye off the prize. When you do this, you allow (yes allow) all of the excuses, procrastinations and who knows what else to come into the picture and detract you from achieving what you can and should achieve.

I know it can be tough, but as a longtime personal trainer in San Jose I’ve realized that, in order to achieve your goals, you need to be a Solution Finder.

Some examples:

Problem: You try desperately to get into bootcamp consistently and it isn’t working.

Solution: How well are you planning out your week? Are you looking at your schedule on Sat. or Sun and actually “blocking” time out for your workouts? This is essential….as is communication with your loved ones if you need to coordinate the kids’ schedules. This also must be done, week in and week out to be effective in the long haul. Summer doesn’t mean you get to stop doing this even if things get a bit crazier.

Problem: You’re trying to get to your local gym to rock some more cardio but it’s not happening.

Solution: Be spontaneous. Sure, access to a treadmill or bike or elliptical is nice but your body is your own vehicle so use it! Go walking, hiking or running and don’t give yourself a chance to think twice, just do it! Even if it means 3, 10 minute walks…at the end of the day that is still 30 minutes of exercise that you would not have done otherwise.

Problem: You’re eating too much and too many bad things.

Solution: Toss out the bad stuff that is still in the pantry, enlist the help of family and friends to cook healthier meals, eat out less often, etc. And don’t go grocery shopping on an empty stomach!

That’s enough for now, but my point is that each day you are encountered with several obstacles and problems that can lead you away from your fitness goal.

The question is: can you focus on the solution?

I know you can and if you do, get ready to reap substantial reward! So share your SOLUTIONS below and let’s all be successful together!

Have a terrific start to your week!

Dedicated to your success,

John Heringer and the F.A.T. Team

4 Tips to Stay Fit on the Go!

by John Heringer on August 6, 2012 in Fitness, Health

Editors Note: To find out more about F.A.T and their life transforming programs check out: www.fastactiontraining.com

Hey there fitness fanatics! Hope you are having a kickass day and wreaking havoc on those fitness goals. The last few weeks have been absolutely crazy for me with work and personal items and things to attend to. On the work end we’ve just launched a sweet, new feedback tool to ensure we are staying on top of our game in delivering the best possible fitness experience possible for all of you…so be honest and make sure you don’t delete the email. :-) On the personal side, the wedding plans continue, bachelor parties ensue and more weddings for more friends….crazy. However, this is a topic that comes up very frequently at Fast Action Training because many people go on short trips, vacations, business trips, weddings, etc.

Is that an excuse to not workout and not stay on track with the achievement (and ultimately maintenance) of your fitness goals? Negative ghostrider, the pattern is full. While it can be tough to keep up with your fitness goals while away for travel or vacation, giving up is not an option. So without further ado, here’s a short clip from fellow San Jose bootcamp instructor Kevin Rawson on 4 quick tips to stay fit on the go! Then check below for my final thoughts and some extra tips to boot. Enjoy and be sure to LEAVE a comment below!

Ahhh, selfless promoting, I love it. :-) Oh and for those of you that don’t know, Mr. Rawson and his lovely wife Amy are having their 1st born in late August so be sure to wish him congrats! (and if you have been wanting to get a little something for the baby, I put up the registry info on our FB Fan Page! :-) On a serious note though, our DVD is no joke and is a perfect butt kicking that might be needed on some of those short trips. To echo what Kevin discussed, the previous 3 are extremely important and you need to do a little planning to make sure they happen. A quick recap:

1) A little research: Into what hotel you are staying at to ensure there is a gym or one nearby is huge. This type of planning will help you stay on point with your workouts and not really give you an excuse to miss when the gym is right downstairs. Don’t go crazy, just make time for 30-45 minutes of some good high intensity or even a weights/cardio combo like we do at bootcamp.

2) Getting that kitchenette is also crucial. I recall a business trip I took to Minnesota awhile back and I was actually able to cook some food, make some sandwiches and I already had some bars with me. Needless to say, I saved a lot of money and kept my waistline in check. You can do the same and can at least plan with some fruits/bars/trail mix.

3) Bodyweight exercises: Are awesome and the best part is that you can use your hotel room so your commute is literally the 5 seconds it takes to get out of bed. I recommend setting 3 different alarms so you actually get your butt physically out of bed to start that morning workout. Yep, I’m talking to you!

A couple others…

4) Find a buddy to workout with: If you’re on a trip with a spouse or business partner, team up for more accountability.

5) Plan your meals: If you cannot cook or bring foods of your own then plan your calories accordingly. Be smart and make good choices….especially if you will be going out at night for dinner, drinks, etc.

The moral of the story is that it really isn’t as hard as you think to keep things in check when you plan, prepare and implement by taking action! Will you need to develop a good sense of awareness of foods, portions, calories, and planning your exercise? Absolutely, but it shouldn’t give you a complex. Rather, it should make you feel empowered that you have complete control over your health, fitness and physique.

Keep control over the summer and keep rockin!

Till next time!

Dedicated to your success,

John Heringer