BEING CLEOPATRA: May 2012

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

My visit to the Cleopatra exhibit in Los Angeles

I was excited to finally see the much anticipated Cleopatra exhibit! Here are some photos of my recent visit to Cleopatra: The Exhibition (Cleopatra: The Search for the Last Queen of Egypt) by National Geographic at the California Science Center in Los Angeles. I would also recommend seeing The Mysteries of Egypt at the museums IMAX theater.

The screen rises and Cleopatra: The Exhibiting begin
Cleopatra, herself, would have walked past these 16-foot-tall colossal figures of a Ptolemaic king and queen, on her way to the Temple of Amon at Heracleion
The god Sarapis was a Ptolemaic invention, a merging of Egyptian & Greek gods. His name blending the Egyptian & gods oSIRis & APIS, but his flowing hair & beard were Greek. By combining Greek & Egyptian religious figures, the Ptolemies gained the people's trust
Portrayals of Cleopatra in art through the ages
The immense wealth of the Egyptian pharaohs inspired awe & envy throughout the ancient world. As pharaoh, Cleopatra received a percentage of the assets of each of her subjects 
Sphinx (Ptolemy XII) - 1st c. B.C.
Two sphinxes stood guard outside the Temple of Isis at Cleopatra's palace. The head of this resembles Cleopatra's father, King Ptolemy XII, who was also known as Auletes, "the flute player"
WHAT: Cleopatra: The Exhibition
WHERE: California Science Center in Exposition Park, near Downtown Los Angeles
WHEN: May 23, 2012 - December 31, 2012
TICKETS: Prices with IMAX/without IMAX: General: $26/$19.75, Child (Age 4-12) $16.25/$12.75, Students/Seniors: $21.25/$16.75

Monday, May 28, 2012

Cleopatra's Closet

Photo: BE
Marchesa

PS Today, I am so excited to finally be going to the National Geographic Cleopatra exhibit, Cleopatra: The Search for the Last Queen of Egypt, at the California Science Center in Los Angeles...I'll let you know how it is!

Friday, May 25, 2012

Being Cleopatra: Alejandra Alonso



Photos: Karl Lagerfeld
Model Alejandra Alonso being Cleopatra in Chanel’s Pre-Fall 2011 Byzantine era collection

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Being Cleopatra: Lauren Anderson


Ballerina Lauren Anderson being Cleopatra in Cleopatra, a ballet choreographed for her by Ben Stevenson at Houston Ballet in 2000

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Cleopatra's Closet

Jessica Alba being Cleopatra at the 2012 Met Ball held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City on May 7

Gold Metallic One-Shoulder Gown
Michael Kors 
(with Roger Vivier‘s “Pilgrim Coeur” clutch and Wilfredo Rosado jewelry)

Monday, May 14, 2012

Cleopatra Through the Artists Eye: George Barbier

Photo: Artophile
The Romance of Perfume - Egypt
George Barbier (1882–1932), French
"The Romance of Perfume by Richard Le Gallienne (1928) published by The Richard Hudnut Company (New York - Paris) to promote their wares. They obviously had the phrase "lavishly illustrated" in mind when they chose Barbier to provide scenes from the history of perfume making and use around the world, and this is certainly what he delivered."


Saturday, May 12, 2012

Concert & Cleopatra CD Signing TODAY

I will be singing some Puccini arias in an opera concert with full orchestra on Sat May 12 at 2pm & 8pm in Mission Viejo, CA. Following the concerts, I will also be doing a CD signing of my debut CD, Cleopatra's Voice.


In this performance you will hear some of the most famous and beloved opera arias and ensambles. Whether you are already an opera enthusiast or merely being introduced, this is a show not to be missed! This performance will feature opera soloists joined by the Saddleback College orchestra and chorus.

WHEN: Saturday, May 12 at 2pm & 8pm

TICKETS: General admission ($20) Senior/Student ($18)
Click here to buy tickets for Saturday, May 12 at 2pm
Click here to buy tickets for Saturday, May 12 at 8pm

LOCATION: Mckinney Theater on the campus at Saddleback College 28000 Marguerite Pkwy Mission Viejo, CA. 92692
Click here for a map
Click here for a campus map

Friday, May 11, 2012

Being Cleopatra: Cléo de Mérode


Cléopatra Diane de Mérode was born in Paris, France. At the age of eight Cléo was sent to study dance and made her professional debut at age eleven. She grew into a beautiful young woman, noted for her tiny waist which was accentuated by tightlacing which was popular with women at the time.

Cléo de Mérode became renowned for her glamour even more than for her dancing skills and her image began appearing on such things as postcards and playing cards. A particular new hairdo she choose to wear became the talk of Parisian women and was quickly adopted as a popular style for all. Her fame was such that Alexandre Falguière sculpted The Dancer in her image, which today can be seen in the Musée d'Orsay. In 1895, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec did her portrait, as would Charles Puyo, Alfredo Muller and Giovanni Boldini. Seen here, is her picture taken by one of the most illustrious photographers of the day, Félix Nadar.

In 1896, King Léopold II attended the ballet and saw Mérode dance. It is said that the 61-year-old Belgian King became enamoured with the 22-year-old ballet star and gossip started that she was his latest mistress. Because the King had had two children with a woman reputed to be a prostitute, Cléo de Mérode's reputation suffered and she had to live with it for the rest of her life. Nevertheless, Cléo de Mérode became an international star, performing across Europe and in the United States. At the peak of her popularity, she chose to dance at the Folies Bergère, taking the risk to do something other elites of the ballet had never done before. Her performance gained her a whole new following.

Very popular in her ancestral homeland of Austria as well as in Germany, her character appeared in the 1926 German motion picture, Frauen der Leidenschaft, played by Fern Andra. In Vienna her beauty caught the attention of painter Gustav Klimt whose primary focus was on female sexuality. Their story is retold in a film released in 2006 titled Klimt, in which the character "Lea de Castro" is based on Cléo de Mérode.

Mérode continued to dance until her early fifties when she retired to the seaside resort of Biarritz in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques département of France. In 1955 she published her autobiography Le Ballet de ma vie.

Cléo de Mérode died in 1966 and was interred in the Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris.

-Wikipedia

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Being Cleopatra: Tong Tong

Photo: CFENSI
Photo: CFENSI
Photo: CFENSI
Crossdresser from China, Super Boy Tong Tong, being Cleopatra in a photoshoot

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Cleopatra 50th Anniversary Edition released on Blue-ray

The release of Elizabeth Taylor being Cleopatra in the 50th Anniversary Edition of the 1963 film, Cleopatra. This edition has been beautifully restored to its theatrical brilliance, and the Blu-ray includes three never-before-seen clips including an in-depth look into the film's missing footage.

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