By now I’m used to the incredibly high standard of writing, directing and acting of Vahik Vic Pirhamzei, but each time I get the opportunity to see a new production, in the back of my mind, I’m wondering, can he really match the brilliance of everything he’s done before? After experiencing his new play ‘Honest Liars’ this past Saturday, I can put all the wondering to rest, this man is a comedic genius!

I first heard of this new play being in the works through a facebook picture depicting Pirhamzei in a coffee shop writing the new screenplay. When I saw the final poster, I knew it was going to be special. Starring several distinguished and accomplished Armenian actors and actresses: Vahik Pirhamzei, Anahid Avanesian, Rafael Danielian, Lusine Sargsyan, Hakob Baboudjian and Eleonora Khachatryan.

The play premiered on Friday November 18th and it was to run for 3 back to back shows all weekend at Beyond The Stars Theater in Glendale California. Needless to say, all three shows were sold out within days. Sold out shows are nothing new to Pirhamzei, The audience trusts he will deliver each and every time and word of mouth spreads fast!

I went to the Saturday showing and made my way through the crowd, after exchanging personal greetings with friends, I immediately took my seat, I was anxious, so was the crowd! The lights dim and I’m instantly displaced from my seat and onto the scene that was offered in front of me.

What transpires next is 2 and half hours of incredible acting and story-telling. One of the funniest, most clever plays we have seen in recent years. ‘Honest Liars’ brings social and cultural stereotypical characters to life in a way where it was not only accepted by the diverse audience but brilliantly hysterical, wiping tears from your eyes hysterical! The chemistry between all the characters was impeccable, and that attribute must be credited to an amazingly talented cast who were able to transform multi-layered persona’s into one complex role and of course to Pirhamzei’s screenplay.

Vahik Pirhamzei’s storytelling ability is second to none.  He somehow manages to not only offer you a mosaic of a storyline but does it in a way where its thought provoking and ingenious. His witty punchlines and physical comedy always ended with exuberant cheers and laughter from the audience, (Leopard skin handcuffs just came to mind)

My experience that night was pure joy! I felt proud of everyone involved and my only wish would be for more!

We just got word that there will be an encore performance of ‘Honest Liars’ on December 10th and I would like to encourage everyone reading this to please try and make it, tickets are going fast and it will be the last show of the year. There was also another special announcement, back by popular demand, last years hit play,  ‘Inz Hokeban Bedk Che’ will be back for one night only on December 11th. That’s 2 different hit plays in 1 weekend, ‘Azniv Staxosner‘ (Honest Liars) on December 10th and ‘Inz Hokeban Bedk Che’ on December 11th.

You can choose your seats and get your tickets online at www.itsmyseat.com/vahik/ or call 818-800-2129

Soon after, filmmaker and former Spielberg assistant, Marc Fusco, writer Scott Yagemann and producer Michael Garrity joined Pirhamzei in creating the first ever American comedy to use the very rich Armenian culture as a backdrop, ‘My Uncle Rafael’.

The film just got picked up by Slater Brothers, who will be in charge of distribution and theater placement. After successful runs at both the Boston International Film Festival and ARPA International Film festival in Hollywood, The movie is on its way for a theatrical release in early 2012.

There have been several screenings at select theaters and we have audience reactions to ‘My Uncle Rafael’ as they walk out of the theaters.

At the 14th annual ARPA International film festival, which took place at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood , ‘My Uncle Rafael’ took home  high honors. BEST DIRECTOR went to Marc Fusco and BEST SCREENPLAY went to writers Scott Yagemann and Vahik Pirhamzei. Vahik also received the festival’s 2011 BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE Award for his starring role in the film. (See Pictures Below)

We want to congratulate everyone involved in making this stage play into a Hollywood movie, we know this is not an easy task and we are especially proud of Vahik’s efforts and of course his immense talents! If anyone can bring a lovable  Armenian uncle into an American family, it’s Vahik Pirhamzei! Well done sir!

Follow MY UNCLE RAFAEL At Facebook!

Visit the Website!

Armenianpulse.com will provide more information on its release dates and any information related to ‘My Uncle Rafael’

Stay Tuned!

Click the images below to zoom in

 

How would one feel to have all of that decision making at their fingertips? In this day and age, online sites offer many ways to make this special day a little easier. One site we found does even better!

We found Harsashen.com a little over 4 months ago and we were blown away at all the offerings and valuable information it provided the average person. Harsashen.com is simply the one stop site to take care of your wedding from A to Z. They offer an extensive and comprehensive vendor listing to help you find all the right elements for your unique wedding.  Over 1000 to be exact! From Banquet Halls, Church’s, Catering, Entertainment, and the list goes on! They also provide real customer and client reviews to make your decision making even easier. You will know what companies out there provide the most professional service on your most precious day!

The site also offers special event listings, classifieds, special vender deals and a blog with real informative articles and wedding stories. The owners at Harsashen.com are also very tech savvy, they are providing the first Armenian wedding site with it’s own App for iphones! They are offering the App for free and it’s really the best way to be on the go and still get all your information with just one click.

What’s also very unique about Harsashen.com is their sister company Harsik.com, which offers over 3000 wedding products such as favors, wedding accessories, and EVERYTHING else related to weddings, the list is really too vast to mention here. It’s truly an amazing concept and I only wish Harsashen was around when I got married, they would have saved me much needed time, stress and money!

The site is also very helpful to vendors and the professionals providing wedding services, Harsashen gives all vendors the opportunity to have their businesses listed in one of the most popular wedding sites online. It’s free to list your service but if you want to stand out from the crowd, we recommend using Harsashens very affordable (as low as $39.00 a year) advertising campaign.

We at Armenianpulse.com highly recommend Harsashen.com as your only source that provides the most valuable, informative and stress free experience for your most special wedding day! Please try them out, you only need to visit them once to see what we are excited about! Harsashen.com “Your Road To Happiness”

We also value your opinion, requests and suggestions, after all, Armenian Pulse Radio is your radio station!

Armenianpulse.com is celebrating over 20 Million hits in just 2 years. We are the only full service entertainment website that has it’s OWN Armenian Radio Station, we don’t just stream other online radio stations.  We have listeners from all over the world, if you’re just hearing of us, try it out! Join the thousands who have been addicted to Armenian Pulse Radio. The stream is available live online through this site, playing in all formats or on the go by using your iPhone or Android smart phones. You can literally listen to Armenian pop music wherever you are!

Below you will find a few screen grabs of some of our back end numbers. Just click on an image to enlarge it!

Stay tuned as we will announce some huge changes to our programming very soon. Armenian Radio like no other!!! Watch this space

At the end of 2010, what started out as a 1 evening show turned into 7 sold out performances, with each sold out show demanding another presentation. I had heard rave reviews by word of mouth around my community but my schedule did not permit me to see any of it. A few weeks ago, I was delighted to here that the widely popular play ‘Indz Hogeban Bedk Che‘ was returning back on stage!

The return of the show was scheduled for June 12, 2011 and this time had a new venue, the more intimate and theater like atmosphere, Beyond The Stars Palace in Glendale, California. I could not miss it this time around!

June 12, 2011: As I was walking up to the front of the venue, I could see a huge crowd parked outside the entrance, slowly making their way in. I started to get excited as I knew I was in for a real treat! I made my way in and the staff were very helpful as they escorted me to my seat.

The design of the set was open and I could see all the props, furniture, lighting etc, which by the way, was very detailed, everything seamed to be in place and it felt very inviting and natural. I looked behind me and the venue was completely full and the audience was eagerly sat in there seats. At approximately 8:10pm, the lights dimmed and the show got under way, I could sense the crowds anticipation. On stage, the two stars of the show, Vahik Pirhamzei and Anahid Avanesian appeared in character to rousing applause.

The story of ‘Indz Hogeban Bedk Che’ was written by Vahik Pirhamzei and Hakob Rubinyan, directed and produced by Vahik Pirhamzei and a credit of executive producer to Anahid Avanesian. The plot has many surprise twists and turns and I would hate to ruin your experience, so without giving you too much information about the storyline, I’d like to quickly introduce the characters. In a modern psychiatrists office, charming and level headed Michael (Vahik Pirhamzei) accidentally meets a beautiful and flashy shopaholic named Tina (Anahid Avanesian), what transpires next is 90 minutes of brilliant dialog that absorbs you into the storyline. Touching on the most essential topics in life such as relationships, friendship, love, hate, deceit and power, it covers a slew of everyday life experiences we all go through. The writing was delivered so effortlessly, I could not believe it was all memorized, it truly felt like a real conversation.

The performance of these two radiant actors were among the best I have ever seen live! Not only did they deliver a flawless non-stop 90 minute script, their physical comedy was equally impressive. They had great chemistry together and were very convincing in character. Their voices and body movements contributed to the play effectively and it felt like we lived those 90 minutes as a fly on the wall in that office! I lost track of time and place, occasionally wiping tears from my eyes from laughing so hard and realizing where i was.

‘Indz Hogeban Bedk Che‘ was hysterically funny, yet very sophisticated. A charming and thought provoking storyline which concluded with a jaw dropping ending which had everyone thinking. Frankly, there are very few Armenian plays which leaves the audience walking away with the emotions I walked away with and to showcase it with such class and professionalism? I am forever grateful for the talents of Vahik Pirhamzei and Anahid Avanesian.

I’m sure by now you have come to the conclusion that I LOVED THIS PLAY! You are correct! By all means, I would like to encourage all of you to go see ‘Indz Hogeban Bedk Che‘ while it’s playing, you won’t be disappointed! I just got word that there is another show lined up for June 26, 2011 at the same venue, Beyond The Stars Palace in Glendale California. To reserve your seats or for more information, please contact 818-800-9091 or you can purchase tickets directly from itsmyseat.com by clicking here.

In 2007, Armenia was represented by singer, Songwriter and producer, Hayko, with his beautiful ballad ‘Anytime You Need’. He also reached 8th position in the finals.

In 2008, fast rising superstar Sirusho made her debut reaching the finals and ultimately coming in 4th place with her song ‘Qélé, Qélé’. This was the closest Armenia had come to taking the title.

In 2009, Armenian folk singing sister duo Inga and Anoush Arshakyans came in 10th place with their song ‘Jan Jan’

After much controversy, in 2010 Eva Rivas was chosen publicly to represent Armenia. On stage, she performed ‘Apricot Stone’ and came in 7th place. Eva Rivas had the second best placement behind Sirusho’s 4th.

By 2011, Armenia had grown accustomed to making it in the top 10 every year, in fact only 2 other countries had always placed in the top ten since the introduction of the semi-finals. However, this record was broken at the 2011 contest, when Emmy and the song ‘Boom Boom’ failed to qualify from 1st Semi Final by only one point. One point! This too caused much controversy as there were several reports of inadequate voting in place and therefor, the first five countries had not advanced, Armenia was 4th on that roster.

A number of Eurovision fan sites have jumped to the conclusion that Armenia will withdraw from the 2012 contest in Azerbaijan due to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, but no official decision has been made yet.

We have researched online networks and social media to see which singers are starting to make way to be chosen for Eurovision 2012. With that said, we have begun a poll and gathered the main names being thrown out there by fans. If you’re choice is not here,please send us a message or use the comment section and we will add him or her to the poll.

Please note that this poll is just an opinion poll, the results do not send the artist to Eurovision, thank you!

In ESC 2012, WHO DO YOU WANT TO REPRESENT ARMENIA?

You can place a vote every 24 hours!

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

“Live MEGA Dance Party” is a 4 disc special release with over 4 hours of non -stop music, 78 songs in multiple languages. The non-stop seamless integration between songs will have you wonder if it was remixed by a DJ. You would only have to be at one of Sako’s Barahanteses or Weddings featuring Sako to figure out this is the way he sings live on stage, always having the crowd on their feet. In fact, these Cd’s have been recorded live at various events throughout the world. Spread across two cd’s are the biggest and only the best party hits, CD3 will feature some of the most beautiful ballads, Some say Sako’s ballads are among the very best they have heard. Sako’s vocal tone, character and the style of singing is unlike any other in recent years. CD4 feels like a bonus CD, featuring the incredible hits of the 70′s Disco Era. These 4 CDs together will make any night complete and memorable, we highly recommend you go out and make this purchase, you will NOT be disappointed!

NOW AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE!

]]> http://www.armenianpulse.com/2011/05/sako-live-mega-dance-party/feed/ 2 http://www.armenianpulse.com/2010/06/tiffany-madadian-all-access-review/ http://www.armenianpulse.com/2010/06/tiffany-madadian-all-access-review/#comments Tue, 29 Jun 2010 01:37:46 +0000 Pulse Administration http://www.armenianpulse.com/?p=3412 Article by Mark Kelly
Photos by Ernie Manrique

For Los Angeles native Tiffany Madadian, playing The House of Blues on Friday June 18 was a big moment and possibly the beginning of many even bigger moments. Tiffany is a twenty one year old singer/songwriter who has been writing and recording her own music since she was sixteen years old. In 2008 with a demo under her belt she hit the Los Angeles club circuit jumping directly from impressive time slots to headlining slots at some of LA’s most famous and notorious clubs such as The Whisky A Go Go, The Roxy and The Key Club. With her vibrant stage persona, catchy pop rock tunes and powerful vocals she has garnered attention to her shows making them a hot ticket in town. With successful shows under her belt she was recently offered to play the legendary House of Blues which was a perfect step for the artist.

Tiffany’s show began at 10:50 pm. on Friday night. The crowd was getting antsy and more and more people had began to flood the dance floor of The House of Blues. There was much buzz about this show particularly because Tiffany has been working on a new EP and had informed fans that she would be debuting new music, which she did. The first a catchy fast paced rant about emotional dates called “Big Boys Don’t Cry” as well as a darker song about a regretful relationship called “You’re Not Me”. In addition to her new music, Tiffany’s set was filled with songs from her 2008 demo and other tracks which she has released periodically over the past two years on her myspace, all of which her fans seemed to know word for word, even taking over on vocals when handed the mic by the singer.

Tiffany MadadianTiffany MadadianTiffany MadadianWith infectious melodies, throw back 70′s guitar riffs and her incredible talent of being able to carry her audience through sweet storytelling, girl banter and also down an emotional, sometimes angry ally of arena rock anthems, she is surely an impressive force to be reckoned with on stage. And not only was the show an impressive one to compete with but Tiffany’s turnout was quite an impressive sight for a relatively unknown artist. Though not signed to any label (yet), Tiffany had the largest turnout of the night with fans elbow to elbow all throughout the club watching wide eyed and singing and dancing along. We hear this isn’t rare for the artist who has an incredibly large and loyal fan base, one that would match an artist who’s music was being featured on television shows or played on the radio. She certainly is breaking the mold with her sound and show as you can see on stage and and off and we are sure with a bigger platform to showcase her music on this singer will be needing much larger venues to support her show and her growing fan base. Keep your eyes and ears open for Tiffany Madadian’s first EP which will be released on itunes summer 2010 and judging by her House of Blues performance we are positive it will be you’re new favorite record and one that will be stuck in your head all summer long.

Source: All Access Magazine

The Queen’s husband was celebrating his 89th birthday last week at the Guards Polo Club in Windsor, where he is the president. The act booked to provide the entertainment for the night was BGT semi-finalist Kev Orkian.

The 36-year-old comedian, singer and actor reached the last stages of the ITV talent contest but was booted out after being branded a “one-trick pony”.

The birthday bash fell behind schedule and Prince Philip was set to leave – before Kev got on stage – to get to another engagement.

But as soon as the comedy pianist, who has appeared in West End shows including Fame, Boogie Nights and Happy Days, started his sketch the Prince decided to sit back down and watch the full act.

So impressed was he that instead of rushing off at the end he stayed even longer to congratulate Kev, whose real name is Kevork ­Kapikyana, in person.

“It’s a wonderful show. I thoroughly enjoyed your performance,” he gushed to the comic.

It’s not the first time that the royals have shown a fondness for the nation’s favorite Saturday night TV ­programs.

In 2003 it was revealed that one of the Queen’s favorites was Kirsty’s Home Videos, a You’ve Been Framed-style show featuring home video clips of members of the public coming a cropper, hosted by Kirsty Gallacher.

Which BGT stars will be booked for Prince Philip’s 90th birthday next year we wonder?

Source: Express.co.uk

Lebanese General Security Pulls Eileen Khatchadourian’s ‘Zartir Vortyag’ from Airwaves

Popular music and controversy are part of the same fabric that fashions the world of entertainment. They seem to go hand-in-hand. Witness the origins of punk and Madonna’s track record with controversy and uber-consumerism. As the grunge rockers did in the 90s and rappers continued over the past 10 years, the most recent sensationalism comes courtesy of Lady Gaga. However, one wouldn’t imagine that an Armenian music video of the popular folk song “Zartir Vortyag” would be banned in Lebanon—a country built by and home to the descendants of Armenian Genocide survivors.

Lebanese-Armenian performer Eileen Khatchadourian and her team produced the music video in time for the 95th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. However, the Lebanese government raised concerns that the music video calling for a genocide era uprising would be offensive to “Turkishness” and Turkish diplomats in Lebanon.

Asbarez’s Paul Chaderjian interviewed Khatchadourian, who was featured in this newspaper and on Horizon TV during her visit to the U.S. last December. Khatchadourian was in Southern California to attend the 10th annual Armenian Music Awards, where her new album “Midan,” which features the now-controversial folk song, won the “Best Rock Album” award.

Paul Chaderjian: Why is your music video of “Zartir Vortyag” being banned?

Eileen Khatchadourian: The video was banned because Lebanese officials are afraid of offending the Turkish ambassador to Lebanon. They are afraid that Turkish-Lebanese relations will be affected with this video.

P.C.: A majority of our readers know the song ‘Zartir Vortyag,’ which is a call for people to rise up and fight oppression. Describe the visual content of the video. What does it show, and what does it say?

E.K.: The content of the video is very simple. It’s me, sometimes wearing a suit and sometimes wearing a dress. The background is a white wall, and there are graphics that quote William Saroyan.

P.C.: How did this ban come about?

E.K.: In Lebanon, you have to get permission from the Lebanese general security to air your music video or anything visual. It’s only after their approval that you can air your recording.

P.C.: What did the general security say about your video?

E.K.: They asked me, What does the song say? I explained that a mother is calling upon her son to go and fight the enemy. They asked me, Who is the enemy? I said the whole world knows what happened to the Armenians under Ottoman rule, especially the Lebanese, because Lebanon has recognized the Armenian Genocide. I said that the enemy in the song is Turkey, but I clearly specified that in this song, the name “Turkey” or “Ottoman Empire” is not mentioned. So the enemy could be anyone. It could be the Persian Empire or whatever you think.

When they said that the video would offend Turkey and that “Turkey might think you are attacking them,” I was shocked. I said that as a country, Lebanon has recognized the Armenian Genocide for a long time. I said, How can you tell me something like this? I am Lebanese. I am a Lebanese citizen. You think Turkey might be offended by a historic Armenian song, while you allow other singers to appear on TV half-naked? This does not concern you? You are not concerned with how it affects the kids, but you are concerned that Turkey will think Armenians are planning an uprising?

Anyway, they had no reaction, of course. They said that the video was not allowed to air on television stations that are broadcast by antenna (terrestrial stations). They said the video could only air on satellite stations like OTV, MTV, and the terrestrial station of Future TV, but only on April 24.

P.C.: Is the video available on the internet for our readers to see?

E.K.: The video is on YouTube . It’s also on my Facebook page and will be on my site (www.eileenkhatchadourian.com) in a couple of days.

P.C.: Is your music video airing elsewhere, perhaps in Armenia, Europe, or the U.S.?
E.K.: I contacted the people I know in Armenia and a few television stations. I mentioned precisely that this music video was banned from Lebanese television stations, and that TV stations in Armenia, an Armenian country, should air it. It’s been five days, and to be honest, there’s been no reaction. They are remaining silent, and it’s a shame! None of the people I have asked to air the video on Armenian TV have even shared the post on their Facebook wall. A lot of Lebanese people are sharing the video via Facebook, but only one person in Armenia might help me. I am sending him the tape of the music video. I am also working on getting the video to Europe.

P.C.: What recourse is there? Are you planning to appeal to anyone to reverse the ban in Lebanon?

E.K.: I appealed to all the Armenian political parties because this should not remain silent. There is a huge protest on Facebook, and the ban has been written about in L’Orient-Le Jour, the French daily newspaper in Lebanon. It was written about in Aztag [the Armenian Weekly’s sister publication in Beirut] and the Ararad newspapers. Lebanese Parliament member Hagop Pakradounian, who represents the ARF Party, asked me for the general security directive that says the video can only be aired on Future TV on the 24th of April. Mr. Pakradounian wants to show the paperwork to the Lebanese president.

P.C.: What has the ban done to your heart and mind? Is it empowering you to fight harder for genocide recognition?

E.K.: Oh, yes. It is empowering me to fight and to never stop fighting. But I can’t fight against this alone. Armenians have to support me. They should not accept what happened with a music video that does not even mention the genocide. If our government that has recognized the genocide can ban a music video, what else will they ban? Censorship can start with my music video, but then what? What else will they ban not to offend the Turkish Embassy? We can’t remain silent about this, and the support of the people is also giving me more power to fight. Zartir Vortyag

Original Source: Armenianweekly.com