deerstalker
Source: Michael Ivory/ Rejéan Wilson / Michael Ivory/ Rejéan Wilson
For many women, their wedding day is thought to be one of the best days of their lives. After meeting “the one,” the bride, the groom and their families put in a lot of time, money and effort to make “I do” as memorable and beautiful as possible for everyone involved.
But for CEO of Miss Boss Productions, Cynthia Floyd, the weeks leading up to her wedding were filled with pain and strife as she realized the man she was about to marry didn’t love her the way she wanted to be loved.
Just two weeks before exchanging vows, Floyd made the difficult decision to call off her wedding. Initially, Floyd was embarrassed and heartbroken, unsure of what to do with all of the unresolved emotions she felt and destroyed over the financial weight of the decision. But then Floyd had an epiphany, the gorgeous space, which was located in the ballroom of the Hyatt Regency Jersey City, was already paid for–why not have a gala, invite her favorite artist, and turn the pain into a night to remember? Floyd dreamt up a vision for the night, which included a conversation and performance from her favorite artist, Chrisette Michele. Floyd called upon some friends and powerful New York publicists and turned what would’ve been her wedding reception, into an unforgettable party.
We spoke to Cynthia about how she came up with the idea, and advice she has for other women who are willing to risk it all for the love they deserve.
MN: What led you to call of your wedding?
CF: I didn’t feel that he loved me enough. I could tell by the way he spoke to me, by the way he spoke of me when I was not around, by the way he handled me and more important by the way he represented us when I was not around. As strange as it seems, it got worse the closer we got to our wedding date.
Source: Michael Ivory/ Rejéan Wilson / Michael Ivory/ Rejéan Wilson
MN: How did you decide to flip your wedding reception space into a gala?
CF: It was a use it or lose it situation. I decided I wanted something that would take me to happy place which is why it was very important that I had Chrisette Michele perform as her voice is very comforting.
MN: How did you go about acquiring Chrisette for the night? What do her songs mean to you?
CF: I was introduced to Jerry Bagley who has worked with my sister Kathy of Kat’s Vintage & Chic Boutique and our PR/Brand Representative Shantavia Loh of Panache PR & Marketing on various projects. Jerry has a very close relationship with Chrisette and he made the connection for me. I believe Chrisette has a song for every occasion. A song for when you’re sad, angry, happy, need to be uplifted, feeling loved or when you’re not feeling loved. When she sings it’s with so much emotion that she moves just about anyone listening.
MN: How did this event help heal your heartache?
CF: For so long I was embarrassed about not getting married. Invites were sent, RSVP returned, Venue paid in full, Limo’s rented, Flowers ordered, decoration in place, wedding gown purchased (recently placed in my garage, because I can’t stand to look at it), rings purchased, the whole works. But I knew it was the right thing to do. I sent the text to friends and family, this way I knew that once I did that there was no turning back.
Source: Michael Ivory/ Rejéan Wilson / Michael Ivory/ Rejéan Wilson
The night of the event I felt the love from those that attended. That was very important to me, because the last thing that I wanted to feel was pity. I had a brief conversation with Chrisette and she was very comforting. She also shared some things that I should do to help with getting through it all.
MN: What advice would you give to other women who want to turn a bad situation into a good one?
CF: Take the negative energy, hurt or disappointed and build positive energy, happiness and excitement from it. Take time to regroup, do something that makes you happy and remember that it is ok to be selfish sometimes.
MN: Are you looking to date again? Would you consider marriage again? Why or why not?
CF: For now I have to heal, because I definitely do not want Mr. Right to pay for the mistakes of Mr. Wrong. Regarding marriage, I don’t think that I could survive another heartbreak, but maybe if the right man presents himself I would consider it.
Source: Michael Ivory/ Rejéan Wilson / Michael Ivory/ Rejéan Wilson
For many women, their wedding day is thought to be one of the best days of their lives. After meeting “the one,” the bride, the groom and their families put in a lot of time, money and effort to make “I do” as memorable and beautiful as possible for everyone involved.
But for CEO of Miss Boss Productions, Cynthia Floyd, the weeks leading up to her wedding were filled with pain and strife as she realized the man she was about to marry didn’t love her the way she wanted to be loved.
Just two weeks before exchanging vows, Floyd made the difficult decision to call off her wedding. Initially, Floyd was embarrassed and heartbroken, unsure of what to do with all of the unresolved emotions she felt and destroyed over the financial weight of the decision. But then Floyd had an epiphany, the gorgeous space, which was located in the ballroom of the Hyatt Regency Jersey City, was already paid for–why not have a gala, invite her favorite artist, and turn the pain into a night to remember? Floyd dreamt up a vision for the night, which included a conversation and performance from her favorite artist, Chrisette Michele. Floyd called upon some friends and powerful New York publicists and turned what would’ve been her wedding reception, into an unforgettable party.
We spoke to Cynthia about how she came up with the idea, and advice she has for other women who are willing to risk it all for the love they deserve.
MN: What led you to call of your wedding?
CF: I didn’t feel that he loved me enough. I could tell by the way he spoke to me, by the way he spoke of me when I was not around, by the way he handled me and more important by the way he represented us when I was not around. As strange as it seems, it got worse the closer we got to our wedding date.
Source: Michael Ivory/ Rejéan Wilson / Michael Ivory/ Rejéan Wilson
MN: How did you decide to flip your wedding reception space into a gala?
CF: It was a use it or lose it situation. I decided I wanted something that would take me to happy place which is why it was very important that I had Chrisette Michele perform as her voice is very comforting.
MN: How did you go about acquiring Chrisette for the night? What do her songs mean to you?
CF: I was introduced to Jerry Bagley who has worked with my sister Kathy of Kat’s Vintage & Chic Boutique and our PR/Brand Representative Shantavia Loh of Panache PR & Marketing on various projects. Jerry has a very close relationship with Chrisette and he made the connection for me. I believe Chrisette has a song for every occasion. A song for when you’re sad, angry, happy, need to be uplifted, feeling loved or when you’re not feeling loved. When she sings it’s with so much emotion that she moves just about anyone listening.
MN: How did this event help heal your heartache?
CF: For so long I was embarrassed about not getting married. Invites were sent, RSVP returned, Venue paid in full, Limo’s rented, Flowers ordered, decoration in place, wedding gown purchased (recently placed in my garage, because I can’t stand to look at it), rings purchased, the whole works. But I knew it was the right thing to do. I sent the text to friends and family, this way I knew that once I did that there was no turning back.
Source: Michael Ivory/ Rejéan Wilson / Michael Ivory/ Rejéan Wilson
The night of the event I felt the love from those that attended. That was very important to me, because the last thing that I wanted to feel was pity. I had a brief conversation with Chrisette and she was very comforting. She also shared some things that I should do to help with getting through it all.
MN: What advice would you give to other women who want to turn a bad situation into a good one?
CF: Take the negative energy, hurt or disappointed and build positive energy, happiness and excitement from it. Take time to regroup, do something that makes you happy and remember that it is ok to be selfish sometimes.
MN: Are you looking to date again? Would you consider marriage again? Why or why not?
CF: For now I have to heal, because I definitely do not want Mr. Right to pay for the mistakes of Mr. Wrong. Regarding marriage, I don’t think that I could survive another heartbreak, but maybe if the right man presents himself I would consider it.
Source: valentinrussanov / Getty
The holidays are upon us, which means you’ll likely be spending more time with your relatives. For some of us, this means good times, good food, and lots of laughs are ahead. For others, this drudges up negative memories from the past that are filled with dysfunction and stress. According to one study, more than half of Americans feel stressed about the holidays as a result of anticipated arguments with relatives. If you’re anything like half of the population and you’re wondering how to best navigate the holidays with your dysfunctional family, continue reading.
Don’t show up starving
For one, holiday dinners are almost never ready when you get there. Secondly, our patience is almost always a bit shorter when we’re hungry. To make your intolerable family a bit more tolerable, try snacking before you arrive. You’re much more likely to snap at your irritating auntie when you’re feeling hangry.
According to NBA.com, The Golden State Warriors have been named Franchise of the Decade by Sports Business Journal. The Warriors owned the sports arena with five consecutive NBA Final appearances, three championships, and one new arena all within the past 10 years.
The franchise announced it via their Twitter account.
The Golden State Warriors have been named ‘Franchise of the Decade’ across all professional sports teams by @sbjsbd
» https://t.co/5SNVWnyRkA pic.twitter.com/7pfcgbg56V
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) December 16, 2019
“We are truly humbled to be recognized with this prestigious honor by the Sports Business Journal, especially when you consider the number of outstanding organizations across all sports,” said Warriors President and Chief Operating Officer Rick Welts. “The past decade has provided our fans, business partners and all constituents with many incredible memories, and it’s the hard work and dedication of every single player and employee that enabled us to achieve our goals and ultimately share in this organization-wide, strength in numbers recognition.”
The Golden State Warriors were previous Sports Business Journal‘s Team of the Year in 2014 and 2016. The team is the third-most-valuable NBA franchise and 10th-most-valuable sports team in the world and according to Forbes, the Warriors are worth $3.5 billion, the third-most-valuable NBA franchise and 10th-most-valuable sports team in the world.
Despite losing this year’s championship to the Toronto Raptors, the opening of Chase Center in September marks the first and only privately-financed sports venue built on private property in modern sports. The value of the Warriors has skyrocketed over the past 10 years after Joe Lacob and Peter Guber bought the team for $450 million in November 2010, and as of February 2019, the organization was reportedly worth $3.5 billion, per Forbes. This makes the team the third-most valuable franchise in the NBA behind the New York Knicks ($4 billion) and Los Angeles Lakers ($3.7 million).
The team has led the league in revenue for each of the last three years and increased its revenue by over 1,000% during this past decade. The Golden State Warriors also led the league in merchandise sales, both online and in-arena, for four consecutive seasons (2014-2018).
With Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson nursing injuries, the Warriors currently possess the NBA’s worst record at 5-23.
Something you know to be irrefutable fact if you’ve ever seen the musical or even just heard any single one of its songs other than “Memory”: Cats is nuts. Moreover, you know that to render the very same Cats in the form of a studio feature film in 2019 is an absolutely mad undertaking. Light-years separate the sort of narrative conducive to Hollywood filmmaking and the (and I use this word as liberally as Jellicles define the criteria for their self-ascribed cohort) story of Cats. This to the point that the show’s origins in the poetry of T.S. Eliot have made it something of a curiosity even in the more kinetically inclined medium of musical theater.
I say all this to prepare any would-be viewer of the Cats movie for the inevitability that it will no doubt eschew your expectations of linear storytelling, comprehensive world-building, and even the basic sensory experiences that typically accompany an hour and change in the company of the big screen. In lieu of whatever you anticipate from your trips to the theater, Cats‘ first act will leave you curious, confused, and maybe even a little ill at ease. But 20 minutes into Cats—or maybe it’s 30, or 40, or two hours, or nine days; who the hell can tell?—a switch will flip, and you’ll come to some vague understanding of what you’re being beckoned into.
Universal Pictures
Whether you then begin to enjoy the movie on its own terms, this I cannot reasonable promise. But I can say with all sincerity that upon finally meeting Cats face to face, somewhere past the introduction of the wayfaring Grizabella (Jennifer Hudson) and the sage Old Deuteronomy (Judi Dench), I was dazzled. Smitten. Entranced, enchanted, and empowered by the illegible recipe that bequeathed this cinematic feast unto mine eyes, ears, and heart.
Even from this point forward, Cats remains winningly inscrutable. The sporadic breaths taken between longer-than-you’d-expect musical numbers about varied Jellicle joys will allow you time to (probably out loud) ask the inevitable question: What is going on? Instead of telling you the answer, Cats encourages your imagination. We get just enough hints about the Jellicle Ball, our furry friends’ lives outside of the centerpiece Egyptian Theater, and the nature of the ever-mysterious Heaviside Layer to kick off proverbial writing prompts in our heads; admittedly, this arrangement may breed anything between heated derision and fiery excitement. Either way, you get something hot.
Universal Pictures
Straight to the end, Cats stays aflame in more ways than one, ignited by increasingly enjoyable performances—Idris Elba as the dastardly Macavity and Ian McKellen as the infirmed Gus stand out—and musical numbers (OH! WHY! I NEVER! WAS THERE EVER! et al) and a consistently jarring relationship with its own sexuality. (I could explain, but… well… actually, I don’t believe I can.) But more than anything else, what keeps this five-alarm fire burning is the sheer fact that, from any given minute to the next, you won’t quite believe your eyes.
Making matters all the more intriguing is that Cats was born of a director who’s become synonymous with boilerplate Academy Awards fare, and surely one who didn’t set out to deliver some parodic unraveling of Andrew Lloyd Weber’s 1981 musical. If there’s a single wink hidden in Cats‘ 110 minutes, it averted my glance. And in its earnest delivery of unknowable bombast and unfathomable text, Cats earned so earnest a place in my heart.
Universal Pictures
I’d go so far to say that I’m moved by Cats. As giddy as I was over the vexing experience of being stared down by a feline Judi Dench for way longer than any studio note would rightfully allow, I could not for the life of me count this as a con against Cats or a laugh at its expense. Instead, I consider it another testament to its beauty, along with every of Victoria’s (Francesca Hayward) sensual flutters and Macavity’s mysterious poofs, and the dramatic festivity of the Magical Mr. Mistofelees (Laurie Davison) finally making good on his superlative.
These instances, one and all, are indeed nuts, and no less so when contextualized together. But Cats invites you to love them, and it, and whatever cultivar of joy you’re endowed with as a result. This I find moving and beautiful: the enthused will to be. If Cats is about anything—and I’m not going to bet one way or the other—it’s about that. Cats being themselves, and simply being. Gumbie cats, curious cats, theater cats, mystery cats, Jellicle cats (and, if you’ll submit to a reminder: not dogs). For some reason, this works for me. I don’t know. It’s nuts. It’s Cats. It’s hard to explain. I sprinted home from the screening and I’m nauseated. Review over. Minus half a star for weight jokes.
4.5/5
Featured Image: Universal Pictures
Mica Arbeiter is a Jellicle person. Follow them on Twitter @micarbeiter.
The post Look, Man, It’s CATS, and It’s Beautiful (Review) appeared first on Nerdist.