An Un-Official Shotgun Wedding Mixtape

(I’m unearthing this awesome post by my homey Manny… because it’s so awesome. This post was originally written in June 2010.   – Len)

Back in ‘94 during (Catholic School) Confirmation Classes (grade eight) I made a mixtape for a girl from one of the other schools and wrote a stupid letter in the liner notes.  This mixtape didn’t even have music on it.  I gave her a blank tape as an excuse to write to her†.  She’s kept it ever since and though I hardly see her nowadays, she never lets me live it down.  She’s keeping the tape, but she made me a photo-copy for a going away present.

#4 Whatta Man – Salt n’ Pepa feat. En Vogue (1993’s Shotgun Wedding TOP TEN Countdown)

“You SO CRAZY….”

If 1993 seemed like it was all about the ladies, well… it probably was, as far as music goes anyway. At our high school, it was all about guys singing to girls, guys asking girls out, guys asking girls to the prom — whatever. That’s a lot of pressure! If you want to know where adult gender role expectations originated, it was probably high school.

You SO CRAZY.... ____(fill in the blank)_____!!!

At least Salt ‘n’ Pepa thought of the GUYS for just a second when they did ‘Whatta Man’.

Shotgun Wedding: The Transformation

I really gotta give it up to the cast for being good sports.

Yo, T-Boz ! Is ya being a boss, Chilli what's up wit' dat sauce?

Going back to the world of ‘Shotgun Wedding’ — the early 1990s — is no easy commitment.  It means donning very unique clothing, having very interesting hairstyles and going very aggressive with the lipstick shade.  And I’m being polite with the description.  

Where Are They Now?: Keith Sweat (& Candy Grams)

I remember getting a really weird note from a girl when I was in Grade 12.

Ever write a love letter? Ever get one?

For me, the year was  1991.  Of course, this was before Facebook or email existed, even before any of us had cell phones or even pagers with voicemail.  Back in Grade 12, there was only one effective way to send someone a message was to write them a note.  So, you either wrote it on paper and had a friend pass it to them, or shove it in their locker or leave it in a textbook.

Or… you sent them a CANDY GRAM.  

Shotgun Wedding’s Original Music by Kierscey Rand

(SCROLL DOWN for Show and Ticket Information!)

courtesy http://www.kierscey.com

By now you already know that Shotgun Wedding is a Musical and that features many of your favourite songs from the 90s. You may not know that Shotgun Wedding: The Musical features original music also. That music is by Kierscey Rand. And its about time you met him.

#5 Follow Me – Aly-Us (Shotgun Wedding’s 1993 TOP TEN Countdown)

(SCROLL DOWN for Showtimes and Ticket Info!)

I’m hoping… to see a day.

Don’t lie. You KNOW the moves to this one. Even if you want to act like you don’t, your feet give you away. This is part of your heritage and this blood is coarsing through your veins. Try as you may — you end up doing THE ELECTRIC SLIDE when the DJ plays ‘Follow Me’ by Aly-Us.

You could be at a 18th birthday Debut, a semi-formal, a prom or a (shotgun) wedding but regardless the venue, the moves are the same. Four steps to the right, four steps to the left, four steps back and then rock back two times and dip two times… aaaaand repeat. Throw in some spins and a few floor kicks and you’re looking MINT. In 1993, if you didn’t know The Electric Slide you probably didn’t get invited to the party.

Director’s Blog #1: Why Len Chose Me

Hi folks!

If you didn’t know, the Director of Shotgun Wedding: The Musical is Catherine Hernandez.  I’m still finding the special words to tell you about Catherine from *MY* point of view but in the meantime, she’s taken a few moments out of her super-busy schedule to write *YOU* a note.  

– Len

Director Catherine is the pretty lady wearing violet down in the far right!

by Catherine Hernandez – Director, Shotgun Wedding

There are reasons why Len chose me to be the director for Shotgun Wedding: The Musical.  The main reason is because I am old.

Shotgun Playlist: Top 5 90s r&b Remakes

Wasn’t 90s r&b the best time for remakes?  Usually when a remake of a song is done, we can all agree it’s probably a bad idea.  Not the case in the 90s, when most r&b song remakes were either as good or better than the original.

We even made a playlist to prove it!  But first…

Where Are They Now?: The Fly Girls

Maybe you didn’t know that Shotgun Wedding had some awesome choreography last summer, courtesy of Director Catherine Hernandez.

(l-r): Belinda Corpuz, Jeff Yung

In honour of that, and in this episode of ‘Where Are They Now?’, we visit the ORIGINAL dance crew:

The Fly Girls from In Living Color.

Return of THE MACK.

That is all.