The Sunday Afternoon "Nobody-Asked-Me-To, But-Here-I-Go-Anyway" Event Review:
Sylvia Browne
Century Casino
Calgary Alberta Canada
"50th Anniversary Tour"
"See Someone In Person You Didn't Think You'd Ever Have The Chance To See" - Check
"Fulfill A Long-Time Dream To Ask That Person A Question" (Mrs. That Dan Guy) - Check
"Get Even More Affirmation Of Recent Moments Of Clarity" (That Dan Guy) - Check
Believer, eye-roller, or wherever you personally fit in on the opinion spectrum of this sort of individual, there's no questioning the success of veteran medium Sylvia Browne - the lady can certainly fill a room! Not only that, two tables of merchandise piled high sold out before the show even started. Her faithful cannot get enough.
Now, before I get to the show review, just a couple of sidebars. I've always been told that for writing to be effective, you need to occasionally be controversial, or say something that might ignite strong reactions back from the reader.
As a humour columnist generally, I've only ever had that happen a few times - so I'm anxious to try that here:
As one of the few males in the audience, it quickly became apparent that the vast majority of women that follow these sorts of events are middle-aged. Presuming that by middle-aged, we are all going to live into our 120's and beyond.
For the few males I spotted in the audience, there were several that I imagined must have "Wizard" as their current employment on LinkedIn profiles. I'm probably wrong on that conclusion - they might just as likely be retired 1970's heavy metal stars...
Well, that was fun. Now that I've alienated a large section of my readers - on to the review!
I'll start with counting myself and Mrs. That Dan Guy in the believer camp. This was one event (after passing on so many over the last three years) we just couldn't pass up. And, Mrs. That Dan Guy had really hoped to ask her a question, which she was able to finally do. More on that later...
As for Ms. Browne - 76 years young, wheeled onto the stage by her husband due to a recent broken hip - she made fast friends with the audience. After a brief White Hat ceremony by a Stampede City official, she launched into a solid hour of stories and belief sharing, which I strongly believe she ad-libs entirely, probably based on what she feels from each audience. That alone was amazing - and an incredible opportunity to see her vocal jabs at noisy people in the room - like a rapier! The Don Rickles of mediums!!
Ms. Browne can also be quite salty on occasion - many of her stories were filled with wonderful humour (among the enlightenment and other emotions evoked), and some of them using words you don't hear her use on television appearances. She is something else, let me tell you - but most of all she is an eye-opener. If I had any doubt that I am suddenly on the right and best track lately - those thoughts were firmly dispelled after last night. As I say, I think her "prepared" speech tries to answer so many questions before the audience even gets to ask them. Astounding.
For ourselves, a highlight had to be Mrs. That Dan Guy having a chance to get a book signed, but also to have a question answered. What floors you is the precision of the answer, that there is just no possible way Ms. Browne could have figured out, given what little was asked.
On a side note, for those that think mediums or psychics are just a bunch of New Age hooey, Ms. Browne surprised me by how much foundation she has, and relates her gift back to not only recognized organized religion, but Christianity specifically. Not sure I knew that before last night.
If I was a believer before we went to the show, I was even more of one afterwards.
Two big thumbs up here (apologies to Roger Ebert)!!
Chow for now...
