Oliver Twist: Steampunk Edition?

Photo Courtesy of Theater Latte Da

In a report by the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the Broadway classic 'Oliver!' is getting a Steampunk rendition in the Twin Cities. Being the book nerd that I am, I think this is fantastic. While not my first thought when I think of Steampunk, Dickens was a Victorian writer whose work may lend itself quite well to the genre.

When I think of Charles Dickens, I don't think of Oliver Twist, A Tale of Two Cities, or any of his more famous works. Instead, I remember slogging through Bleak House, the 800+ page tome that was initially released as 20 monthly installments.  I remember it because it was a snapshot of London during Dickens' time that wasn't as apparent in his other works because it had less to do with the story.  Oliver Twist is about Oliver Twist, whereas Bleak House isn't really about the long list of main characters, it's about the times and the place creating the circumstances by which the characters suffer. Did I finish it? Sadly, no. Now it seems if I was going to finish it I would have done so already.  But I digress, London in the mid-nineteenth century is the quintessential time for Steampunk renditions of classic works.  I only hope this is the first of many plays I see as the Steampunk genre continues to proliferate to the masses.

The play is being held at Theater Latté Da in Minneapolis, MN from February 4th, 2015 through March 1st, 2015 and costs between $36 and $56 per ticket.  The theater is located at 345 13th Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN 55413.  The Phone number to contact the theater is 612-339-3003.  Any of my readers from Minneapolis should certainly check it out! If you saw the show, contact me at Trevor.Scott.Schmidt [at] Gmail.com and share your story. I'll be sure to feature it in my next blog.

Is It Steampunk? Week 3: PVC Bustle Skirt

It's time to play Is It Steampunk?  It's the game where I post a picture of a real product for sale and you tell me if it's actually Steampunk or just another imitator.  Use the voting buttons at the bottom of the post to tell me if it is Stone-Cold Steam (Steampunk) or the Sahara Desert (Not Steampunk). Let's get started.

This week's product is by Etsy user GothicBurlesque and is called a "Slick Pvc Bustle Skirt STEAMPUNK Goth BURLESQUE."  It sells for $60.00 on Etsy 176 customer reviews with an almost 5-star average rating.

How about it Steampunkers?  Is It Steampunk?  Click those voting buttons or sound off in the comments below.  If not Steampunk, how would you describe it?

Velociraptor Specimen Jar Necklace

Found this on Etsy. Nothing's better than a Velociraptor in a jar! Follow the link to read the seller's description and history of the Velociraptor. This kind of item brings me back to The Lost World or even The Time Machine. Not terribly Steampunk, but something a Victorian scientist would faun over.

http://www.etsy.com/listing/32208755/velociraptor-specimen-jar-necklace?ref=sr_list_1&ga_search_query=steampunk%2Bvelociraptor&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_shopname=biggreenbeacon

Trevor's Rating of Velociraptor Specimen Jar Necklace: 80%

Professor Alexander's Botanical Vasculum

Brilliant! I love browsing through etsy under the geekery heading just for this reason. You never know what you're going to find. This is actually a working terrarium. My geekometer is going off. The best part of shopping on etsy is the wonderful "histories" of the products. This is the seller's description:

"Whilst traveling in my handcrafted time traveler, I happened upon the laboratory of Professor Alexander, a somewhat unheralded Victorian botanist. I managed to take in trade this extremely rare instrument of study used primarily in the observation of moss-like varieties contained in an controlled environment."

Another great feature of this product is that the LED light creates a steampunk shadow pattern on the wall when lit. This belongs in a Victorian-era laboratory, or in my bedroom so I can play with it. I really want to play with it...

http://www.etsy.com/listing/35420458/professor-alexanders-botanical-vasculum?ref=sr_list_3&ga_search_query=steampunk&ga_filter=&ga_noautofacet=1

Trevor's Rating of Professor Alexander's Botanical Vasculum: 96%

Steampunk Style and Jewelry by Jean Campbell

I found this book while working at a Barnes and Noble near Portland, OR. During my shift I paged through it and eventually decided to buy it. There are tutorials inside for making several pieces of jewelry and near the beginning there are tutorials for general jewelry making techniques (something that, as a beginner, I found quite helpful). It was this book that schooled me on the ins and outs of what constituted Steampunk style, as my earlier endeavors never passed the level of Victorian in nature.

I can't recommend this book enough to the beginning jewelry maker or to anyone who is new to Steampunk. The introduction also includes a history of Steampunk itself. One of the coolest things for me was seeing the exact ring (Catherinette Rings - Seraphinite) on a full-page display in the book. I was in the bookstore wearing that ring when I first saw the book. I had no choice...the book would be mine. I encourage you to click the picture and make it yours as well!

Trevor's rating of Steampunk Style and Jewelry: 96%

Jules Verne Victorian Pocket Watch

I bought this pocket watch back in November from a different seller. It didn't have the black necklace or the key, but the rest was identical. I looked up the name "CAIFU," which is imprinted on the watch face, and found out it was a Chinese company that makes replicas of famous/historical objects and oddities. This watch was a replica of Jules Verne's pocket watch.

The watch worked great and after winding it up it lasted for well over 24 hours. The internal mechanics were quite good and the ticking was surprisingly loud through the casing. The glass panel on the back allows for easy viewing of the inner workings, which is honestly more fun than telling the time. The face and numbers are kind of dark anyway, which makes telling the time a lot harder. I would recommend this piece as an aesthetic piece rather than a practical one.

On a final note, I'm a little disturbed that the sellers of this watch put it in the handmade section of Etsy, since it's clear it was made in China. The wording on their etsy sites suggests they handmade it themselves, when in reality, it was made by the hands of some Chinese kid.

Trevor's rating of the Jules Verne Victorian pocket watch: 82%
Trevor's rating of the integrity of the seller: 10%