Hello Dolly!

opens next Friday...

Rockwall Community Playhouse

thought I'd made some not really resolutions

last year. but I've looked and don't see them anywhere. so I guess I did great this year! I've definitely read more off line. and finished some projects around the house.

so, uh, just been rehearsing

and rehearsing and rehearsing some more lately. Man of La Mancha at Garland Civic Theatre. I'm extra hilarious and/or completely embarrassing if you're related to me. heh.

also, many, many opportunities to fall over. Like today...instead of a controlled fall backwards (from a kneeling position), I went all out and managed to scrape up my left arm pretty good.

and if you're in a praying mood....

please keep this guy and his family on your list.

bad pictures of a couple of recent projects...

couple of baby blankets for a friend that had twins a couple months ago. I usually try to take pictures in daylight, but RTO needed to take them and mail them.

ha ha, no, I'm old....

**THEATER REVIEWS**

A GRAND NIGHT FOR SINGING
A Rodgers and Hammerstein Review
Mesquite Community Theatre
Through June 19, 2010

Directed/ Music Directed/Keyboards by Byron Holder
Choreography by Mallory Brophy
Assistant Directed by Abel Casillas
Stage Manager/Lighting Operator by Emery Lancaster
Set design by Richard Brown, Abel Casillas, and Byron Holder
Lighting design by Nikki Smith
Costume Design by Suzanne Cranford
Keyboards by Laura Maxwell
Bass Steve Cullen

*CAST:

Jack Agnew
Jennifer White
Ryan Hinojosa
Emily Hawkins
Mallory Brophy

Reviewed 6/4/2010 performance.

Reviewed by Ray Gestaut, Associate Theatre Critic for
John Garcia's THE COLUMN

______________________A GRAND NIGHT FOR SINGING_____________________

Reviewed by Ray Gestaut, Associate Theatre Critic for John Garcia's THE COLUMN

"You may not be able to have a career in show business, but you can have a life in the art."

-Bill Hickey, A great American acting guru, to our class circa 1982.

I love opening nights as a critic. Especially if there's one or two other critics there. You can spot us as we sit, our rattle-tails pointing straight up. We rest our triangular heads on the topmost coil-our slit-pupil eyes unblinking.

Our forked tongues out, flipping up and down to detect even the slightest changes. Yesss. The Mesquite Community Theatre's A Grand Night For Singing is a mussssical review of Rodgers and Hammerstein's hitsss.

These people have a lotta nerve inviting a diamondback theatre expert like me to their community theatre production. Cheeky rascals. Hsss.

Cheeky, cheeky rasscals. Probly deserve a good snakebite right in the …Oh…here's the curtain.

Well, nice set. A curved stairway with 13 white steps. Black curtains on each side with silver design. A weird unlit disco ball hanging over center stage. Good production values overall. Better than I expected. I've seen worse at pro companies Hsss.

Down the stairs come five singers- three ladies and two gentleman in formal evening wear-gowns and tuxedos. Ok-let's see if I can describe this clearly- the audience is on two sides of the stage like from third base to home plate, and from home plate to first base- forming an "L" shape facing the stage. The band is tucked back at home plate, and the singers fill out the outfield (the stage)- the big staircase being right in center field only on a smaller scale.

Now these five singers begin a series of songs. Not medleys. Each song
is given full study and full measure as written. Shifting easily between harmonic cast numbers (quintets), quartets, trios, duos, and solos. There is no book, only music, one song after another. They perform with "ama"- love and soul.

Sometimes even bringing themselves and us to tears (well, it would if I had eyelids) with the stunning grace and simplicity of these beautiful old numbers. Their harmonies are amazing, and the solos are doled out effectively by director, Byron Holder. The pace is good with each new song set to go as the previous song's applause dies down. Now you all know the words "The corn is as high as an elephants eye", but when was the last time you listened to the whole thing, uninterrupted? The part about the "beautiful music the whole world makes" ? It's really gorgeous.

It's this treatment of the songs in their entirety which displays not only their complexities but also their deceptive difficulties. (If you ever hafta dance during one of these, you better know a little about breath control.) Not to mention that the hardest high note may not be the climax, and the low notes can catch you by surprise, too!

To shine each song up and put it on a pedestal creates a rather large theatrical experience, not only in terms of the majesty of the music, but the tunes also tap into our pastoral vision of ourselves and our country. That grandpa romanced grandma in a surrey with a fringe on top. That somewhere out there the corn really IS as high as an elephant's eye. That some enchanted evening you may meet a stranger across a crowded room. And somehow you'll know. You'll know even then. See?- The stuff is important. It builds up the heart as well as the imagination.

Livesss. Yesss. In the art. Hssss.

But I'm not gonna write a thesis on Rodgers and Hammerstein here.

The direction handled well by Byron Holder is complex. You cast what you're gonna need.

You hafta match the piece with your available voices, decide who's gonna sing what song, assign harmony parts-which if done right can make five singers sound like a choir, and this cast sometimes does, (when everybody `finds the room`-by that I mean making all the sounds have the same value and be heard equally, including the band instruments).

Then you hafta block the scenes, and get people up and down 13 stairs in high heels and long evening dresses without killing themselves.

Then there's the dance steps and band arrangement. There's even more, buy you see the kind of work it takes.

Jack Agnew, Jennifer White, Ryan Hinojosa, Emily Hawkins and Mallory Brophy all execute well. Emily and Mallory are high school kids.

Wow. Emily is a belt singer already, and Mallory has almost a `Betty Boop' quality. And she dances! Plus she did the choreography! There's some ballroom dancing in the show, but mostly it's easy box step type shuffles. Hawkins and Brophy aren't quite ready to make it all look easy, cuz it's not, but they're ready to make it look like they love performing. And that's contagious.

Jennifer White is not old by any means, but comes off a bit matronly next to these two. I liked that. It gave the cast texture. A finesse singer.

Jack Agnew is a confident tenor of some experience. Another belt to the back the row. Careful, though -too much volume can put you off the center of the note! Emily, too.

Ryan Hinojosa knows how to catch an audience by the heart. Director, Byron Holder wisely lets Ryan reveal himself as a gay over-the-top twinkle-bunny hysterically jumping around like a nut while trying to
`lead' ("Me, Lead? How novel!") his dance partner, yet two songs later
can be sitting on the steps as sad as a gypsy serenading the moon.

Then the next song he's all butched up again. He has a lot of swing in his stage personality with a great emotional rage. But we love him as a person- and that's a quality you can't teach, bottle, or tattoo on.

The show isn't perfect. Hsss. The main difference between cast members
is volume. Power, pipes. Now, the loudest isn't always the best- and neither is the softest.

It's a matter of accommodating the requirements of the moment, and a matter of understanding your space. Your acoustics.

What the room does to you and for you. Volume placement & arrangement
of the band and vocals per each moment's needs. This is very tough.

But when the room was in balance with the often OVERPOWERING PIANO, and singers finally all matching in strength-those were the shining moments of the show. When the room evened out, that's when the melody and harmonics came clear.

A last quick note to MCT- lose the dopey disco ball. It doesn't even light up! A disco ball promises disco music, so lose it.

Any time you go to a community theatre you have a chance to be blown away. You've got talented kids finding their lives in the art before going pro, and you've got amazing talents continuing their lives in art after being a pro.

As a teen I walked into our local community theatre and asked if I could come around and sweep the floors. Guess what? They said yes!

Tix are $20.00 a piece. The theatre offers discounts for children, seniors and students. Grab all the kids who can sit still two hours, and put some culture in their little knuckleheads.

I give this show three and a half raspy shakes of my rattley-tail out of five and that'sss a lot. Hssssss.

Reviewed by Ray Gestaut, Associate Theatre Critic for
John Garcia's THE COLUMN

______________________________

____________________________

A GRAND NIGHT FOR SINGING
A Rodgers and Hammerstein Review
Mesquite Community Theatre
Through June 19, 2010

Shows Thursday, Friday & Saturday at 8:00; Sunday at 7:00
Optional food and beverage service one and one-half hours
before show time.

Tickets: $20.00 Friday and Saturday 8PM and Sunday 2:30PM.
Reservations available through the box office at 972-216-8126 or email: reservations at mctweb dot org

as usual...

I was much more amused with my air-banjo routine than anyone else at rehearsal.

Also, they never like my choreography suggestions. Don't blame me for the absence of the Robot.

no rest for the wicked...

or more likely stupid in this case....

Closed Funny Girl last night, had rehearsal for next show (Grand Night for Singing at Mesquite Community Theater) tonight and most nights til it opens in June. Had told myself I wouldn't do back to back shows again, but, well, here I am.

two weeks behind on the newspaper, won't have much, if any, time to walk the dogs and we're also supposed to be working with all the critters so that they eventually associate seeing each other with good things, like getting food or a novel toy, not bad things like chew toys and finding a hidey hole as quickly as possible.

Also, I'm looking for a treadmill for the dogs. (for when we can't get them outside for a walk)

and now for something completely different...

This will be my last weekend with the wig so awesome that my parents almost didn't recognize me.
and I loved this costume too, soooooo comfortable, but I only wear it for, like, 2 seconds on stage. The most awesome 2 seconds EVAR!!! heh.


and then I change immediately into costume from hell.

We're smiling because everyone survived the number.

Anyhoo, it's Funny Girl, out at Garland Civic Theatre, final four show weekend starts tomorrow and I still have a couple comps if anyone in the area is interested.

I'm still alive....

just rehearsing a LOT.

LYRIC STAGE PRESENTS
SHOW BOAT
In Concert
January 28, 29, 30, 31, 2010
at the Irving Arts Center's Carpenter Hall

let the boredom.... begin!!!

had the final show tonight. It went well. Have to go help strike the set tomorrow. but otherwise, I have not much to do for a while.

here's a few projects I finished up lately....

It looks kinda scary, but it does it's job well (holding my iphone while I walk Roxie). I think I may need one more patch to cover the top flap thing where I sewed the snap on. maybe some tiny letters for my name too.


One of the smaller cross-stitch projects I've been working on.


I always make RTO do the finishing bits, like the hanger on this one.


well, okay, I haven't made him do this one yet. which is why it looks like a choo-choo wreck.

There's one other cross-stitch thing I'm working on that will hopefully get done tomorrow and then maybe I'll start on some ornaments.... duhn duhn DUUUUUHN!

last accounting post for a while... I hope....

Here's an example of the questions that kept confusing me....



for some reason it made me think of mom. ;D

oh, the study mode just means I could see if I got it right or not right away and see what the correct answer should have been.

seems like most of the final had these kinds of questions. I hate them.



yeah, that last one was all stupid questions.. didn't ask how to make an entry or anything, just "Why is this a good idea?"

anyhoo, tomorrow I will go to one last class at the placement co. and then be put on hold for a month and get one week in December. I plan to finally enjoy my funemployment, I just have one last weekend of performances and then my days and evenings are mostly free. (Roxie starts Intermediate training Tuesday)

another day another accounting course....

W007! Accrual Accounting Procedures!

I was hoping to get more done today, but then I got distracted with looking at job postings. *sigh* May try to push through the last three and test tomorrow. But, I have to go vote at some point and get some kitty litter.

update: another one down... one to go....


I'm totally kidding about that payroll thing. I think they simplified a lot of it.

update 2: ALL COURSE WORK IS FINISHED!!! now, to try the final exam. heh.

I'm noticing I don't do well on the Lesson Overviews. I showed some of the questions to RTO and we've decided I over-think things. The Overview questions are usually along the lines of "If I account for Merchandise Inventory _______" fill in the blank with one or several of their choices and they're always nebulous things like, "The company will have an accurate financial picture" "The Company will make money" "Everyone will be more efficient"

I don't care about all the reasons why I'm doing this stuff. I just do it.

since it's nice, I'll post it....

I think eventually, it will be posted on their website, but for now, I'll just post the whole thing.

THE BUTLER DID IT By Tim Kelly
Mesquite Community Theatre

*REVIEWED 10/24/09

REVIEWED BY Matt Gunther
ASSOCIATE THEATER CRITIC for John Garcia's THE COLUMN

_______________________THE BUTLER DID IT______________________


Do the words `Detective Mystery' and ` Butler ' evoke any kind of immediate response in your mind? Did you perhaps think of Ellery Queen, Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, or maybe Peter Falk wearing his shabby trench coat as Columbo? If you had you wouldn't have come within a thousand miles of the true nature of the show `The Butler Did It' playing at the Mesquite Community Theatre, mainly because there was no detective and no butler, but that doesn't stop it from being a pretty entertaining show.

Don't get me wrong, it does take place during a stormy night on a mysterious island with a group of people that all seem to have something from their past to hide, and a number of figurines on a fireplace mantle that drop one by one, signifying… Well, I'll leave the rest for you to find out on your own. Suffice it to say that the story, albeit thin, is enjoyable and a murder does take place – in the show, not in the audience, so you can relax about going – but this show is not meant to be serious or mysterious, but rather a comedy and the laughs are plenty.

The story revolves around a select group of detective novelists, all dressed and in character as their fictional detectives, invited to spend a weekend on Turkey Island , off the coast of San Francisco . The old adage that says, `Those that can't do – teach' applies directly to this group of characters except in the form of `Those that can't do – write', because this bunch of yahoos wouldn't know detective work if it hit them on the head with a ten foot magnifying glass. The characters these writers play are larger than life and they play their cliché parts well.

Laura Warner is excellent as the commanding and stylishly sly hostess of Ravenswood Manor, Miss Maple. My initial reaction to Miss Maple was game show host on a soap opera. But Ms. Warner infuses her with a modicum of vulnerability as well. She presents a powerful presence with her booming voice and sophisticated air and leaves no doubt about who is in charge, although the hired help, Haversham (Rachel Hall) might have something to say about that.

Ms. Hall takes casual grossness to a new level as she picks her nose and her teeth—sometimes in the same moment—sneezes, blows, and hacks her way through her required duties. It would be easy for these antics to upstage everything else, but her timing is wonderful and so it fits.

Jennifer White plays Miss Maple's stoic assistant Rita with just the right amount of emotional detachment to draw suspicion upon her character throughout the show as she carries around her mysterious hatbox.

The voice of reason in this cadre of simpletons is Peter Flimsey (Steve Iwanski). His straight shooting sophistication is played wonderfully by Mr. Iwanski with an understated English accent. Of all the novelists, he seemed like he could actually think his way out of a paper bag. Think Jeremy Irons mixed with Alex Trebek. I like his thoughtfulness, his style, his movement, and his timing.

Then there's tough guy Chandler Marlow and tough girl Charity Hayes, played admirably by Jim Jensen and Kimberly Anne Cooper respectively. Marlow is comfortable standing on the outskirts of the action, dressed in black, and rattling off a slew of hard nosed detective chatter, while Charity descends upon the group in full Lara Croft leather and pistols ready to lay down some lead and deal with the body count later.

I loved Louie Fan (Jeff Stachowski) with his fake Fu-Manchu mustache and barely passable Asian accent. He spouted one-liner Confucianisms like a bad comedian at a geriatric convention. Mr. Stachowski was great in capturing Louie Fan's ineptitude as he constantly misreads who the killer is, to the point where, in an interplay between him and Peter Flimsey, I thought my wife was going to lose it and pee her pants.

One of the things I like about this piece is that it is filled with characters who are pretending to be real detectives, so it all comes down to the choices the actors make for the choices their detective novelists would make for their detective characters. So if a character flops on stage, is it because the actor didn't give those strong motivations leading to strong character choices, or is it that their characters stunk at playing someone else?

For instance, Father White (Greg Williams) is an Irish priest, but his accent is so thin that it doesn't work well. Mr. Williams plays it well. Does it work? It's hard to say. The novelist's depiction of Father White was just okay.

Jeff Cummings' set design was excellent. Except for a few items where it looked like he may have exhausted his budget, it felt like I could have been looking into a finely apportioned manor sitting room. He paid attention to detail, from the pictures hanging on the walls (well most of them), to the lion statuettes marking the corners of the room, to the little figurines placed in various locations throughout. Plus his use of reds and golds added elegance to the setting. Add a fine staircase and the hidden passageway and this was a visually engaging set.

Costume design (Emily Hunt) was great. I loved the orange and yellow for Louie Fan and that stupid fake mustache. Miss Maple was beautiful and Rita plain, creating a nice contrast.

The director (Byron Holder) is correct when he says in the program, `…the script of this show probably won't win any awards…', but that doesn't matter because he's put together a show that is a lot of fun to watch. Take the time. Spend an evening in Ravenswood Manor. You won't be disappointed.


REVIEWED by Matt Gunther
ASSOCIATE THEATRE CRITIC for John Garcia's THE COLUMN

______________________________

____________________________

THE BUTLER DID IT
Mesquite Community Theatre, 1527 N Galloway Ave, Mesquite , TX 75149

Now Through November 7th.

(972) 216-8126 / http://www.mctweb.org

Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays – 8:00, Sundays – 2:30, $8-12

update: different site, same review.

The Butler Did It... in pictures...

you can find some pictures from the show I'm in here. A friend of one of the cast members took them, and they're really good.

still catching up on bloggy things...

just noticed I got a mention for a caption I made at pw. glad I went with the cartoon language instead of something bleepable so I can link it without feeling bad.

I'm so proud of myself....

though I have many more pictures to go if I'm going to be a master....







for example....




















Blondie there showed up in almost all of my Sweeney Todd pics.

what I'm up to....

Phantom!*


Garland Civic Theatre will open its 2009-2010 season with a production of “Phantom”. The music and lyrics are by Maury Yeston and the book is by Arthur Kopit. Performances are scheduled for Thursday through Sunday, August 20 to September 12, 2009 at the Granville Arts Center, 300 North 5th Street in downtown Garland. Call the Arts Center Box Office at 972-205-2790 for tickets. Tickets are $25 on Friday and Saturday evenings and $23 on Thursday evenings and Saturday or Sunday matinees. There are discounts available for those who are over 59 and under 19. Students over 19, KERA members, and DART riders also can get a discount. There is a service charge added to each ticket.

*I just feel it needs an exclamation point, like Oh, Streetcar!

see what you're missing?

people have been having a lot of fun with my hair this show.


two more weekends. and I still have a few comps if anyone would like to see it for free.

help...

This hair reminds me of someone famous, but I can't seem to come up with a name.

(by the way, that's our Mr. Todd)


update: I think Kris nailed it with Rod Stewart.