"...Everyone Is Entitled To My Opinion." ~Madonna

Thursday, August 29, 2013

BOOK REVIEW: Travels With Charley


About once a year our book group decides to read a book from our “have-been-meaning-to-read-list. This year we chose John Steinbeck’s TRAVELS WITH CHARLEY. Excellent choice!

There are several reasons to love this book, but the one that reigns supreme with me is that it is John Steinbeck, author of Grapes of Wrath, and East of Eden,  Of Mice and Men, and so on. He was the winner of the Pulitzer Prize in 1940 and the 1962 recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature. I rank him with Shakespeare, Victor Hugo, and anyone else on your all-time great author list.

While Steinbeck was at the peak of his career, he had a pick-up truck converted into a camper, took his French poodle, Charley, and made a trip around the United States to find the “real” America. This journal is a collection of the sights and people that he encountered.

The people and places were fascinating, but I was intrigued to get such a personal picture of the man. He was sure that he could make the journey without being recognized. He maintained that if you are not expecting to see someone, you don’t. Today with the voracious news media such anonymity would be impossible.

The second reason this was such a great read is that Steinbeck is one of the top wordsmiths in literature. His descriptions of what he saw and of the“locals” that he met took you along, in the cramped camper, with him and Charley. 
 
His visit to the Bad Lands in North Dakota starts with his feeling as if he were unwanted in this land designed by the devil himself. He felt so uncomfortable that he was reluctant to write about it. 

While there, he stopped to ask a man if there was a place to buy eggs.   “Powdered” was the answer, and after trying to get the man to talk and only receiving one word replies Steinbeck said, "You talk too much.”  “What the wife says,” was the reply.

Charley and he camped that night in the Bad Lands to find that the setting sun turned the barren land into a land that shouted with color.

Another thing that made this book special for me is that I have been to many of the places that he writes about. It was fascinating to me how things have changed and stayed the same from his journey in 1960 to our making a similar journey in 2013.

He wrote of being so busy concentrating on his driving in the heavy traffic around the major cities that he had no time to watch the scenery nor a desire to stop to rest. Those driving conditions have not gotten better and there seem to be longer stretches of them. He comments on the road signs and that we have lost our use of adverbs, “Drive slow”, “Drive safe”. That has not improved. (It is a game we play when we travel, “correct the spelling and grammar.”)

TRAVELS WITH CHARLEY is witty, profound, honest and moving -- oh, and sometimes angry. It needs to be taken off your mean-to-read-someday list and read now. If the book is a love affair with America, the reader will end up loving the author and Charley, the French poodle.

Friday, August 23, 2013

THEATER REVIEW: The Music Man


David Gritzner, Executive Director of The State College Community Theatre, is fond of saying that community theatre is a “family affair”.  The current production of THE MUSIC MAN is certainly a fine example. The cast, crew, and audience became one big, happy family on opening night, even if the relationship was not through blood.

I have seen some disappointing productions of this American classic, mostly due to poor casting. The strength of the show depends on the actor who plays Professor Harold Hill, the fast talking con-man who gets in over his head. SCCT was fortunate to have Matt Greer as Professor Hill.

Matt Greer was a perfect blend of fast talking, never still a moment on stage, romantic, con-man. His opening number, “Ya Got Trouble” had me wanting to take a breath for him. Not only did he run through the double talk lyrics, he was all over the stage while doing it. I loved him; he could have sold me one of his seventy-six trombones in an instant.

It must have been intimidating to sing a duet with Ashley Moore who played Marian, the prim spinster; her voice fills a room. Ashley proved that she is more than a glorious voice; she danced and was a fine romantic heroine. 
 
Fourteen-year old Emma Holderman, Amaryllis in the show, not only held her own in her duet with Ms. Moore, but also was a natural on stage. I expect to see great things from this young actress in Bellefonte High School productions this fall.

Each of the River City “citians” was well defined and was exceptionally good at staying in character during crowd scenes. (I always like that). The Mayor and his wife, played by Mercer Bristow and Priscilla McFerren, deserve special notice. Their parts are fun and they seemed to be having a ball doing them.

Seth Cornwall, Robert Ceres, Dan Landers-Nolan, and Eric Brinser as the bickering school board members were a hit! Most barbershop quartets sing together for years to get the sound just right. These four guys did it just for the show…and obviously for the love of singing.

Winthrop, the young boy with a lisp, was played exceptionally well by Eli Yurman. May I suggest that SCCT consider doing Oliver! before he gets any older. Jerrod Miller, as Marcellus, and Jonathan Smith as Tommy also were worth noticing. Jonathan shows his athletic talents in his dancing.

The orchestra under the direction of Ian Duh provided the audience with enjoyable opening and finale numbers. At times I had some problems hearing lines by actors not wearing microphones. That may have been a problem with the sound system, not the orchestra. It would have been a challenge for pianist Gladys Duh to play some of the “beginner’s” music. She must have had to bite her cheek every time she was forced to play the wrong note. 
 
Director Martha Traverse can be counted on for good theater. The opening number on the train with the salesmen and commuters sets the mood for the show and, as in other numbers throughout the production, the timing has to be perfect. Credit goes to the director and cast for keeping things moving along.

Aiding Ms. Traverse were the talents of Jessica Blanarik with lively choreography, Carly Reeder and her beautiful and clever costumes, and Jon Vickers-Jones, who was responsible for bright, easily moved sets. Everyone contributed to a fast paced, bright show.

THE MUSIC MAN will be at the Mt. Nittany Middle School until August the 24th.  Call 814-466-7141 for ticket availability. It is a fun show.

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

BOOK REVIEW: Legends 3


If you are a fan of Science Fiction/Fantasy, the name Robert Silverberg may be familiar to you. His Lord Valentine books have been very popular, but he also has been known to edit some terrific anthologies. His three volume set entitled LEGENDS is worthy of your notice.

Each volume consists of three or four short novels which give a microcosmic glimpse into the larger-than-life characters that made writers like Orson Scott Card, Anne McCaffrey, George R. R. Martin, etc. famous…in other words, authors who are legends in the world of imaginary writing.

For example, my pick of the series was volume 3 because it contained stories by two of my personal favorite authors, Ursula K. Le Guin and Terry Pratchett, as well as including Robert Jordon and Tad Williams. 
 
Le Guin takes us on a side trip in the land of Earthsea to meet a young woman who wants to learn magic. After a journey of many difficult miles, she arrives at the school to discover that it takes only male students. With some help from several unusual mentors, she discovers that she had her own type of magic that may have descended from the old dragons who had been the ancient rulers of the land.

Terry Pratchett returns us to his Discworld and those lovable witches, Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg. The problem arises when Granny decides to be nice to everyone at the yearly fair. It is so out of character for her that the younger witches are intimidated and the older ones believe that she has put a curse on all of them.

I have visited Discworld many times and feel that Granny and Nanny are friends; it was nice to meet up with them again in this short piece. Meeting old friends in familiar places is the main point of LEGENDS.

The second point, and to me as important, was the editor’s Introduction. Robert Silverberg does an excellent job of explaining the importance of Fantasy as an art form. He states, “Fantasy is the oldest branch of imaginative literature – as old as the human imagination itself”. He goes on to cite The Odyssey, Beowulf , and the works of Lewis Carroll and Mary Wollstonecraft Shelly.

I have tried to explain to friends and students the difference between Science Fiction and Fantasy; I wish I would have had this work to quote. Both genres give an idea of what the future might hold for us. I have seen many of the “far-fetched” ideas from early works come to be common today. I remember reading about a world where everyone carried around a device playing his personal taste in music, much like he wore his favorite scent. How wonderful that sounded to my teenaged ears. (No pun intended). Look how far that has come.

The difference between Fantasy and Science Fiction is simple to me. Science Fiction involves rockets, robots, space travel, things that are conceptually possible within the framework of scientific law. Fantasy involves pixies, elves, goblins, and things that are purely imaginative. The kicker comes when some of the things we saw as fantasy when H. G. Wells wrote of them become part of our real world. To me, the proper word is “Fantastic” and that covers all of the really great authors in both-or all- categories.

LEGENDS will be more meaningful if you have already visited each author’s world, but it might also be a good way to sample some of the best in the field of Fantasy.

Thursday, August 15, 2013

THEATER REVIEW: Nunsense A-Men!


NUNSENSE A-MEN! What a perfect choice to end the Fifty Year Celebration at Millbrook Playhouse. It gave the audience a chance to see several favorite actors, as well as a couple of new ones, having a wild and crazy time on stage.

The story is simple: Five of the Little Sisters of Hoboken need to have a fund raiser to bury the four dead nuns who are currently being kept in the food freezer before the Board of Health discovers them. That is a funny enough premise, but what if we dress five men in habits and have them play the nuns? (Why do we roll in the aisle at men dressed as women? It is always a crowd pleaser.)

Tall, very tall, Josh Houghton as the ballerina want-to-be Sister Leo was great casting. Because of Josh’s height, I was not expecting great ballet numbers and- I was right. His “Dying Swan” really had to be seen. Let us think about Josh as an actor; we have seen him as Snoopy, Shakespeare’s Lysander, the seductive El Gallo, and now, Sister Leo. That is quite a range. I am always torn about this type of talent. Do we selfishly want to see him back at Millbrook next year or do we unselfishly wish a very lucrative future on bigger stages for him?

Sister Robert Anne was played by another favorite, Richard Guido. Richard has a Millbrook resume that would fill this review. (He has spent seven summers at Millbrook). I first remember him as Captain Hook, but some of his “drag roles” are my favorites. NUNSENSE showed that he could also do great stand-up comedy.
photo courtesy of Millbrook Playhouse

Cory Lawson has proven that he can handle Shakespeare with his role as Bottom earlier this summer. Sister Hubert gave him a chance to prove that he a can sing! Sister Hubert has the show stopping number, “Holier Than Thou” and Cory had the audience right with him. The harmony work with Mother Superior, Richard Koons Wagoner, was delightful.

Richard Koons Wagoner’s name was new to me. His Mother Superior was stern and tried hard to keep his cast in line. His ability to play to the audience was a big part of making this a fun evening. His credits mention that he will be playing Edna in Hairspray in a theatre in Arizona soon. THAT I would love to see!

Each time that I have seen NUNSENSE the audience has fallen in love with Sister Amnesia. Millbrook continued the tradition by casting Matt Kiesling in the role. Matt had the wide-eyed innocence down pat, at least until his routine with Sister Mary Inette, the hand puppet. He also really did shine in his vocal solo. This was Matt’s first appearance at Millbrook, but I hope we get to see him again before he moves to the big time.

Director Ovi Vargas must have given the actors the freedom to ad-lib much of the time or he was able to bring out the natural feeling of “a good time was had by all”. Either way, it worked. He also trimmed several scenes from the original script that helped to make the show flow better.

NUNSENSE has been extended until August the 17th and I understand that a few tickets are still available. Call the box office at 570 748 8083 to be sure since this has been a sell- out run.

I am always sad when Millbrook’s season comes to an end. One of the joys of being a season ticket holder is that you get to see the versatility of the cast and crew as well as feel a part of the family. This year celebrated FIFTY YEARS of productions and I really believe that it was the best ever.
Thank you, Teresa Pond for assembling a very talented group. Sets, costumes, lighting, sound and front office were outstanding. To mention the list of on stage talent would take another page, but the total amount of pure talent was amazing. 
 
Note to the Board of Millbrook: Erla Mae, please keep up the great tradition of the past fifty years. Your audiences really do appreciate how hard you and your fellow board members work. See you next summer.

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

BOOK REVIEW: Mrs. deWinter


(Note from Wendy:  This review contains spoilers from Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca.)  

If you have not read Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, Susan Hill’s sequel MRS. deWINTER is going to be of no interest whatsoever. If on the other hand, you found Rebecca to be haunting you might find some value in this sequel by a more modern author.

After their home Manderly burned, and Maxim deWinter had been tried for the death of his first wife Rebecca, he and his second wife escape to Europe. They have made a comfortable life trying to forget the horrors that surrounded Manderly. A death in the family causes them to return to England and they think that they can forget the past and start over. The problem is that beautiful, malevolent, dead Rebecca is still haunting them and means to finally get her revenge.

It had been awhile since I read Rebecca and was concerned that details, names and places for example, would have slipped my mind. Susan Hill does an excellent job of subtly re-introducing the old characters. As in the original, the story is told by the second Mrs. deWinter and again we never learn her name. There is some sense to this because THE Mrs. deWinter will always be Rebecca.

The author captured du Maurier’s style of writing very well. The formal, almost boring, manner in which the story is narrated becomes hypnotizing after a few pages. For example the descriptions of places are long and at times tedious, but they give the reader a feel for the atmosphere, peaceful and serene or vaguely threatening.

The main objection I had to the original was also true with this follow-up. I know that a Gothic novel has to build drama, but at times it was a tad overdone. When Maxim hands his wife a letter on board the ship taking them across the Channel, we read a page and a half of how frightened she is to open it. Her heart seemed to stop; her breathing became labored; her skin became clammy, and her hand shook. The contents of the letter is anti-climatic.

Maybe a law should be passed to keep authors from messing with well-known books. A book with an ambiguous ending stays in our memories longer; to know more details ruins it.

I will be reading Susan Hill again though. I discovered that she was the author of the book, The Woman in Black and I loved the play. I need to know if MRS. deWINTER is representative of her style of writing or if she just did a good job of channeling Daphne du Maurier.

Saturday, August 3, 2013

THEATER REVIEW: Always... Patsy Cline

Millbrook Playhouse proved, once again, that great talent does not always make the cover of People magazine, or at least not yet. The recent production of ALWAYS...PATSY CLINE was a blow-out of pure talent.

The tech staff has been right on top of things all summer and ALWAYS...PATSY CLINE was another feather in their cap...or in this case maybe “wig” would be a better word. The set was designed by Mark DeLancey and his use of multiple layers gave the audience the feel of the honky tonk stages plus giving the actors opportunities to move. Roejendra Adams brought the Texas Country-Western life-style of the 1960’s to Millbrook in the costumes. She has shown a true appreciation of period and mood over this season. Costuming is my personal interest in theatre and Ms. Adams has earned my respect and envy. Jerrilyn Lanier was given credit for the wigs in the show. Whoever found the one worn by Sarah Cue (as Louise) deserves a special nod of thanks.

Music Director Bill Brown led a pit orchestra that could have held the audience on its own. The nice thing was that they were on set throughout the show so we could see who was playing what. And, never did they drown out the singing. I always appreciate that.

Courtney Simmons channeled Patsy Cline as well as I have seen the part played. Her voice is powerful, true, emotional, and with an incredible range. Credit has to go to a vocal coach somewhere for Ms. Simmons’ tremendous stamina. A big complement is the fact that I did not recognize the actress from an earlier show. I remember saying after Sound of Music that I wish the actress who played Elsa could have had more of a chance to sing. Now I want to see, and hear, Courtney in something completely different. She has a voice that should be able to do it all.

Sarah Michelle Cue took charge of the stage as Patsy’s biggest fan Louise Seger. When critics talk about an actor “tearing up a stage”, they could use this performance as an example. Her acting was as big as her hair. Her connection with the audience as well as her comic timing showed great professionalism. This is another actor to watch for on People’s cover.

The show’s director, Johanna Pinzler, had played the part of Patsy Cline several years ago at Millbrook. This may be why this performance showed a great sense of the talent and person who was Patsy Cline.

photo courtesy of Millbrook Playhouse
Millbrook is in midst of its final show of the season. Nunsense A-Men started in the Cabaret on Millbrook Playhouse website.
August the 2nd . The show was to run until August the 11th, but due to demand it has been extended for another week. It was announced that seven of the nine shows have already sold out, so I wish you luck in getting tickets. I have lost count of how many times I have seen this hilarious show and am excited to see it again. In fact, I have plans to go twice to see this version. Hope to see you at one of them.  To see times and dates of extended performances, please visit the