Sunday, February 25, 2024

"The Sherlock Mystery Radio Hour"

February 25, 2024 — The annual live radio dramas presented by the Winnipesaukee Players in Meredith, New Hampshire, are among the shows I most look forward to. They're presented like an old fashioned radio show on the Winni stage with a control room behind the actors, who are seated except when called to a microphone to speak their parts, script in hand. To the left of the stage are the foley artists (sound effects) with all the paraphernalia needed to produce the sounds the script calls for.

In this season's show, directed by Sam Ducharme and Debbi Finkelstein, two of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes mysteries, The Case of the Iron Box and The Case of the Haunted Chateau, were presented. They took about a half hour each with a 15-minute intermission in between, very comfortable timing for the audience.

Both plays were introduced by the station master (Lore Heywood) from the control room, The Case of the Iron Box was presented first. Dr. Watson (Hazel Heywood) relates the story of Walter (Brendan Berube), a Scot whose birth on February 29 has held up his inheritance because of a dispute as to whether there was a February 29 in the year of his birth. Speaking in a booming Scottish accent, Berube had the strongest voice of all the players, a fact I appreciated because I was having trouble hearing some of the softer-spoken actors in a more distant end of the stage.

Following intermission, The Case of the Haunted Chateau was presented. Jennifer Simon as Mrs. Gibson, in wildly colorful attire and loud American Southern accent pretty much stole the show. Berube appeared again, this time as Gaston speaking in a French accent.

Other actors, obviously having fun themselves while delighting the audience, included William Johnson as Sherlock Holmes, Heather Williams, Kelly Bennett, Raymond Chambers, Robin Dorff, Nicole Gauvreau, Mary Morehouse Rogers and Mary White.


Friday, December 29, 2023

A Return to Normal

December 24-25, 2023 — For the first time since 2019 we all got together again in the same house to celebrate Christmas. COVID hasn't been completely eliminated yet — it probably never will be — but we're learning to co-exist with it thanks to vaccines and building immunity. That and the fact no one's been sick recently gave us confidence to get together again.

In sharp contrast to last Christmas which I described as one of the coldest in memory, this year was relatively balmy. Temperature was in the '50s at the end of one of the warmest years on record. An estimated thirty of us gathered at the home of my nephew and his wife for a buffet, gift exchange and one of the family's patented wild and noisy Yankee swaps.

You can see my pictorial coverage of the event at this link:

https://www.linwoodstreet.com/christmas23/

Sunday, December 17, 2023

"Cinderella"

December 16. 2023 — This is not Disney's Cinderella. It definitely isn't the Grimm's fairy tale you may have read as a child, or was read to you. This is an English panto (short for pantomime), developed in England and traditionally played near Christmas. Usually based on a well-known fairy tale, it includes music, dancing, slapstick comedy, topical humor and mild sexual innuendo. The Winnipesaukee Playhouse (the "Winni") in Meredith, New Hampshire, staged a panto most holiday seasons until 2020 when COVID brought a halt to this type of play for three years. But they're back with a stunning production this year,

Cinderella by former Winni artistic director Neil Pankhurst is promoted on the Winni website as "filled with big costumes, dynamic dancing, silly slapstick for the littles, innuendo for the adults, and a double entendre or two (or three)...a treat for all ages 3 to 103!" The Playhouse Professional Company, along with a bunch of talented kids, deliver on this promise with flying colors.

Buttons, the Bell Boy (Seth Turner), encourages the audience to participate loudly, expressing approval or disapproval as appropriate, and guides the play through its songs, dance numbers and story. Winni veteran Jim Rogato is Baron Basil Hardup and Ashley Meeken, who we last saw in "Mamma Mia" at the Winni, is his wife, Baroness Sybil Hardup. Sophia Kim is an irresistible Ella, later to become Cinderella. Kat Gold played the dual roles of Lily and the spirit of Ella's mother.

A feature of pantos has always been gender-switching, and this production lives up to that tradition. Prince Charming is played by Teghan Marie Kelly. Molly Chiffer assumes the male role of the prince's buddy, Dandini. The two ugly sisters, Philis and Lydia, absolutely steal the show as played by Robert Hooghkirk and Nick Winkler. In garishly ornate gowns and accessories, wielding folding fans, preening, snarky, insulting, all with exaggerated feminine gestures, they really chewed up scenery when they were on stage.

The songs, a mix of pop, golden oldies and classical, some parodied, were marvelous. Dances literally rocked the house. I particularly enjoyed a tap dance number featuring the entire ensemble led by Seth Turner. The production ran about two and one-half hours with one 15-minute intermission, longer than average, but the energy never flagged and neither did audience enthusiasm.

Neil Pankhurst directed this production. Judy Hayward was music director and Nicole Sullivan directed choreography. The many fantastic costumes were designed by DW. Many more contributed. It's great to have panto back at the Winnipesaukee Playhouse.



Tuesday, October 3, 2023

Castle Car Show 2023

September 30, 2023 — It was another close call with a rain storm moving up from the south, but it didn't get as far north as Moultonborough, New Hampshire and the annual car show at Castle in the Clouds was a smashing success with an estimated four hundred show cars and so many spectators we were actually bumping into one another.

Very often, the mere threat of rain will keep valuable antique cars away, but this show was graced with the presence of two rare Rolls-Royce "woodies" and three 1914 Stanleys. My series includes the the process of starting the Stanleys and watching them go steaming away in video. You can see it all at his link:

https://www.linwoodstreet.com/castle2023/

Monday, October 2, 2023

Carriagetown Car Show 2023

September 23, 2023 — In another close call with the weather, common this season, Amesbury, Massachusetts made the decision to go ahead with their annual Carriagetown Car Show. Most forecasts predicted rain would begin late morning or early afternoon, so show organizers decided to have award presentation a couple of hours earlier than originally planned to hopefully give everyone a chance to get home before the storm arrived. It was unnecessary. It didn't rain all day.

The entire downtown area is closed to normal traffic for the show. Amesbury offers many good photo ops besides the cars. It's a walking city, hilly but attractive, with many old brick buildings, wooden stairways to climb to upper and lower levels, and the Powwow River tumbling down from the heights to the lower levels.

Threat of rain didn't seem to discourage attendance. The city was filled with a variety of cars, trucks and motorcycles, including some valuable antiques from the '20s and '30s and 19th Century horse-drawn carriages from the Amesbury Carriage Museum. There were so many spectators it was difficult to move about at times.

You can view my coverage of the event at:

https://www.linwoodstreet.com/carriagetown2023/

Thursday, September 28, 2023

Rye Lions Car Show

September 17, 2023 — The Rye Lions Club held its 40th annual Car Show and Cruise-In on Parson's Field in Rye, New Hampshire, featuring its customary high-quality antique vehicles. Competition Motors Ltd and Bayberry Vintage Cars brought several of their beautifully restored cars.

Unlike the cool, overcast previous day in Stowe, Vermont, the Rye Lions Show was held under cloudless skies and warm temperatures. Take a look at this excellent exhibit at this link:

https://www.linwoodstreet.com/rye23/

Wednesday, September 27, 2023

32nd British Invasion

September 16, 2023The British Invasion held its 32nd anniversary show, featuring only English-made vehicles and motorcycles, in Stowe, Vermont, while hurricane Lee was battering the coast from the Carolinas all the way up to Boston and southern New Hampshire. Stowe was cloudy and cool with light winds, and dry.

The show has a very British theme overall, with booths selling English-made products. The popular ladies' hat competition, an annual tradition, was held in the "Queen's" tent. My coverage of the event can be seen at this link:

https://www.linwoodstreet.com/invasion23/