"She Loves Me"

July 25, 2026 — I was surprised to find I just wasn't inspired by She Loves Me at the Barnstormers in Tamworth, New Hampshire. Neither was the audience it seemed. Dialog led into songs in a way unusual in musicals. The songs got brief, polite applause just because experienced theater-goers know what's expected of us.

When Americans think musical play, they imagine Oklahoma, South Pacific, A Chorus Line, etc. She Loves Me is set in Hungary featuring Hungarian characters with Hungarian names, in a style not familiar to Americans.

The show comes with impressive credentials. With book by Joe Masterofff, music by Jerry Bock and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, it premiered on Broadway in 1963 and ran for 301 performances, then was produced in the West End and received awards on both sides of the Atlantic. It became somewhat of a cult classic. It inspired the 1998 movie, You've Got Mail.

But a change took place near the end of Act 1. There were a few good laugh lines, the energy level went up, the audience responded positively. In Act 2 the songs were getting prolonged, noisy applause and cheers. There were some well-choreographed dance numbers. I came away feeling this was a great show! So did the rest of the audience.

The show takes place in a Budapest parfumerie (perfume and beauty products). Georg (Andrew O'Shanick), an assistant manager and Amalia (Selene Klasner with a terrific voice), constantly bickering at work, are unaware of another dimension of their relationship which I've chosen not to divulge in this review, even though it's well-known. Sorry, no spoiler alerts from me!

Also in the very talented cast were Will McGarrahan as Mr. Maraczek, the shop owner; Scott Cote as Ladislav Sipos, a salesman who believes Georg and Amalia unknowingly like each other; Jacob Erdody as Arpad Laszlo, a delivery boy; Aimee Doherty as Ilona Ritter who's having an affair with Steven Kodaly, played by Lee Hollis Bussie.

Also appearing were Hannah Nye, Jordan Eagle, Sophie Pankhurst, Michael Jennings Mahoney and Alex Jorth. I have to give special mention to Doug Shapiro, a Barnstormers favorite and certainly one of mine. He's the only actor that got his own round of applause from the Barnstormers regulars when he appeared on stage. His part in this production was minor, his character didn't even have a name, but he was important to the play.

Ilyse Robbins was director/choreographer for this production, a very impressive achievement. Michael Ursua was music director. Jane Howland's scenic designs produced some beautiful stage sets. Clara Jean Kelly designed costumes.

Talent was the keyword for this production. Strong talent in all areas. 

 

Misselwood Concours d'Elegance

July 19, 2026 — I didn't attend the Misselwood Concours d'Elegance at Endicott College in Beverly, Massachusetts last year, as I remember because of inclement weather. I was there in 2024 and was somewhat disappointed in the show. I didn't have high expectations for this year's show, but I was pleasantly surprised. It came roaring back with one of the best shows in years, augmented by perfect summer weather.

Beautifully restored classics like Pierce-Arrow, Packard, Rolls-Royce and Duesenberg filled the field behind the Misselwood House overlooking the Atlantic. Misselwood was featuring "orphan" cars this year and there were more names I never heard of than I usually see in an entire season. They were also featuring the cars of Chrysler and there were several fine examples of the 300 lettered series, as well as a 1957 Chrysler Ghia Super Dart 400, the likes of which I had never seen.

I've included a couple of videos scanning the field, along with 82 photos, making this the most picture-productive show I've covered so far this season. You can see it all at this link:

https://www.linwoodstreet.com/misselwood26/ 

 

 

 

 

Classic Auto Show at the Aviation Museum

July 18, 2026 — You can't help but notice the featureless, gray-stained skies in these pictures. That's smoke from wild fires in Canada. It hung over large areas of the United States for several days. There was also a forecast of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Not an inviting prospect. I think it kept many away from the Classic Auto Show at the Aviation Museum in Londonderry, New Hampshire.

But those who ignored the ugly skies and threatening forecast got to see a small collection of interesting vehicles, just not as many as we expect at this annual show, and the thunderstorms held off until the show was over. My photographic choices can be seen at this link:

https://www.linwoodstreet.com/aviation2026/ 

BSAAC Car Show

July 12, 2026 — On my 14th visit in 17 years, possibly more than any other, to the Bay State Antique Automobile Club show at the Endicott estate in Dedham, Massachusetts, I captured the most photos of any show so far this season.

However, the show is still well below attendance in its best years. A select few of the finest cars always had a prominent position on the front lawn, directly in front of the Endicott mansion. This is where you saw the Pierce-Arrows, Packards and Duesenbergs. This year there was a 1928 fire engine that had been there last year in the truck section. Other than that, there was an Edsel and a Mercury. Beautifully restored cars, but not exceptional. Only a 1932 Buick reminded me of better days.

The club does a good job of grouping vehicles by class. There's a custom section, an Oldsmobile section,  a brass era section and a truck section, but some of these sections are disappearing as declining participation is making it more difficult to fill them. The largest section for one make is always the Cadillac section.

It's still a good show in spite of my complaints. You can view my photographic production at this link:

https://www.linwoodstreet.com/endicott2026/

Sullivan's 250th Celebration of America

July 11, 2026 — Yes, there's a small town named Sullivan in New Hampshire. There's also a Sullivan County, but that's not where the town of Sullivan is. The town is in Cheshire Country. Both are named for John Sullivan, a Revolutionary War general and New Hampshire governor.

Now that we've got that trivia out of the way, let's have a look at the town of Sullivan's 250th Celebration of America with patriotic observances, food and craft sales, and a car show. It being a farm community, there was also a collection of beautifully restored tractors.

This is small town America at its most charming. Have a look at this link:

https://www.linwoodstreet.com/sullivancelebration/

Wolfeboro Lions Car Show

July 5, 2026 — Ending the three-day Fourth of July weekend and a brutal heat wave found us at the Wolfeboro Lions Club Car Show in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. Wolfeboro, on the shore of Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire, lays claim to the title "The Oldest Summer Resort in America."

Not a large show, but there were some exceptional vehicles. I tried to select some of the best for these web pages. You can have a look at this link:

https://www.linwoodstreet.com/wolfeboro26/

Wicked Big Car & Truck Nationals

June 27, 2026 — New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon hosted the show called Wicked Big Car & Truck Nationals. The sprawling speedway is easy to get lost in, with tunnels dividing two sections. This show was comprised mostly of customs, some professionally produced, and specialty cars and trucks.

The day was bright and sunny, somewhat hard to find so far this spring and early summer. Cars were being thrown into spin-outs on one track all day, filling the area with the sound of screeching tires. Besides a brief video of this crazed activity, beneficial only to the tire sellers, I tried to find the most interesting vehicles, and there were many, including a couple of trucks as big as small houses.

You can see the results of my efforts at this link:

https://www.linwoodstreet.com/wickedcar/index.htm