Christmas 2012

December 24-25, 2012 — For the third Christmas in a row, I had no snow or slippery roads to contend with in my travels to share the holiday with my extended family spread out over two states. There was some concern for Christmas day, when light snow was forecast, but instead we got light rain that ended before noon.

I spent Christmas Eve with my sister's family which, like most families, just keeps growing. After a buffet, at least 20 people pack themselves into a small living room for gift opening, followed by a loud, boisterous, hilarious Yankee swap. The next day, Christmas morning, many of us congregate at my niece's for her traditional Christmas breakfast. Following that, I headed north where I enjoyed an exceptionally good baked ham dinner and another gift exchange with my nephew's family.

As always, all our activities were recorded by my camera. You can see the results at this link:

http://www.linwoodstreet.com/christmas12/

"A Christmas Celtic Sojourn"

December 15, 2012 — When I made a reservation earlier in the week for tonight's performance of  "A Christmas Celtic Sojourn" at the Stockbridge Theatre at Pinkerton Academy in Derry, New Hampshire, I had no idea how much I was going to need this break from the grief and sadness that has gripped the country since the horrific attack at Sandy Hook Elementary. I almost felt guilty about taking a couple of hours to enjoy myself while so many are suffering.

By a stroke of luck, I secured a seat in the center section in the second row from the stage, one of the few seats left in the large theatre when I made my reservation. The show was sponsored by WGBH Boston and hosted by Brian O'Donovan who also hosts a weekly radio show of Celtic music on WGBH. The talent was superb all around, but I'd like to give special mention to a couple of my favorites. Irish step-dancer Cara Butler, a six-time national champion, was simply dazzling with her energy and feet that moved faster than I would have thought humanly possible. Soloist Alyth McCormack was born on the Island of Lewis off the northwest coast of Scotland and grew up speaking Scottish Gaelic. I couldn't hear enough of her gorgeous voice. She ended the show with a beautiful rendition of "O Holy Night."

Also featured were Navan, a quartet of Celtic traditional singers. The Irish-American band Solas provided musical accompaniment. Catriona McKay on the Celtic harp and Chris Stout on the fiddle paired up for a stirring duet. Cellist Natalie Haas, a California native, is a recording artist and teacher. She has toured extensively with fiddling legend Natalie MacMaster and others. Accompanying the aforementioned Cara Butler were two Irish dancers, The Pilatzke Brothers. Also among the dancers were children from the Harney Academy of Irish Dance, and Melissa McCarthy, the reigning world champion in the slip jig.

 I want to stress once again that even though I singled out a couple of personal favorites, all the talent in this show was outstanding. Those who read my theatre reviews regularly know I rarely have such unstinting praise for a show, but I could find no negatives in this one.

Brian O'Donovan's radio show, "A Celtic Sojourn," can be heard from 3 to 6 p.m. every Saturday on WGBH Boston, 89.7 on the FM dial.

Hurricane Sandy

October 30, 2012 — Hurricane "Sandy" tore up the east coast from Florida to Maine yesterday, leaving devastation in its wake, over 40 deaths, and billions of dollars in damage. Millions were left without power. New Jersey, where it made landfall, was particularly hard-hit, especially Atlantic City where the famous boardwalk was ripped up and much of the city left underwater. In New York City, subways were flooded, the city brought to a standstill, and the stock market was forced to close two days in a row because of weather for the first time since 1888.

The huge, record-breaking storm spread out and brought several feet of snow to the mountains of West Virginia. Its effects were felt as far west as the Great Lakes. In New England, the south coast incurred considerable damage from wind and storm surge. Boston was hard-hit, and power outages were widespread.

Here in southern New Hampshire, high winds and rain prevailed from mid-afternoon into the night, this on the first anniversary of last year's early snowstorm that took out power for some, myself included, for over three days. I had visions of that happening again and had psyched myself up for it. Around 9 p.m. I was using my computer when suddenly the monitor went blank and the lights went out. I thought OK, this is it, I won't see the lights again for a few days. But it came back on in about five minutes and never went out again.

Today, there's a mix of sun and clouds, the temperature is near 70 and there's no wind. It's as though nothing happened here in southern New Hampshire, but for points south, lives are going to be disrupted for many days.

Reunion at a Quilt Show

August 17, 2012 — When my cousin, Jane, who I hadn't seen in almost 50 years, emailed me that she was coming to my city to attend a quilt show, I jumped at the chance to meet her. We did indeed meet and spent a few hours reminiscing while admiring quilts from all over the world. As the two senior members of our extended family, we have similar memories and experiences. It was great to talk to someone about people and places only we two have witnessed.

The show was the World Quilt Show — New England X and the premier of the 2012 World Quilt Competition XVI. I regretted not bringing my camera the day I met Jane, so I returned the next day (it was a three-day show), camera in hand, and got a series of over 50 photos and a video. You can see it all at this link:

http://www.linwoodstreet.com/quiltshow/

"The Tempest"

Wednesday, August 1 — When the itinerant Theatre Under the Stars brought their production of "The Tempest," my second favorite Shakespeare play to my New Hampshire home town, there was no excuse for missing it. (My favorite Shakespeare play is "Henry V.") You don't even have to like Shakespeare to enjoy this troupe's work. They're talented, energetic, funny, dressed in brilliant period costumes and great fun to watch. Who needs to understand all that archaic Shakespearian dialog?

Short on male actors, several traditional male roles had to be converted to female. Prospero became Prospera, played by Theatre Under the Stars Founding/Producing Artistic Director Donna Devlin-Young at the top of her game. Executive Manager Will Hammond was sufficiently savage as the slave Caliban. Lesley Shannon sang her way through the role of Ariel with great energy. Matthew Lynch expertly shifted between the dual roles of Ferdinand and the comically drunken Stephano. Charlotte Foster was also excellent in the dual roles of Trinculo and Gonzala (Gonzalo). Kaileela Hobby as Miranda, Joshua Marx as Alonso and Caley Vickerman as Antonia were all superb.

The shaking of a large sheet of metal to simulate thunder, although an appropriate "Tempest" sound effect, at times became annoying, drowning out some of the dialog, but now I'm nitpicking. This was overall a very entertaining evening, and Theatre Under the Stars is a New Hampshire treasure.

If I have a chance to see one more Theatre Under the Stars performance this season, it will be "Interactive Robin HooDDD," an original play written by Donna Devlin-Young, no doubt in her inimitable off-beat, often hilarious, sometimes mildly raunchy style.

Check out the Theatre Under the Stars website and find out if you suffer from "Bad Shakespeare Syndrome" at this link:

http://www.shakespeareinthevalley.com/

"Leading Ladies"

July 25, 2012 —Ken Ludwig, author of tonight's presentation, has had six Broadway shows and six in the West End, and he has won two Laurence Olivier Awards, three Tony Award nominations, two Helen Hayes Awards and the Edgar Award.

The Barnstormers in Tamworth, New Hampshire, presented Ludwig's farce, "Leading Ladies." Leo Clark and Jack Gable, two British Shakespearean actors, have not been well-received playing small towns across America and are desperately low on funds. Upon learning of Florence, an elderly Pennsylvania widow who is bequeathing a million dollars each to her sister's missing children, Max and Steve, they decide to pose as the two missing men. But wait, they learn Max and Steve are nicknames for Maxine and Stephanie! No problem. They're actors, they have suitcases full of costumes, they can play women as well as men. And, best news of all, Florence may be near death!

Michael Kirby as Leo and Graciany Miranda as Jack are in and out of drag many times in this zany play. This is the sort of madcap presentation the Barnstormers are particularly good at, with lots of rapid costume changes and character switching. Dale Place, a Barnstormers regular, is excellent as always as an uptight minister who suspects the two "nieces" are frauds from the start. His bride-to-be, appealingly played by Kelly Rypkema*, is happily deceived, at least at the beginning, and complicates things by falling in love with the male version of Stephanie. Waltrudis Buck, in her second play in as many weeks, portrays the widow Florence.  Rounding out the cast are Rachel Alexa Norman, George F. Piehl and Jordan Ahnquist.

None of these actors had trouble projecting their voices. In fact, at times they were annoyingly shrill. But the laughs were unceasing, and the audience was the most enthusiastic I've seen so far this season. There's no profanity in the play, but sexual innuendo and suggestiveness are so blatant, but hilarious, it's best suited for an adult audience.

*Talented as she is on stage, Kelly Rypkema's main forte is not acting. She's a certified master naturalist, wilderness first responder, trail guide and host of "Nature in a New York Minute." Take a look at her interesting website at this link:

http://www.natureminute.com/

"Painting Churches"

July 19, 2012 — Elderly Gardner and Fannie Church are packing to move from their expensive Beacon Hill apartment in Boston to accommodations more in line with their reduced income. Or at least, Fannie is busy packing. Gardner, an award-winning, nationally-renowned poet and writer, refuses to leave his study where he's pecking away at his typewriter, convinced he's still producing great poetry. He finally comes out, awkward and confused, shuffling and dropping a stack of papers. The dialog between Gardner and Fannie in this first act is some of the funniest of the show.

While packing, the Churches are eagerly awaiting the arrival of their daughter, Mags, an accomplished artist who is gaining national recognition. When she arrives, she announces she wants to paint her parents' portrait. At first, Mags is amused by her parents' kibbitzing and refusal to take her seriously, along with Dad's constant state of confusion, but this eventually leads to harsh words and hurtful accusations between mother and daughter.

"Painting Churches" by Tina Howe, staged by the Barnstormers in Tamworth, New Hampshire, is a slight but funny and poignant play, and a real audience-pleaser. The beautifully designed set, recreating a Beacon Hill apartment, featured luxurious furnishings and three tall windows. Waltrudis Buck is perfect as the funny, flighty, sometimes sarcastic Fannie. Tall, distinguished Sean McGuirk, in the sort of risky role playwright Howe is noted for, plays Gardner's slide into dementia with humor and sensitivity. Dee Nelson almost steals the show as the daughter. I've seen her a number of times at the Barnstormers and Peterborough Players. She has had guest roles on Grey's Anatomy and Judging Amy, as well as several movies. She has won the Elliot Norton award and New Hampshire Theatre award. She's one of my favorite New Hampshire theatre performers.

In spite of the conflict in the middle of the play, its overall effect is uplifting. You leave with good feelings about what you've just witnessed.

"Big River"

July 12, 2012 — The musical "Big River," based on Mark Twain's "Huckleberry Finn," has played in New Hampshire summer theatres several times in the past few years but it never appealed to me. I thought turning this classic American novel into a musical was somewhat of a desecration. Also, the songs are all original, and I tend to find greater pleasure in songs that are familiar to me. But when "Big River" showed up on the playlist of the Barnstormers in Tamworth, one of my favorite theatres, I decided to give it a look-see.

I ordered a ticket and first drove to Meredith on Lake Winnipesaukee on a steamy, hot afternoon, typical this summer. After dinner in Meredith, I made the half hour drive over to Tamworth to see the play. My preconceptions of it couldn't have been more wrong. In the hands of the gifted Barnstormers actors and directors, it was a delight. The songs, although unfamiliar, were all excellent as performed by a talented cast with great voices. The orchestra was fine, although occasionally the drums seemed to come in at inappropriate times and were a bit jarring.

The play follows the novel fairly closely, using much of Twain's dialog. Jordan Ahnquist was Huck Finn. His friend, the escaped slave Jim, was played by De'Lon Grant, and Patrick Scott Minor appeared as Tom Sawyer. Long-time Barnstormers regulars W. Clapham Murray, Elaine Anderson, Penny Purcell, Jean Mar Brown, Robert Bates, Dale Place and a large cast of supporting actors appeared. I should give special mention to Doug Shapiro, one of the funniest men in New Hampshire theatre, and Jim Burkholder as the duke and dauphin. Several actors played multiple roles.

I'll never again assume I'm not going to like a play before seeing it. "Big River" is wonderfully entertaining.

"The Wedding Singer"

July 5, 2012 — My introduction to New Hampshire summer theatre almost 20 years ago was at the Papermill Theatre in Lincoln where the North Country Center for the Arts (NCCA) has been staging its performances for 26 years. I went many times with my mom, who shared my love of live theatre. During its first 23 years, NCCA held its plays in the old Paper Mill Machine Room #1 which had a rustic charm, but when it rained the ancient roof often failed to protect actors and audience.

Two years ago, when the old Machine Room and other mill buildings were leveled, the Loon Mountain Resort generously offered space for a stage and seating for an audience in the Governor's Lodge. This summer, NCCA's Papermill Theatre proudly opened its new home in the $2.6 million climate-controlled Jean's Playhouse (pictured). This facility will offer entertainment year-round.

On this night, for its first mainstage theatrical performance in the new theatre, the Papermill offered "The Wedding Singer," a musical comedy based on the 1998 movie with Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. Tonight's performance featured Michael Stewart and Katharine McDonough in the Sandler/Barrymore roles, heading a talented, energetic, mostly young cast. For a first-night performance, it went very smoothly, except for a brief glitch right at the beginning when they had trouble getting their admittedly obsolete sound system in sync. The rather sparse stage set was supplemented by rear-projected images. The $40 admission is the highest of any New Hampshire summer theatre I regularly attend.

After the high-energy first act, which featured some great song and dance numbers, the second act flattened out at a slower pace, at least up until Kara Tripoli's brazenly provocative bedroom romp. Overall, it was a great show. The theatre was probably less than half full, but those who showed up for this opening night were very appreciative.

There's still much work to be done. Landscaping is underway. Acoustics are good in the new theatre, but their antiquated sound and lighting systems need to be replaced. I predict a bright future for the Papermill Theatre at Jean's Playhouse and look forward to continuing my patronage.

"The Importance of Being Earnest"

June 30, 2012 - Oscar Wilde's play about deception, mistaken identities and merry mixups rivals the Shakespeare comedies. I had booked a motel and made the three-hour drive to Williamstown, Massachusetts to see "The Importance of Being Earnest" at the Williamstown Theatre Festival. The play has been on my must-see list for years, but has never before been staged within a day's travel. When I heard it was playing in Williamstown, I thought this is it, I've got to see it.

The Williamstown Theatre Festival on the Williams College campus is a large, very comfortable theatre with excellent viewing from all seats. Having made my reservation on short notice, I ended up farther back from the stage than I'm accustomed to. I could see all right, but I was out of my best hearing range and missed a line of dialog now and then. That's unfortunate, because you don't want to miss any of Wilde's brilliant dialog.

In the play, mobsters from America who have made their fortunes through activities of questionable legality have relocated to London where they have found a home in British upper society, far out of the reach of American authorities. I won't go into all the plot details here, but suffice it to say the two male leads, in an effort to please their lady-loves, concoct fictitious brothers, false names, and other deceptions. When they get tangled in the web of their own making, the results are hilarious.

Multiple Emmy award-winning actress Tyne Daly was at the top of her game as family matriarch Lady Bracknell. Other key roles were masterfully performed by Louis Cancelmi, Glenn Fitzgerald, Amy Spanger, Helen Cespedes, Marylouise Burke and Henry Stram, along with a competent supporting cast.

The sets were beautiful and elegant, Overall, the play was a memorable theatre experience.

After the play, I had supper at Hobson's Choice, my favorite Williamstown restaurant. I spent the next two hours strolling around the charming college town with its old stone buildings, some standing since Williams College was founded in 1793. It's very warm this evening, but comfortable after the intense heat of the day. Tomorrow I'm driving down the road to Pittsfield for the Berkshire Charity Auto Show. I hope this great weather holds another day, although I wouldn't complain if it cooled off by about 10 degrees.

"Auld Lang Syne"

June 26, 2012 — It's 10:30 p.m., I'm relaxing with a cup of tea after returning from an evening at New Hampshire's Peterborough Players and I'm going to write this review while my impressions are fresh. The play was "Auld Lang Syne" by Jack Neary and it's having its world premiere at Peterborough. Just two actors had to carry the hour and forty-minute play, always a challenge to the most talented performers. But these two were more than up to the task. Gordon Clapp, an Emmy award-winning TV actor who has also appeared in Hollywood movies and other live theater productions, portrayed gangster Joe LaCedra. The wonderful Kathy Manfre, a regular at the Players for nine years, appeared as widow Mary Antonelli.

Mary has called Joe to her home on New Year's Eve because she has heard he's uniquely qualified to perform a particular service for her, but she may have been misinformed. Or was she? At first she's evasive about just what she expects from Joe. When the tough-talking and impatient Joe, after much prodding, finally learns what she wants from him, he's appalled and insists he wants nothing to do with her plan.

The acting is superb, the dialog is at turns funny and infuriating. Four-letter words are flung around with abandon, so this is strictly an adult play. The play is both funny and poignant, with lessons in the importance of family connections. The two actors received well-deserved and prolonged applause and cheers at the curtain call..

"The Complete History of America (Abridged)"

June 21, 2012 — I was looking forward to the drive north in the air-conditioned car on the second day of temperatures flirting with 100 degrees. But if I had any hope I'd find relief in New Hampshire's lakes region, that hope was quickly dashed. Stepping out of the car by the boardwalk at Meredith Bay, I was smacked by a wall of hot air that was stifling. Still, not to be denied a stroll around one of my favorite New Hampshire spots, I walked through Hesky Park to the Inn at Bay Point, across the highway to Mill Falls for a pass through the many gift and crafts shops, back to the boardwalk and a stroll in the opposite direction, admiring the expensive boats docked along the way, past the outdoor diners at the Town Docks, ending up at Church Landing, a luxury resort with a beautiful view of the lake.

By the time I got back to the car, even though it had been a slow walk, I was dripping with sweat. I drove up the hill to Hart's Turkey Farm for supper and a cooling off period. After supper I made the ten-minute drive over to Weirs Beach where I had a reservation at the Winnipesaukee Players. I had some time to kill, so braving the heat once again I took a stroll along the famous Weirs Beach boardwalk to the home port of the M.V. Mount Washington, the huge party boat that plies the lake from May through  October. I had a brief conversation with one of the boat's security officers who told me it was just as hot out in the middle of New Hampshire's largest lake as it was everywhere else.

Back at the Winnipesaukee Players, I was finally comfortably seated in the air-conditioned theater to enjoy "The Complete History of America (Abridged)." Played on a stunningly cluttered stage that looked like an attic where someone had been storing their discarded junk for several centuries, the play is a slapstick view of American history from Amerigo Vespucci to the present in 90 minutes. Puns, sight gags, corny jokes, some inspired, some silly, some bordering on tasteless, are delivered by three male actors, Shabazz Green, Alex M. Jacobs and Kevin Killavey. I recommend the play. In such an unrelenting barrage of gags, a few are bound to fall flat, but most produced genuine belly laughs. Overall, it was a very enjoyable evening, and a hilarious start to my 2012 summer theater season.

"Anna Christie"

June 7, 2012 — Northern New England Repertory Theatre Company presented Eugene O'Neill's Pulitzer Prize-winning "Anna Christie" at the Sawyer Center Theater at Colby-Sawyer College in New London, New Hampshire. Solid acting and skillful stagecraft held the sparse audience spellbound in the somewhat chilly theater.

Anna, estranged from her sea-going father since childhood, meets him in a New York bar. Delighted to be reunited with her, the father talks her into spending a few days with him on the barge of which he's the captain. She agrees, but things get complicated when several ship-wrecked sailors are rescued by the barge crew. One, an Irishman named Mat, falls head-over-heels for Anna.

High drama and dark humor fill the final acts when Mat's proposal of marriage forces Anna to reveal a shameful past, shocking Mat as well as her father. Katrina Ferguson as Anna, John Goodlin as her father, and Milan Dragicevich as Mat turn in stellar performances, more than doing justice to the fiery dialog, a challenge to actors in any O'Neill play.

"Anna Christie," in spite of its dark subject matter and harsh conflicts, in the end is more upbeat than most of O'Neill's work. You can leave the theater feeling good about it, especially when it's as well-acted as this production.

Late Storm Reminds Us It's Still Winter

March 1, 2011 — The first snowstorm since last October moved into southern New Hampshire last night and continued through today, leaving from six to ten inches in most communities. Up until now, temperatures had been averaging well above normal since December, and there had only been a few light snowfalls of one to three inches. Before this latest storm, the ground had been snow-free through all of February..

The snow may not stick around long. Forecast is for temperature near 50 and rain Saturday.

"The Birds"

February 23, 2012 — theatre KAPOW, a small, talented company whose work I've enjoyed for several years now, this evening staged "The Birds" at the Stockbridge Theatre at Pinkerton Academy in Derry, New Hampshire. This Greek comedy, written around 400 B.C. by Aristophanes, revolves around two men, unhappy with life in Athens, who set out to form an alliance with the birds and start a new city called "Cloudcuckooland." As translated by Peter Meineck and directed by Matt Cahoon, the play featured brilliant costumes, hilarious dialog, sexual innuendo, aerial stunts and inspired silliness.

As usual with KAPOW productions at the Stockbridge, the audience is seated at the fringes of the stage, providing an intimate theatre experience. This was ideal for this production of "The Birds," which draws the audience into the action and encourages their participation in a sort of "Rocky Horror Picture Show" style. A large box full of colorful feathered hats was placed at the entrance to the auditorium with a sign saying "You know you want to" for anyone wishing to dress for the show. In my usual reluctance to draw attention to myself, I chose to go hatless.

For all its acrobatics, skillful use of props and precise timing, the play went surprisingly smoothly for a first-night performance. All the actors were excellent, but I have to give special mention to Carey Cahoon, a versatile actress who has appeared in all four of the plays I've seen at theatre KAPOW, playing everything from high drama to slapstick comedy. This evening she demonstrated acrobatic skills I had been previously unaware of.

First Snow of the Winter

January 12, 2012 — First snow since October fell today. It accumulated to about three inches. There was some mixing with rain. The temperature hovered around 32 degrees all day. It took me all of 30 minutes to shovel out and sweep off the car. No more snow in the forecast for at least a week. I can't believe our good fortune up to now. Last year at this time we were buried.