"Sexy Laundry"

August 30, 2018 — For the next to the last play of their 85th season, Peterborough Players in Peterborough, New Hampshire chose "Sexy Laundry" by Michele Riml. Kenn McLaughlin directed this production for the Players. Scenic design was by Ryan McGettigan and costumes by Bethany Mullins.

Alice (Bridget Beirne) has bought the book "Sex for Dummies" and has booked a room at a swank hotel for herself and her husband, Henry (Tom Frey), hoping to rekindle the romance in their 20-plus-year marriage. The setting is a hotel room dominated by a huge bed. The language gets pretty salty and some of the action more than a little suggestive, giving the play an adult rating, but the laughs are non-stop in this well-acted presentation by two of the Players' best actors.

Early in the play, Alice urges the reluctant Henry to try out various scenarios and fantasies described in her heavily bookmarked copy of "Sex for Dummies" designed to bring back the excitement in a marriage of middle-aged couples for whom the spark has gone out. The dialog is hilarious and the situations ridiculous. The play becomes a bit more serious as it progresses, as each partner blames the other for the boredom in their marriage.

Are these common problems for long-married couples? Many critics say Riml hits the nail on the head. When she wrote the play, she was much younger than her characters. Asked how she accomplished such an accurate portrayal of middle-aged couples, she said "I'm married. I can project." Project she did, with delightful results.

"Western Civilization! The Complete..."

August 28, 2018 — For the final show of its 88th season, The Barnstormers Theatre in Tamworth, New Hampshire presented a musical comedy with the ungainly title "Western Civilization! The Complete Musical (Abridged)" by Reed Martin, Austin Tichenor, Nick Graham and Dee Ryan. This production was directed for the Barnstormers by Blair Hundertmark with musical direction by Tommy Iafrate. Sarah Rozene designed the set and Mary Selvoski the many costumes.

Three actors carried the frenzied show, Rachel Alexa Norman, Cheryl Mullings and Jordan Ahnquist. Going through 1,000 years of history in 90 minutes, the show turns sexism, racism, bigotry and hypocrisy into catchy tunes and laughs. There's interaction with the audience, and in one scene we're sprayed by water guns.

Through many amazingly quick costume changes, the actors take us through a series of historical epochs, from the dark ages to the modern information age. Each epoch is introduced by an off-stage voice describing highlights of that particular period, every one ending with the same line, "And the world is under the control of a small group of rich white males."

The three actors play many roles, utilizing their various costumes and different accents. Songs with titles such as "History Ain't What It Used To Be" and "Flush Your Troubles Away" and a love duet featuring Adolph Hitler and Genghis Kahn are just a small sample of the cutting satire. There's also a generous amount of slapstick and sight gags that would make the Marx Brothers envious.

This audience-pleasing production was a great ending to the Barnstormers' summer season, which I can't believe has ended. It seems as though it just started!

Bean Pot Summer Show

August 26 — The Boston Northeast Region of the Antique Automobile Club of America presented the Bean Pot Summer Show on the property of Melmark New England which provides services for children with autism, in Andover, Massachusetts. The show was sponsored by East Boston Savings Bank.

A relatively small show, it featured a number of cars of exceptional beauty. I photographed some of the best, and you can see them here:

https://www.linwoodstreet.com/beanpotsummer/

Skip's Mega-Cruise 2018

August 25, 2018 — Skip's Snack Bar in Merrimac, Massachusetts has four or five cruise nights a year, but the one they call Mega-Cruise is the biggest of their summer season. It begins at 2 p.m., two hours earlier than the others, and for the 14th time featured North Shore Acappella, a five-man group that specializes in golden oldies and doo-wop.

Skip's serves a wide variety of quality fast food, and the Mega-Cruise draws a horde of spectators. Picnic tables are arranged under shade trees, and show cars fill a large field behind the restaurant, this year numbering over 400, not their largest show ever, but more than a respectable number.

You can view my coverage of the event in photos and video of the cars, singing and action inside Skip's busy restaurant at this link:

https://www.linwoodstreet.com/megacruise2018/

North Shore Motor Sports Museum

August 24, 2018 — I just learned about the North Shore Motor Sports Museum from an article in Thursday's Union Leader of Manchester, New Hampshire. The subject of the article was a 1906 Stanley, on loan to the museum. The photo and description looked exactly like the Stanley I photographed at the 2013 Bonny Eagle Car Show. The boiler had failed and was scheduled to be replaced while the car was at the museum.

I decided I had to see the car and confirm it was the same one I saw at Bonny Eagle, so I headed for the museum on Route 106 in Loudon, New Hampshire, near the New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Upon seeing the Stanley up close, I was even more convinced it was one and the same. I opened my 2013 Bonny Eagle page on my iPhone and showed it to a museum official, and he confirmed it was indeed the one. He also identified my photo of the owner, taken in 2013, as Coburn Benson. After boiler replacement, Benson would be invited to take it for a few laps around the track.

I found the museum fascinating, even though race cars are not my primary interest. All the cars crowded into the museum had a New England connection, and details about the cars, owners, drivers and racing history were posted at every car. There was also lots of other racing memorabilia, such as trophies, uniforms, photos, etc.

A trip to the museum will be rewarding for any motor sports enthusiast. You can see my photos at this link:

https://www.linwoodstreet.com/motorsports/

"Murder for Two"

August 23, 2018 — What can I say about "Murder for Two?" It's a murder mystery comedy set to music. I had no idea what to expect when I took my seat in the New London Barn Playhouse, wrapping up its 86th season with this production, directed and choreographed for the Barn by Anthony C. Daniel. Book and music are by Joe Kinosian and book and lyrics by Kellen Blair.

Two actors in a manic 90-minute presentation chew up Vincent Gunn's scenery at an exhausting pace. Brandon Lambert is Marcus, a detective (maybe), and Kyle Branzel plays nine suspects, male and female, without costume changes, but just using different voices, accents and mannerisms, occasionally donning glasses as the victim's wife. His tall, gangly frames makes him all the more hilarious, especially as the ballerina. The two actors alternate between playing the same piano, sometimes both at the same time, and acting out the various roles.

When Arthur Whitney (not seen) arrives for his surprise birthday party, the lights go out, shots ring out, and he ends up dead on the floor. All the action takes place with Whitney's body (imaginary) lying on the floor. This first night performance with its complicated choreography, piano playing, and Branzel's show-stealing multiple roles went off without a hitch. That may be due to the fact both actors played the same roles previously. Lambert had to suppress his own laughter a few times, but I have to wonder if that was deliberate, a way to draw laughs from the audience. If that was the case, it wasn't necessary. The play was uproariously funny all the way through.

Salute the Troops

August 18, 2018 — Anheuser-Busch Brewery in Merrimack, New Hampshire hosted a car show honoring the Armed Forces and veterans. Though small, the show featured a wide variety of vehicles, thanks to the inclusion of some large military trucks and transports. There was also a good mix of antiques, late models, standards and customs.

Photos of the event can be seen at this link:

https://www.linwoodstreet.com/salutetroops/

Cruisin' the '50s

August 16, 2018 — I've grown to like these in-town car shows, like Cruising Downtown in Manchester, New Hampshire, coming up September 1, and the Massachusetts shows, Marlborough Main Street, Carriagetown in Amesbury, and the most recent, Cruisin' the '50s in Newburyport. The disadvantages are no designated parking, you have to find public lots or park on the street if available, much of it metered, and difficulty moving about in a crowd of spectators within the confines of a downtown area, particularly challenging for photographers.

But they have a festive atmosphere and most offer a variety of good restaurants, especially Newburyport, which also offers a nice public park and a scenic waterfront. In spite of the challenges, I came away with a pretty good assortment of photos and one brief video. You can see them at:

https://www.linwoodstreet.com/newburyport18/

"And Then There Were None"

August 14, 2018 — In 2005, The Barnstormers Theatre in Tamworth, New Hampshire presented Agatha Christie's "Ten Little Indians." Last night, again at the Barnstormers, Christie's "And Then There Were None" was staged with a fine cast of eleven, directed by Barnstormers' artistic director Robert Shea with a sumptuous living room set designed by Sarah Rozene and costumes by Mary Selvoski.

I've long been a fan of Dame Agatha's work, and was delighted when I learned there was yet another of her plays I hadn't seen, "And Then There Were None." But as the play progressed, it was looking more and more familiar. I soon realized this was the same play presented in 2005 under the title "Ten Little Indians." That was a slight disappointment. I felt I had been deceived. But I had forgotten much of it, and I had no recollection of how it ended with another of Christie's patented surprise twists. And the acting was first-rate, so by the end I decided this was an evening well-spent after all.

When I got home, a Google search confirmed my conclusion that the two plays I saw were one and the same. Originally written as a novel, with a title that contained a racial slur I will not repeat here, the title was changed, eliminating the objectionable slur, and was changed a few more times throughout its history. Christie even changed the ending when it was re-written as a play.

To sum up this baffling play, eight individuals have been invited by a Mr. Owen to a resort on an isolated island reachable only by boat, each one lured by offering something of interest to their particular occupation or position, a doctor, a police officer, a judge, a spinster, etc. A butler and his wife are already there, having arrived earlier with an offer of employment. They inform the others Mr. Owen hasn't arrived yet.

Having a conversation after dinner the first evening, the group is interrupted by a recording accusing each and every one of causing the deaths of others under varying circumstances. The butler, who had no idea what it contained, said Mr. Owen left him orders to play it. Then, over the next couple of days, the guests start dying one by one, some by poisoning, some by particularly gruesome means. They first suspect Mr. Owen, whoever he is. But when a search of the premises and island turns up no Owen and no possible hiding place, they conclude Owen is one of them. But who?

Finally, there's a tense confrontation when only two remain alive, each believing the other is the killer. But are they really the only two? Remember what I said about Dame Agatha's surprise twists.

Appearing in this production were most of the Barnstormers' regulars at the top of their games. They were Doug Shapiro, Anne-Marie Cusson, William R. Johnston, Madeleine Maby, Robert St. Laurence, Buddy Haardt, George F. Piehl, Dale Place, Jean Mar Brown, Robert Bates and Jordan Reeves. The audience was delighted with the play, and so was I. I got over the resentment over being fooled into thinking it was a play I hadn't seen. It had been thirteen years, and I had forgotten enough so I could enjoy it all over again.

61st Annual Antique and Classic Car Meet

August 11, 2018 — After 60 years in Stowe, Vermont, the Vermont Antique Automobile Enthusiasts (VAE) were forced to leave Nichols Field in Stowe after a developer purchased the property. This year's show was held for the first time at Farr's Field in Waterbury, Vermont, ten miles south of Stowe. The logistics of organizing a car show, and this is one of the largest in the East, are enormous, especially for a new, untested location. In spite of this, the three-day show was highly successful, with only a few unforeseen problems.

The field in Waterbury is larger and flatter than the one in Stowe, but similar in its setting, surrounded by Vermont's Green Mountains. VAE has managed to retain the same look and feel as the old location, and it all seemed familiar to long-time attendees of the show. There's more space for show cars, car corral and flea markets. Spectator parking is plentiful, but complicated. Parking areas are divided up into several sections, somewhat circular rather in straight rows as they were in Stowe. Many, including myself, had trouble finding their cars when it came time to leave. Leaving on Saturday turned into a huge bottleneck, taking nearly a half hour from parking space to the exit onto Route 2. That's one thing organizers should concentrate on improving for next year.

On Saturday, as always, show cars leave the field at 3:30 p.m. and drive into town for a car parade. In Waterbury, a larger town than Stowe, busier with more traffic, cars paraded by the 1875 railroad station, one at a time. Waterbury's Main Street is busy Route 20, too vital to be closed to traffic as Stowe's was. In Stowe, after the parade, dozens of antique cars parked on Main Street on both sides, backed into the curb at an angle, giving the town the look of an earlier era. Townspeople showed more interest in Stowe, coming out in droves to line the streets and roam among the cars. That may improve as Waterbury becomes more aware of the show in the future.

Street dancing Saturday night has long been a feature of the VAE show. A disc jockey played '50s rock and roll and dancing townspeople of all ages filled the street in Stowe until after sunset. When the music was struck up in Waterbury, no one came out to dance during the half hour before I left. What happened after that I have no way of knowing.

Summing up, the car show, corral and flea markets are already well organized and felt right at home. The in-town activities Saturday night were a bit disappointing. Waterbury lacks the small-town feel and intimacy of Stowe.

Happily, photography was no problem on the bright, sunny day. You can see the results at this link:

https://www.linwoodstreet.com/vermont18/

Kingston Days

August 5, 2018 — The week-long Kingston Days celebration in Kingston, New Hampshire always ends with a car show on its final day sponsored by the Olde Tyme Cruisin' Auto Club, and it's one of the best shows in New Hampshire. This year's show was held during a continuation of the hot, humid weather that's been entrenched since the first of August, but that didn't seem to bother anyone. The section of the Kingston Plains occupied by carnival rides, food concessions and arts and crafts booths were all doing a booming business, and the live musical acts were drawing large crowds.

Over 70 car photos and a brief video of other activities and the doo-wop group known as The Bel Airs can be seen at this link:

https://www.linwoodstreet.com/kingston18/

"The Drowsy Chaperone"

August 2, 2018 — The Peterborough Players in Peterborough, New Hampshire, is not generally known for big, dazzling musical extraganzas. Drama, comedy, the best of Coward, Shaw, Moliere and occasionally Shakespeare, in some of the finest productions in the Northeast, yes. But with "The Drowsy Chaperone" they've come up with a winner in the music and dance genre.

Directed by Players artistic director Gus Kaikkonen with choreography by Kirby Ward, music direction by Thomas R. Martin, scenery by Charles Morgan and costumes by Betsy Rugg-Hinds, this production rivals the best you'll see in Boston or New York.

The amazingly energetic Kraig Swartz, who seems to be in just about every Players production this season, is the "Man in the Chair." Seated at one end of the stage beside a phonograph with several vinyl LP albums, lamenting the decline of big Broadway musicals which he adored, he places "The Drowsy Chaperone" album his mother gave him on the turntable and proceeds to play it as the cast acts it out on-stage. He continues to control the action throughout, critiquing it as it goes along with his amusing commentary.

Several Players regulars surprised me with their singing and dancing talent in roles the likes of which I've never seen them in. Others, like Jack Koenig, a fine dramatic actor, as Feldzieg, reminded me of another actor with virtually no singing and dancing experience, Robert Preston, in the 1962 movie, "The Music Man," who is remembered as a great song and dance star when he did little more than talk to the rhythm of the music and mastered a few fundamental dance steps.

Kathy Manfre as Mrs. Tottendale and Will Champion as Underling, her butler, start the action rolling. Robert Martin (Joe Bigelow) is engaged to be married. His betrothed, Janet Van de Graaf, is played by Elyse Collier who is also one of the dance captains, along with Emily Grace Tucker who appears in the dance ensemble. Collier is the most polished song and dance performer in the cast. Tom Frey is a scene-stealer as Aldolpho, the vainglorious lothario. Bridget Bairne, a versatile actress with a talent for accents, is the boozy Drowsy Chaperone. Kirby Ward as George is a superb tap dancer. Rebecca Brinkley, seen for the third time this season, is at her winsome, sexy best as Kitty. Ryan Alexander Jacobs and Troyer Coultas are gangsters posing as pastry chefs. Mikaela Edelman is Trix the Aviatrix, not seen much, but she has a pivotal role at the end. Sean Casey-Flanagan has a brief role as the building superintendent.

High energy, lots of laughs, Broadway-class song and dance numbers make this one of the best shows of the summer season. "The Drowsy Chaperone" with music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison and book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar opened on Broadway in 2006 and was nominated for thirteen Tony Awards and won five.