A Year in 90 minutes, give or take

Last night I had the extreme good fortune to see a wonderful production at Theatre IV at the Shops at Willow Lawn called "A Year with Frog and Toad" Yes, I know I am 48, and this is a kid's show, but it was one of the best and most entertaining shows I've seen this year. It is certainly at the top of my list of all the "kid's shows" I've seen. From the very first moment that we hear the dulcet tones of the "birds" - dressed like flappers ( I just got that when I typed it) and their 20's zoot-suited companion until the bows, it's a joy! No one could have picked two finer actors than Robert Throckmorton and Chris Stewart to play "Frog" and "Toad" respectively. Their friendship is real and warm, and they compliment each other beautifully. The three actors that support them are amazing in their own moments to shine whether playing birds, snails, turtles, mice, squirrels or moles. Their dancing and singing is spot on, and I pretty much forgot I was watching a "kid's show". So many theaters make the mistake of playing "over-the-top" to kids which makes it unbearable for the adult who is accompanying the child. Not the case with "Frog and Toad" There were several children in the audience last night, and all seemed to be totally engrossed in the production. The music is great! (My 19 year old made a comment that she would like to have the soundtrack on her iPod) and the choreography is imaginative and fun. The set is not complicated but works perfectly for the production. I especially liked the turntable effect of the houses and the hole in the floor. One other thing that makes this show mesmerizing is the gorgeous lighting design by Joe Doran. There are moments that are absolutely breathtaking. I found myself Ooing and Ahing more than once at the visual created by the lights.
The house was small last night, very small, and I think that's a shame! This show is not to be missed, and it is well worth the ticket price. I know it's the holiday season and money is tight for everyone, but make a trip to this show a Christmas present to your family or even yourself. You'll be glad you did!

♪♫We've got that holiday feelin'♫♪

Today as I read a Facebook post from a friend sharing his own memory, it opened a flood gate of my own memories. He posted about listening to Christmas Albums (yes, you heard me correctly, ALBUMS, the vinyl kind that were played on turntables) while wrapping Christmas presents with his mom. He spoke about the "Firestone" albums. It instantly took me back to my Grandmother's living room and stacking the vinyl discs on the stereo to listen to as each one dropped at its appropriate time to provide hours of music. We had to be careful not to load the turntable to heavy or they would begin to drag with the weight and affect the sound and tempo. Over the years as vinyl records and stereo turntables have become obsolete, I have missed those songs on those albums. With all the digital technology we have, I have not been able to find several beloved songs from my childhood...until now. These records were artists' compilations, and they were produced by the tire companies Firestone and Goodyear and the huge chain of "dime stores" called Grants. I had forgotten that or filed it away in my memory banks until today when my friend sparked that memory, and I began to search. Two songs in particular I loved and wore out the grooves on the album as I played them over and over, one was a sweet ballad about a donkey who is sad because he is not beautiful and realizes he is special when he is chosen to carry Mary through Bethlehem. Ed Ames sang it, and I incorrectly thought it was called "I'm Not Beautiful" which may be the reason it has eluded my search all these years. The other was an upbeat tune by Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme called, "We've Got That Holiday Feelin'" in the style that only Steve and Eydie can deliver. Dork Alert! I even had this number choreographed with my imaginary partner so I would be ready when asked to do a television Christmas special. Today my search ended when I found the website, Christmas LP's on CD. I was like a kid in a candy store as I pulled up each album to check the discography for those two titles specifically, smiling ear to ear as I looked at those original album covers. I can't wait to order!! Now if I could just remember the dance routine to "We've Got That Holiday Feelin'" and find my Steve Lawrence, I'll have it made. Any takers?

An Open Letter to AG Cast and Crew

Dear Cast and Crew of Anything Goes,
Back in June when I accepted the job of directing this show, I had no idea what I was in for. I was scared and nervous and thrilled and excited all at the same time. When I showed up for auditions in September, I really felt like the proverbial fish out of water. Being an actor, I had never been on the other side of the table before. Casting was difficult. I went back and forth several times questioning my choices before typing up the FINAL list. I knew when that list was read that there would be elation for some and sadness for others. I wasn't really sure if I was comfortable with that kind of power, but I also knew that disappointment is par for the course when auditioning for a show.
First rehearsal: Butterflies and nervous stomach are the rule of the day. It was like being the new kid at school but coming in in the middle of the year. Everybody already knows everybody else, and you don't know anybody. The first rehearsal came and went, and nobody bit my head off. I left with the feeling that this directing thing might be okay, and as each rehearsal came and went, things got better and better, even with all of our non-stage drama, we survived, and the seeds that we started with bloomed into a beautiful garden.
I know I said it to you before, but I could not have been more pleased with all of you and the creative risks you took as actors and performers. The crew ran like a well oiled machine, and I never had to worry about anything behind the scenes. As a director I had a vision, and all of you helped me realize it. I will be forever grateful and in your debt that I was able to make a dream come true, and for 3 months in the Fall of 2011, I was a director.
One of you told me as things were winding down that I had to come back and visit. The response I gave was, "I'll be back! We're now connected for life." The words of the song really are true! "There's no people like show people!"
Love,
Miss Moore
P.S. I love my gifts, especially my cast photo! It will be proudly displayed in my theatre/movie themed living room and my flowers look gorgeous on my dining room table!

Goodbye, Farewell and Amen, Col. Potter!

This week the world lost a wonderful character actor. Harry Morgan passed away at his home in California at age 96. Harry Morgan played countless roles in film and television, but my all time favorite was his run as Col. Sherman T. Potter on M*A*S*H from 1975-1983. M*A*S*H ranks as one of my favorite TV shows right up there with The Golden Girls, The Andy Griffith Show,  and The Dick Van Dyke Show. What made all of these shows great was their wonderful ensemble casts. M*A*S*H faced a unique challenge, however, as their ensemble changed several times. Other shows who dealt with actors who played principle roles leaving the show rarely survived, but M*A*S*H seemed to thrive on it and beautifully evolve. Harry Morgan stepped into the cast as Col. Potter after a beloved character on the show, Col. Henry Blake got his discharge to go home, but there was a twist after the bittersweet sendoff. In one of the most shocking surprise endings in television history, Radar stumbles into the operating room without a mask to tell the surgeons that Henry's plane was shot down and crashed into the Sea of Japan with no survivors.

How do you follow that? The writing staff had a gift when it came to introducing new characters as others left. Granted, the setting of war helped as, realistically, people come and go all the time, but I think their strength was in the fact that they never tried to write the character who came in to be just like the one that left. They were always completely different. So was the case when actor, Harry Morgan, came onto the scene as the new commanding officer of the rag tag group of doctors and nurses. Morgan's character, Sherman Potter, was a 360 degree turn around from Henry Blake. He was regular army, something the camp wasn't used to, but by the end of the first episode, the viewer loves him just as much. One of my very favorite scenes involves all the staff giving the new Colonel welcome gifts. Radar, the beloved company clerk, who thought of Blake as a father, leads the last gift into the office. It's a horse. The look on Harry Morgan's face is one I never will forget. He is instantly moved, and thinking about it right now as I type, I am getting teary eyed. He had many moments like that as he stayed with the cast until the last episode aired in 1983. The following is a clip that I think is a particularly appropriate farewell. There will be no more long night. The long, long trail is over. Rest in Peace.

I'm seeing RED!

Yesterday, December 1, 2011, was a special day. There were no parties, or lavish dinners, although it was about an anniversary of sorts. 30 years ago in 1981, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention recognized a disease for the first time, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. You and I know it as AIDS. I remember back in 1991 watching a telecast of the Tonys and wondering why everyone was wearing a red ribbon on their tuxedo lapel or designer dress. It was the first time I had ever seen anything like that. Of course now, it is common place, and there are ribbons of every color of the rainbow for awareness of everything from domestic violence to breast cancer. I didn't know much about AIDS then, neither did anyone else. At first it was called the "Gay" disease because a large portion of the homosexual community were being diagnosed. It is not a "Gay" disease. Anyone can contract the virus, HIV, which causes AIDS. That fact is a common misconception about this disease. There are many things that people don't understand about it, and that is what yesterday was all about. December 1st was proclaimed World AIDS Day. It was about raising awareness, and getting information out that is correct, because, although the disease is deadly, there are so many things that can be done to prevent it. In doing a little research to write this post, I looked up celebrities who have or had AIDS. I was amazed at the number of people. The list went on and on, and most of them have passed away. We've made great strides, but we still have a long way to go in educating EVERYONE about this horrible disease. I commend organizations like the Fan Free Clinic here in Richmond for doing everything they can to raise awareness. Fight the fear and get educated. You can't ignore it by pretending it would never touch you or one you love. You'd be surprised. You may know someone right now who has it, but they're embarrassed to reveal it to anyone because of the ignorance that is still so rampant about AIDS and why people get it. I pray that one day there will be a cure, not just for the disease but the stigma that's attached to it.