Review of Curtains

This review was published in the Ft. Collins Coloradoan on 10/29/09:

"Curtains" a delightful comedy about theatre
By Tom Jones for the Coloradoan

The new musical production "Robbin' Hood of the Old West" is in trouble.

The show has a lot going for it, including a youthful and talented cast; it is previewing in Boston, prior to moving to New York. However, the leading lady is so dreadful that there is a sense of relief when she is murdered during her curtain call. This leaves at least two options: cancel the show or replace the leading lady.

This all takes place in the first few minutes of the delightful musical comedy "Curtains," produced by Up in Lights Productions at Loveland's Rialto Theater.

While the show's cast and crew try to come to terms with what has happened, in walks police officer Frank Cioffi from the Boston Police Force. Determined to find the murderer, Cioffi announces that none of the cast or crew is to leave the theater until he solves the crime. Turns out, Cioffi is not only a respected police officer but also a thwarted thespian who spends his vacations appearing in regional theater.

And the fun begins. Cioffi is not only interested in finding the guilty murderer, but also in seeing that the show itself be improved and continue on its road to Broadway. Jordan Roberts, as Cioffi, is a real find. He has great stage presence, an excellent singing and speaking voice and super comic timing, and he puts the audience completely at ease to sit back and enjoy the antics while he is in charge.

While Officer Cioffi hilariously follows leads to solve the crime, several sub-plots surface, including the desire of an imposing stage mother to find fame for her daughter, the rekindled romance of the show's recently divorced composer and lyricist interrupted by the lead dancer's love for the lyricist, backstage fighting over who should take over the leading role and the basic concern for the show's survival.

Music and lyrics for "Curtains" are provided by John Kander and Fred Ebb, with additional lyrics by Rupert Holmes. Kander and Ebb are among musical theater's most respected composers, providing the world with such shows as "Cabaret," "Chicago," "Zorba" and "Kiss of the Spider Woman." While "Curtains" doesn't have the memorable songs to match Kander and Ebb's earlier work, it is a charmer, from beginning murder to concluding bows.

The show also looks terrific; the sets and costumes are very good and the staging is clever. The show is under the direction of Britni Girard, who wows the audience with her sensational choreography. Jalyn Webb is music director, with Jeremy Girard as orchestra director.

The large cast features several supporting players featured in standout performances. Steffan Scrogan is in excellent voice as the show's composer, Aaron Fox. He is particularly effective singing "I Miss the Music." Meanwhile his stage ex-wife, Georgia (played by Amanda Smith), steals the spotlight at the conclusion of the first act with the visually dazzling and musically fun number "Thataway." Paula Satchell is feisty as Carmen Bernstein, a stage mother and a producer reminding everyone in the show that "It's a Business." Lynzee Newton is very good as Bambi, the producer's daughter, whom everyone loves to hate, but who has been elected to serve as the union's rep. Breanna Kreager, as Cloffi's love interest, Niki Harris, is spotlighted late in the show with "Tough Act to Follow." Brinn McNally is fun as the self-absorbed, clueless director.

Special mention also must be made of Angela Johnson as Jessica Cranshaw, the no-talent star whose murder at the beginning of the show is the premise for the entire production. Johnson appears only briefly but is memorably funny as she unwittingly prepares to die.

"Curtains" is a loving look at the highs and lows in the world of musical theater. The bodies mount up, critics are skewered and the songs and dances keep coming. The accomplishments of the entire cast are substantial; especially rewarding are the talented singers who don't let orchestral problems interfere with their delivery. The combined efforts result in a standing ovation - and this time no one gets killed.

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THANK YOU, TOM!!!!!! 

SNOW!!!!!

In honor of our first really big snowfall of the year (and just in time for Halloween, of course!), here are some fun snow quotes that I have collected today:

"When it snows you have two choices:  shovel or make snow angels."

"Nature has no mercy at all.  Nature says 'I'm going to snow.  If you have on a bikini and no snow shoes, that's tough.  I'm going to snow anyway.'"
~Maya Angelou

"So come snow after fire, and even dragons have their ending."
~J.R.R. Tolkien

"Getting an inch of snow is like winning 10 cents in the lottery."
~Bill Watterson (Calvin & Hobbes)

"Snow and adolescence are the only problems that disappear if you ignore them long enough."
~Earl Wilson

"Cats are smarter than dogs.  You can't get eight cats to pull a sled through snow."
~Jeff Valdez

"A lot of people like snow.  I find it to be an unnecessary freezing of water."
~Carl Reiner

This is why I live in Colorado

So, last Saturday we had a major blizzard.  It was freaking cold all weekend long and into the week!  Not the case today!  I was out this morning running an errand and discovered that it was totally gorgeous outside.  When I got home I told Shauna that we should have gone hiking today.  Not a cloud in the sky and warming up fast!  We ended up driving up into Rocky Mountain National Park the back way (through Glen Haven) and up to Sprague Lake.  It's similar to Bear Lake (you can easily walk around it) but less crowded.  I actually like it better than Bear Lake.  We then came home through Estes Park.  Absolutely gorgeous day!!!  Here are some pictures that I took at Sprague Lake:

Have I mentioned recently how much I love Colorado?

Oh, for the love of...Marching Band!

I'm a bit dumbfounded.  I'm not sure what to think.  The world has turned inside up & downside out!  It's CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!

I guess I should back up a bit and give you some history.  My family's love affair with marching band began in the fall of 1992.  I was a freshman in high school.  We had someone (or more) in the marching band every fall through the 2004 season (Neal's junior year.)  We knew everything there was to know about marching bands in Colorado during that time.  Since then, we've kept up a little.  We got to competitions every now and then.  We've known a few kids in the band over the years.  But what I saw today shocked me.  I looked at the rankings going into the State competition, which takes place a week from tomorrow.

What happened to the power house schools?  For years, there were a handful of schools that were always at the top.  They were dynasties!  They were the most feared bands in Colorado!  Some were hated (because they weren't nice), others loved (or at least tolerated.)  Now I look at the list, and I don't even recognize many of the schools.  I see schools that used to make finals every year with scores well below 50 (out of a possible 100).  I see my beloved alma mater as the highest-scoring band in the state, regardless of class.  (Sorry, I just had to throw that fact out there.  Go Loveland!)  The former marching giant, who shall remain nameless (but if you know Colorado bands, you know who I'm talking about) is in a different class than it used to be, is not in 1st place.  WHAT?!?!  What the heck is going on?  I am flabbergasted.  Gobsmacked. Stupified.  Dumbfounded.  WHAT MADNESS IS THIS?!

Here is why I think this is happening:

1. New Schools:  for years they weren't building new schools in the areas where the powerhouse marching schools were.  Now there are all kinds of new schools popping up, and it's breaking up the huge bands.
2. New Directors: most of the directors that were around when I was in school have retired.  Even the ones that were there when my siblings were in school are gone.  Some directors have maintained the tradition of excellence.  Some have not, for whatever reason.  It's hard to tell.  I don't have many connections to the bands anymore.
3. New Students:  Obviously, you can't be in your high school band more than a couple of years.  Well, I guess you could, but who would want to stay in high school that long?  Is the mentality of the marching geek so different from 10 years ago?  Maybe it is.  Who knows?  We were crazy back then.  Ask my sister about the "Late Bus Home" as motivation and how they practiced in a blizzard even when the director said they could stay inside that day.
   

We devoted everything to marching band.  We scheduled our Fall around it.  I gave up a role in the Fall play for it.  (Which seems kind of silly now considering that I do theatre way more than I play my flute, but at the time, marching band was KING!)  When my brother announced that he would not be marching his senior year (he'd done his four years...started as an 8th grader.  And there were some extenuating circumstances that I really don't need to discuss in this forum.), we didn't know what we were going to do.  How would we be spending our weekends in October?  We've survived, obviously...and our bank accounts are a little fuller this time of year.  But, that was quite the culture shock when it was all over. 

So when we look at the scores and rankings (and the bands...my dad & sister did attend Northern Regionals last Wednesday), we are amazed at the changes.  What a difference 5 years makes.  The times, they are a-changing!  It's nice to know, however, that things in Loveland are just about the same as they ever were.  3 high school bands, 3 very different philosophies.  I'll just leave it at that.

The (Mis)Adventures of Balloon Boy

You've probably heard by now about the little boy that presumably went for a joy ride in his family's homemade weather balloon today.  You've probably also heard that the balloon took off from Ft. Collins, Colorado.  This is literally 10 miles away from me. 

I'm going on record as saying that I totally called Balloon Boy's whereabouts when the balloon landed and they couldn't find him.  He was hiding in the attic of his garage, because he was afraid his dad would be mad.  CALLED IT!!!!!!

I'm am pleased to announce that we have just upped the Crazy Factor in Northern Colorado.  Thank you, Balloon Boy & Family!

How to Pronounce the Names of the Colorado Rockies

This is for the commentators on TBS.

A Novice's Guide to Pronouncing the Names of the Colorado Rockies Players (postseason roster):

Pitchers:
Beimel:  BYE-mel
Belisle: buh-LYE-ul
Betancourt: BET-un-court
Contreras:  con-TRER-us
Cook:  COOK
Daley:  DAY-lee
Hammel: HAM-el
Ubaldo Jimenez: oo-BAL-doe hee-MEN-ez
Marquis: mar-KEY
Morales:  mor-AL-ess
Street: STREET

Catchers:
Iannetta:  eye-an-ET-uh
Yorvit Torrealba:  YORE-vee tore-ee-AL-buh

Infielders:
Atkins: AT-kins
Barmes:  BAR-mess
Giambi:  gee-AHM-bee
Helton:  HELL-in  (not HELL-ton...we don't pronounce interior Ts here in Colorado.)
Stewart: STEW-ert
Tulowitzki:  too-low-WIT-ski  (AKA "Tulo")

Outfielders:
Fowler:  FOW-ler
Gonzalez: gun-ZAH-less
Hawpe:  HOP
Smith: SMITH  (AKA "Mr. Late Night")
Spilborghs:  SPILL-borgs (AKA "Spilly")
Young: YOUNG (FYI:  his dad is a Rockies LEGEND!!  1st at bat on opening day, first pitch, hit a home run!)

"Hope is Dead" - My Adventures as a Ghost!

Last week I played "Hope", the murdered soprano, in the Loveland Opera Theatre Gala Mystery on the High "C"s.  It was a ton of fun!  First I got to die onstage, then I spent the rest of the show with the narrator/detective, Chad Noir (younger brother of Guy Noir), trying to figure out who it was that killed me.  There were potential suspects in every opera scene that was performed.  At the end of the night, it was determined (with a vote from the audience) that I was killed by the 3 Violettas (We did 4 scenes from La Traviata, and there were 3 different singers who played Violetta.)  We decided that I must have been the 4th Violetta, and that's why they killed me.  (Other suspects were Mabel & the Major General from Pirates of Penzance, Norina & Don Pasquale from Don Pasquale, Azucena from Il Trovatore, the 2 Rosinas from The Barber of Seville, and Albert from Albert Herring.)  It was a fun night had by all, and we made a lot of money (which was the whole purpose of the Gala.)

Anyway, the reason I've been telling you this is because I got some fun pictures of my make-up.  I made myself up to look dead.  I didn't have any help, other than a few suggestions from others (more white on the face, more purple around the eyes.)  So this was the finished product: