Yummy lunch at the Vietnam Restaurant on 11th Street in Philadelphia. Only $9.95. Food here is always fresh and delicious. Nice big menu too.
Pay phones have almost gone the way of the dinosaur but not at the Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia. In case you’re curious, it’s 50 cents to make a call.
Barefoot in the Park Sparkles with Stage Left
October 21, 2010
Yesterday night I decided to venture over to the Woodbury Sketch Club Players to see Stage Left Productions’ version of Barefoot in the Park. Stage Left has partnered with the SCP and this is Stage Left’s first production of the partnership. Since some of the members where in Jesus Christ Superstar, I thought it would be a good idea to support the group with its new endeavors. It turned out to be a great idea.
Director Ed Santiago has created a gem of a production, drawing out truly amazing performances from all of the cast. Laurie Halloran is perky enough as Corie, capturing the good girl of the ’60s who wants the to live free and wild but isn’t really sure how to go about it without driving her new husband crazy. Elaine Fydrych is perfect as the befuddled mother who gets caught in the middle of her daughter’s “wild” night out. Endearing and very funny, her performance is reminiscent of those like Maureen Stapleton in Bye, Bye, Birdie. Read the rest of this entry »
Jesus Christ Superstar at SCP in Woodbury
October 17, 2010
Jesus and the Apostles (I'm on the far right)
Well we have just finished our run of Jesus Christ Superstar at the Sketch Club Players in Woodbury, NJ. Yes, I should have blogged about it before it was over but I was busy and tired and lazy and blah, blah, blah. Anyway, I’m blogging about it now. It was was a great show and a great run. And yes, everyone ALWAYS says that the current show they’re doing is the best ever but this really was at the top of the heap. We had a super talented cast and great direction. The acting, the music, and the dancing came together so magically. We had a standing ovation the first night. Now that’s saying something.
My BFF Amy and Me
To top it all off, I got to work for the first time in a show with my friend Amy. That was the icing on the cake. In addition, a lot of the cast I had worked with in previous shows and it was great to see them again. I also made some new friends along the way. Everyone was so nice to me. I had lots of fears because I am not a singer or dance. After a lot of effort and patience and help, I was able to strut my stuff on stage without looking like a thrashing fish out of water. And I had three lines that I sang all by myself and I was even able to hit the notes. So there. Maybe I can sing and dance. A little. In local theater. With tons and tons of practice. And a loving and patient cast.
I’d like to share some pictures from the show. Of course, I’ve only picked out ones with me in them. I’m the old guy with the gray beard, hat, glasses, and white shirt with brown print. Read the rest of this entry »
A Trip to Philadelphia
September 25, 2010
Since I live so close to Philadelphia, I visit it quite often. It’s a wonderful city, full of live and vitality and all kinds of great things like amazing restaurants, museums, history, cool parks, and a city vibe that just can’t be beat. So when Linda and I had free museum tickets, I decided to give my new Droid phone’s camera a go. And I think it delivered quite well.
I didn’t take pictures of lunch but I managed a couple of pictures inside the Academy of Fine Arts before they told me that I was not allowed to take any pictures. It’s a gorgeous building and quite historic in itself. In fact, Linda felt the building was its own piece of art.
After we walked the museum, we decided to stroll around the city. I love the city and there’s always something going on. I took pictures of city hall, statues, churches, store fronts, and lots more. Someone was having wedding pictures take on Broad Street and I snapped a whole bunch of pictures of that. We came across a Blocktober Fest and everyone looked like they were having fun. Rittenhouse square was hopping with people and we ended up in a gourmet food shop, DiBruno Brothers, where we bought some NJ Cherry Grove Farms Maidenhead cheese that had been soaked in Flying Fish Beer. I am sharing some pictures here but if you wanna see all the pictures, visit my Facebook photo gallery. Read the rest of this entry »
I’m A Bad, Bad Blogger
September 17, 2010
It’s been quite some time since I posted anything to this blog. I think I need to make some decisions. Should I let this blog slip away into the vast wasteland of abandoned and forgotten blogs? Can I stand to see my work fall into that deep crevice of electronic has-beens and never-weres?
Actually, my blog gets between 75 – 100 hits a day even when I post nothing. Technically, that means it wouldn’t just disappear. It would simply be no longer fresh or current. Blah.
I have been terribly busy with two shows. I’m doing a murder mystery dinner theater at the Eagle Theater in Hammonton this Sat, September 18. Plus I am in rehearsals for Jesus Christ Superstar at the Woodbury Sketch Club which opens the first week of October. And that’s me at work sporting my beard especially grown just for Superstar. (Note: It’s 9/18 and we’ve sold out the dinner theater. Woo Hoo!)
Maybe I should wait until these shows are over before I decide to put the final nail in the coffin. Who knows? Maybe I’ll get bitten by that writing bug again.
It Sucks Getting Old
July 29, 2010
On my way home from work today, my mother told me that her friend, Rita, was in the hospital. (Yes, I talk to my mom during my drive home from work every day and yes, I use a bluetooth so it’s all hands free.) Anyway, she was pretty upset because Rita has been her buddy ever since my stepdad, Al, passed away. They go to the senior center where all the old guys hoot and holler at them. (That’s because they’re the hotties of the geriatric group.) The go to the casinos. They go shopping. They have dinner together. And now that is all in jeopardy.
My mom having a cocktail on Mother's Day
My mother is not sure but Rita is probably in her late 70′s early 80′s, although she looks much younger. Unfortunately, the rest of her knows how old she really is. And today, her heart was beating too fast and they took her to the hospital. The doctors say she has a very weak heart. My mother has her own aches and pain, but at least her heart is strong. She’s 73.
My mom has had her share of watching friends pass away. Al was almost 20 years older than her. They retired to Florida in 1979 and lived there for over 26 years. Most of their friends were closer to Al’s age – couples who they went out with, a group of guys who played the band at the local watering hole on the beach, and the couples from the “lodge”. One by one, they all passed away. One of their friends died right on their front law. He fell over, turned blue and despite his wife’s efforts to resuscitate him, he died – just a few steps from my mom. Read the rest of this entry »
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