:"Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol" at Stage West

STAGE WEST THEATRE

Most of us have read or seen various versions of Charles Dickens famous story,  " A Christmas Carol".  In it, we learned about Ebeneezer Scrooge and how he was redeemed to have Christmas live in his heart all year long.  But have you ever wondered how Jacob Marley, who was a major part of Scrooge's story came to be called upon to help save Scrooge?

A Christmas Carol

Charles Dickens

Well, the new play written by Tom Mula tells the story of Marley and how he was able to make that transformation for himself and for Scrooge.  The play, "Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol", is currently at Stage West in Fort Worth.

Tom Mula
playwright

What is interesting about this play is that all the parts are played by one actor.  In this case the actor was a woman, Emily Scott Banks, playing various male roles.  She did the majority of these different people though small props, different voices and occasionally using different bits of wardrobe for a particular character.  Ms. Banks was amazing.  She was excellent, moving around the stage, keeping all the characters separate while telling the story of Marley.

Emily Scott Banks
actor

This play is in the smaller studio theater at Stage West and works well there as it is an intimate story.  

If you have a case of the humbugs, then go see this cute short play and it will put you in the Christmas spirit - like Scrooge and Marley!



Stage West

as Tiny Tim would say,  "God Bless Us Every One!"

"The Book of Mormon" at Bass Hall

THE BOOK OF MORMON

Dear Readers, The Travelling Toe must admit that she recently attended a Sunday afternoon performance at Bass Hall of "The Book of Mormon".  But The Travelling Toe did take precautions by attending a church meeting before going to the play.  A little prayer always helps any situation.

Bass Hall

Bass Hall - Performing Arts of Fort Worth


Most of you will probably know the main story of this musical.  It centers on 2 young Mormon Elders, who have just finished missionary school and are ready for their first assignment.  Elder Price (Billy Harrigan Tighe) is anxious to be placed in Orlando as he sees himself as a version of Donny Osmand.  But alas he is partnered with Elder Cunningham and they are assigned to a Ugandan village.  There the two discover that the villagers have many problems, including poverty, AIDS, and a very mean war lord, called General Butt Naked.  And ever though he wears an eye patch, he still wears sun glasses for a menacing glare.  Price tries to convert the Villagers but decides he can't take it there any longer and leaves.  The Villagers come looking for him and find Cunningham instead.  Well come to find out, Cunningham had never read The Book of Mormon so he had to wing it using "Star Trek" and "Star Wars" characters to help tell the story of the early Mormon's.  Who would have thought that Darth Vader was part of that story line????   

It was with trepidation that The Travelling Toe and Dear Friend attended the performance and had made a pinky swear that if it got too rough then we would high tale it out at intermission. But we did stay for the entire play. Yes, it is a tad rough with the F word being used a lot and other mature themes woven into the story as well.  But the acting, singing and tap dancing was exceptional.  It had the feel of the old 40's musical in a way.

This show was created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone of "South Park" fame and  Robert Lopez,who was part of "Avenue Q' and "Frozen".  "The Book of Mormon" is way far away from "Frozen" as you can get!  The musical had it's Broadway premier in March, 2011 and subsequently won 9 Tony awards.

"Simple Elegance" at FUMC - Hurst

SIMPLE ELEGANCE
program and ticket

Recently The Travelling Toe and several friends attended the annual event of "Simple Elegance" held at the First United Methodist Church - Hurst, Texas.  This event is always scheduled the Monday evening following Thanksgiving.  It showcases tables decorated by members and their friends.  This year there were about 40 tables.  Each table is decorated differently as to how the table hostess desires.  The hostess is responsible for decorating the table, providing a dessert for the 7 guests sitting at her assigned table along with any other tidbits as wanted.  Each ticket costs $10.00 and the funds raised are donated to a different charity.  This year the proceeds benefited the 6:19 Young Adults ministry which serves the rapidly growing 18-25 year age group.  The funds will assist them with their community outreach programs and with attending a conference of other groups within the same age bracket

Due to the number of tables decorated, not all 40 tables are showcased here but only just a few to give you, Dear Readers, an overview of the variety of themes and ideas.  Hope you enjoy seeing these tables as much as we all did!

FROZEN

GOLD THEME

THE FAMOUS "LEG LAMP"
WITH RADIO
and the hostess wore a oink bunny suit
sorry I didn't get a picture of her

SNOWMEN

STAR WARS 

SILVER TRAIN

OUR HOSTESS TABLE

OUR HOSTESS - SUSAN

After dessert, a short devotional was given and a soloist sang seasonal songs.  To end the program we joined our voices in singing "Silent Night".  A lovely way to begin the Christmas Season!

FUMC-HURST

"Suffragette" (movie critique)

SUFFRAGETTE
movie poster

A friend drove The Travelling Toe to that art movie theater east of Fort Worth...OK Dallas, to see the amazing movie "Suffragette"

The movie is of course about the suffragette movement that took place in England just prior to WWI.  The movie is based on actual events but the central figure, Maud Watts was a factional character.  Maude was played by the astonishing Carey Mulligan. She certainly deserves a Oscar nomination for her performance.

Carey Mulligan
Maud Watts
(fictional character) 

Maude is a young wife and mother who works in deplorable conditions as a laundress. She lives a hard life but cares deeply for her young son.  Accidentally, Maude is drawn almost unwillingly into the suffragette movement by a friend and co-worker.  She tries to resist being part of the group but the inequality overwhelms her and she becomes active in the cause.  She is arrested and when released, her husband prevents her from seeing her son.  As a woman she has no rights to her own child.  Eventually the husband has the young boy adopted by another couple and Maude can not stop it as at that time in history, children belonged only to the father.  As the women continue to protest and demonstrate, the police try to shut it down. The British government pressures the press not to print stories about the suffragettes.  

Meryl Streep
Emmeline Pankhurst
(real person)

Helena Bonham Carter
Edith Ellyn
(fictional character)

There are a couple of pretty tough scenes in the movie, one when the women are viciously beaten by police, in jail they are force feed, and attacked even by their own husbands. The women decide to make one big statement at the Epson Derby which  King George V will be attending.  Due to various events only 2 women make it to the race, Maude and a young lady named Emily Davidson.  Emily turns to Maude and makes a small statement and then steps onto the track and is trampled to death. (and yes that is a real event)

Emily on the Epsom race track
(actual picture)

This movie really touched the Travelling Toe's heart in so many ways.  Yes women can now vote but we are still not equal in so many ways.  But The Travelling Toe will not jump on the soap box as this is just a movie critique.  But will state that we as modern women owe so much to these brave fearless women of the suffragette movement.


There are several internet sites about the Suffragette Movement, here are just a couple of them: 


Suffragette Movement (Mrs Pankhurst)

Suffragette Movement

"Victor Frankenstein" (movie critique)

VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN
movie poster

The Travelling Toe and a friend decided to see the new film about Frankenstein and his monster a the local Movie Tavern.  The Frankenstein story has been told many times over and over throughout the years, but this movie takes a different tactic and is told from Igor's perspective.

As the movie started we find that Igor is a circus freak due to large hump on his back that causes other deformities.  Victor sees him and immediately knows what his true health issue really is - a huge cyst that just needs to be drained.  Victor takes Igor back to his house and treats his medical conditions and gives him a new life of luxury and friendship that Igor had never known.

Igor has total loyalty to Victor and assists him with his many primitive experiments of human replication.  Victor tells Igor that his ultimate goal is to make life out of death. However, as the story has always told, their experiments get them in trouble with many people. They each take it on a lam but eventually meet up at a desolate castle in order to bring the latest incarnation of a piece-part human to life.  The scene where lighting is used to jump start the monster was nicely done.  But alas, some medical experiments are ahead of their time and are not to be....well, ever!!!

James McAvoy
Victor Frankenstein

Daniel Radcliffe
Igor

Andrew Scott
Roderick Turpin

Just one more quick note, Andrew Scott, plays Detective Roderick Turpin who is after Frankenstein.  He is tenuous in his pursuit of the 2 men.  Andrew seems to be popping up in various movies lately and always brings his A-game to the project, as he did here. 

This is a good movie in that the stage setting was spot on for later 1800's London and the costumes reflected that time period.  It seemed to filmed in a almost hazy overtone that just added more intrigue to the story.

Daniel Radcliffe played Igor and he did a very good job of contorting his body for the hump back (without the use of a wizard's wand too!).  James McAvoy stared as Victor and was good as the manic scientist.

The Travelling Toe gives this movie a left middle toe up with lighting rod so that the 2nd left toe will not be regenerated as it was lost to hazardous waste 2 years ago.



Disclaimer:  The Travelling Toe is not a professional critic and any opinions expressed are for entertainment purposes only.

"Spectre" (movie critique)

SPECTRE
movie poster

The name is Bond....James Bond.   What we Friday Movie Mavens care about is Craig....Daniel Craig.  That man looks so fine in a suit, a tux, a swim suit or under a sheet...oh sigh!!!

Daniel Craig
James Bond
007

Christoph Waltz
Oberhauser
bad guy

The newest James Bond film starts a bit after the last one "Skyfall".  Bond, travels to Mexico City to finish the job left undone.  He takes out Marco Sciarra (the bad guy from Skyfall) and snatches his ring.  It has a symbol emblazoned on it, an octopus.  When James returns to London, his boss M (Ralph Fiennes) suspends him. There is intrigue afoot at MI 5 as M is struggling with C to prevent the merger of MI 5 and MI 6 along with a global surveillance company made up of 9 member entities, which will be called Nine Eyes.  Further C decides that the 00 program is obsolete and closes it. (will 007 apply for unemployment benefits?)

Ralph Fiennes
M

Meanwhile 007 goes to Rome to attend the funeral of Sciarra and finds out from his widow, that he was a member of a secret organization called Spectre.  Bond infiltrates a meeting of Spectre but the leader, Franz Oberhauser, calls him out by name.  Bond makes a run for it and is pursued by one of Spectre's henchmen.  From Rome, 007 travels to Austria to try to find an informant from Quantum.  When Bond finds White, he is dying of thallium poisoning and tells 007 that Quantum is a part of Spectre.  Additionally the previous 3 bad dudes who pursued Bond were part of the Spectre organization.  White requests that 007 protect his daughter Dr. Madeline Swann.  After White dies, Swann and Bond travel to Morocco and there find information about Oberhauser's facility in the desert.  The two of them take a train to the nearest coordinates they found in White's hidey-hole.  They are captured and taken to Oberhauser.  He then tells them the real truth about Spectre and the Nine Eyes program.  By creating terrorist attacks all around the world, he has made his program indispensable to countries for protection and then from that type of control he will be able to spy on anyone and everyone.  A sinister plot indeed.  Come to found out that Oberhauser, goes by the name Ernst Blofeld because as a young man he killed his father and pretended to kill himself.  There is a sorted reason why that includes James. Eventually Swann and Bond escape and on their way out of town destroy the facility. Kaboom!

Lea Seydoux
Madeleine Swann

The pair made it back to London.  Bonds finds M, Q and Moneypenny and explains the big picture.  They decide to arrest C and prevent Nine Eyes from going online.

Ben Whishaw
Q

Naomie Harris
Moneypenny

Andrew Scott
C
bad dude

Well, Dear Readers, do the merry band of spies save the world and take down Spectre?. Sorry to say The Travelling Toe will not reveal all.  But after all this is a James Bond movie!

Christoph Waltz made a wonderful bad guy - as he has done before.  The Travelling Toe is of the opinion that the "designated" bad guy of the Bond movie is what makes this franchise so entertaining.  The bad guy does not always win but they provide a lot of moxie for the picture!



Side Note:  Just be aware this movie is 148 minutes long so once again plan your liquid consumption accordingly


The Travelling Toe gives this movie 1 big toe up and 1 middle toe up with a Walther PPK for protection.

Disclaimer:  The Travelling Toe is not a professional critic and any opinions expressed are for entertainment purposes only.

"The Last Witch Hunter" (movie critique)

THE LAST WITCH HUNTER
movie poster

Yes, The Travelling Toe must admit that she and a Dear Friend did go see "The Last Witch Hunt" at the local Movie Tavern.  Well, honestly this movie will not win any major awards...am sure it will not even be incontinence, but we both thought it was well  worth the price of the ticket.

A very brief overview of the movie plot follows.

Kaulder, played by Vin Diesel, in a fight with the Queen Witch, is made immortal and becomes a witch hunter.  This event takes place around the Middle Ages. So then here we are about 800 years later and he is still hunting witches.  Personally, we were somewhat surprised there were still so many evil witches around in modern times, but apparently  there are!  Kaulder works for an organization called "The Axe and Cross" and is accompanied by a priest, who records his witch killing adventures and is called a Dolan.  Michael Caine, plays the current Dolan, the 36th and has decided retire. The new Dolan, number 37, who is chosen to follow Kaulder is, played Elijah Woods. 

Side Note:  No Hobbits were harmed in the making of this movie.  

As the story progresses, the evil Queen Witch is actually not dead and plans to unleash a deadly plague that will wipe out humanity.  Kaulder, with the help of Chole (Rose Leslie) who runs a witch bar, helps him to begin the hunt for the Queen.  Along the way there are many twists and turns to the story, so The Travelling Toe will just skip to the end.  Dolan 37 is not a good priest. The Queen is found and destroyed but it costs Kaulder his immortality. At the end, 
Dolan 36  and  Chole decide to join with  Kaulder to continue the fight as witch hunters. One last bread trail, as long as the Queen's heart is beating, Kaulder has immortality and as the movie ends, a faint heart beat is heard!  So...does he or does he not?????  Inquiring minds want to know!!!

Vin Diesel
Kaulder
Witch Hunter

Elijah Wood
Dolan #37

Michael Caine
Dolan #36

Rose Leslie
Chole

Julie Engelbrecht
Queen Witch

The Travelling Toe gives this movie 2 middle toes up with a fire retardant jumpsuit just in case the Queen Witch resurfaces and starts looking for her heart!



Disclaimer:  The Travelling Toe is not a professional critic and any opinions expressed are for entertainment purposes only!

"Bridge of Spies" (movie critique)

BRIDGE OF SPIES
movie poster

Dear Readers, The Travelling Toe must apologize that she is far behind on movie updates because she was ill during most of November.  Therefore, this movie overview will be brief.

"Bridge of Spies' stars Tom Hanks and was directed by Steven Spielberg and is based on actual facts.

Steven Spielberg

Tom Hanks
James B Donovan

The story begins in 1957.  It concerns the actions of James Donovan, (Tom Hanks) an insurance settlement attorney, who is asked to represent a Soviet spy, Rudolph Abel, played by Mark Rylance.  He was captured by the CIA.  As the story unfolds, what is actually at the heart of the case is for Donovan to work out a "deal" with the Soviets for the American U-2 pilot shot down and captured, Gary Francis Powers. Additionally, as the East Berlin wall was being constructed a young American student, Frederic Pryor,  was detained by the Stasi as a spy. When Donovan found out about the young student he decided that both men would have to be exchanged for Abel.  There were many hurdles to the exchange process as the East Germans held Pryor and the Russians had Powers.  After many negotiation meetings and even some red herrings along the way, the parties ultimately finalized the exchange.  The Russians and Americans met on the Glienicke Bridge that separates East Germany from West Berlin.  Powers and Able each walked across the bridge passing each as they went to their respective fates. Additionally, the East Germans finally released  Pryor at Checkpoint Charlie, only because Donovan insisted that he would only make the deal for Abel when both men were released.

Mark Rylance
Rudolph Abel

Austin Stowell
Gary Francis Powers

Amy Ryan
Mary Donovan

There is so much more to this story than this brief narrative.  Such as the story of Pryor and his German girlfriend, Donovan's struggle with representing Able and their budding friendship, Powers being a prisoner of the Soviets and all the while with the CIA pulling the strings in the background.

Whether you like Spielberg or not, one thing he always does right is the details in his movies. The "vintage" cars of the 50's, the duck-and-cover drills in schools, the costumes and hairstyles were so 50's.  With the Cold War at it's height, it set the somber tone of the story.The one tiny negative comment is that it began to drag a tad towards the end of the film. Also this movie is 141 minutes long so plan your liquid consumption accordingly.

Tom Hanks did an excellent job in his role, as did several of the supporting cast.  Could Tom receive an Oscar nod for this role....one will find out next year!

The Travelling Toe gives this movie 1 big toe and 1 2nd toe up with a Swanson's TV dinner on the side.  (if you see the movie then you will understand that reference).

Disclaimer:  The Travelling Toe is not a professional critic and any opinions expressed are for entertainment purposes only.