"Kitchen Witches" presented by On Stage In Bedford

THE KITCHEN WITCHES
play program

The Travelling Toe and a Dear Friend attended the Sunday, 3:00 pm matinee performance  of "The Kitchen Witches" presented by On Stage in Bedford.  


On Stage Bedford


The play was written by Caroline Smith, a Canadian playwright.  

On Stage Bedford describes the synopsis of the play as follows:


Isobel Lomax and Dolly Biddle are two "mature" cable-access cooking show hostesses who have hated each other for 30 years, ever since Larry Biddle dated one and married the other. When circumstances put them together on a TV show called The Kitchen Witches, the insults are flung harder than the food! Dolly's long-suffering TV-producer son Stephen tries to keep them on track, but as long as Dolly's dressing room is one inch closer to the set than Isobel's, it's a losing battle, and the show becomes a rating smash as Dolly and Isobel top both Martha Stewart and Jerry Springer!


Set Designer Alex Krus did a fabulous setting up a "real" kitchen for the witches to work in. All the actors were very good in their roles. The two lead actresses played off each other very well.  Son and director Stephen only avoids a nervous breakdown by the narrowest margins replying on a huge bottle of Tylenol and nicotine patches to keep him going.  Stage manager Rob, never speaks but adds volumes with his body and facial expressions.

This was a fun, fun, afternoon at a local theater and we both thoroughly enjoyed the production and all the actors!!!!

Support Local Theater!!!


CAST

Stephen Biddle                                                  Andrew Christian

Rob                                                                    Adam Livingston

Dolly Biddle                                                       Lana K Hoover

Isobel Lomax                                                     Sherry Etzel

The Kitchen Witches
set
photo courtesy of
On Stage Bedford

"Mamma Mia!" presented by performing Arts Fort Worth

MAMMA MIA!
play program

Recently, the touring production of "Mamma Mia!" stopped at Bass Hall. The Travelling Toe and a Dear Friend boogied downtown to see it at the Sunday matinee.

Oh my gosh...this is such a fun musical.  If you are like The Travelling Toe and believe that disco has not died, then this production is for you. British playwright Catherine Johnson, wrote the musical based on the songs of ABBA, composed by band mates Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus.  It premiered at the Prince Edward Theatre in London's West End in April 1999.  A film adaptation, starring Meryl Streep, premiered in 2008.  

The Travelling Toe has seen "Mamma Mia!" several times and has always enjoyed it. The story line and music has not changed but it has been just a tad refreshed and is excellent.

The crux of the story is that Sophie lives on a Greek island with her mother, Donna, who runs a shabby chic taverna. Sophie does not know who her father is and just recently found her mother's secret diary. In it, Donna mentions affairs with 3 different men. Sophie has invited all 3 men to her wedding not telling Donna what she did.  All 3 arrive and through the songs, we learn more about them, Donna, and her friends Tanya and Rosie. The 3 woman made up a singing group called "Donna and the Dynamos".  When Donna sees Sam, Bill and Harry she questions why they are there for Sophie's wedding. So with all this drama going on will the wedding go on or not??

So Dear Readers, if you have seen the play or the movie you know how it ends, but for those not knowing, The Travelling Toe will not spoil it for you.  Go rent the movie...it's fun or better yet, go see the live play - it's even better!



                                            



songs featured

ACT 1

Honey, Honey

Money, Money, Money

Thank You For The Music

Mamma Mia

Chiquitita

Dancing Queen

Lay All Your Love On Me

Super Trooper

Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!

The Name Of The Game

Voulez-Vous


ACT 2

Under Attack

One Of Us

SOS

Does Your Mother Know

Knowing Me, Knowing You

Our Last Summer

Slipping Through My Fingers

The Winner Takes It All

Take A Chance On Me

I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do

I Have A Dream


ENCORE - don't miss it....too funny

Mamma Mia

Dancing Queen

Waterloo

ABBA

ABBA were a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1972 by members Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. Wikipedia

"The Nice Guys" (movie critique)

THE NICE GUYS
movie poster

The Friday Movie Mavens and The Travelling Toe decided to see "The Nice Guys" for our weekly movie outing.

"The Nice Guys" stars Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling. The movie is almost like a nod to the private detective film noir movies of the 50's.  However this movie is sent in 1977 Hollywood when drugs and disco were the kings of the scene. There are a couple of other types of double D's that are "revealed" in this movie as well.....(snicker, snicker) 

Holland March is a PI and not very good at it  Jackson Healy is an enforcer who is good with his brass knuckles.  They are each working on a case involving a girl named Amelia. When Jackson determines that Holland is tailing Amelia, Jackson finally corners him in the men's room. This is one funny scene with Holland on the potty and the door opening and closing with Holland trying to draw his gun and dropping his cigarette into his drawers!  This scene is part of the trailers but it really is funnier in the movie. They decide to work together especially when Amelia's mother, Judith Kutner, seeks their assistance in locating Amelia.  During their investigation, they stumble into an alleged suicide of a famous porno star and figure out how Amelia is connected to it.  As they continue to investigate, they discover how high the conspiracy really goes.  Also thrown into the mix is a
hit-man called John Boy - and you will know why when you see him  - and Holland's precocious teenage daughter, Holly.


CAST

Russell Crowe
Jackson Healy

Ryan Gosling
Holland March

Margaret Qualley
Amelia

Kim Bassinger
Judith Kutner

Matt Bomer
John Boy

Angourie Rice
Holly March

This movie was a fum romp but is rated R for language and adult situations. Embarrassing to say, we really liked.

Also in the movie was a brief appearance by Earth, Fire & Wind, singing their mega-hit "Do You Remember The 21st Night of September?"....ba-de-ya!!!!

You Tube - Do You Remember September


The Travelling Toe gives this movie 1 big toe up with a your own disco ball!

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

Midori Plays Tchaikovsky with the FWSO

Along with 2 Dear Friends, The Travelling Toe attended the Sunday matinee performance of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra. Miguel Harth-Bedoya, Music Director of the FWSO was at the podium to conduct the program.

Miguel Harth-Bedoya
Music Director, FWSO

The orchestra began the program by playing 3 selections from Aaron Copland's, "Rodeo". The selections were "Buckaroo Holiday", "Saturday Night Waltz" and "Hoe Down".   Mr. Copland composed the music for a ballet choreographed by Agnes de Mille who danced the lead when it premiered. The last song of this trio you might recognize,"Hoe Down", as it was used in the background for beef commercials with the tagline, "Beef - It's What's For Dinner"!

Aaron Copland
1900-1990

After a brief pause to re-set the stage, the guest soloist, Midori, took her place center stage. She had chosen to play Peter Tchaikovsky's "Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D Major". The Travelling Toe has seen Midori perform with the FWSO before and once again her presentation did not disappoint.  She was excellent and brought this piece of music to life!   She received a prolonged standing ovation. But alas, no encore.

Midori

After the 20 minute intermission, FWSO musicians returned for the second half of the program.  They began with Tchaikovsky's "Romeo and Juliet, Fantasy Overture". This is one of Tchaikovsky's more popular and treasured compositions. It tells the story in music form of the doomed love affair of Romeo and Juliet.

Peter Tchaikovsky
1840-1893

After the Tchaikovsky piece, the orchestra played 3 selections from "An American In Paris" by George Gershwin.  If you have ever seen the film of the same name, starring Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron, you will more than likely know the music.  Mr. Gershwin composed the work using jazz, the blues and other rhythmic impressions of Paris.  It even has the famous Paris taxi cabs honking in it!

George Gershwin
1898-1937

An American In Paris
movie poster

What a marvelous and exciting way to end the 2015-2016 season.  Each year the FWSO achieves even more than the previous year.  So, 2016-2017 should be exceptional!

FWSO

"Money Monster" (movie critique)

MONEY MONSTER
movie poster

Well, Dear Readers, this past week, The Travelling Toe and the Friday Movie Mavens, headed to the local multiplex to see the new flick, "Money Monster".  The movie stars George Clooney and Julia Roberts and was directed by Jodi Foster.  

Jodi Foster

The premise of the story centers on Lee Gates, (played George Clooney) who hosts a cable financial show where he advises viewers on stock picks, sells, and holds.  He shows a lot of flash and bang but does he really know what he is doing and how what he says truly affects people?  Helping him from the production booth is Patty Fenn (Julie Roberts).  As he begins his daily live show, a stock that Lee had  picked for large buys, tanked overnight by losing $800 million. The company, IBIS, announced that the large lose was due to a glitch in the trading algorithm. IBIS CEO Walt Camby was scheduled to appear on Lee's show but he went on a business trip to Geneva instead.  Standing in for him was Diane Lester IBIS chief communications officer.  But just before the interview was to start, a delivery man carrying 2 large boxes ambles on stage, and pulls a gun and takes Lee hostage.  The gunman, Kyle Budwell, makes Lee put on a vest loaded with explosives.  Patty tries to help Lee via his ear piece to calm Kyle down and find out what he wants. But what Kyle wants Lee can't deliver. Kyle wants answers to why the IBIS stock dropped the $800 million in one night.  He had lost all his money $60,000.00 in the stock plunge.  Lee certainly is out of his depth and struggles to make sense of the situation. The police are summoned, the building is evacuated.  Only Patty and a few cameramen stay behind.  The action is being played out live on air.

As Lee begins to ask more and more questions about the IBIS glitch, Patty and the team try to help as much as possible.  Diane is also trying to determine what happened and hits brick walls.  But she finally locates the programmer and he insists that the algorithm could not have caused the large drop in stock price but it had to have been caused by human innervation.

There is more to the story and Lee does try to save Kyle and to get some answers for him.

Well, Dear Readers, how does it end?  Does Kyle get his money, does the bomb go off, what has Walt Camby really been doing with that $800 million?  Well, The Travelling Toe will not provide any spoiler alerts for you. You will just have to see this fast paced movie yourself!

The movie is rated "R" for strong language. It runs for 98 minutes because the"live" show ran for a total of 90 minutes and the movie mirrors that taunt time line.



CAST:

George Clooney
Lee Gates

Julia Roberts
Patty Fenn

Jack O'Connell
Kyle Budwell

Caitriona Balfe
Diane Lester

Dominic West
Walt Camby

The Travelling Toe gives this movie 1 big toe up with a hand-held calculator so you can figure out if that the stock tip you received is really a buy, sell or hold! 

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

"The Barber of Seville" presented by the Fort Worth Opera

THE BARBER OF SEVILLE
photo courtesy of The Fort Worth Opera
Joo Won Kang - Figaro & Megan Marino - Rosina

The Travelling Toe and 3 Dear Friends attended the Sunday matinee performance of "The Barber of Seville" presented by The Fort Worth Opera at Bass Hall.

This is a "comic" opera with lots of laughs and wonderful singing!!!   :"Figaro" has proven to be of one the classics within the genre of the comic opera repertoire. It was composed by Gioachino Rossini and had it's premier in Rome in 1816.

Gioachino Rossini
1792-1868

The first act opens with a young man, Lindoro, serenading a young woman (Rosina) trying to persuade her to come out to the balcony.  Arriving upon this poignant scene is Figaro, the barber, who at this part of the opera, sings the famous song "Figaro".  Even if you are not an opera fan you would recognize this renowned song. Figaro recognizes the young Lindoro, who is really Count Almaviva. The two set up a scheme to have Lindoro disguise himself as a drunken solider who is ordered to be billeted with Bartolo, Rosina's guardian. This ruse will allow Lindoro access to the house and to Rosina, who must hide her feelings from Bartolo,as he has designs on marring her himself - for her dowry!  The first act ends with a wonderful slow-motion scene with everyone getting involved in the action including the local constabulary. 

This first act was long, about an hour and a half, so once again liquid consumption needed to be considered prior to the performance! So after the welcomed intermission, the opera continued with Act II.

Of course this act ties all the stories together and we find out who ends up with who.  Here is one opera that really does have a happy and fun ending.

The costumes, wigs and make-up,ensured that each character was appropriately attired to reflect the personality of that character.  Also the stage setting was inventive and beautiful letting us image that we were indeed in an Italian villa.  The director, David Gately, provided fun and extraordinarily cleaver staging of this comic opera.  

The principals all had excellent voices.  Extended standing ovations were awarded to the entire cast and of course for the very excellent Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra led by 
Joe Illick.


CAST (photos from internet)

Joo Won Kang
             Figaro

Count Almaviva/Lindoro
            Andrew Stenson

Rosina
            Megan Marino

Dr. Bartolo 
             Kyle Albertson

Don Basilio
            Tyler Simpson

What a wonderful afternoon at the Fort Worth Opera!

BASS HALL

Fort Worth Opera

Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra

"Captain America: Civil War" (movie critique)

CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR

Well, the Friday Movie Mavens and The Travelling Toe chose the new Marvel super hero movie for our movie selection this week.  And we were not disappointed.

The plot of this movie is rather hard to describe in just a few sentences.  So will try to give just a short overview of the action.

The story opens with the super heroes fighting bad dudes to keep them from stealing a biological weapon from a lab located in Lagos.  During the fight, the mad scientist, Brock Rumlow, blows himself up and when Wanda (Scarlet Witch) tries to displace the blast away from everyone, she ends up killing numerous humanitarian workers.

Due to all this chaos and destruction, the Avengers are told, by the US Secretary of State, they can no longer work without rules or supervision.  They will now be reporting to an international governing body from the UN, who will oversee them and decide if a situation requires intervention by the Avengers.  This news divides the team. Tony Stark (Iron Man) supports the oversight committee but Captain America (Chris Evans) does not see the need for them to be answering to multi-national committee. The agreement is to be ratified at a conference in Vienna.

Hydra (boo - hiss) has dispatched Bucky Barnes (the Winter Solider from the Captain American movie series) to attack the conference in Vienna.  Also in the mix causing mayhem is Colonel Helmut Zemo,who has his own addenda.  

As the fighting escalates, it is one set of Avengers against another.....so who really are the good guys in this fight?????

Standing with Capital American is Ant man, Scarlett Witch, Hawkeye and Falcon.

On team Iron Man is Black Widow, Vision, Black Panther, War Machine, and a very young Spider-Man.

As the teams clash among themselves can there really be a winner?  Will friendships forged in battle be broken?

Well, Dear Readers you will just have to see this movie yourself to figure it all out.  Since this is the 13th Marvel super hero movie, some plot lines are carried over from previous movies and you have really think about what happened before.

Stan Lee

Towards the end of the movie is a funny scene starring the true hero, Stan Lee.  He is like Hitchcock in that he makes a small cameo in each movie.


CAST:

Chris Evans
Captain America

Robert Downey Jr
Iron Man

Scarlett Johansson
Black Widow

Sebastian Stan
Winter Soldier

Don Cheadle
War Machine

Anthony Mackie
Falcon

Paul Bettany
Vision

Jeremy Renner
Hawk Eye

Chadwick Boseman
Black Panther

Paul Rudd
Ant Man

Elizabeth Olsen
Scarlet Witch

Tom Holland
Spider Man

Daniel Bruhl
Helmut Zemo

As the credits begin to roll, don't just get up and leave.  There is a nugget worth seeing just a tad after the credits begin.  Also if you are game, then stay through all the credits (and it is a long list) and there is another nugget at the very end.

This movie is over 21/2 hours long so plan your liquid consumption accordingly!


The Travelling Toe gives this movie 1 big toe up and 1 middle toe up with a Captain American tee shirt!

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