"Who Am I This Time" presented by Circle Theater

WHO AM I THIS TIME?
play program

A Dear Friend and The Travelling Toe attended the Saturday matinee performance of a lovely play, "Who Am I This Time?" at the Circle Theatre located in downtown Fort Worth.

The play is really titled "Who Am I This Time (& Other Conundrums of Love)".  The play was written by Aaron Posner.  

Aaron Posner
playwright

Notes from the program about the play:

Aaron Posner brings together three tales of love by Kurt Vonnegut that may seem uncharacteristically sentimental for the author of "Slaughterhouse-Five".  

Kurt Vonnegut
author

The central story of the play is a romance that unfolds at the North Crawford Mask and Wig Club, a community theatre, which Posner invites us to locate in whatever familiar region the play is performed. This setting provides the premise for the ensemble: a group of small-town amature actors, performing stories about their lives.

For the performances at the Circle Theatre West Crawford was set in Texas, but of course!

There are 6 actors in the production and each are cast in various roles.  Some even play musical instruments as the part of their character.  And something not usually done is that the actors "break" the wall between them and the audience by interacting with us during the play. One last note is to the title, it is based on the premise that as the actors gather to start a new production, they ask: who am I this time!

Both Dear Friend and The Travelling Toe loved this play and thoroughly enjoyed it.  Great story and great acting!

Community theater rocks!!

Circle Theatre

FWSO Pop Series "Rodgers and Hammerstein At The Movies:

CONCERT PROGRAM

The Travelling Toe and a Dear Friend attended the Sunday matinee performance of the Pop Series presented by the Fort Worth Symphony.  The program was based on the marvelous music of Rodgers and Hammerstein.  The guest conductor for the concert was Maestro Stuart Malina.

Stuart Malina

What made this program so enjoyable was seeing the movie shown on a large screen and the movie actors singing with the FWSO accompanying them. Maestro Malina also shared interesting tidbits about the movie,the stars and the music.

Rodgers and Hammerstein

The program began with an overture of lovely music from "The Sound of Music".

The next segments were from the movie "Carousel".  The lovely voices of Shirley Jones and Gordon MacRae serenaded us.  

From New England we went to the "South Pacific", which starred Rossano Brazzi and Mitzi Gaynor.  The Travelling Toe must admit that this musical and movie are personal favorites. This portion of the program began with the funny song "There Is Nothing Like A Dame" sung by all the sailors on the South Pacific island. 

After a short intermission, the second half of the program started with a visit to Siam and "The King and I", starring of course Deborah Kerr and Yul Brynner.

After that,we attended the "State Fair" seeing both the one staring Dana Andrews and Jeannie Crain, the newer version starting Pat Boone and Ann-Margret.


The last movie shown was of course,"Oklahoma" starting Shirley and Gordon again.  The program ended with the icon song from the play and the musical and is also the state song of "Oklahoma"!

What a wonderful program.  We both truly enjoyed it.

Bass Hall

Bass Hall

Fort Worth Symphony

"Logan" (movie critique)

LOGAN
movie poster

The Movie Mavens and The Travelling Toe went to the local multiplex on a Monday afternoon to see the latest X-man movie. OK, it also gave us an opportunity to see the awesome Hugh Jackman. (sigh)

The movie takes place in the future year of 2029....but as time moves so fast, probably 2029 will be here before we know it.  Anywho, at this time all the mutants are on the brink of extinction.  Logan/James Howlett/Wolverine works as a chauffeur in Texas. The job provides the money he needs to buy prescriptions for Professor Charles as he is sequestered in a desolate abandoned smelting plant. Caliban is in charge of taking care of Charles and seeing to his needs. Just as a reminder Caliban is a mutant tracker and is extremely allergic to the sun.  Both Logan and Charles are suffering from the effects of their mutant powers. Their world is turned upside down when a young girl,Laura, enters their life. She is being chased by Pierce and his band of thugs called the Reavers. But the real meanie in charge is Dr. Zander Rice.

There is more to the storyline but will leave it here just in case Dear Reader you have not seen the movie.


Just be aware this movie is 137 minutes long so do plan your liquid consumption accordingly.

CAST:

Hugh Jackman
Logan/John Howlett/Wolverine

Patrick Stewart
Professor Charles Xavier

   

Dafne Keen
Laura

Boyd Holbrook
Pierce
bad guy

Richard E Grant
Dr Zander Rice
really bad guy

Stephen Merchant
Caliban

Side Note:  The voice of Caliban sounded so familiar but due to all the make-up one could not recognize him.  Then that aha moment came and The Travelling Toe placed him in context.  If you are a devoted follower of "The Big Bang Theory" then you will know who he is. Stephen played a scientist that Amy dated a couple of times.  But when he found out Sheldon was her former boyfriend he was so excited because he wanted to meet Sheldon. Do you see those episodes Dear Readers?


The Travelling Toe gives this movie 1 big toe up with bottle of an energy elixir,Geritol, as Hugh Jackman has played the Wolverine character 17 times and is retiring from the role....he probably needs it by now!

"My Fair Lady" presented by Artisan Center Theater

MY FAIR LADY
play program

The Travelling Toe and a Dear Friend attended the Saturday afternoon matinee performance of "My Fair Lady".  It was presented by the Artisan Center Theater, which is a small community theater located in the suburbs of Hurst, Texas. 

Artisan Center Theater

The storyline of the musical is well known as it tells the story of Eliza Doolittle who sells flowers outside Covent Garden.  One rainy night she meets renowned linguistic expert Henry Higgins and his friend Colonel Pickering.  Higgins laughs at her and makes fun of her speech patterns.  Eliza is undaunting and arrives at the the Higgins house the next day asking to be taught to speak without her Cockney accent. The reason being that she wants to obtain a job in a flower shop and must be able to be understood.  Higgins is intrigued with the disheveled flower girl and decides to take her on with a side bet between him and Pickering that he can make her into a proper lady within 6 months. But does Higgins really know what he is in for working with this street urchin?

The music by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe provide the background of Elza and Henry's entanglement.  The play is full of marvelous songs that still stand the test of time.

Lerner and Loewe

Since this is a community theater there are no fancy costumes or live music.  But the actors all love to perform and always put on a wonderful show at the Artisan!  Plus they have yummy fresh popped popcorn!

Broadway
My Fair Lady

"An American In Paris" presented by Performing Arts Fort Worth

AN AMERICAN IN PARIS
play program

An American In Paris
movie poster

The touring show of the Tony winner "An American In Paris" made a stop at Bass Hall for several performances. The Travelling Toe and several Dear Friends attended the Sunday matinee performance.

Gene Kelly
movie
An American Paris

The play which is based on the Gene Kelly movie opened on Broadway April, 2015.  It is set to the wonderful and lyrical music of George and Ira Gershwin.  

George and Ira Gershwin

The story of the musical is a tad different than the movie.

World War II has ended and troops are headed home.  But American solider Jerry Mulligan decides that he does not want to return home to his old life but chart a new course in the bustling city of Paris.  There he meets 2 other men who are also trying to start a new life, Adam Hochberg also an American veteran and Henri Baurel a Frenchman.  Jerry is a struggling artist and Adam is a struggling composer.  Henri, who is from a well to-do family, wants to be an entertainer and not be a businessman like his father  All three men meet and fall in love with a beautiful French ballerina, Lise Dassin.

As the storyline progresses, each man purses Lise. So at the end of the play, which man wins Lise's heart?  Well, Dear Readers, you will just have to see the play yourself to find out!

The music of the Gershwins makes the story vibrant while the dancing by all the cast members was superb - some of the best ever seen on stage.

Bass Hall

"Moonlight" (movie critique)

MOONLIGHT
movie poster

Dear Readers, as most of you might know, the movie "Moonlight" won the Oscar for best picture. So The Travelling Toe and a Dear Friend went to see it at the local Movie Tavern.

This is a difficult movie to explain, so shown below is an overview from the internet:

At once a vital portrait of contemporary African American life and an intensely personal and poetic meditation on identity, family, friendship, and love, MOONLIGHT is a groundbreaking piece of cinema that reverberates with deep compassion and universal truths. Anchored by extraordinary performances from a tremendous ensemble cast, Barry Jenkins's staggering, singular vision is profoundly moving in its portrayal of the moments, people, and unknowable forces that shape our lives and make us who we are.

The movie is told in three separate segments.  This first part focuses on Chiron, known as "Little", meeting Juan who becomes his friend and tries to help him navigate through his young life. The second segment is Chiron as a teenager who is bullied and the consequences it holds for him.  The third segment is Chiron as a young adult who known as "Black".and is a drug dealer.

CAST:

Alex Hibbert
Little

Ashton Sanders
Chiron

Trevante Rhodes
Black

Mahershala Ali
Juan

                                                                    

Naomie Harris
Paula

Janelle Monae
Teresa

Each of the three young actors were excellent in their individual roles.  Also Mahershala Ali as Juan won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. The movie received a total of 8 Oscar nominations and won 3.

The Travelling Toe awards this movie 2 middle toes up with the correct Oscar Envelope.

"Kurios Cabinet of Curiosties" presented by Cirque Du Soleil

Hello Dear Readers, The Travelling Toe has been laid up with a bad case of bronchitis and has not been out and about much for the past several weeks.  However in between spells, The Travelling Toe was able to attend a Saturday matinee of "Kurios Cabinet of Curiosities" presented by Cirque Du Soleil.

The tents were set up this year at Lone Star Park in Grand Prairie.  

photo from IPhone
The Travelling Toe

This show is a tribute to the power of the human imagination from the exploration of the beginnings of scientific discoveries. These inventions include the ones that led to the steam locomotion on up to the use of electromagnetic waves.

Cirque Du Soleil shows are always full of exciting and interesting acts as well as amazing music and the most colorful costumes and face paint ever imagined.  

                                                  



Each show that The Travelling Toe has bsen by Cirque has been so much fun and so enjoyable.  The shows are always played in an old fashioned circus tent but utilizes the latest in electronics and computer wizardry.  And one side note, they carry their own portable potty system with them



Cirque Du Soleil