The Travelling Toe

Thursday, April 20, 2017

"Going In Style" (movie critique)

GOING IN STYLE
movie poster

Needling some laughs, the Movie Mavens and The Travelling Toe went to the local Movie Tavern to see the buddy movie "Going In Style". The movie was directed by comedian Zach Braff. It is a remake of the 1979 movie with the same name.

Zach Braff
director

The movie is about 3 senior citizens friends who worked for many years in the steel industry and are now retired living on their monthly pension payments. But the company is sold and that merger caused their pensions to be dissolved. One of the guys, Joe, finds out that he is behind on his mortgage payments due to a re-fiance deal that upped his mortgage payment. He has fallen behind on his payments and could lose his house where he lives with his daughter and granddaughter. Willie, is on dialysis and needs a replacement kidney. Al has to live with Willie as he is out of money too. So what are these 3 guys going to do to make a living at their age? Well rob a bank of course - the bank that stole from them. At first Willie and Al are not sure that they can do it but Joe is sure that they can. The planning of the caper starts.

One of the funniest scenes is when the 3 of them try a dry run of robbing the local grocery story by shoplifting and of course they get caught. Then they find Jesus and he helps them out with their plan, first getting them in shape then teaching them how to use Smart phones.

So Dear Readers, do they really rob the bank? Did they get caught? How does it end?

No spoilers here. If you saw the movie then you know what happens but if you haven't go see it for a fun time. And we Golden Girls loved seeing older actors still working hard and making an entertaining movie.

CAST:

Michael Caine
Joe

Morgan Freeman
Wille

Alan Arkin
Al (Albert)

Ann-Margret
Annie
(AL's girlfriend)

Matt Dillon
FBI Special Agent Hamer

Christopher Lloyd
lodge buddy

This was a fun movie and we all enjoyed it.

The Travelling Toe gives this movie 2 middle toes up with numbered bank account in the Cayman Islands!

Tuesday, April 18, 2017

FWSO Symphonic Series presented at Bass Hall

FORT WORTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
program

The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra presented a symphonic program that consisted of three different musical works. Miguel Harth-Bedoya was at the podium conducting the program.

Adam Schoenberg

The first selection played was a contemporary piece, "La Luna Azul (The Blue Moon)" written by Adam Schoenberg. This work was first performance at the Atlanta Symphony Hall in 2012. Mr. Schoenberg was in residence the weekend this particular piece of music was played by the FWSO. He spoke with audience members about his influences in writing the music,his process and other fun aspects of his life. He was very personable. It was indeed a very beautiful piece of music and so enjoyable. It was well received by the audience and hopefully Mr.Schoenberg will return to Fort Worth.

Alexandra Soumm

After a brief pause for the orchestra to be re-set, Alexandra Soumm, solo violinist, came on stage to perform the "Violin Concerto in D Minor" written by Jean Sibelius. What a great performance!!!!!

Jean Sibelius
1865-1957

Ms. Soumm received a standing ovation and in response played a beautiful Baroque encour written by Telemann.

Geog Philipp Telemann
1681-1767

A 20 minute intermission followed.

After the intermission, Miguel led the orchestra in selections from Sergei Prokofiev's music for the ballet "Cinderella". It premiered in Moscow in 1945 by the Bolshoi Ballet. Oh how beautiful it all was. One could almost see Cinderella dancing across the stage and we did hear the striking of the clock counting down to midnight.

Sergei Prokofiev
1891-19551

Another joyful afternoon spent with the FWSO. They are indeed world class musicians led by a brilliant maestro!

Fort Worth Symphony

Bass Hall

Monday, April 10, 2017

"The Last Word" (movie critique)

THE LAST WORD
movie poster

The Friday Movie Mavens and The Travelling Toe journeyed to the local multiplex to see "The Last Word." The movie is billed as a comedy but has several poignant moments in it.

Harriet Lauler, a retired successful businesswoman with too much time on her hands, and begins to read the daily obituaries. She reads about the dearly departed accomplishments and for the most part knows the real truth of the person and the lies that make up the obit. Harriet, being the force of nature that she is, decides that she wants to ensure her own life story is told her way. She goes to the local newspaper office and chooses the obituary writer, Anne Sherman, to write her life story. Anne is reluctant to take on the assignment due to Harriet's overbearing personality. But over time, as Anne starts the investigation of Harriet's life, she becomes intrigued with the story and the woman behind the story. The two women begin to develop a deep bond that will change how Harriet is perceived and Anne's future.

We all agreed that we really enjoyed this show. Shirley MacLaine was the perfect actor for this role. There is some bad language in it but not much.

CAST

Shirley MacLaine
Harriet Lauler

Amanda Seyfried
Anne Sherman

The Travelling Toe gives this movie 1 big toe up with an obituary template so you can have the last word of your own life story yourself!

Obituary Samples

"Let It Be" presented by Broadway At The Bass

LET IT BE
play program

On a Spring Sunday afternoon, The Travelling Toe joined two Dear Friends at the matinee performance of "Let It Be". This musical is a touring show and stopped at Bass Hall in downtown For Worth for a few days.

The concept of the musical is the evolution of The Beatles, from their early years to their break up. The tribute artists begin the show with The Beatles appearance on the Ed Sullivan show then next going to Shea Stadium.

The show's website provides this overview of the program:

The end of The Beatles era was never thought to be in sight when The Beatles played their last show on the roof of Apple Offices in 1969. Imagine what would have been if The Beatles continued their journey. Enter a time capsule and turn back to what would have been John Lennon’s 40th Birthday – October 9, 1980. For one night, the fab four come together again on stage after a decade apart performing hits like Back in the USSR, Live and Let Die, Got to Get you into My Life, My Sweet Lord, Hey Jude, Woman, Helter Skelter, Paperback Writer & many more you never got the chance to see performed live! Imagine a night that never happened, but which feels so surreal

Let It Be

We did enjoy the music of the early years but as the music transcended into the unusual we did lose interest. There have been differen Beatles tribute bands appearing at the Bass who were more entertaining and interactive with the audience. We were rather disappointed with the concert.

Bass Hall

"Two Trains Running" presented by Jubilee Theatre

TWO TRAINS RUNNING
play program

On a warm and rainy Spring afternoon, The Travelling Toe and Dear Friend attended the Saturday matinee performance of "Two Trains Running". The production was showing at the Jubilee Theatre in downtown Fort Worth.

The play was written by August Wilson. If you saw the movie "Fences" with Denzel Washington and Viola Davis, then you would be familiar with the playwright as it is also one of August's plays, made into a movie. All of his plays are set in working class areas of Pittsburg.

August Wilson
playwright

This play takes place in 1969 in the Hill District of Pittsburgh. When the lights go up, the playgoer is taken to the neighborhood diner of Memphis Lee. Things are changing in the neighborhood and the city is renovating the area. They are buying up properties around Lee's diner. But he is insistent he has a bottom line number that the city must meet before he will sell his property. There are also other everyday events that are re-hashed and discussed along with coffee, beans and cornbread and pie at the diner.

This is a must see play. We totally enjoyed it and all the actors were amazing. The set designer, Bryan Wofford did an exceptional job on creating a working diner. It seemed as if you could get out of your seat, walk right down to the stage, sit down and order pie and coffee and feel right at home.

CAST:

William "Bill Earl Ray Memphis

Sam Henderson Sam

Alonzo Waller Holloway

Shanidrea Evans Risa

Marcus Mauldin Wolf

Oris Phillips, Jr West

Jarrett Goer Hambone

Jubilee Theatre

Thursday, April 6, 2017

FWSO Symphonic Series at Bass Hall

The Fort Worth Symphony presented a symphonic concert at Bass Hall. The Travelling Toe and Dear Friends attended the Sunday afternoon performance.

Fort Worth Symphony

Andrew Grams
guest conductor

The symphony was lead by guest conductor Andrew Grams

Karen Gomyo
guest soloist

The program began with solo artist, Karen Gomyo, performing Mozart's "Concerto For Violin and Orchestra No.3 in G Major". The concerto was so beautiful and Ms. Gomyo was a joy to listen to as she performed the work. According to the program she plays a 1703 Stradivarius violin. Her performance was well received by the audience.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

After a brief intermission, the musicians and Mr. Grams took center stage again.

The second half of the program was one piece written by Russian composer, Dmitri Shostakovich. He wrote the symphony in memory of "Bloody Sunday", which was January 9, 1905. The Russian citizens had gathered in front of the Winter Palace in St. Petersburg to petition the Czar with their grievances. The Czar skidded out of town and the Police and Cossacks opened fire on the crowd killing many. Shostakovich's music very much reflects the somber tones of the tragic event. The symphony is 55 minutes long and is played without pause.

Dmitri Shostakovich

What a magnificent, somber and majestic piece of music to honor that historic day in Russian history.

To learn more about "Bloody Sunday", try this link.

Bloody Sunday In Russia

Beauty And The Beast (movie critique)

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
movie poster

Who doesn't enjoy a love story? Well,The Travelling Toe is certainly a romantic at heart, so with a Dear Friend along, "Beauty and the Beast" was recently viewed at the local Movie Tavern.

If you Dear Readers have seen the movie then you know the plot. This recent flick is a remake of the 1991 animated film from Disney.

The movie is set in France during the 1780's. The heroine of the story is Belle who loves to read, lives with her father and is not afraid to face life on her own terms. Her father Maurice, a wood worker, has a delivery to make and gets lost in the woods. He and his horse, Philippe, take refuge at a mysterious castle. But when Maurice picks a rose to take to Belle, the Beast makes his appearance and Maurice is placed in a prison cell for stealing. Back in the village , Belle becomes concerned about her missing Pops and tracks him to the castle. The Beast makes a deal with Belle, if she takes her father's place and stays with him then her father will be set free. Belle agrees to take her dad's place so he can return home. Of course over time she makes friends with the servants, who are being slowly being transferred into inanimate objects such as a clock, a teapot, a candelabra. They tell Belle about the enchanted curse cast upon the castle, the staff, and the Prince.

Well of course there has to be a bad guy and in this movie it is Gaston. He is infatuated with Belle. He is determined to have her not matter what. In the showdown of the century, the Beast and Gaston battle to the dead on the battlements of the castle.

Will Belle's love and friendship save the staff and the Beast, lifting the enchanted curse forever? Ok, just remember this is a Disney film so a happy ending is the norm!

CAST:

The Beast and the Beauty