wednesday, wednesday, such a busy day!

First order of business: go to the Georgia Skin & Cancer Clinic to meet Taylor Byrne, my new dermatologist.

What odd things they had on the walls!

She did a full body scan and found five moles - FIVE! - that looked suspicious. 

She took scrapings and was done, for now.

I had some time before the movie started.

Off I went to the Southwest Chatham Public Library to get my early voting done! 

I was actually shocked at how many items were on the Democratic ballot.

Based on the flyers in the mail and the ads on TV, it was easy to think only six seats were up for grabs.

Even so, I made the best choices for me and moved on and out of there!

Next up was a visit to Auto Zone.

I'd made five visits, buying at least $20 worth of goods each time, and now I would get my reward: $20 of free goods!!!

In honor of my car's upcoming 25th birthday on the 16th, I got two quarts of oil for her.

My thirsty Saturn will be drinking in style!

Her oil lines weren't the only ones getting a treat on this outing.

Her gas tank received $25 of gasoline, all free to me!

I used that gift card from the AARP luncheon, so the 'free' gas was a bday68 gift for me and a bday25 gift for my car.

That wasn't the only gift from AARP, either!

My game-playing reward points netted me a 5-buck gift card.

That granted me an almost-free Cameo special at AMC today!

Paired with my A*List membership, this matinee and snack cost me $2.

I would have gladly paid more for this Hugh Jackman caper!

Oh, yes, i intend to see "The Sheep Detectives" multiple times!!!

I do!

It was like stepping back in time to the Disney Sunday night movies of my youth, with a lovely bunch of English folk running the mystery!

Then I dined early at Texas Roadhouse, courtesy of that fundraiser last month, as well as the Christmas gift card from Tony and Laura.

I used the gala's "free appetizer" coupon to buy Tater Skins, of course.

Those will be a great breakfast for the rest of this week...

then I tried the Chicken Alfredo Penne, as something different.

Different it certainly was!

I'm not saying it was bad... as I took half of it home for another meal... but it needed garlic to make it sing.

How about that!

I made a pun using the focus of that gala!

What a wonderful Wednesday!

vacay in georgetown, making time for bella

"Hey, girlie! I think you got the name wrong. The dog is Stella, remember?"

You are correct, but so is what I wrote. Today was the preview of JinHi's play, "Bella", up at the Historic Savannah Theatre. I've been waiting to see that for months! It's definitely part of my bday68 celebration!

"That's right! You got a special reward in the kickstarter campaign so your ticket to the play would be included. Well, good for you! How was attendance?"

Amazingly good! I had looked at the kickstarter page to try to guess, and I was way off. The downstairs at the theatre was nearly full!!! I sat over to house left and had a fabulous view. Inessa Purple - remember her from the Lucas volunteer days? - caught me in the lobby and we sat together. So great to see her again!

"She hasn't changed at all! Same curly blonde hair as always! But why so many chairs on stage? I thought this was a one-woman show... right?"

Oh, it was. JinHi was the only one up there during the performance. After all, this was the story of her life and her battle against cancers and tumors that began when she was 14 years old. That's when her family found out she had the bone cancer in her left leg. Her dad had been PCS'ed to Italy and life was glorious! She loved the people and the gelato and the fact that everyone there would greet her with "Ciao, Bella"!!! All of that made her feel so beautiful!!! She had a year of bliss before the sarcoma took her leg.

"How brutal for a teen to have to deal with that."

I know. Mama had a problem with fibrous cysts that led to her losing half her palate and all her upper teeth when she was just 15 years old. The doctor did the surgery during summer vacation, so she wasn't around school kids, but, still. She spent most of that break waiting for the dentures and then getting used to them. I never, ever, saw my mother without her teeth in place.

"Yes, I know. You didn't even find out about that until you were in high school. That was probably about the time the doctor found a fibrous cyst in your right breast."

That sounds right. JinHi had recovered from her leg amputation and was in college before the next hit from her body. Headaches led to the discovery of a tumor in her brain that took two surgeries to remove. Fortunately, it was benign, but it did have hair and teeth, so that was unsettling. That was during her 20's. In her 30's, growths in her reproductive organs were found. She and her husband were trying to have a baby, but instead she had to have a hysterectomy. 

"Damn."

Yeah, that's pretty harsh. So she started Muse Arts Warehouse as her way of taking care of the artistic community. Then, in 2012, a growth appeared in her right lung, a beast she called a "moonmallow" due to its shape on the CT scan. Fortunately, it was Stage 1, and was handled by a partial removal of that lung, along with chemo. And all seemed to be well again, for two years. She has been battling Stage 4 lung cancer ever since.

"Damn!"

This show was born from that extended battle. A friend suggested she go back through her fb posts and gather up all that data. So, that's what she did. She refers to "Bella" as "43 years in 45 minutes" and that's about right. In August, she'll be going to the Fringe Festival in Scotland. Tickets for her show at that venue are already available. I wish I could be there, but the airfare alone is a staggering expense.

"Heard. Hey, I just noticed something. You never addressed all of those chairs on the stage!" 

Oops. Sorry, I forgot. Those were for the post-play question and answer session with JinHi and her crew, plus a live auction of memorabilia. There will also the results of the silent auction held before "Bella". All auction proceeds will go to help fund meals and such for the trip. I placed a couple of bids, but lost out.

"How was the Q and A?"

I couldn't stay. I need to get back to Georgetown so the dog can have her play time. Glad I got to have this 'play' time for me! Like that pun? (smile!) Good to see so many I knew! Inessa, Pam Sears of Armstrong, the Soucy clan, Bill Dawers, and even several from Asbury (Cheri and Billy Hester, Tom Lewis). Nice turnout for JinHi, Savannah's theatre royalty!

today, i went to a muse-ical in rincon!

And guess what?

Orpheus was there, singing "Time In A Bottle"!!!

He dedicated it to the long-gone Eurydice. 

That guy has gotten around, hasn't he?

First he was in the play last week, and now he's in Rincon at the Hive Repertory Theater's event!

Not that he was the focus of this jukebox musical.

Not hardly.

In "The Olympians", the spotlight is on the three goddesses having a grudge match about who was best.

To settle it, they each choose a human to set on a quest, with the winning goddess being the one whose choice reaches Mount Olympus first.

Here's warrior Zoey, to whom Artemis sings "You Make My Dreams" come true!

Wooo hooo, woohoo!

Aphrodite found Lexi as her champion!

The girl was singing about the "goddess on the mountain top... had what no one else had!"

Hey, "Venus" is just another name for the love goddess!

As for Athena, a goatherd named Sofia was the one she beseeched to "Breakaway" from her grandma and go on a quest to find the lost girdle of Hippolyta.

And what looks odd here?

Sofia is reading from a script!

Get this: she was tagged just two hours before the play to be on stage for someone who was sick - what a valiant trouper!

Aphrodite was another trouper, stepping in only a week ago for someone who had to leave - amazing!!!

So, here we are: three goddesses, three humans, with each expected to run their own quest.

Instead, the trio of girls mystify the goddesses by working together!

Here they are on the streets of Athens, trying to stay ahead of the police.

Why are they being chased?

Lone females aren't allowed to wander about!

That's what the gate guards told them and those mustache-wearing guys are serious!

Back and forth across the stage ran the guard!

"One Way Or Another", they sang, "we're gonna find ya, we're gonna getcha getcha getcha getcha!"

Fortunately for our plucky trio of humans...

and Lexi's younger brother, Zander...

the guards never even come close to getting them.

Whew!

Next stop: the Oracle, to receive clues to the girdle's location.

They didn't realize that the three goddesses hit that location first, to give the Oracle (actually the Narrator in disguise!) the scroll.

The goddesses lingered too long and had to pose as statues - lol!

But Zoey, Lexi, and Sofia finally arrive at the right place, receive their marching orders, and set off on their quest!

They're barely on it when Artemis' twin brother, Apollo, throws a monkey wrench into the mix, having all but Zoey "Walking On Sunshine" as a shortcut, kinda sorta.

End of Act One!

I sure did enjoy this very much!!!

Plus, the crew at HiveRepTh did me a solid, granting me a seat that was front and center of the stage - y'all know what I like!!!

Oh, and there was even a joke from Orpheus!

Zander picked up the other instrument, calling it a lyre.

Orpheus corrected him, saying "No, my lyre was stolen by luters [looters]... and they didn't even know how to play it!"

Hahahahaha!!!!

Yes, this was well worth the ride to Rincon and the $20 ticket!!!

gravy, y'all

"What's that? You had gravy with dinner?"

Why, yes, I did! Actually, for the last three weeks in a row! All of that brought to mind a "Star Trek: TNG" meme that Sherry Giddens posted. The Captain asks, "Gravity is powerful, do you know what you get if you remove it?" His First Officer replies, "Weightlessness, sir." In all seriousness, he hears the response, "Gravy. Number One, you get gravy."

"Hahahaha! Poor Riker! Having to put up with those puns from Picard!"

Well, that was a riddle, not a pun. But it sure was funny! And the last three Wednesday night suppers at Asbury have all had gravy!

"Oh, nice! I do enjoy that meat-derived sauce! We don't get that very often, since you don't know how to make it."

Truth. Tonight, it was turkey gravy, served on the mashed potatoes. Last week, it was gravy with mushrooms for the chicken Marsala. And the week before was beef gravy from the pot roast, also served on mashed potatoes. I prefer in on rice, but I'll take it however I can get it!

"That looks really good! Where are your veggies on that plate?"

I don't like peas and carrots, so I abstained. I do have a nice little salad, though! And I have two desserts!!! That's blackberry cobbler and a slice of something that tasted like bread pudding, but looked like cake. Quite tasty!

"Was Kathy Mayin there for these WNS meals? I recall she went to the first one with you and seemed to enjoy herself."

Sadly, she has not been back. We make plans, but then she backs out. I even tried to get her to come for the Sisters In Faith luncheon last week, but that didn't happen, either. I'm not going to push her. I know she'll be back when she's ready, right? She's grown, she gets to make her own decisions.

"I understand. I hope she will soon decide to make more ventures out of her apartment. It'll be good for her mental health and her spirits."

Agreed! I know I look forward to these social gatherings. Meals are nicer with others to share the food and conversation. Okay, time for "Scrubs"! I really am enjoying this continuation of the original series. 

"You mean the reboot of the old show?"

No, it isn't like that. It's more like a reunion. It's nice to see them rekindling their old friendships. That's a realistic approach for people who have lost touch while life interfered. You know: jobs, kids, moving to new locations. I can relate to it. So, later, chica!

"Hasta la bye-bye!"

counting flowers on the wall, that don't bother me at all

Not when I have "The Finch Who Stole Christmas" to make me merry!

Yes, boys and girls, "News Radio" was on with this episode very early today, narrated by Kelsey Grammar.

And why ever would the Finch be so upset?

The whole office chipped in for it!

But it's a turtle calendar... from that year... so it wasn't even new!

What the fresh hell?!?!

So, in the company of the little dog he had to puppysit for the boss, he set about wreaking havoc on the gifts for the others.

"Bah!!! Humbug!!!", he cried with glee!!!

Meanwhile, Nina had gone was a drink to raise her spirits.

She'd watched "Titanic" and felt forlorn about all those fashions that went down with the ship!

And who should appear but a friendly 'lumberjack' named Jay Crew?

After some afternoon delight, she saw the error of her ways and embraced casual wear!!!

That was just in time for a forlorn Elliot to bring in a tree to decorate the office.

Goodness gracious - shades of Charlie Brown!!!

It looked pretty sad, but seemed to bring him great cheer, so that was good.

Then a wondrous thing happened: the Finch discovered that the turtle calendar had a special gift written in for Christmas Day!

It was a cruise, just for him, with lots of perks in every port!

They did like him, they really, really did!

(smile!)

Now, right on cue, it's time for me to go out to lunch with my Hinesville peeps!

Oh, what's up with the Statler Brothers song in the title?

Ivan of the League of Savannah Bloggers was grousing on fb about a botched delivery by the Instacart folks.

He wrote "smoking cigarettes and watching Captain Kangaroo" ... and, justthatfast, my mental jukebox kicked in with a response!

"Playing solitaire 'til dawn with a deck of fifty-one!"

Hahahaha! Good times, good times! 

rhapsody in blue is one hundred and two

 

Hint: I meant the title to be read as if it were a poem. 

That 26-minute composition by George Gershwin was the highlight for me!!!

I'm fairly certain I've not heard it before in its entirety, and I know very well that I've never heard it from just a piano and a clarinet.

This was not just any ordinary clarinet, either.

Seth Kibel bought the silver-bedecked instrument from a man in Pennsylvania that custom made it.

Isn't it absolutely gorgeous?!!

Here's Seth playing that opening glissando, while Daniel Weiser's hands waited, poised to strike the piano keys at the precise moment that the clarinet ceased its wail - so awesome!!!

I'm glad this was the finale at today's concert!

I cannot imagine anything trying to follow that piece!

When it first premiered in 1924, on what would have been Abraham Lincoln's 115th birthday, it had been the penultimate of 26 musical pieces.

What a long concert that had to have been!

How did I know all that?

Daniel Weiser was absolutely full of such tales and regaled us with them several times during this matinee concert at the Savannah JEA.

The two men together are AmiciMusic, who came here last year, too, with their musical history lesson.

Today's was titled, "Jewish Jazz, The Sequel: Return of the 'Jew'di" - gotta love that "Star Wars" pun!!!

I'm sure that's what had drawn Rabbi Haas and his family there, though his little girl was quite disappointed to not see Princess Leia or Luke Skywalker there, so they left fairly early.

Not I!

I was there from Scott Joplin's ragtime ("The Favorite") through all three Hassidic Tunes collected by Lev Kogan.

I stayed for two that built the house of Sammy Cahn (the Anglicized Yiddish tunes, "Bei Mir Bist Du Schein" and "Yosl, Yosl"), the man known for "Three Coins In The Fountain".

There were also two pieces from famous clarinetists Ziggy Elman and Bela Kovacs before a little dessert reception.

Very sweet!

Then we had "Viktor's Tale", by John Williams, as well as a funny anecdote.

Apparently, when he was approached to do music for "Schindler's List", Williams told Steven Spielberg that he didn't think he was good enough.

Spielberg apparently replied, "I know, but all the good ones are dead."

Hahahaha!!!

Williams won the Oscar for Best Original Score for that movie!

What else today?

Oh, yes, three pieces from the prolific Harold Arlen: "Stormy Weather", "It's Only A Paper Moon", and "Come Rain Or Come Shine" - all magnificent!!!

Ella Fitzgerald once described him as "the Negro-ist white man she'd ever known."

High praise indeed!!! 

Then the concert ended on that fabulous "Rhapsody In Blue", with its mimicry of a train clack-clack-clacking along at one point.

Of course I thought of Sheldon Cooper!

You don't spend twelve years with a man in your house and not think of him when his favorite topic comes up!

(smile!)

Now, I'm going to catch the 5 PM screening of "Sinners"!

That should set me up right nicely to cheer it on at the Oscars tonight!

a tale of two elliots

To tell the truth, I'd been a little concerned about this reboot of a show that I'd enjoyed twenty years ago.

Yes, I'm talking about "[scrubs]", still written in lower-case and with the brackets it wore for nine years.

The three major characters - 'J.D.' (Zach Braff), 'Turk' (Donald Faison), 'Elliot' (Sarah Chalke) - had all been 26, 27, and 25, respectively, in 2001, when the series began.

Those were all reasonable ages for medical interns, and as they aged, they moved into new jobs, as they should.

Now, it's 2026, so they're all at least 50 years old.

What the heck's going on???

Fortunately, the series has jumped ahead the quarter-century in time, right along with the actors of those characters.

'J.D.' and 'Elliot' had married, but are divorced and never had children; 'Turk' and 'Carla' are still married and have four daughters of various ages.

Okay, that's good, but what's going to make the show work?

Here's what: they kept the song, and they kept the format: it's still a vlog of the thoughts and daydreams of 'J.D.'. 

Very nice!!!

In tonight's episode, "My Rom-Com", there was a line I just loved!

'Elliot' is upset about the new towel dispenser in the bathroom and 'Carla' tells her to get a grip.

Her response is priceless: "I can't get a grip, my hands are wet."

Hahahaha!!!

After that, I pulled up an episode of "Just Shoot Me!" that I'd recorded two days ago.

I really like that show... but it doesn't come on until 3 AM on Mondays.

So, I try to remember its schedule so I can enjoy on my time!

Here's the thing: I had not realized that it's 'Elliot' was spelled the same.

Hahahaha!

On this show, that character is a male photographer who gets to point his camera - all puns intended - at all the hot models. 

I do so love Enrico Colantoni in that role!

This time, in "What The Teddy Bear Saw", he's talking to 'Nina', who has just expressed one of her usual dingbat thoughts.

He then asks, "When you tilt your head to the side, does it sound like a rainstick?"

Hahahaha!

Just think, if I hadn't run these two shows back to back, I would have missed the similarity: they both give me jokes and puns!

Right place, right time!

(smile!)

weekend of hell: tv shows

Although the case could be argued that several of the movies yesterday might have also fallen into this category, I choose to differentiate.

(As I'm the one trapped in this weather hell, I get to make the rules.) 

The phrase "TV shows" refers to those aired productions that are episodic and part of a series.

 

Take this first one: a filmed live stage production of Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" from 2012. 

This was on as part of the filmed annual Stratford Festival, held each summer for the past 70-plus years in Stratford, Ontario, Canada.

This particular one was part of the 2011 season there.

Of course, my attraction to it was my recent encounter with this favorite, courtesy of SavArtsAcad!

But I had another reason to watch: I recognized one of the actors!

That's Brian Dennehy cavorting as Sir Toby Belch, and clearly having a lovely time doing so!

(That's almost three decades after he played the sheriff in "Silverado".) 

I was sure, too, that Michael McKean was right there with him as Sir Andrew... but IMDB listed someone else.

Still, it was a lot of fun to see again! 

Next up were three British television shows which I've recently taken a fancy to.

"Sister Boniface Mysteries" features a woman of the cloth with a knack for using chemistry and other sciences to help the local police solve crimes.

This episode, "There's No I In Slaughter", s4e7, was about a team-building exercise that turned into a real homicide to solve.

The town's name, Slaughter, still brings a smile along with a favorite memory.

(smile!)

I chased that shot down with two hits from a man of the cloth named "Father Brown".

Interesting sidenote: the woman in this photo, 'Mrs. Isabel Devine", reminds me so much of 'Alice' from "The Vicar Of Dibley" that I actually looked up the actress (Claudia Blakley), only to find she was ten years younger than the one who was 'Alice' (Emma Chambers).

Both characters are adorably sweet and innocent, with a slight lisping quality to their voices.

Anyway, the first episode I watched was "The Battle Of Kembleford", s12e1.

That featured a reenactment of a medieval fight, but gets complicated when a historian gets killed.

After dinner, I followed that up with "The Lord Of The Dance", s12e6.

Brown's young assistant has become a competitor on a ballroom dance show when an accident befalls a dancer.

More accidents soon occur, as it becomes clear someone's life is in danger.

But in this 'cozy crime caper', the culprit is soon caught, of course!

Time for a change of pace.

Yes, dance pun intended!

"Great Performances" classical series, "Now Hear This", enticed me with "Boccherini: Night Music of the Streets of Madrid".

The synopsis seemed to promise a travelogue along with the tunes of the Italian composer.

Not only did Scott Yoo and his musicians deliver, but they revealed the emotional longing and homesickness that Boccherini had felt in 1780 when he was sent out of Madrid to a smaller town after ticking off King Charles III.

The composer had loved Madrid, the lively Spanish city which he'd called home for more than a decade.

"Musica notturna delle strade di Madrid", Opus 30 No. 6 (G. 324), was his love song for that home.

Having traveled around to Panama and Okinawa for several years, I can relate to that.

Right now, I'd like to be back in Panama, where the temperature hardly ever dipped below 70F. 

Time now to wash soup bowls and pots and warm the bed.

I do believe I'll crash a little earlier than usual.

This day that set a record low temperature of 18F warrants an early end.

no soup pho you!!!

I knew from the moment I read that meme from Sherry Giddens that I would -not- have soup for dinner!

"They banh me pho life."

Hahahaha!

Sounds like something the Soup Nazi would do, doesn't it?

 

After two days of cold, with far too many liquid-based meals, I was done.

As I told Claudia, I want "two crunchy beef tacos, please!"

Yes, I was definitely out on this last Friday of the first month, ready for time with my brothers and friends!

This S&K Friday Fiesta saw both in attendance, as well as both SILs, plus the two Kameron brothers and Betsy.

That's just as well, as we found out Tony had been in the hospital!!!

That was last Saturday and Smitty and I had known nothing about it until Hope mentioned it.

She works the gate at Dutch Island and had just mentioned it to Smitty.

What the fresh Hell???

The good news is: Tony will be alright and he knows now that it's imperative that he keep us in the loop.

In other words, he knows he is loved.

Whew!

When I got home, I wanted something light and fun and knew exactly where to find it: the CW.

"Penn & Teller: Fool Us" was on and the title was "The Domino Effect".

Very cool, I've played dominoes with Christina!

However, this was not like that at all - it was magic!!!

First, have Brooke - woman in the white jumpsuit - select one domino tile from a box full of them, then put it back in the box.

Next, let the Magic Olive - that's the bearded guy in the pimiento cap - get into the huge box.

Then, dump in the box of domino tiles and close the box so the Magic Olive has to find the right one in the dark.

Of course he succeeded, and did so with such aplomb!!!

Yes, even though he was scantily clad in an olive-green T-shirt, that crazy red cap, and a beaming smile!

He truly was a Magic Olive!!! 

The three-person troupe is called Laser Kiwi and they're from New Zealand.

Just absolutely amazing!!!

They succeeded in their quest for a "Fool Us" trophy, too!

I've bookmarked the clip on youTube so I can watch it over and over!!! 

Such a wild and crazy break from the routine!!!

(smile!)

four calling birds!

That was the line that Virginia and I and a silent singer had to sing and pantomime.

Fortunately, I'd seen the People's Youth Choir in action two years ago, so I could coach the others on what to do.

"We just place our hands to imitate a megaphone at our mouth!"

That worked out just fine all nine times that our part came up in "The Twelve Days Of Christmas"! 

The table beside us were tasked with "partridge in a pear tree".

What a cute act they choose for that line!

That was good, as they had to perform for all twelve stanzas.

However, the group that got the most crowd reaction was the table right in front of us.

Here they are, doing the squat of "six geese a-laying"!

It was such a hoot!!!

Bird pun intended! 

I'm so glad that Michelle Meece asked us to do that song for her!

It was a favorite in her family that her dad always led.

Here, she's performing "It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas".

She truly has such a nice voice and a great stlye!

I think she looked like a cross between Cindy Lou Who and an elf for our Sisters In Faith Christmas luncheon party.

Very cute!

Yes, we were all gathered at Asbury Memorial, in Holliday Hall, and I'm sure Miss Virginia was there celebrating with us!

Linda Combs had called out the big guns for this event.

That's Huxsie Scott on that throne!!!

She's been a well-regarded songbird of Savannah for several decades.

She was there to sing "Because It's Christmas", a favorite song of Linda's, and one that I had never heard before.

What a treat!

Speaking of such, there was lots of good food!

There were several different kinds of tea sandwiches, reminding me of Aunt Linda's birthday celebration - good times!

I also enjoyed the sweets - so many different desserts, including that cake with coconut and pecans and dark chocolate chips!

 

I arrived late, due to the noon appointment with Dr. Urban at Savannah VA.

Noon was also the start time of this soiree!

Still, I'd been waiting six months for the eye check, so that had priority...

but I so wanted to go to the party...

and when he heard my dilemma, he let me go!

It helped that I'd not yet had the neurology meeting that he'd wanted me to have before this visit.

All told, I made it to the church while Dottie Klutz was telling a story from her youth in Germany.

Perfect!

I was able to grab a plate of food and the empty seat beside Robin Eifler with no one paying any mind to me!

Hallelujah!!!

Afterward, I helped put away the chairs and tables and decor, as I'd promised to do.

And I ended up with two goodie bags instead of one!

That's because Virginia's bag had a Christmas card in it that started out, incredibly, with "Dear Tina"... so she insisted that I take it and wouldn't take my bag in trade.

Whoever wrote the card didn't sign it, so I have no idea who to thank.

I'll be sure to enjoy the lavender hand soap, given by a secret Santa.

i thank You, God!

perfect inauguration at the starcastle!

That's what I told Vivian Orrel-Ryals, the house manager, during intermission.

That's what I told Kelie Miley, the director, during intermission.

That's what I told Danielle Houston (who had a variety of roles that included Mrs. Mops) after the show.

I meant it, too, every time I said it.

"A Christmas Carol" was the perfect musical to showcase all the talent, regardless of age, of the folks at the Savannah Children's Theatre.

I can only name a few of the actors, as there was no program at the event.

That had to wait until I came home to the computer so I could access the link.

(I made sure to complain about the lack of a printed program. How am I to thank the sponsors if I don't even know who they are? How can I follow the actors in their career if I don't even have their names? Not to mention how wonderful it would have been to have a souvenir of this inaugural event at the new home of SavChTh?) 

That said, I want to applaud Joel Altherr for yet another stunningly well-done portrayal, this time as Ebeneezer Scrooge. 

That's him in the middle of a group of chain-rattling buddies of the ghost of Jacob Marley (also played well by Galen Schneider, as both the young man he had been and the miserable miser he became as a spectre).

Here he is in his top hat and coat, with the indomitable JinHi Soucy Rand and the almost-40 Danielle Houston to his left.

(Her birthday is next Saturday.)

I know the woman in white next to him is Jaden Hathaway, the Ghost of Christmas Future, as well as a blind beggar.

Then, near the end, when 'Scrooge' is dancing around gaily in his nightgown, having just awoken to it being Christmas Day, Joel is superb!

His joy was contagious, as is evident in the faces of the crowd around him!  

I'm so glad I went today.

I got to see Al Williams onstage again, enthusiastically portraying old Fezziwig!

I got to see Jack Webber again, this time as Bob Cratchit, a role much different from the Scarecrow I'd loved!

Kudos to young Braeden Wright who rose to the challenge of Tiny Tim!

(See what I did there? I made a pun from the photo!)

And the set... the set was beautiful.

It easily went from Scrooge's apartment to the cramped home of the Cratchits, from Scrooge's bedroom to the open plaza of town.

Such a versatile design!

And, at the end, there was Christmas Day snow falling on that stage.

What a wonder!

Children in the audience came by and touched it on the stage, perhaps expecting it to be cold.

I'm so glad it could simply be swept up and reused for the next show.

I've had enough of the real thing to last the rest of my life!

(smile!)

I do hope I get the opportunity to see "A Christmas Carol" again, here at the Starcastle - it truly was one of the best musicals I've ever experienced!