My Literary Vacation in Poetic Form, Year 3

This weekend last, to Cedar City our way did wend
With friends Charlie, Jane, Al, and Will to spend.

First Charles Dickens, his Great Expectations to see
All played in musical score, most set in minor key.

Young Pip is poor, with opportunity and learning scant
Until one day when mysteriously his wish was grant:

To become a gentleman, his desires to pursue
Finery and riches, a life different than what he knew.

Miss Havisham is bitter and Estella’s heart is cold.
In truth Pip’s future the convict did control:

A good deed done, a debt and life to compensate.
Pip becomes a better man, his expectations great.

At show’s end all is well, most repentant and ashamed
Of the way they lived their lives; friendship again reclaimed.

39 Steps was the second show we did attend
The goal to discover ‘who done it’ in the end

A night at the theatre, Richard did regret,
As he got involved in a game of deadly roulette:

For he was framed for the pretty spy’s demise,
And then ran to Scotland to find the truth behind the lies.

Madcap and mishaps later, Richard finally cracked the case
Discovering the secret and putting the professor in his place.

Four actors and a comedy, the audience did roar.
This Alfred Hitchcock parody certainly did score.

Of Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen wrote with wit
The characters jab and spar, a romance she does knit.

Five daughters of Mr. Bennett, much accomplished and called fair,
All in want for a husband, rich men their mother hopes to snare.

Two gentlemen soon come to town, Mr. Bingley a delight,
To the contrary, Mr. Darcy finds the country rather trite.

Jane and Bingley are in love, Elizabeth is sure;
Mr. Darcy sends him to London, thinking it a cure.

Mr. Wickham is a cad; he takes Lydia for a ride.
Jane and Bingley reunite, she will be his bride.

Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, each proud and stubborn too,
Find they love each other, despite their different view.

Shakespeare was the last of the writers we did meet
His Much Ado About Nothing was the perfect treat.

In Messina, Claudio his love for Hero does declare,
While Benedict and Beatrice are a contemptuous pair.

They pronounce their much dislike, but all others do insist
That Benedict and Beatrice love, the others’ game persist.

Frivolity and jest do follow, as each love they have denied,
Yet, see that the true feelings of their hearts they cannot hide

Claudio thought Hero proved untrue night of marriage eve,
Her he slayed with slanderous tongue, though he was deceived.

Truth uncovered, Claudio’s remorse, Hero proved not dead,
A happy end for all, with Beatrice and Benedict to wed.

Next season will be historic: they mark the fiftieth year;
To this summer’s shows and plays I give a hearty cheer.

--Me

Click here for "My Literary Vacation in Poetic Form" Year 1 and Year 2.

No Business Like Show Business

I went with my mom, Chelsea, Colette and Jamison to the local junior high school play this last weekend. The school put on a musical review--the same musical review that we put on when I went to school there. The kids did a good job and had good effort, but the result wasn't anything close to the amazing as the production we put out. I mean, the girl who sang the song I sang was wearing black jeans and a graphic t-shirt. Didn't she do any research for her part? The song is from a show about Irishmen, not punks in LA.

The show did bring back good memories of the old days, though. Tiffany's awesome Peter Pan costume, the makeshift dressing room in the choir room, after school rehearsals, playing cards while not on stage, the Lost Boys, the makeup, a costume change in the storage room in the wings, pitch pipes, dance steps, etc. It almost made me want to get up an stage and play along. Almost.

The best part of the show was when 5-year-old Jamison was sitting on my lap. He started laughing, turned to me, and said, "Jill, I just gassed on your lap!" He thought he was pretty hilarious. I did, too. Gassed? Who says that?

Girls Night

Me, Kathy, Stacey, Crystal, Jill, Clary
Utah Festival Opera
August 1, 2009

I love the fact that I have friends who are willing

to drive to Logan just to attend the Opera with me.

It is definitely an acquired taste.

And with our attractive left shoulder blades
and riveting right elbows,
I would say we were looking HOT!

Thanks, girls!

Well, Hello!

Having season tickets to Hale Center Theatre definitely has it's advantages.

1. I get to go to every show.
2. I have really good seats.
3. I see shows I probably wouldn't normally buy a ticket for.
4. I usually get to go with my mom, since she buys the seat next to me.
5. Sometimes I get to take someone else, like my niece.
6. The chairs are cushy.
7. The air conditioner is quite lovely.
8. I love live theatre.
9. Hale Centre Theatre is really, really good.

But mostly, I like having season tickets because

10. I get to see amazing productions such as this:


Of course, I've seen the movie a million times; and yes, I know a whole lot of the words to the songs; but I had never seen it on stage before. This was my first time. And I LOVED it!

All that singing and dancing and music. It just makes you feel good, you know?

The Wizard and I

Let's just say that

WICKED was AMAZING!!

Thanks for the ticket, Jill J.!

I knew I was friends with you for a reason!! :)

Don't Be Jealous...

But I get to go see this

in only 6 more days.

I'm excited.

Bianca and the Boys

Sometimes, I wish my life were more like Bianca's; she has three guys fighting over her. What fun!

Yep. Any Tom, Dick, or Harry would do for me.

Watch it here.

Some girls have all the luck.

My Literary Vacation in Poetic Form

Every year in the summer down south we often go
To sit in the hot sun and breeze and increase our cultural know.

To Tuacahn and Cedar City we often go to view
The likes of Shakespeare and friends; to see a play or two.

At first we went to Cedar. The matinee to see
Was of Cyrano and Roxane, their love a mystery.

“Cyrano de Bergerac”, his name the title too,
With a nose so big and long his girl he would not woo.

An expert swordsman and a poet, his words were all in prose
His enemies were soon subdued if they commented on his nose.

His love he gave through Christian’s name, his love he never told
Until the day that he’d soon die when all were aged and old.

Behold, Roxane’s heart was warmed as she listened to his letter.
And as he died in her arms knew she loved Cyrano the better.

A Shakespearean comedy was the second play we saw,
“Two Gentlemen of Verona”, a laugh it did draw.

Proteus and Valentine, ordered to Milan to learn,
Both fell for the fair lady Sylvia in turn.

Julia loved Proteus; her love for him was true
So to Milan she followed him, quickly she flew.

Disguised as a man she strived their love to mend.
She was victorious, each couple happy in the end.

Next in Tuacahn, in Les Miserable we did find
Prisoner Jean Valjan, a criminal turned kind.

The student revolution in Paris streets did rage
Fighting for equality their lives they did wage.

The tragedy was ended with wedding march and song,
With charity and love discovered, righting all wrong.

With the close of the curtain came the close of day.
The world’s a large stage filled with wonderful plays.