Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Clear Space Productions: Annnie Get Your Gun!

$25 to see Annie Get Your Gun at a high school? I thought my girlfriend had lost her #10 hot pad-thai noodles. In my head I had visions of wonderful performances mixed in with the bad. I assumed this would be really, really bad. But hey, I wanted a night outta Dewey Beach.
The Lewes High School is GORGEOUS!!!! It is a great soaring space that makes you happy to be inside when you know all the kids want is to be outside on the beach! I marveled how this building surpassed nearly all my college campus buildings. I continued to gasp as I entered the auditorium.
I gasped again when the orchestra appeared! Live musicians!!! Oh, and were they ever good when they struck up the opening.
I audibly gasped and sighed again when the lead, Ted Keegan playing Frank Butler, sang his first two lines...... I instantly knew he was an Irving Berlin "specialist".
I nearly whopped out loud for joy: this was gonna be great!!!!
Thus it was: a perfect performance, an Irving Berlin "Love Fest".
Clear Space: is a treasure. Can't wait for 2011's, "Chicago"!

Po' Boys Restaurant and The Milton Theater's "BISS"

Sometimes you just gotta get out of Dewey Beach, stretch those juvenile wings, migrate out and find new flocks of fun.
We were after a night in Milton for dinner and to attend the "Best in Summer Shorts" film fest.
I was so dubious when my friend suggested, "Po'Boys", whose signage does not even include the words "Restaurant" and is located on a tiny strip next to a "dollar store".
As we entered, I wanted to see white tablecloths..... or newspaper covered..... but then I noticed the crazy happy "Mardi Gras" artwork, very cool patrons, and the warm greeting of the owner who looked tired but relaxed and happy.
My nose picked up wonderful smells..... the chalkboard promised local produce and seafood with a twist of elegant N'awlins.
One bite of the blackened scallops with the flash fried spinach made me declare the restaurant as my "New Favorite"!
Then off to Milton we went...... but first I wanted to see Dogfish Head Brewery's new lawn sculpture installation. Cray love at first sight: direct from Burning Man it is the tree-house of my childhood dreams! The juxtaposition of the "tree-house" limbs against the brewery distillation vats is art/craft/art/craft.
The crazy fun continued for the independent artist short films. Although the numbers attending was under ~ 50, the atmosphere was pure "collegial". I was back in college in my favorite film class.
The category that made me laugh until I cried was for the category of 13 to 16 years, a comedy, "The Milton Ferret". It was every and all the classic cartoon bits come to life played out by the human film makers.
Would you believe after the film evening the Milton Theater asked patrons to stay-in for Burton's Alice in Wonderland?!
I skipped the above...... it was time to drive home to Dewey Beach.

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Sarong Time!

Sarong Time! When the Sarong is put into my beach bag, my Swimming Season begins!
I learned the Ways of The Sarong many lifetimes ago in Hawaii, and then in Fiji.
Mine is a ~ 3 yard swath of India Homespun cotton, nearly neon orange and green stripes, circa 1976! It is slightly faded but otherwise in perfect condition despite three decades of hard labor!
My Sarong goes from a beach coverup, and sometimes serves as an emergency umbrella atop my floppy hat, and then becomes my "towel" wrapping me up before and after my outdoor shower.
So this is how it works:
Keep the Sarong in your beach bag. Then once back at home base, hang it on your outdoor shower hook. Take your outdoor shower, then cover up with the Sarong. Inside the house you go do whatever until you finish getting dressed!
Remember to dry out the wet Sarong on your clothesline! Replace into your beach bag!
Towels be gone.
Sarongs Rule!

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Stango Park Concerts & Dewey Beach-ness

Lewes crams more parks into it's small town than possible, then gilds them with Music In the Parks series!
I attended the Navy Jazz Band's, The Commodores at Stango Park. Find it on Savannah Road, located behind the library. If you attend just bring a lawn chair and maybe some bug spray too.
This band played for a happy contented crowd which did respond with appropriate clapping. I was bopping in my seat; I was that surprised by such elegant interpretations. Actually; perfectly mastered and presented. I thought I heard a young Ella Fitzgerald in the young beautiful vocalist!
The sound quality was masterfully produced for the setting, nicely aided by the library as a music shell. I could not remember the last time I attended a music-in-the-park concert, and I was happy as can be. So I was getting a little excited!
At the end I so much wanted an "Encore"...... and so I started the chant "One MORE SONG!!!!"
Indeed the announcer heard me...... and truly there was an encore coming anyway...... but in that moment my Dewey Beach-ness came out for the fun!
I could have yelled an appropriate,"Encore"!
Nah!
You can take the Girl Out of Dewy Beach.... but you can't take Dewey Beach out of The Girl!

xoxo,

Monday, July 12, 2010

Running of the Bull, It's Raining Men and Champagne!

A rainy day for The Starboard's The Running of the Bull: PERFECTION!
And what else was there to do? Attend the Town of Dewey Beach Council Meeting?! I have my priorities!
2010 Running of the Bull drew at least 2,000 revelers and at least 70% were wet to the bone with the rain and drink.
Who knew the event would be "Mandatory Wet Tee-Shirt Contest"!?! The men did and they vastly outnumbered the fairer sex.
I was happy in my bathing suit, my big floppy hat, and under the canopy hanging with the audio-visual guys.
The canopy offered a wonderful carnival effect as every 5 minutes a looped-fool got a torrent of rain-water-bath cascading from the staked edge.
Although Budweiser Beer kindly sponsored the event, "The Bull's Drink of Choice" was J. Roget's Champagne Magnums! Looped-ones explained for the $$ it was more cost effective than more than a handful of beers and it saved time approaching the bar. Ok, so it is a big bottle to carry around. But it was put to great use for, "Spin the Bottle" games!
We all cried for the Star Spangled Banner and then off we went on our Bull & The Beach run!
My favorite moment: when The Bull arrives ( he had a very late night and showed up very late too) to the tune of Wooly Bully!

xoxo,