It's a big tent

Except for (h/t Corner...I bolded all that apply to me)

Celebrate Diversity . . .   [Peter Kirsanow]

except veterans, small-business owners, practicing Catholics, gun owners, talk-radio listeners, tea-party attendees, Texans, smokers, limited-government proponents, pro-lifers, taxpayers, NASCAR fans, Boy Scouts, oil-company employees, secure-border advocates, capitalists, global-warming agnostics, Cuban refugees, school-choicers . . .

My nanny-state note: I do NOT feel bad for smokers. At all. Actually, when I see one I sort of want to go vomit on my shoes, because really, they are killing themselves and making their lungs (and other organs) unusable for others. I know many smokers, and I love them (I mean, come on, I'm in the theater, lots of smokers), but come on! 

UPDATE: Upon re-reading that I realized it didn't make a lot of sense. So let's just say this--hate the smoke, lover the smokers. But the habit still really makes me want to shake people and whack them upside the head. 

Seven Quick Takes Friday

--1--
Home for day two of plague, or whatever this is. Lungs are fine, probably just a virus or something. I think after a good, sunny weekend here (and Scali's food) I'll be fine.

--2--
One of my bestest friends, Liz, sent me this book for my birthday. I received it yesterday via UPS, and I am addicted. The trilogy is set in Sweden, in the Middle Ages, and follows Kristin, the title character, from her birth to death. It's absolutely enthralling. Liz wrote on the card that it's one of her favorite books, and I can see why. It took a lot of will power to get away from it and come write this. Trust me. Sure, Kristin can be a bit of an idiot at times (especially in book one, "The Wreath") but it's just absorbing. If you're taking a long flight or a trip this summer, bring this book. I guarantee you, you will be absorbed and entertained. These characters LIVE with you, they get into your soul. It's awesome. (And there's a MOVIE! Of course it's about $100 on Amazon. But I love the fact that it exists.)

--3--
Watched Slumdog Millionaire yesterday. I also got this for my birthday but I was slow in watching all my movies, so I finally got around to it. Very good. Not sure if I liked it as much as "The Reader". They are so vastly different. I did love Dev Patel's work. The captioning of the Hindi drove me nuts--it wasn't on the bottom of the screen, it was all over the place, and it was in color, which made it really hard to read against the screen. So not so much there. If you don't know how it ends, then it's thrilling. Even if you do know how it ends, the last few scenes between Jamal and Latita are so well done, it's very uplifting.
Bonus: This movie made me want to read The Three Musketeers.

--4--
Prayer request: Please pray for one of my friends, whom I've known since high school, who was just diagnosed with MS. He was received into the church on Easter Sunday, too. He's a great guy, and prayers would be most welcome.
Yesterday, when I first heard about this, I was thinking that we are on opposite sides of the illness spectrum. He is learning that his body can, at any time, betray him. Symtoms, quirks, all that has to be monitored and watched. I, after years of this, am trying to learn to disable that alarm, so that I can realize that, yes, I can get 'just a cold' and the world will not end.
Both of these are hard lessons to learn. Both go against the inherent thinking of your mind.

--5--
Spring has arrived (again?) in Ohio. The daffodils and tulips are blooming, and some of the trees even have all their leaves. It's beautiful.

--6--
Music: Been listening to lots of random things lately. Verdi's "Requiem" (nothing like that last movement, nothing); the "Set Your Life to Music" reading CDs of Bach, Beethoven and Brahms (the Brahms just ended a few minutes ago); mix CDs in my car. Spring brings out the music in me.

--7--
Making plans for my annual summer vacay--this time to Houston, to visit Diane, her husband Matt, and their new baby girl Susan. But I am also going to try to get to NYC in October. The Met is doing "Aida" and Renee Fleming is performing in Strauss' "Der Rosenklavier", one of her big roles. I might spend a whole weekend in NYC seeing opera. The met actually sells tickets that way--you can buy a "three opera package", where basically that's all you do for five days. You see opera. I would love that. Especially Renee. And I've never been to NYC in the fall. I bet Central Park is just gorgeous in October.

The sun is shining

For the first time all week, and where am I?
at home.
Yup.
So the cold I got at the beginning of March is still here, and back for Round Two--throat is killing me, nose running like a fire hydrant, and sleep very high atop my list.
But I feel like I have to exercise my brain somehow, so here we are. A few randoms for your Thursday AM.

1) Books: Read A Little Bit Wicked--Kristin Chenoweth's autobiography--twice since I got it on Tuesday. What a wonderful actress and funny as all get out. If you haven't seen Pushing Daisies (such a wonderful show--boooo on ABC for cancelling it!), go out and get the first season on DVD post haste. Also read The Loved One, by Evelyn Waugh, a very funny novella about a man who works in a pet cemetery in LA and falls in love with a cosmetician at the fancy human burial ground nearby, where everyone is called The Loved One. Very, very funny, if a bit on the dark humor side. I got this for my birthday, along with Scoop, which I am reading now.

2) Market Days are back! I made my first trip of the year to the North Market, where I bought a pound of ground lamb and a pint of Jeni's Salty Caramel ice cream (my throat--and the rest of me--really likes that). The meat counter I found is run by a wonderful family who seems to have everything at their counter, and they were even butchering while I was there! I will be using the ground lamb in Nigella's Rapid Ragu recipe from Nigella Express. I love ground lamb, and now I have a place where I can get not only that, but every other kind of lamb incarnation. Yay!

3) Movies: Watched The Reader, and really liked it. Ralph Fiennes is extraordinary. I don't know if it's Kate Winslet's best performance, but she had to win the Oscar sometime so here we are. Personally, I loved her in Little Children, Finding Neverland, etc. Perhaps on further viewing I'll like this one the best. Also watched Doubt (whew what a movie! with a few theological errors) and Quantum of Solace. Bond movies are really confusing without the captioning, so I'm always excited when it comes out on DVD and I can watch them and understand, as opposed to watching it in the theater and thinking, hmmm. Why is Fields covered in oil and spread out on the bed?

So that about sums up life lately. Thrilling, eh?
Back to bed. Willing the body to cooperate. I guess it knows I have no shows right now so it can misbehave. I say NO to that!

Simple Woman's Daybook--April 13,2009

The Simple Woman's Daybook
For MONDAY, April 13, 2009

Outside my window...
Raining and a bit chilly!

I am thinking...
that dinner was good.

I am thankful for...
my faith.

From the kitchen...
TJ's steak tips with Stonewall kitchen steak sauce.

To live the liturgy...
Bible, rosary, Magnificat,

I am wearing...
jeans, blue Boden sweater with green edging around the collar.

I am creating...
writing daily in my journal

I am going to breathe deeply ...
and enjoy spring.

Bringing beauty to my home ...
The usual--vacuuming, cleaning off the kitchen table, putting more water in my rose vase.

I am going...
to watch movies and read , since it's raining here.

I am reading...
God's Fool (about St. Francis of Assisi); Habits of Being (Flannery O'Connor's letters); The Loved One and Scoop by Evelyn Waugh.

I am hoping...
for a grace-filled Easter season.


I am hearing...
one of my iPod mix CDs

Around the house...
Balancing checkbook, organizing Parish Council minutes.

One of my favorite things...
writing, the sweater I'm wearing.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:
Thursday: Ballet class
Friday: Lunch w/ dad
Saturday: Birthday dinner w/ friends at Scali's

A Picture Thought I am Sharing:


My new hair cut. :) With Bryan at Buca Di Beppo after Easter Mass yesterday.

Happy birthday to...ME!

It's my birthday!
I am 27 years old.
I am so happy to be 27. I love getting older, and being healthy!
If I hadn't gotten my transplant, I wouldn't have seen 24.
Thank you, Suzanne, for giving me this wonderful birthday.

Audition for Peter Pan

So, another day...another audition. This time for Columbus Children's Theater's Peter Pan.

I like this show--I used to watch the old TV special on tape, and, surprisingly, remember a number of songs. But with there being 3, more likely 2, roles that I fit (physically, that is), I did it as sort of a lark, or audition practice.

Got there early, of course (first one!). Filled out the normal info sheet, attached my resume and headshot and went to sit in the theater. This show is being performed at the Southern Theater downtown and not at the CCT's Park Street theater, where we had auditions.

I was singing "Storybook" (again). I am almost ready to premier "The Gentleman Is A Dope" from Allegro, but I'll probably save that for the summer. I have never not gotten cast when I've done this song.

So the place starts to fill--there were probably about 70 auditioners, from ages 5 to 60. (Probably). So you basically had three sets of people--kids (under 18), adult men and adult women. I really only had to worry about the adult women, because CCT divides the roles into adults and kids, and then into gender (although some of the roles in Peter Pan are non gender specific, like nana, pirates, indians, etc. ).

Lots of Parade folk--LaRon, both Aarons (And Aaron L. didn't even tell me!), Amber, and Michelle (Lizzie). Michelle actually sang part of "The Picture Show." Aaron L. did a song from Oliver! and Amber did "Before I Gaze At You Again" from Camelot. And, very fun, Bethany from J&H was there with her daughter, Rachel. Rachel sang "You're Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile" and Bethany did "A Cockeyed Optimist" from South Pacific.

The director, choreographer and stage manager were all very nice, very professional. We had an excellent accompanist, although you got 12-16 bars and then he stopped! So I marked my music accordingly and didn't have an abrupt cut-off, like some people did.

I thought it went well. The theater has some interesting sound dynamics. A little girl told me that she liked my song. It is definitely more fun auditioning with kids, because they don't get so competitive and uptight, even with each other.

After we all sang, we had dance auditions. I was in the first group and we learned a simple combination. After learning it en masse, we performed it for the choreographer and director twice in small groups (Of about 6). I didn't stop or fall down, so that's successful for me. Really, though, I think I did OK.

The director shocked us by saying he would call by 11 TONIGHT and let us know who is going to be called back. Call backs are tomorrow. Cast up Thursday, first rehearsal Friday night. Whew.

So we'll see. It was a fun time and I enjoyed it.

Congrats!

Jaime is coach of the year!!!!

The Simple Woman's Daybook--April 6, 2009

The Simple Woman's Daybook
For MONDAY, April 6, 2009

Outside my window...
Raining. But that's OK. Not too cold.

I am thinking...
that it's going to be an excellent week.

I am thankful for...
my faith.

From the kitchen...
Soup for dinner; Wahoo Chili dip from tastefully simple.

To live the liturgy...
Bible, rosary, Magnificat, and Lent and Easter with JPII

I am wearing...
blue cashmere sweather; ivory lace camisole under it; black and brown checked pants; my Miraculous medal

I am creating...
a new short story, we'll see how it goes. I will put part of it up at Clusters.

I am going to breathe deeply ...
and enjoy this week.

Bringing beauty to my home ...
Total closet purge yesterday. Yes!

I am going...
to prepare for the triduum and Easter.

I am reading...
God's Fool (about St. Francis of Assisi); Habits of Being (Flannery O'Connor's letters); and just finished The English Patient yesterday. Also read A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson last week.

I am hoping...
for a great birthday! (on Thursday)


I am hearing...
the 1997 Jesus Christ Superstar soundtrack

Around the house...
Catching up on mail.

One of my favorite things...
writing, the sweater I'm wearing.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:
Tonight: Parish council
Tuesday: Peter Pan audition at Columbus Children's Theater
Wednesday: Tenebrae service
Thursday: MY BIRTHDAY!; Holy Thursday Mass
Friday: Good Friday
Saturday: hair cut
Sunday: Easter!!

A Picture Thought I am Sharing:

These are the dogs I just finished watching over the weekend with their "mommy", Karen. Not sure in this photo which dog is which...

CF folks in Ireland, part II

More on the wonders of Universal Health Care!
A salient point: (emphases mine)

Cystic fibrosis sufferers again left in the queue
Sunday, April 05, 2009 By Aileen O’Meara
Last week began with another row in the health services which had a familiar theme: should the private sector provide public health services?

This row centred on the issue of long-awaited and necessary facilities for people with cystic fibrosis (CF). The cash-strapped Health Service Executive (HSE) confirmed that it would not have the resources until 2011 ‘‘at the earliest’’ to build the promised special unit for CF sufferers at St Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin.

This is a year later than promised after an intense media campaign in January last year, when CF sufferers - led by Orla Tinsley - highlighted the scandalous conditions for cystic fibrosis sufferers in hospitals which lack isolated single rooms to prevent suffers picking up infections. (you must, must, must have single rooms for CF suffers. Without it, you are just compounding the problem. CF patients can spread a bacteria called b.cepacia, that is highly dangerous and only dangerous to the CF population. That's why CF kids can't play together anymore, or have camps, without wearing masks and being in a large space. The fact that they do not have this most basic resource is absolutely appalling.) That campaign led to the promise of a 30-bed unit in a new 120-bed hospital in the grounds of St Vincent’s. (Here at Children's, we have entire CF floors. And not only that, the new hospital will have only private rooms.)

Replying to complaints, health minister Mary Harney told journalists last week that the state would have to look at the possibility of private sector investment to build the unit.

Her pragmatic response was criticised from the Labour Party and Sinn Féin, in particular, on the funding issue. ‘‘The public health service is not the responsibility of the private sector. If minister Harney insists on peddling this defunct PD ideology at the expense of people’s lives, then she should go,” said Jan O’Sullivan of Labour. Wait, EXCUSE ME? You are the ones who are pushing ideology at the expense of lives! Sheesh! CF patients need private rooms. it's not a vanity thing. It's necessary.

Sinn Féin’s Caoimhghín O’ Caoláin said the minister’s suggestion ‘‘added insult to injury’’, adding that this was ‘‘a recipe for further delay’’, and was the minister’s knee-jerk response to every problem in the health service.

The row about the CF unit in St Vincent’s encapsulates many of the elements of the dilemma facing the government, the Department of Health and the HSE, with the abrupt end to the economic boom.

OK so here's the deal--Children's can expand to meet its needs, like, oh, setting up a lung transplant program-- because the private sector can donate funding. It's now called "Nationwide Children's Hospital" because the insurance giant donated millions of dollars to the hospital. Every year, Children's has a telethon to raise money for the hospital (I was a part of it in 2006). They take donations of money, toys, books, etc. for patients and their families. Local companies donate hundreds of thousands--sometimes even millions of dollars--to the hospital. This enable them to provide top-notch care and save thousands of lives.

In the hallway linking the outpatient care unit and the education building, there are many plaques listing the names of donors, in amounts ranging from $500,000+ to $1,000. Some of these are families, individuals, small businesses, and huge corporations.

Yes, the hospital also gets money from the state, and just received federal stimulus money. But the hospital would, in no way, shape or form, be able to provide the care it does WITHOUT private donors.

Lovely.

Masters of Dark Arts cast a bitter spell

We can fix this country if we insist on fairness, logic and an equality of opportunity for all, writes Gene Kerrigan

By Gene Kerrigan

Sunday April 05 2009

The market is back for what used to be called "white mince". It was a staple food for a lot of people in the bad old days of the 1980s.

It's not really white, more like pale pink. The mince on the top shelf of my local supermarket is the "healthy option", guaranteed not more than five per cent fat. On the bottom shelf, the low-priced "white mince" is guaranteed not more than 28 per cent fat.

For those who can't afford even that, there are the food queues. All across the country, people struggle desperately to hang onto their jobs, their homes, their lives. Next Tuesday, having already decided to deprive Cystic Fibrosis patients of life-prolonging treatment units, the Government will announce new ways to help us "share the pain".

Meanwhile, one banker turned down a top job because it pays a mere €360,000. He knows he won't go short -- there are lots of high-paying positions at certain levels. And RTE announces that bank bosses want to "renegotiate" the cap on salaries -- they're upset that the top money is €690,000, the poor darlings.

There's a pretence that certain people are worth big money, because they alone are Masters of the Dark Arts of Finance -- they include bankers, brokers, consultants and economists. It doesn't matter that bankers and their wealthy clients and their favourite politicians engineered the meltdown of the economy. Despite their record, they remain Masters of the Dark Arts. In devising strategies for fixing the economy, the Government listens to them.

How good are they? The Master we've picked is not a banker, but one of those celebrity economists who never stops publicly demanding this or that measure. Jim Power, Chief Economist with Friends First. Let's look at his record.

Jim was once worried by the credit bubble. In 2004, he described bank practices as "nutty". He warned, "When things go wrong they go very wrong". In March 2006, he warned that "a significant correction to house prices would . . . undermine the overall economy". Which is what happened.

"An economy cannot grow on the basis of the public sector and the housing market indefinitely," Jim said.

He called on policy makers to "focus on nurturing an indigenous and sustainable economic base".

This was sensible. Jim is a smart guy.

By February 2007 he was more optimistic. "Nothing in the overall data" suggested a hard landing. At a round-table discussion he suggested that the Regulator might take "a more flexible approach to stress testing" for loans. Odd advice, given that the regulator was not so much flexible as limp as a wet noodle.

The following month Jim was sure there was no bubble. "The market looks set to remain solidly based. Beyond 2007, house price inflation should settle down to levels broadly consistent with general inflation out to the end of the decade."

A "soft landing" was in sight. "The fundamental demand in the marketplace is still strong and is not about to disappear,'' he said in April 2007, as the fundamental demand was about to disappear.

It was about the time of Richard Curran's TV programme warning of economic dangers. "There is currently an inordinate amount of negativity permeating Irish economic debate," Master Jim told the Heineken Ireland Open Forum, in Cork.

A report said he warned against the "merchants of doom" who were risking the country's future prospects. Merchants of doom, huh? Remember that phrase.

In January 2008, "After more than a decade of uninterrupted growth, the Irish housing market finally came a cropper in 2007". Another four months and Jim mused that, "2008 is certainly turning out to be a challenging year".

Back in June 2007 he knew that a slowdown "should not be of sufficient scale to seriously undermine the overall economy". By November 2008: "I reckon the majority of first-time buyers who bought into the market over the last three years are in negative equity". (These, of course, would be the people who ignored the "merchants of doom".)

By January 2009 Master Jim was denouncing those who demanded we all "talk up the economy". He complained: "One is now fearful about saying anything negative in case one gets vilified or accused of being a . . ."

And here the average Soapbox reader surely knows what's coming. ". . . merchant of doom". Master Jim, in short, was worried about being denounced by . . . well, presumably by Master Jim.

The government, Jim complained, "only took advice from people who told them what they wanted to hear and they never listened to anyone who was criticising them".

To which we can only say, Duh.

We must emphasise that there's nothing spectacularly unique about Master Jim. He is representative of that whole class of Masters of the Dark Arts who spent most of the past decade talking through their arses.

In fact, Master Jim at least spotted the dangers, around 2004 -- which many of them never did.

Today, it's the Masters of the Dark Arts who are directing the debate on the emergency Budget, on the solution to the banking crisis, and on how we should "share the pain".

Like the rest, Master Jim is all for "wage restraint, major cuts in public spending . . . a proper financial regulatory framework". (One, perhaps, that's not so "flexible".)

Last week the Irish Times reported that he wants the Government to consider a cut in the minimum wage, because it's a "major source of lack of competitiveness".

This is the same Master of the Dark Arts who last July rejected a cut in the minimum wage, as scraping the bottom of the barrel.

This country is broken. If and when and how it gets fixed will determine how we live and how many are forced to leave the country. It will determine how many of us will die prematurely on hospital waiting lists.

The hills are alive with media airheads insisting that we not "point the finger" or "play the blame game", that we must listen to the Masters of the Dark Arts as they prescribe the amount of pain we all must bear.

The vast majority of us didn't gamble and didn't party or borrow more than we could afford. The vast majority of us worked and paid our taxes conscientiously.

Now, the Government has drawn up measures that will shred our lives -- this in a country where there are Masters of the Dark Arts who turn down jobs because €360,000 isn't enough, where €700,000 is deprivation.

The Government is struggling. They see their job not as looking at the broken pieces and putting them together in the most logical way. For instance, nationalise the major banks, throw out the clowns who run them, let outfits like Anglo die.

Instead, they seek to restore things exactly as they were -- to maintain the old relationships, the status of the Great Ones. And, above all, to maintain the ratio of earnings between the Great Ones and the rest of us. To do otherwise is to breach a sacred tenet of the Dark Arts.

We can fix this country, if we insist on equality of opportunity, equality of democracy, if we insist on fairness and logic. If we stop genuflecting to the semi-religious economic prescriptions put out by people whose record doesn't -- to say the least -- inspire confidence.

And, the next media airhead who tells me that we must all "share the pain", that some must go jobless and hungry while others continue their obscene spending, is going to get their face rubbed in a plate of white mince.

- Gene Kerrigan

So, yeah, all our health care problems will be solved if--when!--we go to government health care.

Right.

You want difficulty? I'll give you difficulty!

Treating patients with multiple conditions proves difficult

One of my favorite authors

Gives an interview.

Living it up

In German Village, one of the more posh sections of central Ohio.
Karen (my t/x nurse) is out of town with her husband and adorable child--they went to Baltimore for a wedding. So I am watching the dogs and staying in their house.
It is great--built in the 1900s, and only 1/2 mile from the Book Loft, one of my favorite independent bookstores.
The dogs are also very cute and low-maitenance. Whew.

Watch this

It's Lent, so you know what that means....go watch this.

Awesome

This is pretty awesome--some black humor, for sure--but great, for any CF families in your life (or, um, for you....because if you read this blog, you know CF sucks, and it needs to be eliminated, right?)
I particularly enjoy the handicapped parking sticker that says "I've earned this."

And now, for something completely different

behold

Elite Eight and out

Well, thanks team for a great year. And, of course, to Coach Jamie.
We knocked down one door this year....more to go!
Nova in the final.

Pray for our bishop

He's having part of his leg amputated due to bone cancer and infection.

I thought I was more Kelly...

You Are Olive Green

You are the most real of all the green shades. You're always true to yourself. For you, authenticity and honesty are very important... both in others and yourself. You are grounded and secure. It takes a lot to shake you. People see you as dependable, probably the most dependable person they know.

What Color Green Are You?

Huh

You Are The Brain

You're the type of person who's always on, always churning. You are alert and quick to react. You like to stay busy. You are responsible but also demanding. You take up a lot of energy. You are someone of deep mystery. There's a lot below the surface that's hard to figure out.

What Internal Organ Are You?

Testing, testing: Sprinkles Cupcake Mixes

I love cupcakes.
Actually, I take that back. I like anything sweet and cake-like.
Normally I make cupcakes from scratch. Heck, I normally make all my things from scratch, or severely doctored-up.
So last weekend, when I was throwing a get-together at my apartment, I broke a rule.
I bought mixes.
But not just any mixes--Sprinkles Cupcake Mixes.
I had wanted to get Vanilla and chocolate. Sadly--no Chocolate. So I got Vanilla and Red Velvet.
I brought them home, with about 5 hours until party time.
I decided to make the Red Velvet first. Not sure why, just did.
Opened the canister. Inside is the mix, instructions for cupcakes and frosting, and the 'dots', which are Sprinkle's trademark decoration.
I removed all ingredients from fridge, then realized I needed cream cheese for the frosting. Didn't have cream cheese. Ergo, no frosting. Oh well. Frosting is a pain to make anyway.
So, got out the ingredients. Room temperature needed to be obtained for the milk, eggs and butter. (These use at least one stick of butter for every mix.)
So, whilst these were warming, I opened the packet, dumped it into my Kitchenaid mixer bowl, and added the vinegar (I guess needed to active food coloring, or something.)
Whoops. Read the instructions. Apparently was supposed to add butter first. Well, darn. Can't just scoop it out now--the vinegar's in there, turning the mix nice and red.
Plan B: Just add everything all at once, mix it up, and bake. If awful, we have Vanilla back-up, plus other dessert makings in the apartment. We'll try it.
So I dump in eggs, milk, butter (all at room temp). Mix. Mixer sounds like it's going to spontaneously combust, but mixes. I get a nice, thick, very blood-red batter.
Place batter into silicone-lined cupcake tins. While doing this, you will get red batter everywhere. On the counter, on your shirt, on your arms, on your face. And in the tins. You'll look like you're "bleedin' to death", in the words of Steel Magnolias.
Bake.
Twenty minutes later....
They are beautiful. They are perfectly shaped little cake domes, in pastel liners.
Remove pan. Cool.
Eat.
Oh. Heaven on a plate. Red velvet with chocolate undertones....just divine. Moist, wonderful, divine cupcakes! (See! I don't need to follow instructions!)
With the vanilla, I do follow the instructions. Find that every mix has slightly different instructions and ingredients. OK. Remove butter, eggs, milk needed for vanilla.
While the red velvet batter was dense, this batter is like a quasi-meringue. It's very airy, like wet cotton candy (if you can imagine that). It has a very light consistency. Spoon into another cupcake tray. Bake again.
These, instead of being perfectly shaped, overflow the liners. They are huge. Some of them are mushroom-cloud looking. I do not ice these. They taste lovely (if a bit sweet), but they are HUGE.
Red velvet is my favorite, of these two.

Today's experiment: Dark Chocolate and Red Velvet.
Dark Chocolate (above) just came out of the oven. Yet to taste. This batter was more like pudding. Scooped into tins very well (if you use a spatula and spoon combo, it works very well). But, again, overflowed. Not sure if this is me overfilling or if the batter is just, well, overbearing. But I don't object to big chocolate desserts. So I'm OK with this.
Time needed: like a half hour. No mix I have tried yet takes more than 20-25 minutes to bake. Mixing is very simple and takes perhaps 5-6 minutes, depending on if you're using a stand mixer or a hand beater. In about 45 minutes you have finished cupcakes (without frosting).

HTP BABY!!!

PITT! PITT! PITT! PITT

That is all I have to say.

Amazing Grace

Or, Confession--up over at CPG.

CPG updates

Notre Dame, Pro Life facebookers, etc. at CPG.

Simple Woman's Daybook--March 23, 2009

The Simple Woman's Daybook
For MONDAY, March 123, 2009

Outside my window...
It's dark now, but it was a lovely spring day today. The flowers are blooming!

I am thinking...
that the apartment looks pretty good!

I am thankful for...
my family; a good transplant clinic today!

From the kitchen...
reading Betty Crocker's red cookbook. Made Sprinkles Red Velvet and Vanilla cupcakes over the weekend.

To live the liturgy...
Bible, rosary, Magnificat, and Lent and Easter with JPII

I am wearing...
A raspberry-colored camisole (for bed)

I am creating...
a photo website: http://japhotos.shutterfly.com

I am going to breathe deeply ...
and enjoy the spring.

Bringing beauty to my home ...
It's CLEAN! (well, except for the bedroom)

I am going...
to enjoy the rest of Lent, and prepare for Easter.

I am reading...
Just finished Team of Rivals; onto Redicovering Catholicism, and a bit of the Pillow Book.

I am hoping...
for a good week


I am hearing...
"How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days" soundtrack

Around the house...
Washing the wine glasses from the party on Sat.

One of my favorite things...
my Parade photos.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:
Thursday: Lunch w/ Dad
Friday: Dinner with Tiff

A Picture Thought I am Sharing:

The boys give their Parade review after opening night. L-R: Gary, Bill, Branden and Tom.

New site--just for pictures

A new photo site, with all my brilliant photography (ha ha) is here.
There will be a permanent link in the sidebar, under the (new) tab "my sites".
Come visit!

Spring has sprung

Is it beautiful where you are? I hope so, because it's beautiful here! The crocus have started to bloom, and the daffodils shouldn't be far behind! Even the grass is starting to turn green again.

In other news....

Great homily at Mass today. Normally I can't understand the speaker so I tune out. But today I could hear everything, and it was good!

Pitt on at 2:50. HTP!!!!

Reading Team of Rivals. Finally at Lincoln's inauguration. This book is good for so many things--Ohio political history, history of the Republican party, the Lincoln-Douglas debates...just fascinating.

To watch: Die Walkure, and......

Twilight. :)

Yeah, you knew that was coming.

"A real actress"

I just got my check from the JCC. On the invoice it says "ACTOR--PARADE".
It might only be $30, but I think I can now consider myself a professional.

Tonight's dinner

Is this.
I love carbonara.
My love affair with it began on New Year's Eve, 2003, in New York City. I had gone with a group of college friends to NYC to celebrate the New Year--something everyone should do once, and at about $70 a person, how could I pass it up?
Seven people were sharing one NYC hotel room designed for maybe four. The bathroom was the size of a small coat closet. Richelle and I shared one bed, with the rest of the gang (all boys, except Richelle's sister Laura) taking the floor and the other bed. (Getting guys to share a bed is like brokering Middle East peace.)
We only had one full day in New York, and we were all spending it differently. Richelle and I had taken a "shop 'til we drop" approach, with cab rides and a trip to Bergdorf's, Tiffany's, Saks, and the couture shops along Madion Avenue. We also visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art's gift shop, St. Pat's, and the American Girl Store.
For lunch that day, we went back to the hotel to drop off some of our packages and regroup. Our hotel had a neat little restaurant on the first floor--dark carpet, ivory curtains that overlooked the street (we were right across from Madison Square Garden). Richelle ordered a mushroom plate, adorned with heavy, luxurious portobello slices. I ordered carbonara.
It was sublime. Just perfect for a cold NYC day. The delicate balance of cream, egg, and pancetta played brilliantly against the silky pasta. I had tried carbonara at home, but this was the way it should be done.
I was hooked. Ever since then, I have made it one of my goals to cook as many carbonara recipes as possible, in an attempt to find my favorite.
Tonight's comes from my copy of Nigella's How To Eat.

REVIEW: Tonight's was equally sublime. Very fast, once you get the pasta in the water (waiting for the water to boil takes the longest). No cream, either, in her recipe, which may make it slightly more healthy (although you do use one egg yolk and one whole egg). The idea of her recipe is that you should have all these things on hand.

"End of Show"

We gave our last performance of Parade yesterday. I can't believe that, having done this show all year (with the casting info being sent out shortly after Christmas) that it's all over! But I learned so much doing this show, and there are many things I will miss, in particular:

• Standing in the wings with Aaron, watching Jay sing "The Old Red Hills of Home"
• Skipping out onto the stage.
• Waving my Confederate flag at the governor's float
• Being dragged around the stage by Drew during "Big News!"
• Singing at Mary's grave (very cathartic)
• The Factory Girls and Jon's dance
• "That's What He Said"!
• the gloves I wore for the governor's tea dance
• watching Jon dance in his cell during "This Is Not Over Yet."
• The end of "Where Will You Stand?", when we went to the front of the stage and the footlights came up.
• The hanging and sh'ma
• The Finale
• And...Jay's sippy cup.
  

The Simple Woman's Daybook--March 16, 2009

The Simple Woman's Daybook
For MONDAY, March 16, 2009

Outside my window...
It's dark now, but it was a lovely spring day today.

I am thinking...
that there's some tidying up to do!

I am thankful for...
Parade.

From the kitchen...
I'm going through Nigella Lawson's cookbooks to find ideas. A Victoria Sponge Cake is definitely on there.

To live the liturgy...
Bible, rosary, Magnificat, and Lent and Easter with JPII

I am wearing...
A raspberry-colored camisole (for bed)

I am creating...
updating my journal, which has been neglected!

I am going to breathe deeply ...
and enjoy the wonderful weather.

Bringing beauty to my home ...
flowers are everywhere! (still!)

I am going...
to be thankful for the great experiences I have had.

I am reading...
The Iliad; Team of Rivals; The Pillow Book (early Japanese lit); The Two Towers

I am hoping...
for another show soon!

I am hearing...
"How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days" soundtrack

Around the house...
Weekly Home blessing hour

One of my favorite things...
my Tiffany-blue pencils that are here on my desk.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:
Tomorrow: Port access (argh!)
Wednesday: Stations of the Cross at church, lunch w/ Dad
Friday: Nordstrom make up class
Saturday: My friend Anna's senior piano recital; GAME NIGHT!!

A Picture Thought I am Sharing:

Spring is coming! Spring is coming!

CPG post

And one I could use some help with--- here.

Updated fan Club Roster

UPDATED: 3/15/09
The complete roster, thus far: (italic are people who came to J&H as well)

1. Mom and Dad (came twice)
   
2. Tiff and Bill
3. Mr. and Mrs. Dulmage
4. Gary and Amanda
5. Tom and Andrea
6. Branden
7. Suellen
8. Steve and Sal
9. Rita
10. Beth
11. Erica C. (work)
12. Kurt
13. Robin and Ken (and Robin's mom)
14. Jodi L.
    
15. Jodi B.
    
16. Abby
17. Bethany
18. Grandma and Pa
19. Missy and Sarah R.
    
20. My dentist and her husband. :)
    
21. Matt M.
22. Matt P.
    
23. Tim
    
24. Aaron
    
25. Maggie
26. Liz
27. Lisa
28. Bret
    
29. Brittney
30. Christine (Matt M. to Christine are all work people)
31. Amy L from J&H
32. Chris R. (from J&H)
33. Mindy (from J&H)
34. Brooke (from J&H-Emma) and her mom
35. My brother :)
    

Thanks to EVERYONE!!!

Last chance!

To see Parade--today at 2:30!!
If you live in the area and haven't been out, come see it! It is a wonderful show and you don't want to miss it!
I can't believe today is the last performance. After being involved with this show for 3 1/2 months now....it's over? Not cool.

Bookshelf: Handle With Care

This probably sums it up--me chatting with the author!

Columbus, Ohio: Hi Jodi! I wanted to say "Thank you" for writing such wonderful novels, but especially this latest one (I read it in one sitting!) and "My Sister's Keeper." I had cystic fibrosis (I had a double lung transplant in '05) and it is so wonderful to read books that speak to MY experience, and that of my families. Knowing that so many people read your books means, to me, that many more people will really understand my life. And, like Willow, I -love- my life! Thank you so much for making that clear in Handle With Care.

Jodi Picoult: Thank you SO much for saying that! I really wanted this book to leave people understanding that you can't be defined by a disability. You sound like you're living proof.

I loved Handle With Care. It is in the top three of Jodi P. books, the other two being My Sister's Kepper and Second Glance. The story revolves around the O'Keefe family--Charlotte, Sean (a police sergeant), Amelia, and Willow. Willow was diagnosed in utero with Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI), "brittle bone" disease, which causes her bones to break at the slightest provocation. Charlotte discovers that she can bring a wrongful birth lawsuit against her OB, saying that if she had known about Willow's condition, she would have aborted her. But the OB is also Charlotte's best friend. Charlotte doesn't really wish she hadn't had Willow, but the family needs the money for Willow's care. So--how do you tell a child you wish she'd never been born? HOw do you turn on your best friend?

Throughout the novel, all the characters (including Piper, the OB) are beautifully developed and given their own chapters, where they speak from their Point of View to Willow (who is you). The entire book is written in second person.

As with most of her books, the ending will leave you breathless. Definitely read this one.

IT's Mandy aty the Copacabana!!!

Here , raising money for CF research!
(admission: I like Barry Manilow).

New CPG post: Lenten Quick Takes

Up here.

The Simple Woman's Daybook--March 9, 2009

The Simple Woman's Daybook
For MONDAY, February 23, 2009

Outside my window...
It's a beautiful sunshiny day! Clear skies.

I am thinking...
there's a lot to do.

I am thankful for...
A Parade night off.

From the kitchen...
taco soup for dinner, as part of the Eating Down The Pantry Challenge.

To live the liturgy...
Bible, rosary, Magnificat, and Lent and Easter with JPII

I am wearing...
A cream-colored camisole, a v-neck cardigan (blue) and a print skirt.

I am creating...
neatness.

I am going to breathe deeply ...
and enjoy the wonderful weather.

Bringing beauty to my home ...
flowers are everywhere!

I am going...
to be happy.

I am reading...
The Iliad; Team of Rivals; The Pillow Book (early Japanese lit)

I am hoping...
for great crowds at Parade this week

I am hearing...
one of my mix CDs

Around the house...
Weekly Home blessing hour

One of my favorite things...
performing a fantastic show

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week:
Thursday: Show! 7:30
Friday: Alice in Wonderland
Saturday: Show!
Sunday: The last show! Tear!!!

A Picture Thought I am Sharing:
(In case you didn't see it below...)

From Act I-- "The Trial: The Factory Girls" from left: Me, Abby (Iola) and Vera (Monteen).

Parade in action

"The Trial: The Factory Girls"

"How Can I Call This Home?"

"There Is A Fountain/It Don't Make Sense"

"Finale"

"Come Up To My Office"

Credit: Jason Banks, our awesome lighting designer.

7 Quick Takes--The Parade Edition

I.

The Fan club roster: Tiffany and Bill; Mr. and Mrs. Dulmage; Gary and Amanda; Tom and Andrea; Branden; Suellen; Mom and Dad; my grandparents; Rita; Beth; My dentist and her husband (her daughter is Mary in our show); Erica (from work--unwittingly!); Amy L. Tomorrow I've got Missy, Katie and Sarah, and a bunch of Hilliard people!

II.
We were WIRED tonight. Not sure what was going on.

III.
So was the audience (almost as big as last week). They clapped at EVERYTHING. Rachel, our costume designer, was in the audience and afterwards she agreed--"They clapped when there should have been no clapping!"

IV.
My dentist brought me TJ's flowers! So I have two bouquets on my counter now.

V.
Eileen (Mrs. Phagan) comes offstage post curtain call cracking up. "I said...I said....I said, 'We'll sing Jimmy once again!'" Wow. (The line is: "we'll sing 'Dixie' once again.")

VI.
Jon made us quardruple-chocolate cookies. Aaron ate 7. They were that good.

VII.
During warm-up, the pit guys decided to play a round of "Let's try to play other people's instruments!" Very amusing to see our bass player trying to handle Woodwind Boy's flute.

The good reviews keep coming!

From The Other Paper (my emphases in bold, and links to other entries)

Musical history lesson on anti-Semitism

By Richard Ades

Published: Thursday, March 5, 2009 2:22 PM EST

Leo Frank isn’t the most lovable of heroes. When he learns a 13-year-old girl has been killed in the factory he manages, his first thought is that it will look bad for the company.

And when he’s charged with the girl’s murder, he seems more concerned about his stomach than justice. He tells the arresting officers that he’s under a doctor’s care and needs a special diet.

As portrayed in Parade, a 1998 Broadway musical based on Mary Phagan’s 1913 murder in Atlanta, Frank comes across as so distant and socially inept that he might even be afflicted with Asperger’s syndrome. We don’t particularly like him, but we have to care about him because he becomes a victim of historic proportions. In the news coverage and trial that follow his arrest, the fact that he’s Jewish outweighs the fact that there’s no real evidence against him.

In real life, the injustice that befell him was so profound that it led to the formation of the Anti-Defamation League.

Co-conceived by Harold Prince and written by Alfred Uhry, Parade humanizes Frank’s tale by concentrating on the relationship between this transplanted Brooklynite and Lucille, his Southern Jewish wife. At first, their marriage is strained due to Frank’s coldness and their cultural differences, but it undergoes a heartwarming change after Frank falls under the wheels of Georgia justice.

In Gallery Players’ production, the human element comes through thanks to Frank Barnhart’s unerring direction and a cast of almost uniformly strong actors. Thanks to the cast’s vocal talents and a band often dominated by violinist John-Rine Zabanal, so do Jason Robert Brown’s Sondheim-like songs.

Jon Schelb’s Frank is petulant but redeemable, while Liz Wheeler’s Lucille is a warm and increasingly self-confident presence. Both actors sing well, though Wheeler’s voice degrades a bit when she pushes it too far.

Many others stand out: Drew Eberly as a cynical and hard-drinking reporter, Jay Rittberger as the win-at-all-cost prosecutor, Sam Vestey as the overly confident defense attorney, Randy Benge as the surprisingly noble governor. Standing out most of all, LaRon Lee Hudson nearly steals the show once or twice as Jim Conley, a former convict who is suspiciously eager to lie on the witness stand.

Other than Joel B. Cohen’s overly dramatic portrayal of the trial judge, all of the story’s many characters are given convincing and distinct personalities. Director Barnhart has put together a wonderfully textured production.

Chris Clapp’s minimal set design helps out, as do Jason Banks’s sound and lighting design and Kristin Blascyk’s music direction (except that the background music sometimes drowns out the dialogue).

INFO: Gallery Players will present Parade through March 15 at the Jewish Community Center, 1125 College Ave. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Thursdays, 8 p.m. Saturdays and 2:30 p.m. Sundays. Running time: 2 hours, 40 minutes (including intermission). Tickets are $18, $16 for seniors ($12/$10 for JCC members), $8 for children or students. 614-231-2731 or jccgalleryplayers.org.

The musical starts out and finishes in an odd way, with apparently sincere salutes to Southern pride and patriotism. Given the storyline, this might be seen as an attempt to prevent it from devolving into a geographical attack.

By the end, however, the salute has taken on a new meaning that is as complex as the rest of this historically based tale. The final result is both provocative and moving.

Quick takes

• Where have I been? I've been playing dress up. (above, Jay and I before Act II's Governor's Tea Dance scene)
• Books: Just got a new Duck's Cottage book, the Pillow Book of Sei Shonagon. After our last Duck's Cottage book club read, I decided I needed to read more about Japan! So I ordered this, as well as The Tale of Genji, from Jaime. Tale is back ordered so will be coming soon! Also, we get our March/April Duck's Cottage book this week. Very exciting reading times.
• Movies: Watched the Nureyv/Fonteyn Swan Lake. Very good, but too many close-ups of Nureyv and his slightly too bright blue eye make-up. Also got Renee Fleming in Manon at the Paris Opera. I have only watched Act I (it's long) but I just love Renee Fleming. I also love that it's in French so I don't need to totally rely on the subtitles.
  
• Listening to: Renee's Four Last Songs. Divine as usual.
• The Fan Club: Grandma and Pa are coming to see the show on Thursday with my parents and possibly my brother. On Sunday the 8th are my HAC friends!


Above: Me with two of my favorite CF nurses, who came to Opening Night!


• Health stuff: I had a visit with the CF clinic on Thursday (day of our last dress rehearsal), and everything is so great! I saw Terri and Dr. M (aka God), of course, and Dr. Kirby, who I hope is going to do more tx clinic stuff, because I really like him. The last PFT set in my file was 7/3/05. Very, very scary (and...8 days pre-transplant). The set I made on Thursday was in the 70s. Yeah, I rule like that. Not taking enzymes any more and are adjusting the doses of some meds. Man it was great to see everyone!
• This week: Really, nothing. Weird not to have rehearsal! On Thursday we have a show, and then again on Sat. and Sunday (Sunday matinee). I hope we really pack 'em in. With a good review and very positive word-of-mouth, we should!
  

The DISPATCH REVIEW!

Review: Gallery Players' 'Parade' faithful to pathos, politics

Sunday, March 1, 2009 12:21 AM

By Michael Grossberg

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Gallery Players will present Parade at 2:30 p.m. Sunday and through March 15 at the Jewish Community Center, 1125 College Ave. Tickets cost $8 to $18. Call 614-231-2731 or visit www.jccgalleryplayers.org.

Gallery Players does justice to Parade, a Broadway musical about a terrible injustice in Atlanta in 1913 that left a haunting legacy.

Director Frank Barnhart knits together a large and capable cast in an epic and intimate staging of the musical drama, which opened yesterday to applause at the Jewish Community Center's Roth/Resler Theatre.

Always sobering and dignified but sometimes rising to stirring moments of passionate hope, anger and moral outrage, Gallery's area premiere artfully evokes a bygone era whose political, racial and religious issues continue to surface in America today.

Composer-lyricist Jason Robert Brown (The Last Five Years) and author Alfred Uhry (Driving Miss Daisy) faithfully based Parade, a 1999 Tony award winner for best score and book, on the true story of a Jewish pencil-factory manager accused of raping and murdering a young female employee.

Without a superior performance in the central tragic role, Parade would fall well short of its potential power. At Gallery Players, Jon Schelb plays Leo Frank with haunting pathos from his early scenes of fish-out-of-water obliviousness and anxious bewilderment to later moments of palpable anguish and despair.

As Lucille Frank, Leo's long-suffering wife, Liz Wheeler is well-matched with Schelb. Wheeler convincingly moves from nervous weakness to surprising strength.

Together, Wheeler and Schelb become the soulful heart of the tragic story, generating poignant chemistry that slowly builds to the piercing duet, All the Wasted Time.

Drew Eberly adds go-getting energy and cynical humor in Real Big News and other scenes as the newspaper reporter who seizes his opportunity to cover a sensational murder and trial.

Among the other powerful singer-actors: Quentin Schofield-Peaks, as the black janitor who becomes a pivotal witness; Jay Rittberger, as the prejudiced and politically influenced prosecutor; and Joel B . Cohen, as the judge whose conscience pricks him near his deathbed.

Backed by a top-notch orchestra, the strong singing and acting extends deep into the ranks of the 25-member cast, which includes such vocal stalwarts as Eileen Howard (as mourning Mrs. Phagan), Danielle Mann and Dawn Farrell.

Rachel Bodner's formal period costumes, Chris Clapp's fluid scenic design and especially Jason Banks' colorful lighting help bring the bygone era and city to burnished life.

Barnhart's bravura staging, which builds on the bold stage design with sepia-tinged crowd tableaus and achingly private moments, seems to place the entire Atlanta community under the spotlight -- and on trial.

On both the court case and this stirring production, the verdict seems all too clear.

A lovely night

Once again, another FANTASTIC opening.
Everything clicked. We had a great, responsive audience; beautiful music....cast camraderie. Everything was wonderful. Really.
Just had my friends over for a post-show breakdown!
Thanks to all who came tonight (we almost had a full house!) including:

• Mr and Mrs. Dulmage
• Tiff and Bill
  
• Tom and Andrea (from Indy, yay!)
• Branden
• Gary and Amanda
• Amy from J&H
  
• And Rita and Beth, my two best CF nurses!!!!
  

Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, all the way around.
Tomorrow will be just as good, I think.
Now, to sleep!
Pics, etc. up tomorrow (possibly post-matinee).
Of course, none of this would have happened without Suzanne. I hope she was watching tonight.

OPENING NIGHT!!!!!

"Opening night....it's opening night!"

Again!!!!

I can't wait to bring this wonderful show to all of you.

And, as always, it wouldn't be possible without Suzanne. Thank you.

"Prayers and belief"

From Renee Fleming's "The Inner Voice" --a note her voice teacher sent her.

Dear One:
...First, you KNOW HOW TO SING and telling yourself that will remind yourself how much you do know and how well you use that knowledge. There is NOTHING IN THIS PARTICULAR OPERA THAT YOU CAN'T HANDLE. That is the first thing to remidn yourself of, and you have people around you that know it, too!!! ... I believe everyone at your level gets tense as they remember their responsibility. Try to snap your fingers at the so-called difficulties. They are there but you have handled much greater difficulties and come through with flying colors.
I love you and believe in you all the way and now try to accept the way it is with being way up there!!!
Prayers and belief.
Always and always and always
Beverley

Dispatch preview!!!

Here!

Dark, haunting musical offers insight through discomfort

Thursday, February 26, 2009 3:06 AM

By Michael Grossberg

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Leo Frank (Jon Schelb) and his wife, Lucille (Liz Wheeler), in Parade

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GALLERY PLAYERS

Leo Frank (Jon Schelb) and his wife, Lucille (Liz Wheeler), in Parade

On Broadway, Parade won respect along with Tony awards for its score and book.

Yet the musical was staged for only a few months, partly because the dark drama about injustice and anti-Semitism challenged audiences.

Committed to presenting important works about Jewish culture and history, Gallery Players will open Parade on Saturday in the Jewish Community Center.

"It's a haunting musical about social issues, race, religion and the position of men and women in society at a time when women didn't vote and couldn't sit on juries," director Frank Barnhart said. "Unfortunately, those aren't issues of just one particular time period. We can't help but watch this show and see ourselves."

The composer and playwright -- Jason Robert Brown (The Last Five Years) and Alfred Uhry (Driving Miss Daisy, The Last Night of Ballyhoo) -- based the musical on the real-life trial of Leo Frank, the Jewish manager of the National Pencil Factory in Atlanta who was accused of raping and murdering a 13-year-old employee, Mary Phagan, in 1913.

Uhry drew from his experience as a child in Atlanta and his connection to the story: His great-uncle owned the factory.

The infamous trial, which sparked the creation of the Anti-Defamation League, raised questions about justice in the South.

"The trial aroused anti-Semitic tensions in Atlanta and throughout Georgia," said Jared Saltman, cultural-arts director of the center.

"The plot stays close to the historical story's conclusion that the likely killer was drifter Jim Conley, a key witness against Frank at the trial. The true villains of the piece are the prosecutor, Hugh Dorsey -- later the governor of Georgia and then a judge -- and the rabid publisher, Tom Watson, who was later elected a U.S. senator."

When the musical folded after less than three months on Broadway, much commentary pointed to its tragic ending, Barnhart said.

"Parade also doesn't have what people refer to as hummable tunes," he said. "Brown's score almost has a Sondheim style . . . and a contemporary operatic feel. The music is written the way people speak -- with scenes and monologues that happen to be sung."

Gospel, ragtime and rhythm and blues help evoke the period atmosphere.

The songs have proved demanding for Jon Schelb and Liz Wheeler, who star as Frank and his wife, Lucille.

"The score is quite difficult, . . . replete with intricate, often-unexpected rhythms and tough choral music," Schelb said.

"The score is very modern and with a wide range. . . . Most are belting songs," said Wheeler, who is making her Gallery Players debut after stints with Actors' Theatre (Macbeth) and Columbus Children's Theatre.

Her favorites include You Don't Know This Man, a poignant defense of Leo; and All the Wasted Time, a husband-wife duet.

The latter, performed near the end of the second act, is "about how we have spent the whole beginning of our relationship emotionally apart and we didn't know how much we loved each other," Wheeler said.

"I love Lucille because she goes through such a huge journey. She starts out as a very mousy woman who just isn't aware of what's going on. But by the end of the show, she's become a strong pillar in the Jewish community."

His tragic role, Schelb said, is challenging.

"In the beginning, he comes across as cold, distant and awkward. In the first act, Leo is harsh toward Lucille and remains indignant about his situation through almost the conclusion of his trial."

The actor related most easily to the convictions of his character.

"I was most touched by Leo's steadfast belief and faith that right and justice will ultimately prevail, even if he does not live to see it.

"At the end, faced with the inevitability of death and still proclaiming his innocence, he maintains that all he has endured was part of God's plan."

mgrossberg@dispatch.com

---

Essie

Me and Liz (Lucille) before Act I.

Tips for Theater People

A list of do's and don'ts:
1) Do not be late to rehearsal.
2) Do not MISS rehearsal unless you're dead. Corollary: DO NOT MISS TECH WEEK unless you are "absolutely, positively dead."
3) Do not be rude to your castmates.
4) If you are having problems with lines, talk to the appropriate people and rehearse it on your own.
5) Do not be rude to your castmates!
6) Theater fellowship is great, but not when you have a cue in the next 20 seconds.
7) BE PREPARED in all ways--to go on, to improvise, to fix, to help.
8) LISTEN TO PEOPLE IN CHARGE
9) Do not think Your Way is the Only Way. Be open to new ideas.
10) BE PLEASANT. Shows are a high-wire endeavor. Everyone is stressed. Everyone is nervous. But being mean doesn't help!!!

The ecstasy and....the comedy.

Tech day three!!! (And fancy color font to celebrate!)
FIRST, the "ecstasy" (These are all Frank quotes)

"Things are looking really, really great."
" 'Old Red Hills' is beautiful"
"Funeral scene is just chilling."
And, my personal favorite: "The factory girls were really nice."

YAY!!! (play the harp and blow the trumpet, or whatever)

The comedy:
*All of us turning upstage at the end of "How Can I Call This Home?" and then stopping very, very short as we realizes the float was in front of us. So I was squished into Dani, with Aaron basically in between my shoulder blades. Good times!

The tragicomedy:
*the hanging scene (which, trust me, will make you just bawl)--Aaron has to put the noose around Jon (Leo's) neck. This was the first time we'd rehearsed with the actual noose, and Aaron made it tight. So tight that if Jonathan (Frankie) had really kicked out the stool beneath him, Jon would've been in a tight spot. During notes, Frank says to Aaron: "Aaron, don't tie the noose so tight!" Jon nodded emphatically and we laughed. We don't really want to kill Jon. That would be sad.

Tomorrow night we do one of my favorite theatrical things: The choreography of curtain call.

New blogs!

Conversion Story
The Smithson Family

OK ONE more...

Some funny things that happened:

*Jon didn't get one of his quick changes done in time, so he came on for the trial with his shirt misbuttoned, no tie, and his suspenders down. It was a riot. Well, OK, maybe not for him. He needs a quick-change person (like Jaylene in J&H).

*We forgot the order of the lyrics for "Where will you stand?" and therefore COMBINE verses into one very bad verse whilst circling the float.

*The tray carrying the champagne glasses was dropped not once, but twice--one of those being on stage.

*Bill (who plays Watson) had another quick change mishap, from convict ("Feel the Rain Fall") to rabid publisher ("Where Will You Stand?"). So the orchestra and the governor (Randy) sort of looked at each other and went on. Bill rushed on stage (fully costumed) and caught up.

YOU WILL CRY

OK, real fast, because I'm tired!
Just got back from Tech 2, but really, the first one, with orchestra, costumes, lights, etc. No stopping. :)

If you are not bawling at the end of this show, you have no heart. Seriously. We all feel like crying when we're in the wings. From "All The Wasted Time" to the Finale, it is One Big Tear Jerker.

The hanging is just....wow. Jon singing the "sh'ma" is something you do not want to miss.

I am honored and privileged to be working with such a wonderful cast.

1999 Review of Parade from the Christan Science Monitor

Poignant 'Parade' probes America's heart

Iris Fanger, Special to The Christian Science Monitor

NEW YORK— (EMD: My emphases in bold)

Six years in the making, the musical drama "Parade" just opened at New York's Lincoln Center, and the American stage will never be the same.

Brilliant yet terrifying, filled with complex themes elucidated with the clarity of a white-hot spotlight aimed at center stage, this pageant about the forging of a troubling aspect of the American character is one of the most thrilling evenings of a theater-lover's lifetime.

"Parade" is dramatized by Alfred Uhry, who won a Pulitzer Prize for "Driving Miss Daisy," with music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown, a young composer making his Broadway debut. It is co-conceived and directed by Harold Prince, whose 45-year career has propelled him to this pinnacle, a story based on an actual event that is not easy to imagine in song and dance.

The facts are these: In 1913, Leo Frank, a Northerner and a college-educated Jew who had moved to Atlanta and taken a job as superintendent of a pencil factory, was accused of murdering a 13-year-old girl who worked for him. Convicted and sentenced to hang for the crime, Frank was spared by Gov. John M. Slaton after two years of appeals because of suspect evidence given by the witnesses at the trial.

But within weeks, Frank was dragged from prison by a mob and lynched, a victim of lingering anger against the North, whose victory in the Civil War forced the loss of so many farms, propelling families into the cities and children into the factories to help support them. Anti-Semitism also played a role.

The importance of the time and place is established from the show's opening moments. A young Confederate soldier sings the heart-rending "The Old Red Hills of Home." It rings with love for a region that had not yet recovered from devastating losses.

A battle-scarred veteran takes the place of the young man as the scene quickly changes to Confederate Memorial Day in 1913. The passing of the parade, with its floats and banners, stands as a metaphor for the pride and the fury that had scarcely dimmed since the defeat of the South.

In a virtuoso, ever-transforming performance by Brent Carver, a Tony Award-winner for his lead role in "Kiss of the Spider Woman," Frank is the quintessential outsider right from his first song, "How Can I Call This Home?" While everyone else watches the parade, Frank, in a dark business suit and tie, is on his way to his office, despite the holiday. He does not even feel comfortable in Atlanta's German-Jewish community, into which he has married, because he has not adopted their protective attitude of fitting in by deeds and manner.

The plot escalates quickly from the discovery of the girl's body in the basement of the factory to the connivance of politicians who need a quick resolution, to the fanning of the incendiary situation by journalists. Act I ends in the trial and conviction of Frank.

Act II focuses on the marriage of Frank and Lucille, who takes up his cause, persuading the governor to review the case. Frank grows from a tight-lipped, controlling character to a man of fervent belief in the eventual fairness of the law. The poignancy of the couple, who fall in love in the midst of adversity, is the core of the work. It makes the tragic outcome - the miscarriage of justice - even more disturbing.

Along with Carver, standouts include Carolee Carmello as Lucille, the woman who must leave the life of a stay-at-home wife and become a heroine; Rufus Bonds Jr., as a fugitive from a chain gang and the chief witness against Frank; Evan Pappas as an effervescent journalist; and John Hickock as Governor Slaton.

The theme of dignity and fair-mindedness in the face of nearly unspeakable prejudice is the quality that lifts "Parade" into new realms of stagecraft. Uhry's dialogue, Brown's expressive lyrics and memorable melodies, and Prince's surehanded direction create a parable of Americana, a landmark commentary on the many strands of courage and darkness that weave through American history.