Sunday, April 20, 2014

Boeing, Boeing

"Fiancees are much more pleasant than wives," according to Bernard who has a great bachelor life.
Yes, currently he has three fiancées but he doesn't plan to marry any of them.  His career is successful.  He has an elegant apartment in Paris complete with a maid.  
Dealing with three women who each belief that they are the only one in Bernard's life takes coordination, organization, and a maid who although she is frequently perturbed by the demands of her playboy employer, continues to meet the special preferences of each girl.
Fortunately for Bernard, all three work as airline stewardesses with a different airline, Bernard has it all worked out according to the schedule book listing the routes and overall schedules.  However change is happening with a new, faster Boeing jet.  What could be better now that each girl can spend more time with Bernard?
"Boeing, Boeing" is currently being performed at the Omaha Community Playhouse. Berthe portrayed by Mary Beth Adams is perfect in the role of the harried maid attempting to keep his employer's secrets/   Monty Eich  as the old friend of Bernard, admiring and envious of Bernard's life, but after observing his life for a short while found himself confused, awkward, and desperate to be in love excelled in this role.  As the smooth-talking Bernard, Anthony Clark-Kaczmarek.  The three stewardesses portrayed by Courtney Stein, Jennifer Gilg, and Teri Fender are flirtatious and devoted to their love, Bernard.
This is a stage production of the Jerry Lewis and Tony Curtis movie, "Boeing, Boeing," shown in 1965.   I really felt that Monty Eich was outstanding in the slapstick Jerry Lewis part who was chair challenged and masterful  handler of the stewardess' personal bags.
This is a humorous and fun adult farce turning a love triangle into a variety of geometric shapes. "Boeing, Boeing" is a top-notch production with perfect timing by the cast and a wonderful supporting crew.   The sound, lighting, costumes, hair, sets were all are well-matched and appropriate.   The pacing is excellent with the activity on stage always upbeat and busy completely engaging the audience. The first part runs 70 minutes with a 15 minute intermission and concluding in another 50 minutes.
"Boeing, Boeing" continues at the Omaha Community Playhouse located at 6915 Cass in Omaha with show times at 7:30 on Wednesdays through Saturdays and at 2 p.m. on Sundays.  Tickets can be purchased at the Playhouse box office, by calling (402) 553-0800, online at OmahaPlayhouse.org, or at TicketOmaha.com.  The price of one adult ticket is $35 and $ 21 for students.   
"Boeing, Boeing" is a night of complete entertainment.

Saturday, April 19, 2014

The Secret of the Red Cane - The BOOB Girls V


The Secret of the Red Cane
The BOOB Girls V
The Burned Out Old Broads at Table 12
Joy Johnson
Grief Illustrated Press
Omaha, Nebraska
ISBN: 1-56123-243-7
Trade Paperback
2013
232 pages
$ 14.95
Those of us who have grown-up in the past eighty years remember Nancy Drew as one of the first fictional and female heroines who was a role model with STDs: strength, tenderness, determination and smarts.   
What does someone who has been solving mysteries for eighty years do when she physically can't quite hang on the edge of a roof, but mentally still possesses the smarts along with years of experience and education?    Being this is a fictional world, she becomes a BOOB Girl,  one of The Burned-Out Old Broads who reside at Table 12 of the Meadow Lake Retirement Community in Omaha, Nebraska.
The current members of the BOOB are Hadley Joy Morris-Whitfield, Robinson Leary, Marge Aaron, and Mary Rose McGill.   Three of the four bonded five books ago with an unusual friendship combining their STDs into adventure and like Nancy Drew, solving mysteries for the good of everyone.
As change is a part of life, their home at the Meadow Lake Retirement Community has been bought by the Busch family, without the knowledge of the residents.   Like most takeovers, changes are occurring with the new ownership.  While these changes do not appear to be beneficial to the residents, the foursome wonder about the real vision of the family.  What is their reason for buying this facility?
A retirement community always has its own challenges but an elderly couple happens to create an unusual twist.   Mr. and Mrs. Hosemoffs have been married for years and are the perfect example of soulmates.  They cannot image life without each other.  So realizing that one of them will probably pass away in the near future, they want to die together.  How?   Could they find someone just to murder them?

The Secret of the Red Cane, Book Five of the BOOB Girls is a delightful romp into the misadventures of this retired quartet.   The story is well-developed, evenly paced, with realistic characters and even large print for easy reading.  

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this well-written, Nancy Drew-like story.  Although this novel is easy to understand without having read the previous four, I would highly recommend to at least read the first book to better understand their relationships.

Joy Johnson, along with her husband, Dr. Marvin Johnson are the founders of Ted E. Bear Hollow and the Centering Corporation which is North America's largest and oldest bereavement resource center.  Besides spending time with her family, writing and continuing work with the bereaved  she also enjoys life with her Bernese Mountain dog.

The Secret of the Red Cane is reminiscent of the Nancy Drew novels and just fun reading.   

What can possibly happen in the BOOB Girls, Book VI next installment?

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

War Horse

Puppet horses operated by a three man team to create the main character of a Tony Award winning Broadway Play, who could imagine?
Just ask the 1972 audience members at the Orpheum Theater last Tuesday night when War Horse opened.
War Horse is a stage production about a thoroughbred horse. Joey, who eventually was part of the cavalry unit for the British forces in France during World War I and the special relationship he had with his teenaged owner, Albert Narracott.
The story takes you back to 1914 when the war began in a small English village where people are bidding on a young horse, a thoroughbred, hunter, and the lead character in this play.
War Horse far exceeded my expectations.   I have never seen sound or lighting as such an integral and creative part of any stage production while also being magical in this realistic story. The set itself is simple but outstanding with lighting and film extending the actual stage along with sound throughout the theater. The costumes were true to the time period and the use of music truly complemented the storyline.
The three puppeteers Danny Yoreges, Adam Cunningham, and Dayna Tietzen were outstanding in creating Joey, the lead horse with an obstinate personality and love for Albert.   For all three to move and act as a single unit in the body of a finicky horse is phenomenal not to mention the strength and balance needed to handle the puppet when someone is riding the horse.  It is amazing to visually see each horse as a puppet but at the same time, you view Joey as a real horse.   You could even see Joey as a young foal breathing.  The puppeteers are alternated from show to show due to the physical demands of this part.
War Horse focuses on many of the horrors of WWI such as the mustard gas and tear gas as well as the change in how a war is fought with the common usage of machine guns and the introduction of tanks in battle. Because of this, it is recommended that the audience members be at least nine-years-old.  You need to see the unique way a handling a tank on stage with horses and troops.
As Albert Narracott, Michael Wyatt Cox was excellent.   I loved the singing of John Milosich along with the accordion accompaniment whose brilliant tenor voice beautifully rang through the show reminiscent of a bard.
Also, this show is adult because of its length.  The first part lasted about 75 minutes with a little over an hour after the intermission.
Performances will continue at the Orpheum Theater in Omaha through April 13th with shows on Thursday night at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., and Sunday at 1:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Tickets prices begin at $ 35 through TicketOmaha.com or calling (402) 345-0606, or at the Holland Performing Arts Center Box Office located at 1200 Douglas Street in Omaha.
For a different show, that educates, entertains, enlightens, and unquestionably memorable, go see War Horse.