Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves – A Blonde Bombshell Falls on Workshop Theatre! A review by Stephen Ingle

Legally Blonde - The Musical opened at Workshop Theatre on Friday night, and it was a performance that Gloria Steinem, Helen Gurley Brown, and every other feminist would have proudly supported.  Even if you have not seen the movie which this musical is based on, or are not a fan, this production will have you seeing blonde on your way out the door.

The play tells the story of Elle (wonderfully portrayed by Giulia Marie Dalbec), a Malibu blonde whose obsession with pink, fashion, and everything trendy borders on the sickeningly stereotypical.  After graduating from UCLA, where she was a proud member of the Delta Nu sorority, she thinks her boyfriend, Warner (Daniel Gainey), is going to propose, sealing her fate as a rich lawyer’s wife.  However, he has different plans, and decides she’s not the right fit for his future as a prominent lawyer and senator. So, he goes off to Harvard Law, and Elle has to re-think her master plan.  Here is where the feminist mystique gets lost, due to the fact that Elle decides to study, study, and study to also get into Harvard, all for the sake of getting her man back.  When she arrives, Elle has to face up to the fact that law school isn’t the pink parade that she thought it would be, and she has to get to work. By sheer movie and musical magic, she runs into Warner, and discovers that he has a new girlfriend, Vivienne (Shelby Sessler) who is much more suited to the political power couple from Warner’s dreams.  Faced with the reality of losing her man, Elle decides to throw herself into her studies with the help of a law class teaching assistant, Emmett (Mark Ziegler).  Unlike Elle, Emmett comes from a humble background where his single mother worked and slaved to make sure he could attend law school.  Emmett even works three jobs while at school to make ends meet. Elle enrolls in a law class run by a ruthless law professor named Callahan, where Emmett is the assistant and both Warner and Vivienne are in class, too. Callahan announces that he will accept four students as interns at his very prestigious firm based on their performance.

Emmett decides to take Elle under his wing and make her work through holidays to get that internship. This pays off when she is asked to join Callahan’s legal team in a high profile case defending a gorgeous blonde workout guru accused of killing her much older husband.  Unfortunately, Elle comes face to face (literally) with Callahan’s true intentions when he tries to kiss her, and sexually harasses her. In the end, Elle saves the case and the day, she and Emmett get together, and she moves past Warner and Vivienne. Overall, it follows the rule of the well-written plot with all the stages in place – exposition, rising action, climax, denouement, and resolution. It’s a fun ride, especially with some of the musical numbers. The most notable numbers are “What You Want,” Blood in the Water,” “Bend and Snap,” and “Gay or European.” As I implied in the title, this show is carried by the female roles. The “chorus” comprised of Elle’s friends from UCLA help keep the story moving with their unyielding energy.  Besides Giulia Marie Dalbec, who truly does a phenomenal job, other standout performances are Kathy Milliron as Paulette and Sarah Farra as Brooke.

Unfortunately, the male actors in the show couldn’t quite hold up their end of the bargain. Although they had wonderful singing voices, for the most part there was simply no chemistry between them and Elle. In the role of Emmett, Mark Ziegler just didn’t have the edge as the blue-collar, working student struggling to get through school to provide the dichotomy to Elle’s more spoiled, rich girl persona. He came off more as the best friend or nice guy who finishes last, which was off-putting, since he wins Elle in the end. As Warner, Daniel Gainey played the part with a nice level of soft sincerity, but there was a certain schmarmy-ness missing from his opportunistic, ladder-climbing character. Finally, Hunter Boyle did bring a lot of life to the role of Callahan, which made the song “Blood in the Water” so enjoyable. However, the very important moment of sexual harassment when he makes a move on Elle seemed glossed over, just lying there on the stage. Also, one slight technical note – the sound designer should really look into putting microphones above or on the catwalk above the set for the chorus. They open the show, and I couldn’t hear or understand them at all.

Overall, I recommend Legally Blonde - The Musical to Columbia theatre-goers. It’s a high energy, fun, and appealing show that will have you humming the songs on the way home. Also, for all you animal lovers, there are two very cute and apparently well-trained dogs in the production.

Legally Blonde - The Musical runs through September 29th at Workshop Theatre,  1136 Bull St.  Showtimes are at 8:00 p.m. except a September 23rd matinee at 3:00 p.m. Call the box office at  (803) 799-6551 for reservations between noon and 5:30 p.m.  Tickets are $22 for adults, $20 for senior citizens and military, $16 for students, and $12 for children under 12.

...................

Jasper - The Word on Columbia Arts welcomes Stephen Ingle to our roster of theatre critics.  After living in Los Angeles for 15 years where he worked as an actor, writer, producer, and stand-up comic, Stephen returned to his roots in Columbia, SC. Having just received his Masters of Arts in Teaching in Theatre Education from USC, he is currently teaching Theatre in the Richland One School District.

 

Are YOU in the next issue of Jasper Magazine?

One of the best bits about working on Jasper Magazine is taking in the support we get from our community. You've been very gracious and generous with your accolades and words of encouragement -- and it means the world to us.

We'd like to offer you the opportunity to become even more involved -- the chance to open up the next issue of Jasper and be able to say out loud, "I helped make this happen and here's my name to prove it!"

You're invited to become a member of The Jasper Guild.

THE JASPER GUILD 

Apprentice – 1 year delivery of Jasper Magazine to your home in a plain white wrapper & your name listed in Jasper magazine for 1 year

(+ 2 free Econobar coupons)

$50

~

Journeyman – all the above + your name in print in LARGE LETTERS & a copy of Jasper Reads: Download, a book of slightly naughty poetry edited by Ed Madden & a signed copy of Cindi Boiter’s new book, Buttered Biscuits:  Short Stories from the South

  (+ 6 free Econobar coupons)

$100

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Master – all the above + a non-transferable laminated Econobar PASS good for 1 year

$250

(DRINK FREE ALL YEAR!)

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"But wait!" you say! "I want to do more!"

How about sponsoring a Jasper centerfold for yourself or dedicating a centerfold in honor of someone you love, admire, miss, or respect?

Centerfold* Sponsorship – all the above +  your name or dedication

PRINTED ON THE CENTERFOLD (6 available per year)

$500

(*Centerfolds chosen by Jasper Magazine editorial staff)

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"But I'm just a starving artist myself," you say?

Artist Peer - Practicing artists in dance, theatre, music, visual arts, film, and literary arts are invited to become a member of The Jasper Guild at a reduced rate and see your name listed in Jasper Magazine for 1 year

$25

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Jasper Guild Application

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And thank you for supporting Jasper Magazine and being a part of the Jasper family.

 

 

The Jasper Econobar is a fundraising project sponsored by Jasper Magazine to offset the costs of printing and paying modest honoraria to Jasper’s contributors. All Econobar prices are suggested donations.

A message from Cindi

Here we are again about to release a new magazine, the first issue in our second year, and we're all feeling that glorious combination of being exhausted, being over-the-moon thrilled with the work we get to do, and being excited and anxious to see how you like your new issue. I love this issue of Jasper. As you'll see, we're taking some chances this time. We've toyed with politics before, but this time we're sporting some in-your-face challenges (thank you Alejandro Garcia-Lemos) and we're taking a critical look at a difficult period in our history (hats off to Ed Madden.) Kyle Petersen is building a reputation as a writer that readers can count on to not only make them think, but to make their heads spin with his wordsmanship. I think his Musings on Local Music this issue is one of the best columns I've read in a very long time.

And then there is the photography.

Photo editor Forrest Clonts has put together a powerful team of photographers including, new to Jasper this issue, Sara Kobos who shot our centerfold. I worked briefly with Sarah at undefined and I'm thrilled to bring her into the fold. Keep an eye on this one, Folks -- she's good.

To be honest, I have to share one small disappointment -- something you'll see when you read Ed's piece. We make any number of errors in the process of putting the magazine together, but then we spend hours and hours searching out those errors and either correcting them ourselves (usually) or having our printer do it for us (rarely.) This time, one of those errors needed to be corrected at the printer, but for some reason, it just didn't get done. So when you read Ed's piece you'll see a lovely little red box in the lower right corner with sentences that just don't seem to make any sense. We never like to see errors make their way to print, but this time, for this particular story, we're sadder about it than usual.

Here's what the box should say,

I am deeply grateful to Jim Blanton, Drucilla Brookshire, Mary Jeffcoat, and Bob Waites for talking with me about the play. I am especially grateful to Jim, who gave me access to his files. Without his box of newspaper clippings and reviews, I could not have written this. I particularly appreciated the extensive coverage of the plays by Dave Moniz in The Columbia Record. Thanks also to Tony Price at DHEC, and to archivist Santi Thompson and to the AIDS and Its Impact research collection in the Thomas Cooper Library at USC.//EM

We have an exciting line-up of artists sharing their work and their wares Thursday night. I hope you can join us as we celebrate all the things that make the Columbia art scene great.

As always, thanks for your support of Jasper.

All the best,

Cindi

 

"Next to Normal" at Trustus Theatre - a Review by Jillian Owens

When I was asked to review Trustus Theatre’s first show of the season, Next to Normal, I was hesitant.  I don’t usually like musicals.  It seems like the vast majority that are being launched on Broadway nowadays are pure fluff – adaptations of 80’s and 90’s movies hoping to bank on an easily entertained populace’s desire for nostalgia and escapism.  But then there was this little gem that won the Tony for Best Score, Best Orchestrations, and Best Book by Tom Kitt (Music) and Brian Yorkey (Book and Lyrics).  It also won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Best Drama - an uncommon honor for a musical.  “What am I in for?” I wondered. The story of a family being ripped apart by mental illness seems an unlikely subject for a musical, which is one of the reasons this one works so well.  The play opens on what appears to be a typical morning with Diana Goodman (played by Vicky Saye Henderson) preparing lunches for her husband, daughter, and son, and devolves into her throwing sandwiches on the floor.  Diana is not well.  She suffers from severe bipolar disorder, accompanied by hallucinations.   In the next few weeks, Diana visits her psychotherapist (played by Terrance Henderson) who adjusts and readjusts her meds until she is mentally numb, but deemed “stable”.   But she misses her highs and lows…making her something less than the most cooperative patient.

This show’s power comes from the twisted but strong ties between the characters.  Dan (Paul Kaufmann) loves Diana, but wonders who is crazier: her for her illness, or him for staying with her?   Natalie (Elisabeth Baker) is perhaps the most sympathetic character in the play.  She is struggling to be the perfect daughter, but gets lost in competition with her brother (the song “Super Boy and the Invisible Girl”), while living with the very real fear that her mother’s illness might be lurking somewhere in her DNA as well.  Fortunately, she has found a friend in her new love, Henry (played by Chase W. Nelson) whose struggle to keep her out of trouble is a haunting mirror image of the struggle between Dan and Diana.  I won’t give any spoilers here, but rest assured, the plot twists in surprising and heartbreaking ways that will leave you agog.

The entire cast is simply terrific.  Vicky Saye Henderson’s vocal chops are on perfect display here, and Paul Kaufmann’s numbers will make you tear up.  Terrance Henderson’s voice is powerful and lush, and he gives great dimension to what could easily have ended up being a throwaway role.  It’s exciting to see terrific young talent cropping up in Elisabeth Baker, Andy Bell, and Chase W. Nelson – all relative newcomers to the Trustus stage.  I look forward to seeing more from them.

Next to Normal, directed by Chad Henderson,  is the type of show Trustus does best.  They have taken an amazing script, combined it with a small but amazing cast, and put it on a simple but well-designed set.  Musical Director Tom Beard's orchestra is subtle and effective.  The music melds with the story seamlessly.  Spectacle and shows with huge casts have never been the ideal for such a small stage, and this one doesn’t need it.  This show is powerful…spine-tinglingly so.  This is a beautifully challenging piece of theatre that needed to be created, and demands to be seen.

You should see this show.  Yes…you.  Even if you don’t like musicals, and especially if you or anyone you love has been affected by mental illness.  You will leave the theatre profoundly affected.

This is the first show without Jim and Kay Thigpen at the helm (Happy Retirement!), and proof that you can still put your trust in Trustus.

~ Jillian Owens

Next to Normal runs at Trustus Theatre through Sat. Sept. 29th; contact the box office at 803-254-9732 for ticket information.

 

Sneak Peak at Jeff Driggers' new film -- The Cricket Trial -- premiering at Jasper release celebration

Here's a little something about Jeff Driggers' Southern gothic film -- The Cricket Trial --premiering Thursday night at the Jasper release event. The 12 minute long film will premiere at 7:30 in the Jasper Studios at the Arcade (Suite 75) with repeated showings beginning at 9:30.

Maddened by grief, Harold Honeycut forces Palmer Reynolds, the teenager he blames for the death of his daughter, to dig his own grave. Underneath the roar of the crickets in the cornfield, a trial is held that forces both participants to face unpleasant truths that lead to the worst day of both of their lives.

Town Theatre staple Scott Stepp and PCA theatre alum Trey King star in this 12 minute short that deals with grief, guilt, and the conflicting love that two men share for one person. The Cricket Trial was written and directed by Jeff Driggers, a filmmaker who developed a passion for filmmaking while he was a student at Richland Northeast High School, and the passion continued at the University of Texas at Austin where he earned a degree in Radio, Television,& Film. Driggers now runs his own videography company, Palmetto Pictures.

The Cricket Trial was produced by USC graduate Drew Baron who, along with O'Neal Peterson, founded Medianauts, an independent company dedicated to making works of passion instead of profit.

Line-up for Jasper Volume 002, Number 001 Release Event this Thursday

If you've been hearing about the big shindig Jasper is planning to celebrate the release of the first magazine in VOLUME TWO of our little publication, then you know how excited all of us on the Jasper staff and in the Jasper Family* are. The event is this Thursday night at the Arcade Studios on Main and Washington Streets in downtown Columbia -- we'll start about 7 and proceed through the night with food, fun, adult beverages, and all kinds of art.

Here is a rundown of what to expect and when to expect it.**

7:00 -- Doors Open -- Open house in Jasper Studios #75 upstairs

7:30 -- World Premiere Film, THE CRICKET TRIAL, starring Scott Stepp and Trey King, directed by Jeff Driggers; Drew Baron, producer (Jasper Studios #75)

8:00 -- Don McCallister will be reading from his new novel, Fellow Traveler, coming in October from Muddy Ford Press   (Jasper Studios #75)

8:00 -- Countertenor Danny Jenkins will perform in the Arcade Atrium (Washington Street side)

8:30 -- Centerfold signing by surprise artist (Jasper Studios #75)

8:30 -- Marshall Brown performs (Arcade Atrium, Washington Street Side)

9:00 -- Don McAllister second reading (Jasper Studios #75)

9:30 -- THE CRICKET TRIAL second showing with repeat showings throughout the remainder of the evening (Jasper Studios #75)

9:30 -- Devils in Disguise band performs (Arcade Atrium, Washington Street Side)

Throughout the Arcade, please visit the following Arcade Studio Artists who will have their studios open at times of their own discretion during the evening:

Blue Sky     Bonnie Goldberg     Tish Lowe     Eileen Blyth     Beth West

Mike Spotts     Payton Frawley     Leah Avery     Walton Selig

Martha Thomas     Suzi Shealy     Page Morris

Bryce Dixon     Whitney LeJeune     Veronica Jeffcoat

Guest Artists from the September issue of Jasper will also be on hand showing samples of their work.

Chef Joe Turkaly will be serving up the results of the fine art of BBQ ($).

The Jasper EconoBar will be in full swing with cheap beer $3, decent wine $4, and big spender craft brew $4***

Paradise Ice will have their cart of cold sweet yumminess ($).

Artisanal jewelry and candles will be available via LA Ti Da and Southern Baked Candles.

Learn about upcoming arts events from Trenholm Artists Guild and the Rosewood Arts Festival, Columbia City Ballet, and more.

And here's one more thing --

Against the likely good advice of our friends and family, Jasper has decided to continue to put together these lovely celebrations free of charge. It's important to us that everyone be able to get in the door and experience this fascinating amalgam of performing and visual arts that we get to write about and photograph for Jasper Magazine on a daily basis.

At the end of our first year, we are delighted that issue No. 001, Volume 002 is the first issue that has paid for itself (before paying out commissions and honoraria to our talented staff of writers, photographers, and our heart-of-gold designer). We've come a long way in a year and we're very proud of the work we do.

That said, it's a labor of love.

If you love our labor and would like to pitch 10 cents or 10 bucks into the pot to help Jasper continue to grow healthy and strong, we'd like to help you do that -- and we'd like to publicly give you credit for having done so!

Please visit the Jasper Studios in the Arcade upstairs in suite #75 Thursday night and see one of our staff members about publicly supporting the arts magazine that supports your city's arts. We won't be able to put your name in lights, but we can put it in print. 

We're calling it the Jasper Guild and you can learn more about it Thursday night.

See you then!

____________________________

*We're an affectionate bunch. And sometimes when we meet another arts organization, or even an advertising client, that shares our mission of nurturing Columbia as the Southeastern arts destination it was born to be, we get all chummy with them. They become "Family."

**Please keep in mind that these times are represented (rather than in EST or DST) in CAT (Columbia Artists' Time). Our artists keep a chronograph all of their own making -- and Jasper loves this about them.

***The Jasper EconoBar is a fundraising arm of Jasper Magazine -- all prices are suggested donations. Please be prepared to show ID to partake of adult beverages.

Hansel and Gretel: Columbia Marionette Theatre’s new production puts an emphasis on experimentation -- A guest blog by Lyon Hill

At Jasper, we hate spam. But what we hate even more than spam is when real messages -- important messages -- get mistakenly relegated to our spam file. Grrrr.

That's what happened last week when this important guest blog by local marionette genius Lyon Hill got lost in our spam file and never saw the light of day. We just found it. Like 5 minutes ago.

But rather than throw the wooden baby puppet out with the shredded pieces of blue paper that look like bath water, we're going to go ahead and run this guest blog anyway. (And when you get to the part where Lyon is inviting you to become a part of their almost-over kickstarter campaign -- don't freak out. It was successful!)

 

And now, for a few words from Lyon ...

Hansel and Gretel: Columbia Marionette Theatre’s new production puts an emphasis on experimentation.

The classic Grimm’s fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel has always been a favorite of mine and I yet rarely see it adapted well. The dark forest, the lost children, the gingerbread house, the sinister witch; all of these are potent images and they are perfect for our puppet stage.

Awhile back, I began experimenting with telling this story in a look inspired by early animation; particularly the cartoons of the Fleischer brothers. They created surreal and silly Betty Boop and Popeye shorts that are still intriguing today for their humor and ingenuity. My first take on the characters can be seen in the issue of Jasper in which I am interviewed.

Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of working with Wade Sellers of CoalPowered Filmworks (also featured in Jasper) to create a vignette for a ‘Playing After Dark’ event. We coupled these puppets with projected computer animation and it clicked. The puppets seemed to be moving through a deep and dark, dimensional forest.

At that point, I knew we had something and we decided to flesh out the concept and put it on CMT’s main stage. I knew music would be a key factor, so I contacted Dave Drazin, who scored my short film, Junk Palace. He is an accomplished silent film accompanist and well versed in the sound of the time.

We have been hard at work bringing these diverse elements together. While there is still much left to be done, I am excited by the progress so far. One of the things I am most pleased with is the warmth and humor. While we do deliver on a spooky forest and a nasty witch, the show has been written with a very young audience in mind. I think children will connect with the characters of Hansel and Gretel, and the whole family will find it enjoyable.

CMT traditionally creates almost entirely in-house, so we have created a kickstarter  fundraising campaign to offset the expenses of hiring collaborators. While we have had many generous offers of donations, we are only a couple of days away with more money to raise.

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1246949395/hansel-and-gretel-collaboration-creates-a-unique-p/posts

We have tried to make the rewards enticing, so please have a look and consider contributing to this unique project. In any case, please come see the show, opening September 22 and running through the end of the year. We have performances every Saturday at 11am and 3pm, as well as the third Monday of each month at 10 am.

Lyon Hill is the art director and puppetmaker at the Columbia Marionette Theatre.

www.cmtpuppet.org

803-252-7366

401 Laurel St

Columbia, SC 29201

info@cmtpuppet.org

 

 

Add your name (or your favorite artist's) to the nominees for Jasper Artists of the Year -- deadline = September 15th

Nominations for Jasper Artist of the Year are coming in regularly, so don't forget to file your favorite artist in among them - even if your favorite artist is yourself!

Deadline to nominate artists is September 15th -- then we'll throw the top three nominees' names and accomplishments back to the public so you can choose by voting on the Jasper website.

We'll announce the winners at the November/December release event on November 15th.

The top three artists nominated in each of the five categories below will also have an article written about them in the November issue.

We will not publish who nominated the artists -- even to the editorial staff at Jasper -- so feel no fear or embarrassment in nominating yourself. Hell, you worked hard and you should be proud of your accomplishments.

There is no limit to the number of artists you nominate or the number of categories in which you nominate them.

Here's the low down once again --

Jasper Magazine is accepting nominations for the title “Artist of the Year” in each of the following five categories:

  • Dance
  • Theatre
  • Music
  • Visual Arts
  • Literary Arts

Artists, 18 and older, working in the greater Columbia arts community are eligible for the title based upon their artistic accomplishments during the period from September 2011 until September 2012.*

Nominations should be sent to editor@JasperColumbia.com with the subject heading “Artist of the Year” and should be accompanied by

1)   a single paragraph explaining why the nominee should be considered

2)   a brief, but comprehensive list of work produced, performed , published, or presented during the September 2011 – September 2012 time period

Nominations must be received online by midnight September 15, 2012.

Results will be announced in the November issue of Jasper Magazine.

Upon closing of the nomination call, a panel of judges will select the top three candidates in each field and, from these three finalists, the public will be invited to vote online for each of their top choices.

  • There is no fee to enter.
  • Artists may nominate themselves.
  • Artists should be made aware of their nomination and agree to participate in the competition.
  • Employees of Jasper Magazine and clients of Muddy Ford Press are not eligible for competition.

 

The category Dance includes:  performance, choreography, or direction of any form of dance including, but not limited to ballet, contemporary, jazz, tap, ballroom, or folk.

The category Theatre includes: directing or acting in one or more local performances.

The category Music includes: conducting, directing, writing, or performing any style of music in one or more local concerts or recordings; both individuals and groups are eligible.

The category Visual Arts includes: the completion and presentation of any form of non-performing or non-literary arts, such as painting, sculpture, ceramics, photography, print-making, mixed-media, etc.

The category Literary Arts includes: the completion, publication, and/or presentation of any form of prose, poetry, or non-fiction writing, as well as playwriting and the writing of executed screenplays.

*Jasper 2012 Artist of the Year Awards will not be awarded based on achievements accomplished prior to September 2011. The purpose of the awards is to recognize artistic achievements accomplished within a calendar year.

The Columbi-Arts & Music Show launches on WUSC 90.5 FM!

Hello Jasper Fans,

I just wanted to let you know about a new weekly radio show I'm launching this fall on our town's wonderful college radio station, WUSC 90.5 FM. The show is called The Columbi-Arts & Music Show (check us out on Facebook here) and will be broadcasting on Thursdays from 2-4pm each week. Each week I plan to talk about (and play music from) upcoming music shows as well as promote upcoming art gallery happenings, film screenings, dance performances, theater productions, etc. We'll be having special guests and DJs, live (mostly acoustic) performances in the studio, and will do our best to show off all this city has to offer.

So, if you like, please tune in, contact me with any arts-related events you have coming up, and enjoy having an anything-goes college radio station that dedicates 2 hours each week to talking about what's going on in the arts community.

Tomorrow will be our first show--tune in at 2 if you can!

Thanks,

-K. Petersen kpetersen@jaspercolumbia.com

 

 

Columbian Susanne Dillingham Competes on "Extreme Chef" on Food Network

Columbia native Susanne Dillingham, now an acclaimed chef based in Charlotte, NC, competes in the 2nd season of Extreme Chef, premiering tonight (Th. Aug. 16th) on the Food Network at 10 PM EDT. While her business The Tiny Chef is located in Charlotte, Dillingham grew up in Columbia, and performed in many Calvert-Brodie recitals and Workshop Theatre productions, often along with her older sister, Dorothy Dillingham Blue, and mother Candy Canter (a dedicated backstage production volunteer.)

Dillingham studied Italian cuisine and culinary arts at Apicius, The International School of Hospitality, in Florence Italy, and in 2007 opened her own business, The Tiny Chef, where she teaches cooking classes, conducts chef demonstrations, and cooks for private parties.  Her website is www.thetinychef.biz/.  From the press material for the competition:

Tonight, Food Network takes seven of America's most fearless chefs out of their kitchens and drops them into some of the most extreme locations in the second season of Extreme Chef.

Over the course of five episodes, from the scorching deserts of California to the exotic jungles of Thailand, the chefs test their physical prowess, mental toughness and culinary skills as they compete in grueling and seemingly impossible culinary challenges including pulling out needles from a cactus pad to create a tasty dish, and creating a meal in 60 minutes on a floating dock, while the chefs rescue their ingredients from a capsized fishing boat in the ocean. Hosted by TV veteran and seasoned world traveler Marsh Mokhtari, each episode features the chefs competing in challenges judged by a rotating panel of notable guest judges, with the bottom two chefs facing off in a final showdown challenge to determine which chef goes home. In the end, one chef is able to consider themselves the most Extreme while taking home a $50,000 grand prize.  Special guest judges this season include Simon Majumdar (Next Iron Chef  judge, food journalist), Ben Sargent (host of Cooking Channel’s Hook, Line & Dinner), and Troy Johnson (host of Crave, food critic and journalist).

Episodes include:

“Doomsday Survival” - Premieres Thursday, August 16th at 10:00pm ET/PT

Seven chefs begin their culinary adventure of a lifetime when a helicopter drops them into Salton City, California, an abandoned post-apocalyptic wasteland, where they’re left to scavenge for ingredients and tools. The chefs have only 60 minutes to raid a deserted tent village for non-perishable ingredients, build their own cooking stations, and use items like steel wool, batteries and tumbleweed to start a fire. After a tough round of judging, two chefs are sent into the Final Showdown, where they must create the perfect bite - only one will survive the apocalypse and advance to the next location.

Competitors: Scott Brandolini (Mass.), Susanne Dillingham (N.C.), Terry French (N.J.), Lance Knowling (N.J.), Viet Pham (Utah),  Isadora Sarto (Vt.), Tiffany Ward (Hawaii)

Wishing lots of luck to Susanne!

 

 

 

Jon Tuttle's "The Palace of the Moorish Kings" - A Review by Jillian Owens

Jon Tuttle’s new play, The Palace of the Moorish Kings (based on the short story by Evan S. Connell) makes for a powerful and thought-provoking night of theatre.  Tuttle is no stranger to  Trustus Theatre – he’s their Playwright-in-Residence.  You may remember him from such works as The Sweet Abyss, Holy Ghost, and The White Problem. It’s Thanksgiving Day, 1970.  Dave and Millicent, played by Gene Aimone and Christina Whitehouse-Suggs, are a seemingly happy upper middle class couple full of smiles with a lovely home (newly renovated!) and dear friends whom they’ve invited over for their traditional holiday feast.  But there’s more than a hint of worry behind their cheerful expressions:  there’s one guest that hasn’t RSVP’d.  Their son has gone missing in Vietnam, but traditions must continue.

As the guests arrive, we learn theirs is not the only family in concealed crisis.  Aileen and Art (played by Becky Hunter and Christopher Cockrell), have a marriage whose foundation is beginning to show its cracks.  Leroy and his daughter Junie (played by James Harley and Erin Huiett) seem to be a content pair, but why has Junie dropped out of college?  Barbara and Al (played by Kim Harne and Shane Walters) are still deeply in love after many years of marriage, but Barbara’s sporadically shaky right hand indicates trouble on the horizon.  This coming-of-middle-age story explores what this group of friends, who have known each other since high school, has given up in their quest for the American Dream.  They’ve all achieved their own levels of success, but still have become wistful and jealous when they hear from their friend J.D., a draft dodger who chose a life of travel and adventure over college, a job, and marriage.  They all live vicariously through his letters from around the world, which curiously never ask about their own, considerably more predictable lives.

All of the actors do an excellent job with their roles.  Huiett makes a wonderfully subtle Junie, which is perhaps the most important character in the play.  We see her asking all the questions the rest of the group wishes they had asked themselves at her age.  She’s not quite so easily sold on the idea of a marriage and a split level being the ingredients for happiness and fulfillment.  Hunter’s Aileen is spot-on and sassy, with unwavering energy and passion.  Aimone, Suggs, and Cockrell deliver powerful and dynamic performances. Other characters, however, seem to exist merely as sounding boards for their more fleshed-out counterparts.  James Harley does what he can with the role of Leroy, who doesn’t say or do very much, except get a little sad about his divorce, and worried about his daughter.  Harne and Walters also fall victim to being good actors with weak characters.  They make a convincingly loving couple, and Harne’s portrayal of a woman who is in the beginning stages of a serious illness is truly touching -- but it seems like Al only exists to provide exposition about the adventures of the well-traveled J.D.  Once again, Walters does what he can, but this script doesn’t give him anywhere to go.  As  director, Dewey  Scott-Wiley has gotten the most out of her cast with this demanding script.

A great deal of dialog is dedicated to how beautiful and amazing Dave and Millicent’s home is, and the set really needed to show the 1970's ideal of beautiful and amazing.  I wasn’t feeling it.  It seemed almost unfinished and quickly thrown together.  An implied set would have worked better for this production if budget or time constraints were the issue. 

The Palace of The Moorish Kings leaves you in a state of thoughtful contemplation.  I would like to see this show 20 years from now, to see if I still identify with the youthful idealism of Junie, or if I find myself agreeing with the older, more conservative Dave.  It’s a show I’d like to take my parents to see with me and discuss over dinner afterwards. Perhaps you’ll go see it with yours?

 

~ Jillian Owens

The Palace of the Moorish Kings  continues its run on Wednesday, August 15th, and runs through this Saturday, August 18th.   The Wednesday and Thursday night performances  start at 7:30 PM, while Friday and Saturday nights begin at 8:00 PM.  Note that half-price student tickets are available 15 minutes prior to every curtain.  Trustus Theatre is located at 520 Lady Street, behind the Gervais St. Publix. Parking is available on Lady St. and on Pulaski St.  The Main Stage entrance is located on the Publix side of the building.  For more information or reservations, call the box office at 803-254-9732, or visit http://www.trustus.org .

 

The Twitty Triplets are back…and front and sideways -- a Guest Blog by Robbie Robertson

“It’s like doing acid while reading a Flannery O’Connor short story in a dark room, illuminated by the reflective light of a twirling disco ball.”

That was the description I recently heard by a much smarter man than myself as he summed up “The Twitty Triplets,” my upcoming musical creation presented by Trustus Theatre in the old Tapp’s Fountain Room. I think it's a compliment and plan to embrace it as such.

 

Yes, after their first performance 20 years ago, The Twitty Triplets are back— brassier, bossier and better than ever. For the uninitiated, I discovered the Twitty Triplets performing back in 1992. They were working girls, night shift operators at the old spork factory on Augusta Highway, simple triplets who dreamed of a glittery, musical future. They had just started to sing in public when I met them at the Triangle City Christmas pageant. You’ll recall town officials would transform the two-story Zesto ice cream cone into an overly large Christmas tree that served as a seasonal centerpiece for Triangle City, Gaston, and other citizens of South Carolina’s “Speed-dee” corridor.

 

I’ll never forget the Twittys when they took the stage and sang All I Want for Christmas is My Two Front Teeth wearing seasonal Bedazzled sweatshirts sponsored by Augusta Highway’s Dentures and More. It was a brilliant marketing move and I knew these girls were headed for bigger, brighter, and more legal venues. I took them on as clients right after the spork factory closed (about the time Kentucky Fried Chicken rebranded as KFC and started in house spork production).  With no day job distraction, the Twittys were free to concentrate on their music and we hit the ground running.

 

First off was an opening act for a city of Columbia Animal Shelter fundraiser, where dogs weren’t the only things howling that night. I’ll never forget when Aynor Twitty climbed up on the main dog cage to sing her rendition of  Diana Ross’ popular disco hit, Upside Down. The 13 audience members literally gasped when Aynor’s song culminated in an acrobatic move where she was indeed, held upside down, by fellow triplets Monetta and Cayce. Unfortunately, Aynor passed out from the head rush, blowing limply in the wind, until she was rushed to what was then known as Lexington Hospital and Lawnmower Repair. (She turned out fine but, to this day, Aynor cannot recall the lyrics to Upside Down and the name Diana Ross causes a severe eye twitch and throat flush.

 

But since that time, The Twitty Triplets have built a large and loyal following of nearly 36 bill collectors fans, performing their Happy Half Hour Show at Crockmeyer’s Again (the rebooted name after fire destroyed the original bar); The Blaney Drag Strip Concession Stand Show; and, of course, The Swansea Black and White Ball, (“Where ALL are welcome”).

 

The Twitty Triplets were described as a “musical melee” by late, great State reporter Jeffrey Day and, “A disco disaster that crosses the line of good taste,” by August Krickel, now the theatre editor for Jasper Magazine. And now, they stand proud, poised, and ready to perform for a brand new audience as they bring “Melodic tunes from a professional act in a casual atmosphere” to downtown Columbia in the Tapp’s Fountain Room.

With only six performances for a limited crowd of 60 lucky listeners per night, The Twitty Triplets invite you to open up a cold PBR and enjoy the musical ride, August 23, 24, 25, 30, 31 and September 1 at the Tapp’s Fine Arts Center. Cash bar opens at 7 pm each night and show begins at 8 pm. And on both Friday nights, August 24 and 31, enjoy a post show disco karaoke party. General seating for all shows! To purchase or reserve a ticket, call the Trustus Theatre box office, Tuesday – Saturday, 1-6 pm. Tickets are 15 bucks.

 

And follow The Twitty Triplets online at www.facebook.com/TheTwittyTripletsor on Twitter @TwittyTriplets.

 

(Robbie Robertson is a playwright and screenwriter, and a graduate of both the University of South Carolina as well as UCLA’s professional program in screenwriting. Robertson’s first play, Mina Tonight! was published by Samuel French Inc. and has been consistently produced in regional theatres across the nation. He brought 60s TV to life by directing a staged version of Gilligan's Island at Trustus Theatre and his screenplays have placed in several national contests. His latest—Sweet Child of Mine—was named one of the top 12 comedy scripts in the 2010 Austin Film Festival’s Screenwriting Competition. He recently completed a staged adaptation of the film Satan in High Heels and will revive one of his first theatrical productions—The Twitty Triplets—as part of Trustus Theatre’s New “Off Off Lady Street” series. He is currently developing several independent television and film projects in addition to his work as a marketing and communications consultant.)

Wanted: College Interns Willing to Work for Squat

Jasper Magazine is on the look-out for college interns for the upcoming semester.

We need students majoring in print journalism, english, advertising, photography, and creative writing who are willing to work (hard and for no cash) in exchange for being a part of the Jasper Family.

Interested students should send their queries, along with references and samples of their work, to editor@JasperColumbia.com.

(photo courtesy of Shannon Staley)

Have you entered your nominations for Jasper 2012 Artist of the Year yet?

Today seems like the perfect day to get your Jasper 2012 Artist of the Year nominations in. Here's the low down:

Jasper Magazine is accepting nominations for the title “Artist of the Year” in each of the following five categories:

  • Dance
  • Theatre
  • Music
  • Visual Arts
  • Literary Arts

Artists, 18 and older, working in the greater Columbia arts community are eligible for the title based upon their artistic accomplishments during the period from September 2011 until September 2012.*

Nominations should be sent to editor@JasperColumbia.com with the subject heading “Artist of the Year” and should be accompanied by

1)   a single paragraph explaining why the nominee should be considered

2)   a brief, but comprehensive list of work produced, performed , published, or presented during the September 2011 – September 2012 time period

Nominations must be received online by midnight September 15, 2012.

Results will be announced in the November issue of Jasper Magazine.

Upon closing of the nomination call, a panel of judges will select the top three candidates in each field and, from these three finalists, the public will be invited to vote online for each of their top choices.

  • There is no fee to enter.
  • Artists may nominate themselves.
  • Artists should be made aware of their nomination and agree to participate in the competition.
  • Employees of Jasper Magazine and clients of Muddy Ford Press are not eligible for competition.

 

The category Dance includes:  performance, choreography, or direction of any form of dance including, but not limited to ballet, contemporary, jazz, tap, ballroom, or folk.

The category Theatre includes: directing or acting in one or more local performances.

The category Music includes: conducting, directing, writing, or performing any style of music in one or more local concerts or recordings; both individuals and groups are eligible.

The category Visual Arts includes: the completion and presentation of any form of non-performing or non-literary arts, such as painting, sculpture, ceramics, photography, print-making, mixed-media, etc.

The category Literary Arts includes: the completion, publication, and/or presentation of any form of prose, poetry, or non-fiction writing, as well as playwriting and the writing of executed screenplays.

*Jasper 2012 Artist of the Year Awards will not be awarded based on achievements accomplished prior to September 2011. The purpose of the awards is to recognize artistic achievements accomplished within a calendar year.

Thoughts on the The Jam Room Music Festival Lineup

In addition to drawing your attention to what is going to be an awesome free music concert in Columbia on October 13th (see the full lineup here), I also want to stop for a moment and recognize what is so different about this festival than what we typically see in our (mostly) beloved city.

Too often festival organizers in Columbia fall back on 90s rock radio mainstays or safe “classic” choices (I’m thinking George Clinton at New Years) rather than trying for anything remotely current. The upcoming Famously Hot Music Festival’s rock line-up is an extreme example (the country and electronic days don’t share these problems), as it’s stacked with a collection of bands that hasn’t been relevant in over a decade.

The Hold Steady and Justin Townes Earle, by contrast, are contemporary artists whose records and performances have been the talk of the music-loving world over the last few years. The Hold Steady have been championed as “the best bar band in America” with their heady mix of Springsteen and the Replacements, while Earle has emerged as a singer/songwriter with a powerful stage presence and the rare ability to move seamlessly in and out of a wide variety of roots styles without breaking a sweat.

Secondly, the festival’s careful selection of supporting acts astutely balances current local buzz bands (Can’t Kids, Say Brother) with group’s important to the history of the Jam Room (B.O.A, The Woggles) and some of the most critically-acclaimed regional acts around (Dead Confederate, Cusses).

In short, this is the kind of music festival Columbia needs (and deserves). Hope to see you out there!

The Hold Steady - Southtown Girls

Justin Townes Earle - Harlem River Blues

 

New Feature on Jasper website -- individual past articles open with ease

Thanks to the hard work of Jasper summer interns Chris Rosa and Austin Blaze, loyal Jasper readers can now access individual Jasper articles online independent of the "Past Issues" feature. How so?

Simple.

  • Go to the Jasper Magazine home page and look in the upper right corner of the page for a friendly little note inviting you to "Search Here."
  • Simply type in the name of the artist -- or even the genre of the arts -- you are interested in reading about and, shazam! -- you are instantly taken to the individual article -- or group of articles -- about which you are interested.

Of course you  can still view past issues of the magazine in their entirety by finding the current issue heading under the Jasper masthead, and then opening back issues below that.

Just another way of making your local arts magazine easier for you to use on a daily basis!

As always, thanks for keeping up with What Jasper Said.

Southern Baked Candle Company - “Have Your Cake and Burn It Too!”

by Austin Blaze, Jasper Intern "Have your cake and burn it too!”   It sounds like the catchphrase of some wild-eyed tv arsonist.  But it’s not some cheesy criminal mantra.  Far less illicit, far more original.  In fact, it’s the tag line for the Columbia-based Southern Baked Candle Company.

Candles have a somewhat intangible appeal.  Whether it’s the domesticated flame, the fragrance, or the nostalgia of a pre-electric past, they have a unique tendency to make a house feel like home.  But to owner and life-long candle enthusiast Debey Hancock, this wasn’t enough.

“There were several things about candles in general that truly disappointed me,” Hancock said, reminiscing about her childhood.  “They never smelled as good at home as they did in the store; when you burn it, you are left with an ugly hunk of wax or an empty jar, and finally you’re left with the same scent until it’s gone.”

The resolution to Hancock's candle conundrum came in the form of her other passion: baking.  After years of people expressing their wishes to preserve her intricate and beautiful desserts, she came up with the idea to merge baking and candle-making into an ambitious business endeavor.  For 10 years she researched and experimented, “set[ting] out to find out just what can be done with wax” and “tak[ing] the art of candle-making to a new level,” as she learned to craft ornate food-themed candles.

When asked to detail her process, she admitted that she attempts things that “most master candlers would never even consider.”  This claim seems lofty until you’ve seen her work.  All 100% wax, though you’d never guess it at first glance.  And when you consider that there “are only seconds between too hot to mold and too hard, and split seconds between frosting and cottage cheese,” her work is all that much more impressive.

Because the Southern Baked Candle Company not only accepts, but encourages special orders, Hancock has crafted everything from the majestic Eiffel Tower, to the all-American baseball, to the bizarre “pile of poo that smelled like roses.”  She’s created bottles and shoes for baby showers, cakes for weddings, and a cup of coffee for Good Day Columbia’s “Mugshot.”

Though some of her most impressive creations are custom orders, her stock repertoire is extraordinary in quality as well as variety.  Pies, milkshakes, stacks of pancakes, and her personal favorite, (although she admits it’s difficult to choose just one of her “babies”) a burger, fries, and a beer.    All of these candles burn straight down the center, so your cake or pie maintains its shape even after burning.  In  addition, Hancock's candles feature interchangeable inserts; if you grow tired of one scent, simply swap it out for one of Southern Baked Candle Company’s other 300 unique, quality “flavors.”

To truly appreciate the craftsmanship practiced by Hancock's company, you have to see these candles for yourself.  Visit http://www.thesouthernbakedcandlecompany.com to browse their collection, or to special order a one-of-a-kind candle of your choice.

Nickelodeon Celebrates New Home With 33 Films From 33 Years

by Christopher Rosa, Jasper Intern  

The movies are moving.  And it is causing a swirl of emotions.

The Nickelodeon Theatre, Columbia’s flagship local film theatre, and one of the most acclaimed in all of the Southeast, will be moving to a new home starting on August 31, 2012. The theatre will be taking a trip down Main Street, from its original 937 address to 1607. The move, according to Nick marketing director Isaac Calvage, has been in the works for several years now. “The Nickelodeon Theatre simply has needed to expand our offerings and capacity.  We currently have a maximum of 75 seats in an aging building, and we needed to expand. In our current location, we simply do not have space to grow.”

Physical expansion was certainly a top priority for Nick leaders as they planned this move; however, the new space will allow them to artistically expand as well. “The move will also allow us to delve deeper into experimental film, and also show more mainstream independent films. The Nick is also really excited that we'll own our space. We're currently just renting this building.”

The move from 937 Main to 1607 Main is quite the financial endeavor. What sealed the deal for the move were two generous donations from the Ford Foundation and the Nord Family Foundation. Both were integral to the Nick’s journey up the street. “We could not have been more excited to receive grants from such truly inspiring organizations. The fact that they really want to invest in creative place-making, further encourages us that this move is absolutely the next step for the Nick. These prestigious organizations are making it possible to make our move,” Calvage said.

Picking the spot to move was a difficult decision, but 1607 was eventually chosen for its already rich cinematic past. “1607 Main St. was the former home of the State Theater, and then later the Fox Theater.  It is also the only remaining theater that was left on Main St. All of the other spaces were either demolished, or completely changed into other spaces.  We want to save the cinema history of our city, and also provide a new space on Main Street to help revitalize downtown,” Calvage notes.

Calvage also believes that the new location will have a positive economic impact on the surrounding area. “When we open, we will be open 7 days a week providing a space that is open not only in the daytime, but also at night, and we're projecting that we'll welcome 60,000 unique visitors to Main Street each year, which means that those folks are also spending money in our downtown restaurants and shops.”

The new space is going to be innovative in both its interior and exterior. “We are expanding to offer media education and filmmaker services in the future.  Once the capital campaign is fully finished, we will also be opening a second screen, which has a capacity of 192 seats,  and which will allow us to offer two different films at one time. We have improved concession areas, bathrooms outside of the movie theater, and greatly improved offices for our ever-growing staff,” Calvage beams.

The new Helen Hill Media Education Center is of particular interest. Calvage cites the digital age as the primary reason for the center’s inception. “In this modern age, where media is thrust at us from every direction, it is important to be able to analyze and interpret these messages, and their roles in our lives.”

There is only a little over a month left in the old space. “We are feeling great, but are quickly realizing how little time is left here.  We are so proud to be offering the  33  films. 33 years retrospective at our current location, and we hope the community will use this as a time to say goodbye to this theater,” Calvage says.

The 33 films. 33 years event is a commemorative cinematic experience that pays tribute to the dozens of movies shown at the Nick.  One film from each year that the Nick’s doors have been open to the public will be screened. Titles and dates are as follows:

'79 - Sunset Boulevard - Friday, August 10 at 5:30pm

'80 - Casablanca - Friday, August 10 at 8:00pm

'81 - The Seventh Seal - Saturday, August 11th at 5:30pm

'82 - Annie Hall - Saturday, August 11th at 8:00pm

'83 - Breaking Away - Sunday, August 12th at 3:00pm

'84 - Rashomon - Sunday, August 12th at 6:30pm

'85 - Weekend - Monday, August 13th at 5:30pm

'86 - Monty Python's The Meaning of Life - Monday, August 13th at 8:00pm

'87 - Rear Window - Tuesday, August 14th at 5:30pm

'88 - Touch of Evil - Tuesday, August 14th at 8:00pm

'89 - Heathers - Wednesday, August 15th at 5:30pm

'90 - Do the Right Thing - Wednesday, August 15th at 8:00pm

'91 - Cinema Paradiso - Thursday, August 16th at 5:30pm

'92 - Slacker - Thursday, August 16th at 9:00pm

'93 - Like Water for Chocolate - Friday, August 17th at 5:30pm

'94 - Orlando - Friday, August 17th at 8:00pm

'95 - Three Colors (Blue/White/Red) - Saturday, August 18th at 3:00pm (Blue) 5:30pm (White) 8:00pm (Red)

'96 - Bottle Rocket - Sunday, August 19th at 3:00pm

'97 - Waiting for Guffman - Sunday, August 19th at 5:00pm

'98 - Smoke Signals - Monday, August 20th at 5:30pm

'99 - Buena Vista Social Club - Monday, August 20th at 8:00pm

'00 - Timecode - Tuesday, August 21st at 5:30pm

'01 - Yana's Friends - Tuesday, August 21st at 8:00pm

'02 - 8 Women - Wednesday, August 22nd at 5:30pm

'03 - Bowling for Columbine - Wednesday, August 22nd at 8:00pm

'04 - Lost in Translation - Thursday, August 23rd at 5:30pm

'05 - Junebug - Thursday, August 23rd at 8:00pm

'06 - The Squid and the Whale - Friday, August 24th at 6:00pm

'07 - Volver - Friday, August 24th at 8:00pm

'08 - Man on Wire - Saturday, August 25th at 2:30pm

'09 - Let the Right One In - Saturday, August 25th at 5:00pm

'10 - A Single Man - Saturday, August 25th at 8:00pm

'11 -  The King's Speech - Sunday, August 26th at 2:30pm

'12 - The Artist - Sunday, August 26th at 5:00pm

The last screening will be followed by a party on August 26th to officially say goodbye to the 937 address. The new Nick will open its doors on August 31st. “We cannot believe the success we have had. It is our goal to become more than a movie theater, and really be a community center, as well as a resource for filmmakers and film education in the realm of media literacy,” Calvage says.

 

Traveling (and filming) with Rick Steves

Thirty years ago, Bob and I took our first trip to Europe with packs on our backs and 50 bucks to spend per day on food, transportation, and shelter -- for both of us together. We spent many nights sleeping on benches or trying to sleep sitting upright on trains as we traveled to our next city via our Eurail passes. We stayed a month and, to say that the experience changed our lives would be an understatement. We were hooked on travel, and hooked on Europe. Not a lot has changed in the way we travel now and the way we traveled then. No, we don't sleep on park benches anymore, but in order to be able to afford to travel (almost) as frequently as we would like to, we keep costs down by shopping for inexpensive flights, picnicking as often as possible, and rather than staying in expensive American hotels, we opt for small locally owned pensiones and inns. A lot of what we've learned about how to keep costs under control we've learned from our travel guru, Rick Steves. You may know Rick from his travel series on PBS, or from his books that he's been writing for years and years. Or you may have visited his website.

To us, he is something of a celebrity.

So, when we checked into our room at the Hotel Kranenturm yesterday in the beautiful little Rhineland town of Bacharach, and Fatima, our host, asked how we had come to be there, we said we had read about the town and hotel in a Rick Steves book. "Oh," she said, "Rick is coming here today!"

We were hoping to catch a glimpse of our travel hero. But, much to our surprise, he approached us at dinner and asked if we would come out for a wine tasting with him later in the evening. He then went on to explain that he is filming a new show for his series and asked if we'd like to be a part of it.

Um, yes please.

So last night we found ourselves crowded into a small dining room at the Bastian Weingut here in Bacharach with nine other travelers, Rick Steves, and the Travels in Europe film team. There were three tables and each table was presented with a carousel of assorted wines from the region. Sharing glasses, we all tasted the 16 or so wines, chatted about what we liked and didn't like, and generally had a fabulous time. Bob and I were seated with a woman from Ohio and one of the camera guys. It was a hoot-- and all the time the cameras were rolling. So much fun to see the behind the scenes workings of the making of Rick Steve's show. I hope we don't end up on the cutting room floor, (yes, I know it's digital these days), but even if we do, we still had a wonderful experience. And we got our book signed by Rick Steves!

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Pictured above -- Bob, Rick Steves, and me.