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PBS: Double The Flavor, Lucky Twice Over – Reflections On Public Broadcasting On The Eastern Shore of Virginia

Thursday, December 9th, 2010

Normally PBS has some especially great musical performances as part of their pledge efforts, offering CD’s and/or DVD’s of the performances as part of their thank-you for a pledge. Watching Saturday night’s special pledge period program, Folk Music Rewind, brought back memories of a lot of stuff I hadn’t thought about for quite a while. I guess my college years were just about the heyday of the folk music movement and like everybody I knew on campus, I loved that music. More than that, the 60’s folk music wasn’t just a reflection of changing times and changing philosophy, it was helping shape social and political opinion, not just on college campuses, but all over the country. As one of the program’s commentators said , this is music that actually changed the world. Who can forget songs like Bob Dylan’s Blowing in the Wind or Pete Seegar’s Where Have All The Flowers Gone? ( I hadn’t thought about those songs for years and years but, surprisingly, words and melody were still tucked away in the ole noggin. ) And Peter, Paul and Mary’s rendition of If I Had A Hammer ? Or Bobby Darien’s Simple Song of Freedom, which came later of course, after Bobby Kennedy was assassinated. Watching that program Saturday night was like having a wave wash over me, bringing my college days back in living color —- the concerts, the gab-fests, trudging through mile -high W. Lafayette, Indiana snow in the freezing cold ( it’s the bad weather capital of the mid-West) to get to an 8 am class, humming the latest songs, going to rallys, signing petitions, eating pizza or Stromboli while studying til midnight, cramming for exams, the luscious chocolate ice cream cones sold at the agriculture building (addicted to chocolate even then), playing bridge till the wee hours, meeting kids from all over the country, the intensity of it all. And in the background of everything, the folk music that was an integral part of our lives, a generation that thought it could make a difference, that we could overcome injustice, volunteering for the Peace Corps, marching for civil rights, demonstrating for peace.

All these memories were brought back in an instant by this one great show, so thanks PBS, we love your programming. I can’t even begin to count the wonderful, commercial- free shows sponsored by PBS and their affiliates that have engaged and entertained us over the years, Masterpiece Theatre, NOVA ( www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/), Antiques Roadshow, Frontline, Nature, everything Ken Burns, Mystery, the BBC comedy lineup on Saturday nights, Great Performances ( www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/ ), American Experience, America’s Test Kitchen, I could go on and on and on and on, but I won’t. Well, one more—- let no one forget PBS’ superlative children’s programming ! Who doesn’t love Cookie Monster ? And it’s so easy to just go on-line to buy a copy of an especially good program through their www.shoppbs.org website.

So that’s why I think that on the Eastern Shore of Virginia we are so lucky, doubly lucky in fact, to have PBS and NPR programing broadcast from stations in two directions. To the south, from Norfolk, WHRO tv (www.whro.org ) and on the radio, its two stations, WHRV fm and WHRO fm (mostly classical music) . To the north, from Salisbury, MD. , WCPB tv ( www.wcpb.org), on the radio as WSCL fm. It’s amazing that while so many other areas aren’t even able to receive clear transmissions from any public broadcasting station, on the Eastern Shore, we have two opportunities. When we’re in the car, about the time WHRV fades out driving north, WSCL just kicks right in. I mean, what would life be without NPR’s Morning Edition, All Things Considered, Prairie Home Companion ( It’s been a quiet week in Lake Webegon, Garrison Keilor’s hometown…..), Splendid Table, Science Friday (which I love but hardly ever have time to listen to ) etc., etc.. Or on Saturday mornings, if I’m in the car, Click and Clack, The Car Guys … I could really care less about car mechanicals, just want my car to run run run, but those guys are so funny and the call-in questions so zany, one can’t help but love the show, sort of like the long-gone TV series Coach— I don’t care for football but Hayden, Luther and Dauber were some funny, funny guys. So at my house we are definitely thankful to have two public broadcasting stations. And for those of our readers who are thinking about buying Eastern Shore Virginia real estate ( www.blueheronva.com ) but are afraid they might not be able to get their daily fix of Fresh Air, fear not. Like Spearmint, we’ve got double the flavor, double the fun.

Tags: 1960's folk music, Bob Dylan, NPR, PBS, Pete Seegar, Virginia Eastern Shore, WCPB Salisbury, WHRO Norfolk
Posted in Just Having Fun, Odds and Ends, The Arts | No Comments »

The 2010 Thanksgiving Weekend Open Art Studio And Vineyard Tour— An Eastern Shore Of Virginia Tradition

Monday, December 6th, 2010

Thanksgiving weekend marked the 8th annual self guided tour of some of the Eastern Shore’s numerous art studios and vineyards. From Cape Charles on the southern tip to Chincoteague on the northern tip, the welcome mat and refreshments were out for all those folks interested in seeing artist’s demonstrations and in purchasing direct from the studio. It was the perfect opportunity to get up close and personal with the many artisans who live and work on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. As elsewhere, Thanksgiving week-end is a busy time here on the Shore, with visitors from far and near coming to celebrate the holiday. The Studio Tour is the perfect opportunity to get out and about, to see lots of nooks and crannies on the Shore, following the easy directions from the down-loadable brochure. It’s sponsored by the Eastern Shore Artisans Guild ( www.esartisansguild.org ), an organization founded about 15 years ago to promote the arts here on the Shore and to provide opportunities for their members to exhibit and market their work. The Open Studio Tour has been a raving success for both visitors and artists, it’s a great way to start the Christmas shopping season and select some unique gifts.

I usually visit the venues on the southern tip because they are closest to my office and home but I decided this year to spend Sunday afternoon touring some of the studios I have never visited that are further north on the Shore. So my 8 year old grandson, who has an artistic bent, and I set out mid-morning to visit five studios: High Point Glass Works, Maurice Spector Sculpture, As The Wood Turns, Carole Meyers Pottery and The Art of The Needle. Since closing time had been set at 5 pm, we would have plenty of time to see all five if we didn’t dawdle too much, although I’m an infamous dawdler.

The Art Of Glass Blowing

Our first stop was High Point Glass Works ( www.highpointglassworks.com) near the little town of Harborton, Virginia , where artisan Ken Platt was busy creating a lovely glass ornament. My grandson was fascinated by the hiss and glow of the flame and Ken was kind enough to invite him to put on a pair of special tinted glasses and come over to get a close up view and explanation of the process. As anyone, and especially a curious 8 year old would be, he was absolutely delighted to get this special peek into the art of glass blowing and particularly loved watching the addition of the yellow color into the glass. A steaming cup of hot spiced apple cider and a cookie kept me occupied while watching from the sidelines.

Maurice Spector Sculpture Guest Artisans

And then we were off to Maurice Spector Sculpture ( www.mauricespector.com), also near Harborton, whose gallery is full of interesting pieces. I especially loved a large free form wooden sculpture, lying in repose on the back deck overlooking PungoteagueCreek, it reminded me of a tawny sea lion. Several other guest artists were in attendance with their own display tents, showing a variety of intricate decoy carvings and cast bronze sculpture. Some colorful 17 inch ceramic plates by artist David Crane were especially interesting, handsomely glazed in gorgeous deep blues and greens — I had my eye on one that was an inset for a table but I would prefer the wall hanging version, thinking of it as a birthday gift for a friend. As we left Maurice had just put a another batch of oysters on the grill for visitors– they were begining to smell mighty, mighty good !

Carol Meyers Pottery Studio

Next up, Carol Meyers Pottery, www.carolmeyerspottery.com, whose work studio overlooks the water on Smuggler’s Cove. She had a large variety of wheel thrown raku fired pots and some very nice vases and bowls on display but I was looking for one of her signature cookie jars for a daughter who has recently started to collect them. The cookie jars and teapots are hand-crafted and are quite whimsical– I settled on a sweet little lamb ! By now, time was getting a bit short and we still had two more places to visit before the closing bell. So off we went, looking for The Art of the Needle.

Silk On Silk, The Art Of The Needle

When we walked into the little studio at Art of the Needle, barely big enough for artist Jean Loeffert, the two of us and two other visitors, I got the most delightful surprise of the day. If I knew more about art and anything about embroidery, I could write a better description of her stunning work. Although she also displays a bit of inexpensive handmade costume jewlery and some bejewledspiders hanging on silken threads, this cosy, light filled studio is home to some of the most beautiful needlework I have ever seen ! Jean characterizes her work as “painting with thread” and it truly is. Her “canvases” are pieces of beautiful silk cloth, in different colors and textures, upon which she hand embroiders in the most intricate detail and in the Japanese style, beautiful birds, flowers and other designs. All this is done in silk thread, beautifully colored, glowing silk designs upon glowing silk backgrounds, with magnificent framing. Aside from the fantastic blue silk kimono embroidered with an absolutely stunning silvery egret, one of her most striking pieces is a heron, standing very tall, head elevated, wings outstretched , beautifully framed, a work Jean indicated took her nearly a year to complete. To me, this is museum quality contemporary art ! And she makes delicious coconut chocolate chip cookies as well…….

As The Wood Turns, Let The Chips Fly !

Our last stop was at the gallery of the Hoovers, “As The Wood Turns” www.brucehoover.com, near Parksley, Virginia. It was nearly 5 pm by the time we got there, the Hoovers had already swept up the wood shavings and were about ready to close. However, they kindly offered to give us a demonstration so my grandson could enjoy seeing how it’s done. Bruce showed us some of the various interesting wood he has collected, lots of interesting shapes, streaks, swirls and burls. After pulling on his tight fitting work shirt with elastic at the wrists and waist ( so clothing can’t get caught in the machinery), he cranked up the lathe and started turning a lovely piece which is destined to be a salad bowl. And the chips started to fly ! Like a spray of water from a hose, the chips flew in an arc as he worked, landing, by design, in one particular corner of the room. ( Bruce doesn’t believe in letting the chips fall where they may– he wants the chips to fall where he wants them to fall. ) Once he really got started with a little more of the actual shaping of the bowl, wood chips became wood curls, long and aromatic, piling up on his chest about 6 inches deep before gravity pushed them to the floor. Afterwards, we looked at some of his completed work, lovely teapots, bowls, even cups, all made from woods with exotic features. Bruce’s guest artist was Billy Crocket, a well-known decoy carver who was showing, among his other work, a very, very handsome specked trout which looked like it could just swim away any second. And then, as they say, all good things must come to an end, including the 2010 Thanksgiving Open Studio Tour. So we headed homeward, visions of artwork dancing in our heads.

Tags: Eastern Shore Artisans Guild, Eastern Shore of Virginia, Eastern Shore Virginia artists, Thanksgiving Open Studio and Vineyard Tour
Posted in Crafts, Just Having Fun, Odds and Ends, Our Little Towns, The Arts | No Comments »

Playtime At The Palace In Cape Charles, Virginia

Tuesday, November 23rd, 2010

Once again we’re looking forward to play time at the historic Palace Theatre in Cape Charles, Virginia. ( See September, 2010 posts about Arts Enter’s first play of the 2010-2011 season, a mystery entitled The Two Mrs. Carrolls . ) This season’s second production by Art’s Enter is a long-time thespian favorite, The Importance Of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde. Interestingly, this clever farce, subtitled A Trivial Comedy For Serious People, was first performed about 1895 and has been kicking around ever since. It was even made into a movie about ten years ago, staring Rupert Everett, Judi Dench, Colin Firth and Tom Wilkenson, some of my favorite British actors, ( Dench especially for her role in the long running BBC series As Time Goes By and Wilkenson as Gerald in the hilariously poignant film, The Full Monty ). According to the Palace’s advance ad, George Bernard Shaw once said that Earnest was the funniest play ever written. It is indeed a very witty piece of writing, a romantic comedy full of clever turns of phrase. I find it pretty amazing that a play which is now 115 years old is still capturing the imaginations of theatre groups all around the country ( take a quick peek at some of the U Tube clips of recent productions of Earnest, especially the clips from South Coast Repertory. )

Getting ready for lunch at Aqua restaurant

So we are planning for a late lunch today at Aqua’s Restaurant overlooking the Chesapeake Bay near the marina and then off to the theatre for the 3:00.pm matinee. I’m looking forward to the Cobb Salad at Aqua. Unbelievably, next Wednesday, as part of an over-all menu revision, I’ve been told they are taking their absolutely delicious Cobb Salad off the menu although it’s their most popular salad and, in my opinion, their best salad, assorted field greens layered with corn kernels, an entire sliced egg, crunchy bacon, perfectly ripened avocado, long crisp cucumber slices, tender grilled chicken, topped with a creamy Parmesan pepper dressing. I’m just asking……. What sense does it make to remove one of your most popular luncheon dishes just because it’s been there nearly since opening day ? Their hamburger has been on since opening day as well — but I’d just about bet the farm that the same hamburger choices are going to make an appearance on the new menu ! ( I think we need a revolt, maybe a “Committee for the Retention of the Cobb Salad at Aqua”. ) My daughter will be likely be having the fish sandwich and clam chowder, safe and secure that fish sandwiches will probably always be on the menu ! Anyway, we all truly enjoy Aqua’s atmosphere and scrumptious food and shall cling to the hope that maybe next spring the beloved Cobb Salad shall re-appear on their menu.

After lunch, it’s off to the theatre. We are especially looking forward to seeing David Kabler, broker for Blue Heron Realty Co.’s Cape Charles office, who is playing the role of the vicar, Dr. Chasuble. This is Dave’s second stage role, having made his debut at the Palace earlier this year in the part of Frank Updyke in the Art’s Enter production of the Two Mrs. Carrolls . So it should be a good day, a farewell Cobb Salad followed by playtime at play time in the little town of Cape Charles’ beautifully renovated Palace Theatre. ( P.S. I might mention that Wilde is also known for his short stories, particularly the beautiful The Happy Prince and the ironic The Nightingale and the Rose, both of which can be read on-line at www.shortstoryarchive.com/w/oscar_wilde.html I first read Oscar Wilde when I was in school, having received as a gift a book which was a collection of his short stories and some of his poetry. The stories have stuck with me ever since. )

Tags: Aqua restaurant Cape Charles Virginia, Arts Enter Cape Charles, Eastern Shore of Virginia, Importance of Being Earnest, Palace Theatre Cape Charles Virginia
Posted in Events In Cape Charles, Fine and Casual Dining, Just Having Fun, Odds and Ends, Our Little Towns, The Arts | No Comments »

Finding The Silver Lining — How I Ended Up At The Cape Charles, Virginia Tomato Festival After All !

Tuesday, September 28th, 2010

I’m a natural optimist and I do like to find the Silver Lining if I can. When I came down with a terrible cold last Tuesday and by Thursday still felt like a huge nose attached to a worn out body, I realized that I just could not subject the other three who would be in the car with me to a four hour ride to D.C. enclosed with Miss Sneezy. So I said, in my most pitiful voice , you-all just go to the Book Festival without me . (See Sept. 21st post about looking forward to the 2010 National Book Festival ( www.loc.gov/bookfest/ ) being held Saturday, Sept. 25th on the National Mall in Washington D.C. ) Don’t worry about me, poor, poor sick me, said I. Well OK, said they, we won’t worry about you, we’ll be on our way on Friday morning, really sorry you can’t come, we’ll try to get some of your books signed for you, watch the Book TV coverage.

But then, ironically, an important client of my daughter’s who was flying in from the mid-West to the Eastern Shore of Virginia to look at waterfront property on Thursday the 24th decided to stay over through Saturday to look at additional beachfront acreage. So that took her out of the trip as well. And then my friend’s son’s lasik surgery got bumped from Thursday afternoon to Friday afternoon, so another one bites the dust. That left only my husband in a position to make the trip, but loyalist that he is, he pledged to stay by my side, replenishing Kleenex and orange juice as necessary, commiserating with my loss of the opportunity to get the books I had purchased by Michelle Norris, Anchee Min, David Remnick and Scott Turow autographed by them, planned as special Christmas gifts for several people. ( I realize that it may not seem all that special. But trust me when I say that after you have stood in line about two hours per each author, in the hot sun, the only food all day being the trail mix and a PBJ you fortunately brought along but which got somewhat squished at the bottom of your rolling briefcase, washed down sparingly by a warm Desani, portapotties about 10 miles off but you are worried about leaving the line in case of a ruckus about getting back in, feet aching even though you’re wearing your most comfortable Birkenstocks, weary arms clutching the max- allowed- per- author three or four books, open to the title pages as ordered by the event staff, yellow post-it notes peeking over the edges of the title pages whereon you have, after much wracking of the brain, written the pithy phrases you want the admired author to inscribe for the recipient…… Well, after all that, I don’t care if it’s just an inscribed “Manual of Insurance Rates” instead of a John Grisham 1st edition — by golly, it is special !!!! ) Anyway, the 11th annual National Book Festival is coming up in just 361 more days, wonder who the authors will be ?

But back to the Silver Lining. In order to go to the Book Festival, I would have had to miss the 3rd annual Cape Charles Tomato Festival. So now, if I felt up to it, we could attend. Possible Silver Lining. Mid- afternoon, pocket full of cough drops, I summoned up the energy to slip down to Cape Charles with my husband. It was a pretty day, blue skies, warm, breezes blowing in from the Chesapeake Bay. My husband and I both always like the ArtWalk and this year was no exception — lots of mediums exhibited, sidewalk tables plus snow white individual tents featuring watercolors, sculpture, glasswork, oils, stained glass, decoy carvings, etc., up and down Mason Avenue as far as the eye could see. On one of the next- to- last sidewalk tables, I came across my art purchase of the day……. a whimisical watercolor, original and framed, a pair of charming orange seahorses, outlined in red, with large aquamarine eyes, set against a vivid backgound of various blues, white bubbles and little red hearts floating upwards as the seahorses shyly peek at each other. The whole painting was so vibrant, I love seahorses, I have a perfect place to hang it, I could not resist.

Continuing on down the sidewalk, past those last lucky diners to be able to enjoy a bowl of the ambrosial tomato basil bisque being served at Cape Charles Coffee House, we crossed the street to see the antique cars exhibit. Arriving just after the judging was completed, we watched as the trophies were being awarded. Although I am not that into cars, I was impressed with the 1930 Model A, black of course, which looked like it just rolled off the assembly line. ( You’ll remember that Henry Ford famously said that his customers could have the Model A in any color they wanted—- just as long as they wanted black ! ) Among others, a trophy was awarded to a 1955 mint condition Chevy painted in beautiful tones of cream and deep burgandy, owned by MaryLou and John Thornton, whose cute-as-a-button two year old grandaughter, Andrea, stole the awards ceremony as she presented the trophies. And that pretty much did it for me, tired, still not fully recovered, ready to go home and flip on the television. And so, a Silver Lining after all — I got a fun painting at the Cape Charles Tomato Festival and then spent the rest of the afternoon in comfy air conditioning, enjoying Book TV’s ( www.booktv.org ) live coverage of the National Book Festival direct from C-Span’s little studio set up in the huge History and Biography pavilion, temperature in D.C. estimated at a hefty 90 + degrees and no Chesapeake Bay breezes. Hi, ho Silver Lining.

Tags: art show, Cape Charles Virginia, National Book Festival, Tomato Festival, Virginia antique car show
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The Fun-Filled Cape Charles, Virginia Annual Tomato Festival ! It’s Right Around The Corner, Don’t Miss It !

Tuesday, September 21st, 2010

Putting on the Ritz at the Tomato Ball

When is the only time of year when dressing up like a tomato is not only acceptable, it’s de rigueur ? Tomato Festival time, of course, that wacky, fun time of year in Cape Charles, Virginia when marinara sauce meets “Beautiful Baby” contest. And where you must wear red ( and preferably a tomato-like Mardi Gras style costume ) in order to get into the annual Tomato Ball. Talk about putting on the Ritz, it’s definitely time to dust off those zippy red slingback heels and get ready to step out with your baby tonight !!

Second only to the fun events scheduled for the 4th of July week-end, Cape Charles’ Tomato Festival week-ends offer a wide variety of events, something for everyone. For art aficionados, there is the Mason Avenue ArtWalk where many of the best artisans on the Eastern Shore of Virginia will have booths to show their latest work. The ArtWalk exhibits in many mediums including watercolors, oils, pottery, mosaics, photography and carvings and features many fine . Several categories will be judged and winners selected by a regionally recognized art professional. ( One of the art booths is always set up outside Blue Heron Realty’s office at 113 Mason Avenue. So if you are thinking about buying real estate on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, please stop in to say hello and pick up our free property catalogue. )

Into the hole on the next shot

On Friday, September 24th, the 3 rd Annual Cape Charles Open golf tournament will be held at Bay Creek, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the United Way of the Eastern Shore. This event is open to the public and is a great chance for non-member golf enthusiasts to strut their stuff on the incredible Arnold Palmer Signature course, which was designated last year by Golf Digest as one of its “Best Places To Play”. This 7204 yard beautiful waterfront course, with perfectly manicured greens and fairways, is built along the shores of the Chesapeake Bay and Old Plantation Creek, a bay inlet. Most golfers say that it’s hard to keep their eyes off the scenery and on the ball, so participants in this event will just have to try to ignore the sparkling waters, soaring ospreys and gorgeous landscaping to focus instead on less interesting matters like stance and swing. A golfer’s life is hard but someone has to do it …..

Marinara Sauce In The Round

For foodies, there are mouth watering tomato pies, bubbling, wonderful fragrant aromas for as far as the nose can smell. I’m sure the local tomato pie champions ( who actually were invited to Washington DC to cater an Inaugural event in 2008 ) will be there, holding forth with their ambrosial offerings. ( If you’ve never had tomato pie, think a perfection blend of tomatos, cheeses, herbs and spices in a rich, rich crust. ) Other food vendors will be there preparing regional specialties plus wine and beer tastings usually are held as well. Definitely no fear of hunger at the Tomato Festival. And of course the week-end “Pizza Train” luncheon ride and evening gourmet dinner trip will be running on the usual schedule, as always, advance tickets required. All aboard, all aboard, train buffs.

Grand Finale And Perfect End To A Fun-filled Day In Historic Cape Charles, Virginia

For kids, special contests and events are scheduled including the always fun Face Painting booth. Also for kids and kids at heart, there will be an antique and classic car show, always a great hit. For the girls there will be a no-swimsuit “Miss Hot Tomato” contest as well as a pre-teen tomato contest. The demands of the baby lobby are covered by the “Beautiful Baby” contest. Last year music lovers were entertained by the Pop, Rhythm and Blues concert featuring Clarance Smith, presented by Art’s Enter at the Palace Theatre. So I think that just about covers everyone — foodies, golfers, music lovers, babies, teens and pre-teens, kids, car enthusiasts, art aficionados, train buffs, tomato costumes, dancing the night away at the Tomato Ball….. is there anything else that can be piled into this fun, wacky, tomato week-end ? Just one more thing ? Yes, of course…. for everyone out there who loves a parade, the Tomato Festival Parade kicks off on Mason Avenue at 10 AM. Last call, anything else ? Yes, the fireworks ! High in the sky above the Cape Charles beach and reflected in the waters of the Chesapeake Bay, the brilliant flares and ka-booms of the fireworks show brought the 2009 Tomato Festival to a ( http://www.capecharles.biz/fallfestival.html ) to a dramatic close. Yep, with the parade and the fireworks, there truly is something for everyone. So, everyone, remember, it’s coming, it’s right around the corner. Get ready, get set, mark your calenders, it’s tomato time in Cape Charles on Virginia’s Eastern Shore !

Tags: Arnold Palmer golf course, Cape Charles Art Show, Cape Charles golf tournament, Cape Charles Virginia
Posted in At the Beach, Crafts, Events In Cape Charles, Golf, Just Having Fun, Regional Foods & Wine, The Arts | No Comments »

To The Cast Of “Two Mrs. Carrolls”, Take Another Well Deserved Bow !

Thursday, September 16th, 2010

Historic Palace Theatre In Cape Charles, Virginia

My husband, a friend and I spent a delightful Sunday afternoon last week at the historic Palace Theatre in Cape Charles, Virginia watching the matinee performance of ” The Two Mrs. Carrolls”. It was one of those cool, rainy, constant drizzle Sundays that usually make me feel like staying at home with a hot cup of tea, listening to The Splendid Table on NPR or thumbing through the latest Contessa or Mario Batali cookbook, wondering if there is a delicious recipe of less than five ingredients that can be whipped together in 15 minutes ( good luck with that ! ) . However, we had matinee tickets for the play and off we went, rain or no, to see the Mrs. Carrolls.

I was not familiar with that particular play, written by Martin Vale, but the playbill indicates that it is a film noir classic from 1947 and starred Hunphrey Bogart and Barbara Stanwyck. A comic thriller set in the South of France, it revolves around a lovey-dovey, newly- wed English couple ( but the husband, an artist, has a roving eye ), the wife’s old flame who visits a lot, a beautiful young neighbor who also visits a lot and a very funny French housekeeper, Clemence , who can speak English but insists on speaking French throughout, sans peur et sans reproche, played with good comic effect by Susan Kovacs, a Blue Heron customer . The wife soon falls mysteriously ill and the play is off and running !

Bravo ! Take Another Bow !

Staged and directed by Sheila Cardano, whose daughter, Clelia Sheppard, is the Executive Director of Art’s Enter, the play came off wonderfully– the years of Sheila’s hard work and efforts to put together a talented local amateur theatre group and stage crew and to renovate the Palace Theatre have really paid off handsomely. The theatre, now fully restored, truly looks great. ( Years of fund raisers together with grants and donations have restored this lovely Art Deco building to its former 1940’s glory. Wow ! And you should see the seats now, comfy and beautifully re-covered, to the tune of hundreds of dollars each and the gorgeous golden wall murals. Before and after pictures really tell this amazing restoration story and illustrate how far the Palace Theatre and Art’s Enter have come in these last 15 years. ) On stage, the props and scenery looked great– so authentic, you felt like you really were in an artist’s home. Lots of well done lighting and sound effects too, especially the mistral wind, which blew on and off for much of Act 3.

Eva Takes The Lead Role And Dave Makes His Stage Debut

Best of all was the cast, who vividly brought this story to life. Consisting of nine amateur actors from various walks of life, including a recreational director, a vacation rental associate, three retirees, a real estate sales agent, a real estate broker, a Deputy Commissioner of the Revenue plus Clelia Sheppard, the Executive Director of Art’s Enter and one of the Eastern Shore’s great multi-taskers, this cast came together seamlessly to create the story’s realistic voice. It was an excellent performance, thoroughly enjoyed by the entire audience. I realize that I am biased but the three of us really loved seeing our two colleagues from the Blue Heron Realty Co. Cape Charles office , Eva Noonan and Dave Kabler ” do their thing” on-stage, both presented an accomplished performance, with Eva cast in the leading role of Sally Carroll. And so, to the entire cast, at the next performance go ahead and take an extra bow— you deserve it !

Tags: Arts Enter Cape Charles, Cape Charles Virginia, Clelia Sheppard, Palace Theatre Cape Charles Virginia, theatre restoration
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Planning To Feed My Murder Mystery Addiction At The New Play At The Palace Theatre In Cape Charles

Saturday, September 11th, 2010

For better or for worse, I’m addicted to murder mysteries. No point in trying to deny it because an entire room, a very spacious room even, that was planned as my husband’s home office with space for my books, CD’s and DVD’s has now evolved into my library with space for my husband’s desk and file cabinets at the far end, by the full wall of windows. ( Well, at least I let him keep the windows, which are floor-to-ceiling, south-east facing and overlook our beautiful rolling lawn, bird feeders, trees and pretty sunrises. I feel that makes things even-steven but I don’t think he really agrees. ) Six tall bookcases, books I’ve already read but want to keep stacked at least two rows deep, books I’m planning to read sitting on my “read this next” table, about 30% of which are murder mysteries or courtroom dramas, not the gory ones, just the good, old-fashioned sleuthing- through- clues to find the bad guys kind. ( I think I could probably write a book, a thick, heavy tome, about the books that I love…. I do read a lot of non-fiction too but let’s face it — not as much fun ! Currently reading “The Immortal World of Henrietta Lacks”, fascinating but not nearly as satisfying as a John Grisham thriller. ) Two tall bookcases of DVD’s including, more or less, the complete sets (or working towards complete ) of most of BBC’s great mystery series. (Let me recommend www.bbcamericashop.com as an absolutely “must view” website. ) Inspector Morse, Foyle’s War, Sir Peter Wimsey, Rumpole, Prime Suspect, MidSomer Murders, Last Detective, Poirot ad infinitum, Sherlock Holmes, P.D. James, etc., etc. (all on the dramatic side) on stand-by on the shelf, ready to be watched or re-watched at a moment’s notice. Plus light and humorous favorites like Hamish McBeth (was TV John a delightful character or what ? ), Campion, the new(ish) Miss Marple series staring Geraldine McEwan ( BBC’s best Marple ever ), Rosemary and Thyme, Hetty Investigates and the wonderful series we are currently viewing, Pie In The Sky…. impatiently waiting for UPS to deliver Series 3 ( which was originally shown in the U.K. about a thousand years ago but just released in the U.S. on DVD September 7 th, why on earth BBC waits so long I can not imagine. ) Anyway, hopefully Monday. What the mystery lover’s life would be like without the British Broadcasting Corporation — well, I shudder to think ! ( We love British comedy too but no space for that commentary now — except to say that anyone who doesn’t practically fall right off the sofa laughing while watching Black Adder, Faulty Towers or Vicar of Dibley simply doesn’t have much of sense of humor. Watching an episode of Father Ted is like eating potato chips– you cannot stop at just one ! ) But enough already about BBC videos.

So naturally I’m really looking forward to seeing the latest production this week-end at the Palace Theatre, ” The Two Mrs. Carrolls” , a mystery, produced by Art’s Enter. A word, or three, about Art’s Enter, actually headquartered in Cape Charles’ historic Palace Theatre, and its successful efforts to bring the visual and performing arts in the southern tip of Virginia’s Eastern Shore under one roof. Lucky ! Fortunate ! Favored ! That is what Cape Charles is to have Art’s Enter as a vibrant part of the town and its culture ! And flipping to the other side of that coin, that’s what Art’s Enter ( http://www.artsentercapecharles.org ) is to have the love, support and participation of the people of Cape Charles. So, a synergistic relationship, benefiting all. This truly amazing arts group, headed up by Co-Directors Clelia Sheppard and Mary Ann Roehm, has brought such well known organizations as the Virginia Symphony Orchestra and the Virginia Opera Company, both headquartered in Norfolk, to the Palace Theatre for performances. ( It tickles me no end that the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, which has performed at many national venues including the world renowned Carnegie Hall, has actually also performed, several times even, here on the Eastern Shore at the Palace Theatre. Thanks Clelia and Mary Ann — you’re amazing ! ) And dozens and dozens of other high quality vocalists, dance companies and orchestras recently including the Cab Calloway Orchestra, David Leonhardt Jazz Group and Lee Jordan-Anders have lit up the Palace’s stage.

It is also a beehive of activity for the Eastern Shore of Virginia’s growing thespian community, providing a wonderful theatre season right here in our own community. The performances last season included an evening of one act plays, “The Wizard of Oz” and “A Christmas Carol”. In addition to “The Two Mrs. Carrolls”, the 2010-2011 theatre season at the Palace Theatre also features “The Importance of Being Earnest” and “Oliver”. But for all of us at Blue Heron Realty Co. , the icing on the cake for the performance of “Two Mrs. Carrolls” is that two of the actors on-stage are Blue Heron agents ! Maestro, drum roll, please ! Eva Noonan, an agent in our Cape Charles office, an effervescent gal who has performed in a number of Art’s Enter’s previous plays, takes the lead role in “Carrolls”. And David Kabler, our Cape Charles managing broker, will be making his stage debut. And so this week-end I will not only be feeding my mystery addiction at the Palace Theatre, I will be on hand to enthusiastically applaud two of our own. Break a leg, break two legs even, Eva and Dave !!!!!

Tags: Arts Enter Cape Charles, BBC videos, Cape Charles Virginia, Eastern Shore performing arts, Palace Theatre Cape Charles, Virginia Eastern Shore
Posted in Events In Cape Charles, Just Having Fun, The Arts | No Comments »

Gemini Magic

Wednesday, September 1st, 2010

On Friday evening, in the Sinatra Room at Little Italy restaurant ( www.littleitalyhomestead.com ) in Nassawadox, Virginia over a hundred kids and parents were on hand to see the magic of Gemini. Ever a skeptic, I hoped my three grandchildren, ages 5, 7 and 8, would have a great time but expected to be pretty bored myself. Au contrarie, mon amis, all the adults, myself included, had a really good time, if lots of laughter and applause are reliable indicators. And the kids just absolutely loved it !

Dinner in the dining room came first. Pizza, the official food of kids everywhere, and salad all around— everyone happily finished their food and no drinks were spilled (courtesy of Little Italy’s special kid’s cups) so I would rate dinner as a complete success. Then down the hall to the Sinatra Room — we had a front row table with a clear, up-close view of the stage which had a sort of bell, book and candle setting. Before long, courtesy of Franco, owner/chef turned stagehand- for- the- night, the room lights came down, the stage lights came up and the music started. Gemini came sauntering out, lit the candle and we were off to an hour and a half of pure fun.

After a few magic tricks, including burning things and making them re-appear unscathed, came the first of several very popular audience participation tricks and antics. My 7 year old grandaughter was dressed in a sweet little white dress with pink and yellow flowers and wore a very pretty new pink sweater — and it was her new pink sweater that Gemini came down from the stage and asked to borrow ! I could see the internal struggle, she really didn’t want to let the sweater go but she didn’t want to say no either. So back up on the stage went Gemini, with the sweater, which became part of a fire trick, appearing at every turn that it would definately go up in flames. Eyes got bigger and bigger, kids were literally holding their breath to see if that sweater was going to burst into fire. Of course, it was returned unharmed and Gemini was on to his next trick.

Although magic tricks are the foundation of his act, Gemini is like a one-man band — he’s a comedian, a ventriliquist and a magician rolled into one cohesive show, plus two birds and a bunny ! Over-all, I think the favorite was an audience participation trick featuring two younger and two older kids selected to come up on stage where they then donned the funniest rubber masks of adult faces and became a part of several cute magic tricks. The incongruence of these cute kids and those funny, funny adult masks was so hilarious– kids and adults alike just roared with laughter and more laughter !

Gemini continued with three funny ventriliquist skits– the one with the Godfather dummy was especially good, he really had Marlon Brando’s voice down pat . The show ended with lots of applause- – clearly everyone had enjoyed a great time ! But then, to the kid’s delight, he brought the two birds and the bunny down into the audience for everyone to see and pet, up close and personal. Gracious about autographs and happy to pose for pictures with the kids, Gemini brought the evening to a delightful close. It was magic, Gemini magic.

Posted in Fine and Casual Dining, Just Having Fun, The Arts | No Comments »

Life and Real Estate on the Eastern Shore of Virginia