Hairspray, Civic Theatre - June 18, 2011

“Hairspray” began its life as a 1988 film. A Broadway production in 2002 turned it into a musical, and a movie musical was released in 2007.  Along the way, musical numbers were added and dropped but the basic plot remains the same and takes place in Baltimore in the 1960s.

The Civic put on a fine performance and certainly did the show justice. I’m not going to reveal the plot because if you are not familiar with it, you should see it fresh. It’s smart and funny.

The singing was excellent with wonderful performances by all involved. Choreography was well done, although many of the same moves/dance steps were frequently repeated. The dancers were light on their feet and joyful in their movements. The moving parts of the large dance crew were smooth at all times.

They did not receive top-tier billing, but Mike Frankey as Link Larkin, and Richard Carnegie as Seaweed Stubbs were outstanding performers, both in song and dance.  

Motormouth Maybelle was played by Lisa Whitley-Butler, and although she had one weak note, and once addressed Tracy as Penny, her voice was strong and beautiful, and her acting was superb. “I Know Where I’ve Been” was a show-stopper.

The Turnblad family is always the star of the show and all three actors did a fine job with their singing, dancing, and delivery of some very funny lines (Jolene Frankey, Todd Avery, and Davin Lepisto).

The players occasionally surprised us by appearing in the aisles of the theatre, and at one point long strands of confetti were shot out over the audience. A curtain that refused to fall near the end of the show surprised everyone but the actors quickly worked around it.

So enjoy this well-directed (Penelope Notter) romp back into the sixties with its big hair, small TVs, and the beginning of the civil rights movement. It’s energetic and entertaining from beginning to end and you can see it at the Civic until July 2. You will agree that “You Can’t Stop the Beat!”

Festival of the Arts 2011

For over 40 years, the Festival of the Arts has been occurring in Grand Rapids,

and this year the weather was outstanding.  The opening parade was not that well

attended but it was a very happy and festive group.

If you missed the Festival, look for it next year on the first weekend in June.

Parade Video Clip 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last Year's Festival of the Arts 

The American Soldier - A Photographic Tribute to Soldiers and Marines from the Civil War to the War in Iraq.

Regardless of your thoughts about any of the conflicts in which the U.S. has been involved, this is a fascinating exhibit that’s been touring the country since 2007. It will be at the Gerald R. Ford Museum until June 17.

It consists of 116 photographs that cover 150 years of the American military. Some photos were taken by professional photographers, and others by soldiers or random people. (Photos at the exhibit entrance only are permitted. The images seen below were found on google images.)

The number of photos from each conflict range from nine to twenty-five. In the Civil War section, there’s an image of a surgeon embalming a soldier on the field. Also on view is an undated picture of what is called a Union Army Women’s Volunteer Unit. It may be the same as this photo, which is not labeled as Union specific and is also not dated.

“On Foreign Soil” covers the Spanish-American War and the Boxer Rebellion. In addition to a familiar image of Teddy Roosevelt with his Rough Riders atop San Juan Hill, photographs of soldiers in China’s Forbidden City are also shown. An image from Cuba showing the U.S. Army Engineers carrying out maneuvers was particularly riveting. All the soldiers are looking away from the camera but one. He was looking at the camera, and now at us, from about 150 years ago.

The World War I section includes a military dental surgeon treating a toothache in a front line dugout, a soldier writing a letter in a trench, and a traffic jam at the rear of the American Lines in the Argonne Forest in 1918. During a parade for the Harlem Hellfighters in 1919, someone captured a crowd scene that included a wounded veteran and various, arresting facial expressions of others viewing the parade. 

In the Trenches

Harlem Hellfighters

World War II images are divided between Europe and “the Pacific Side.”  D-Day and VJ-Day are of course represented. One photo from D-Day was taken from the landing craft and offers a wonderful perspective on the beach landing.

Notable for its inclusion is a shot of American soldiers lined up, one still with hands over his head, for the march to a POW Camp after the Battle of the Bulge.  There is also a moving photo of liberated prisoners in the Mauthausen Concentration Camp in Austria.

On the Pacific side, you will see the very sad images of soldiers on Corregidor and on the Bataan Death March in 1942. Also memorable are images of Navajo Indian code talkers and a shirtless doctor operating in an in-ground surgical room.  

Corregidor

After looking at what we call the Korean War,

I moved through Vietnam, the brief Gulf War, Afghanistan, and Iraq. The photos are all too familiar but nonetheless impressive. My favorite Iraq shot is of an American soldier patrolling a street in Tallafar in 2006, unknowingly shadowed by a young Iraqi girl in pink sandals.  

Most curious was the Iraq War text panel that lists the dates as 2003-2010. As of today, it’s far from over. The last Iraq War photo displayed was of a female sergeant being welcomed home in California after serving 15 months in Iraq. It would be wonderful if the real situation was wrapped up so neatly.

The Afghanistan War panel (2001 - ) was left open-ended and includes an image of flag-draped containers of military remains waiting for transport home. This is an image that was not previously allowed on your nightly news.   

This is a very moving and mesmerizing photo exhibit and you shouldn’t miss it. Here’s  some interesting information to ponder. Ten conflicts are represented. There have been only five U.S. declared wars, and just three of them are represented in this exhibit. View these photos until June 17.
            

Soldiers featured on the local news,
Their eyes stare deeply into mine,
Reflecting hopes, the plans they made,
Lives now reduced to memories.    
Just piercing eyes in determined faces,
Names and ranks on the evening news,
Their last appearance on my TV screen.

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Armed Forces Day Open House

The Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) sponsored an open house

in honor of Armed Forces Day at a hangar at the airport today. Although it felt a little

like a recruitment open house, it was fascinating to see the planes, boats, 

and helicopters, and to chat with some of the military personnel.

Some were friendlier than others and I guess I’d put that up to “why would I want to talk to that old lady with the camera”?  :) Many of them looked so very young but no one refused a picture.

 

Guns could be explored and explained.

Boats could be climbed into and discussed. 

Sit in a Blackhawk helicopter as pilot or passenger.

Look through an L-RES surveillance tool and see 6 miles away.

Meet an actual sniper and his platoon leader and discover that their camouflage

(you’ve seen it in movies) has a name: ghillie suit. 

There are eight B-17s still flying and one of them, the Yankee Lady, was here today.

We were allowed to climb into it near the cockpit and walk (not comfortably) towards the rear.

It was awkward climbing the ladder, carrying a purse and a camera, 

and trying to maneuver into and through the plane. It made me feel

ancient and less than agile. Then I met the guys

that fly the plane. That didn’t help  :)

Here’s a little background on the holiday:
In the U.S. it is celebrated on the third Saturday of May (many other countries celebrate an Armed Forces Day as well). The day was created in 1949 to honor Americans serving the five U.S. military branches: the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and the Coast Guard. The holiday was first celebrated on Saturday, May 20 in 1950.

The armed forces had recently been unified under the Department of Defense and this day was intended to replace the individual military branch celebrations. In 1962, President Kennedy established Armed Forces Day as an official holiday.

The intent of the celebration is to honor those Americans serving in the armed forces and it also provides an opportunity to the military to display and explain equipment to civilians that results in increased public understanding of the role of the military.

Some wars are just and others not so much, but cheers to all military personnel who do and sacrifice so much on both the war and home fronts.