Before and After Lilla Barton

At the Bas Bleu:

Volunteers at work setting up the stage

Workes rush to get the window panel in place in Lilla Barton's house before the show starts. Please note: The door frame on the left was my doing!

Finished set with actors in place

Here we are watching the actual production of "The Moving of Lilla Barton" with Deb Note-Farwell in the lead role and shown above coming to my door-way is none other than fellow RAGBRAI rider "Lenny" (although he didn't ride in 2009).

Other organized outings of note:

'The Glass Menagerie' at Open Stage

'Vaughn NM, Christmas Eve, 1956' & 'A Child's Christmas in Wales' at the Bas Bleu

Bas Bleu behind the scenery

On stage at the Bas Bleu:

Set Building Time!

It was time for Jeanne and I to help out with the local Bas Bleu Theater group and build some scenery. The work was for a play called "The Moving of Lilla Barton" which we have scheduled our newcomers group to see February 7th.

Anton @ Art Lab

A theater update:

Anton in Showbusiness

The Open Stage ETC performed at the first Art Lab location last month. While it was strange to have a theater production in an abandoned office space, this crazy theatrical story retelling of Checkov's 'The Three Sisters' seemed to fit perfectly. The local Fort Collins theater crowd didn't catch on to this gem until it was too late (it also didn't help when the people at the Lincoln Center box office couldn't give exact details on the location of the Art Lab!) The ECT should do it again sometime soon because it was just that good!

...and of course the Art Lab is a moving target!

The new Art Lab Location, I think.

It could be at 239 Linden Street, but the Art Lab website and Facebook has yet to be updated. Bloco em Foco is planning on blasting through the walls as soon as someone is brave enough to give them the keys!

Also seen:

The Open Stage performance of "The One-eyed Man is King" by Carter Lewis. Directed by Bruce Freestone, the story is based on an H.G. Wells story and uses dramatic breaks between light and dark to help give contrast (blind folks vs. them's with sight). You get the idea early on, so it seemed a little long at times. IOW, A simulated gun shot in the first act helped keep me awake. Oh well. Looking forward to next month at the Bas Bleu for:

'Vaughn NM, Christmas Eve, 1956' & 'A Child's Christmas in Wales'

Sex, Robots & Rock 'n Roll

I have a feeling we're not in Fort Collins anymore...

This is NOT on our theater list for the FoCo Newcomer's Club!

But if you find yourself panhandling on Natoma Street in San Francisco and need a little break from reality, you should check out this show.

The front door is just this.

Inside is a collection of musical instruments, servomechanisms, computers, Disney-On-Acid animatronics, surreal paintings, sculptures and

This guy.

The director of Omnicircus, Frank Garvey; His manifesto on Steps Toward a Culture of Liberation is a real trip but don't read it, come on down and see the show! Frank will personally clue you in when you get there.

The Paintings are part of the show.

I first met Frank about 40 years ago. He was a drummer and a painter from the "Hieronymus Bosch School of Erotic Derangement" or something of that sort.

Various sculptures on view

And of course, The Robots!

It's too bad that I gave away my robot collection before I moved to Fort Collins. I could have teamed up with Bill Swets and started a whole new art form in Colorado!

Junk Yard Parts on Stage

The robots interact with human performers and the theater patron as well.

and there are drums. Many drums!

Fort Collins Parody?

"Yo Fort Collins

That big sculpture never pleased most folks

So it's going to move, just goes to prove

We get to repeat our best jokes"

From "Yo Fort Collins"

by Patty Bell

Sung to the tune:"Oklahoma!"

If you haven't yet, go see the Mostlies

It's local satire for the most part, so if you haven't read each issue of Coloradoan over the past year, you won't get all of the jokes! They did a bit about sign spinners that made me wonder if somebody in the cast has been reading my blog? Hey! Are you reading me now?

Entertainment Update #6

Looking back a week or two:

At Bas Bleu: I'm Not Rappaport

Excellent performances by Earlie Thomas and Jonathan Farwell (above). We are always amazed at the quality of the theater around here; we have just become the theater co-chairs for the Newcomers Club! Our tour starts in September!

Oak Street Plaza: Grupo Aztlan

That's Gerald Sandoval on the right playing a requinto guitar. They play Latin jazz, cumbias, Tex-Mex and rancheras! Mmmmm! Sounds good!

Dale Cisek of the Modern Rhythm Project at the Catalyst Tap Room

We were at their CD release party with Kim and Tom from Kansas City! Hear the MRP here!

Colorado Rockies Memorial Day!

At Coors Field

A stadium named after a local brew

Baseball was played there

and there was a memorial

With some greenery near the dugout!

Denver lost 16 t0 6 to Los Angeles!

Lobby Hero

The Bas Bleu Theatre Company (BBTC) presents: Lobby Hero

Hey, it's fellow RAGBRAI rider Lenny as the evil cop!

with Tomas Herrera and Amadeus Waters as the security guards.

Here's Tomas with the 'other cop' played by Julia Uthe.

This is a great show! We especially liked Tomas Herrera's funny exchanges. Check it out before it's gone. Also, contribute some extra cash to the Bas Bleu! (Before IT IS GONE!)

Doubt?

Tonight at Lincoln Center's Open Stage:

By John Patrick Shanley

This was an outing with the Newcomers Club.  Afterwards we went out to dinner at the Moot House!

University Center for the Arts

Last night we saw 'The Caucasian Chalk Circle', by Bertolt Brecht and directed by Eric Prince at the new(old) University Center for the Arts. We purchased season tickets via the auction last month!
An epic play with universal and humanistic appeal with music by Chris Nucci: lead vocals & guitar; Bruce Burbank: accordion, bass, banjo; Heather Fjare: guitar, mandolin & dobro. Yes! Dobos, accordions and Banjos in the orchestra!

It was our first time at CSU's UCA! The building was originally the FoCo High School. Nicely renovated; it does not seem like a high school inside! It opened in October of this year and is billed as a state of the art facility providing the opportunity for dynamic community-university collaborations and programs.

As You Like It?

We see Shakespeare's stuff from time to time.
This evening we saw fellow RAGBRAI rider Lenny as Duke Federick in "As You Like It". 

"Reminiscent of the Woodstock festivities and political protests of the 1960's 'summer of peace and love,' director Judith Allen's production casts a critical eye on social injustice and pokes fun at self-destructive behavior."

 

Piaf Pure

I saw this van on Shields Street today:

This afternoon we saw the last performance of "Pure Piaf: The Life and Music of Edith Piaf" at the Bas Bleu Theatre.

Alex Ryer as Edith Piaf

Le petit homme souse le ciel de Paris. C'est a hambourg, la vie en rose, mon dieu, je T'ai dans la peau & les amants D'un jour!

Annie, The Railroad Dog

We were in Denver last night to see Avenue Q. It's sort of like an adult version of Sesame Street.
Check it out!

Annie the Railroad Dog: This is not the first time we have seen statues of dogs.

Here is the statue of Annie at the Fort Collins main library building.

...and this is Greyfriars Bobby in Edinbourgh.

I just found out that there was a community celebration in honor of Annie the Railroad Dog on August 23! Oops. Maybe next year!

Ashland

Midsummer Night’s Dream
We were able to take in the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and see a play about some kind of dream in midsummer. Apparently in this story, Hermia loves Lysander but must marry Demetrius, whom her best friend Helena yearns after. And Theseus, the Duke of Athens, and Hippolyta, the Queen of the Amazons, are at odds as their wedding day approaches. The mysterious origins of their conflict lie in the fairy world where Oberon, King of the Fairies, and his consort, Titania, have fallen into dissension. Yada yada yada, Love eventually is set aright through fairy magic, but not before some impish twists take the lovers and some aspiring actors on a humorous midsummer night journey. Good costumes and sets, but in our opinion the fairies stole the show and the audience went along. (BTW, much of the audience was much younger than what we were used to seeing. It was good to see a new generation of theater goers get into the habit).
The aspiring actors in this bit were hippies from the ’60's driving a VW bus on stage! An acid trip of sorts and the kind of thing I should have expected! Bravo, I say!