Hello everyone. Yes, it has been awhile since you have heard from me…and I should warn you that this could rapidly deteriorate in to a whiny blog. A “whog” if you will.
First, however, I will start with the positive. The reason I haven’t been wasting my time sitting around at home blogging (or whogging) is about to come to a close. I have spent most of my evenings with a delightful group of people who came together back at the beginning of June with a single goal—bringing the musical “Chicago” to the stage of the Lake Benton Opera House. Yes, for the past 16-17 years I have given in to my girlie-man propensity for getting involved in Community Theater. This year was no different.
As a director it is hard to pick favorite plays I’ve done over the years…each had different qualities. Each year I have expended a blog or a newspaper column telling you reasons you should come and see the show. This year I will make a statement that I’ve never made before…this is the best show I’ve ever directed. I should qualify that pronouncement with the following disclaimer, however: The reasons that this is the best show I’ve ever directed do not include anything I have done. It was just my good fortune to draw a cast, crew and orchestra that came together to create a remarkable final product.
From the biggest parts played by Audrey Bloemendaal, Ashley Vogt, Adam Madsen, Brad Nupen and Sara Vogt to the smallest parts played by Amy Wyatt, Brock Nelson, Carrie Schwing, Alan Riedel and Sandy Hanson, I was the beneficiary of top notch performances. I am always impressed when an actor with a bit part will do everything in his or her powers to make their own 90 seconds of stage time memorable.
The choreography created by Ms. Bloemendaal (pictured [l.] with Ashley Vogt [r.])is wonderful. That she pulled it off while playing one of the lead characters is just short of freakish.
When Stacey Voit of Ghent agreed to participate I knew we would have a splendid orchestra, and I again was not disappointed.
We still have six performances…Aug. 4-7 there will be shows at 7:30 PM…Aug. 7-8 there will be shows at 2:00 PM. That Saturday show, incidentally, is our Senior Citizens special, with tickets reduced for seniors by $2.50, to $10.00.
Don’t go anywhere just yet…I still have my special whining portion…
Each year the summer musical takes up a lot of my time, but the satisfaction I receive in return more than makes up for the busyness. It is when the Big Guy decides he needs to throw me a few curves that things get difficult.
“Let’s see, how can we mess with Mark this year?”
In past years most of my undue stress was provided by my career as a newspaper editor. Naturally, since my Great Emancipation from the newspaper business over a year ago, something else had to take over in the “messin’ with me” department. This year it was my first-ever summer cold. Somehow, on July 3rd, I came down with some chest cold issues. Three types of medication and an inhaler later, I’m still fighting with the cough. There was a stretch of 60 hours last week where I got a grand total of about three hours of sleep. It was timed perfectly with the days leading up to opening night. To say that I was in a fog is an understatement.
I’m now on the inhaler, as well as prednisone, which coincidentally is the same stuff we have to give our cat, Joe for his odd affliction of being allergic to himself. I now know why he doesn’t really appreciate the taste of his food on the mornings we mix in one of his little steroid pills. I can’t get mine swallowed fast enough to keep the nasty taste out of my mouth.
It will be worth it if it helps. I really hope to one day again be able to sleep lying down. In addition, I’m very close to being voted out of the house and into the garage at night by my frustrated family.
So it has been a difficult run this year. Add in a Relay for Life event in July, and enough rain to give my lawn a lush quality that begs to be mowed every four days and my life is full. I would guess if I were to get creative, most of this stuff could be blamed on the Obama administration.
Or maybe BP.
The lawn got so out-of-hand before the end of the week last week that one of our neighbors graciously mowed it for me. He said to consider it his donation to the arts. Thanks Rick…
Oh…one more whine…does anyone else feel like they are breathing pudding when they step outside?
OK, thanks for letting me get that out of my system.
“How else can I, a reader of Mark’s blog help lift his spirits?” you ask.
Come see the show. I will absolutely assure you that you will enjoy the performance, and in the process, you will make a small donation to the Opera House that will help keep it healthy and a contributor to the quality of our life here in southwestern Minnesota.
Need more convincing? You can check out the pictures and a video on the Opera House Facebook page at www.facebook.com/lakebentonoperahouse. You do not have to be a Facebook member to see it.
First, however, I will start with the positive. The reason I haven’t been wasting my time sitting around at home blogging (or whogging) is about to come to a close. I have spent most of my evenings with a delightful group of people who came together back at the beginning of June with a single goal—bringing the musical “Chicago” to the stage of the Lake Benton Opera House. Yes, for the past 16-17 years I have given in to my girlie-man propensity for getting involved in Community Theater. This year was no different.
As a director it is hard to pick favorite plays I’ve done over the years…each had different qualities. Each year I have expended a blog or a newspaper column telling you reasons you should come and see the show. This year I will make a statement that I’ve never made before…this is the best show I’ve ever directed. I should qualify that pronouncement with the following disclaimer, however: The reasons that this is the best show I’ve ever directed do not include anything I have done. It was just my good fortune to draw a cast, crew and orchestra that came together to create a remarkable final product.
From the biggest parts played by Audrey Bloemendaal, Ashley Vogt, Adam Madsen, Brad Nupen and Sara Vogt to the smallest parts played by Amy Wyatt, Brock Nelson, Carrie Schwing, Alan Riedel and Sandy Hanson, I was the beneficiary of top notch performances. I am always impressed when an actor with a bit part will do everything in his or her powers to make their own 90 seconds of stage time memorable.
The choreography created by Ms. Bloemendaal (pictured [l.] with Ashley Vogt [r.])is wonderful. That she pulled it off while playing one of the lead characters is just short of freakish.
When Stacey Voit of Ghent agreed to participate I knew we would have a splendid orchestra, and I again was not disappointed.
We still have six performances…Aug. 4-7 there will be shows at 7:30 PM…Aug. 7-8 there will be shows at 2:00 PM. That Saturday show, incidentally, is our Senior Citizens special, with tickets reduced for seniors by $2.50, to $10.00.
Don’t go anywhere just yet…I still have my special whining portion…
Each year the summer musical takes up a lot of my time, but the satisfaction I receive in return more than makes up for the busyness. It is when the Big Guy decides he needs to throw me a few curves that things get difficult.
“Let’s see, how can we mess with Mark this year?”
In past years most of my undue stress was provided by my career as a newspaper editor. Naturally, since my Great Emancipation from the newspaper business over a year ago, something else had to take over in the “messin’ with me” department. This year it was my first-ever summer cold. Somehow, on July 3rd, I came down with some chest cold issues. Three types of medication and an inhaler later, I’m still fighting with the cough. There was a stretch of 60 hours last week where I got a grand total of about three hours of sleep. It was timed perfectly with the days leading up to opening night. To say that I was in a fog is an understatement.
I’m now on the inhaler, as well as prednisone, which coincidentally is the same stuff we have to give our cat, Joe for his odd affliction of being allergic to himself. I now know why he doesn’t really appreciate the taste of his food on the mornings we mix in one of his little steroid pills. I can’t get mine swallowed fast enough to keep the nasty taste out of my mouth.
It will be worth it if it helps. I really hope to one day again be able to sleep lying down. In addition, I’m very close to being voted out of the house and into the garage at night by my frustrated family.
So it has been a difficult run this year. Add in a Relay for Life event in July, and enough rain to give my lawn a lush quality that begs to be mowed every four days and my life is full. I would guess if I were to get creative, most of this stuff could be blamed on the Obama administration.
Or maybe BP.
The lawn got so out-of-hand before the end of the week last week that one of our neighbors graciously mowed it for me. He said to consider it his donation to the arts. Thanks Rick…
Oh…one more whine…does anyone else feel like they are breathing pudding when they step outside?
OK, thanks for letting me get that out of my system.
“How else can I, a reader of Mark’s blog help lift his spirits?” you ask.
Come see the show. I will absolutely assure you that you will enjoy the performance, and in the process, you will make a small donation to the Opera House that will help keep it healthy and a contributor to the quality of our life here in southwestern Minnesota.
Need more convincing? You can check out the pictures and a video on the Opera House Facebook page at www.facebook.com/lakebentonoperahouse. You do not have to be a Facebook member to see it.
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