WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE STARLIGHT BALLROOM?

BIG BANDS

This past Sunday a friend and I attended a show at the Stage Door at EJ Thomas Hall. First, let me say this is a pretty cool venue for small shows. We're sitting directly on the stage and the performers are sitting basically at the edge of the stage with their backs to what would normally be the seated audience. This makes for a cozy atmosphere and I've now been there a couple of times for some great music. Sunday the University Jazz Ensemble lead by Jack Schantz served up some terrific ballroom big band sounds complete with a dance floor where couples twirled and swayed around the room.



Oh, and did I mention that my favorite piano dude played also, Joe Augustine. Smooth!
These kids are pretty talented and they did a terrific job of letting me close my eyes and picture movie scenes of Tommy Dorsey, Artie Shaw and Duke Ellington lording over ballroom floors with names like The Starlight and The Rainbow Room. I think that this setting would make a fantastic fund-raiser event and I'm going to see if I can find a way to make that happen.


One reason I like this idea so much is that I can picture it happening at Greystone. The Summit County CVB took over management of this venue recently and have re-opened the bar area weeknights from 5-9pm. The bar there is so lovely - all dark panelling and lush carpets - add that to the ballroom area that seats a couple of hundred with a stage up front and I think we have the makings of a 1940's era ballroom. Add a couple of "cigarette girls", someone taking photos of all the lovely couples in their finest atire and how cool would that all be?


WICKED....Again!
My cousins and I headed up to Cleveland to see Wicked. Joyce was a first time attendee and although the rest of us have seen it at least once before, I have to admit that I'd forgotten much of the storyline. As before, the performers are top notch (although I wasn't too enamored of the guy that played the love interest, something was lacking in his enthusiasm) and it's always a pleasure to see talented people earning a living doing what they obviously love to do.

This time I listened more closely to the music and lyrics and, of course, each time to you see something like this you take away a bit more of the more subtle humor of the show. Bravo to all of them, they did a terrific job!

HOLIDAY FESTIVITIES
The first holiday party of the season was at my friend Georjette's on Saturday night. What a crowd! She has a beautiful large home that is perfect for entertaining and she really does up a party! Lots of great food, plenty to drink and people everywhere. It was good to catch up with the gals from the OOAKPR Tea we worked on last June - they're lots of laughs. Sometimes you find that we worked so hard putting the event on that we didn't have much time to enjoy ourselves - when we meet again outside of the planning arena it's good to just be able to laugh and joke around.

Here's the little party favor most of us gals got to take home with us. Bitch Grenache South Australia. I'm not sure who had more fun with this - GT for handing them out or us for being on the receiving end? How cute!