Muppets and bats and rabbits

We watched the theatre's annual kids show Friday night. It was The Velveteen Rabbit, a story I only know via Your Sister. The play featured all kids, none over 15 and ran 90 minutes. It was a long haul for those kids and generally they did a fine job. The auditorium's air system made them scream their lines, and it was just like watching the Montford Park Players. You watch a broadly gestured recitation at full volume. There was a horrid five-minute fairy dance featuring the youngest kids stumbling through the dances -- the clear low point of the show. I'm impressed with the kids' effort. The set looked good, and the shift from stuffed toys to kid actors worked well. My courtroom director was running the sound, and I said hi and hugged her. It was pleasantly un-awkward.

We drove to the other Greenville Saturday for a one-two shot of Big Shows. I bought our Dark Knight movie ticket the day before, and thank God, I did. You probably know by now that the film had the biggest opening in the history of the universe. Even our early afternoon show was packed. The line for the 4:30 show looped around the lobby. I hadn't seen that in years and years.

The movie itself is exhausting. I marvel at it. It's intelligent and deliberate and unafraid to go for spectacle on various levels. Ledger gets all the attention, but everyone is good and hitting all cylinders. It's airtight, and you crave the sequel immediately. I turned to Your Sister and said "now you know what it was like to watch Empire Strikes Back in the theatre." She was not amused. But she was satisfied with the film. We both were. It's the goods, and it sets a new standard for comic films. It makes Spider-Man look dinky and childish in comparison.

After the film, we changed clothes at the library and watch Avenue Q. I downloaded the soundtrack the day after the show on the Tonys back in 2004. The hall was only half full, and I suspect the show's relatively low profile and high concept kept casual audiences away. We, however, howled. Because tickets were plentiful, I managed to snag box seats along the left-hand side of the theatre. That was a first. The show is as good as advertised, worthy of stealing the Best Musical awards way back when, and it hasn't dated at all. It's not distracting to see mic'ed actors work puppets, and the show flew by at 2 hours. We made our regualr late-night drive back up the mountain. It's a ritual I enjoy every time.

I went to a farewell party for my fellow actor from the murder play a few months back. He got into the governor's school, to no one's suprise, and his mom put together a party in Hendersonville. Thank God some local theatre people were there because I knew nobody else. We talked shop. Your Sis stayed home to wrangle schoolwork. I took her back some leftover party food. I tried a new drink: half unsweet tea and half Sprite, and it's more fun to order than to drink. I don't recommend it.

I got my framed theatre photos for the bathroom, and it looks sharp. Now I need to rifle through my personal theatre collection to find something else to frame on the other wall. Then I buy towels. This first framing was the largest part of this decorating project, and it came out better than I figured. I may not screw this up after all.

Because we're heading to the Outer Banks in a few weeks, I'm determined to get into better shape for our windsurfing and surfing lessons. I dusted off the exercise ball and twisted myself all up while I watched a taped MMA event. It's good incentive.

Picture of the Day
This is Vampira, the inspiration for Elvira. She sued the latter for infringement and lost. She started off hosting horror movies on a California TV station and later became an Ed Wood actor.