The Summer In Review

OK, I got busy and fell behind. Here's a quick overview of just a few of the things I've done in the past six months. I'll check my calendar and fill in the blanks over the next few weeks.

- Lancaster Barnstormers: OK, the team isn't great, but the stadium is friendly and affordable and has good food. It's a great summer date, I always see people I know, and I love that the action is close enough to watch the players, not the screen. lancasterbarnstormers.com/

- Ephrata Performing Arts Center's "The Full Monty": They had trouble with the sound, but that didn't kill the spirit of this fun, funny, and timely show. Great, gutsy performances--and yes, they really did it. Saw it twice, loved it both times. www.ephrataplayhouseinthepark.org/

- Fulton's "Spamalot": Saw this one twice, too. They nailed it. I laughed myself silly. The Fulton's version was better than the touring company that performed at Hershey a few years back. (And I saw this show twice on Broadway.) Fantastic. I grin just thinking about it. http://www.thefulton.org/

- Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire: I missed the Celtic Fling, much to my disappointment, but hit the Faire in full costume. It's grown amazingly and wonderfully from the early days of a few buildings and human chess in the grass. My favorite new addition, honestly, is the "wreck room" where you pay to throw glass at a wall. Sooo worth it! And does any meal beat a turkey legge with beer drunk from leathern jack? The shows, the music, the shops, the food, the games... Well worth the price of admission. And if you check their website immediately, there's a sale on 2011 tickets running through 12/31/10. See you at the Faire! www.parenfaire.com/

- Good decks: Annie Bailey's has a great deck in the city, complete with outdoor bar and dining. Unfortunately, like many decks, it's become a smoker's haven. But it's open on Sundays, serves much more than typical bar food, and has surprisingly ample seating. http://www.anniebaileysirishpub.com/

- Good decks: My favorite deck in Lancaster is at The Conestoga. It's waterfront, rarely crowded, has reasonable prices, and serves decent bar food. Don't go there, I don't want it to become crowded. http://www.theconestoga.com/

- Restaurants: Try Fenz. Rarely does food make me moan. www.fenzrestaurant.com/

- The Three Phantoms: Much to my shame and disappointment, I've never seen "Phantom of the Opera." But last spring, at the last minute, I saw The Three Phantoms on tour in Hershey (www.hersheytheatre.com/). Holy magnificence! They were wonderful! Such voices, such presence... Wow. They sing their favorite Broadway show tunes, plus share a few mild insider stories about show biz. If you ever hear that they're near, make the effort. www.3phantomsinconcert.com/

- Hershey Park: Went twice, to make up for missing it a few years in a row. The Great Bear will always be my favorite rollercoaster. It's so smooth, it feels like flying. That ride alone is worth the price of admission. I went early (Mother's Day) and late (Halloween) so can't comment on the waterpark portion. The last time I was there in the summer, the water section--and the park in general--was a crowded un-fun mess. But going off season means I got to ride everything, with minimal waits, and my favorite stuff twice. http://www.hersheypark.com/

- Blue Man Group: I've been wanting to see them, but had no idea what to expect. I knew they were blue, and drums were involved. I like blue and drums. I took my son, who was reluctant, even irritated, to be dragged to this unknown thing. And we loved it. We were in one of the front rows, which was awesome because we were close enough to see the all-important facial expressions underneath the blue paint. (But far enough back not to be spattered.) We felt the drums in our souls. We danced, and were covered in confetti and toilet paper, and tossed around gigantic balls, and laughed ourselves silly. My son said, "I can't believe I ever said anything bad about this!" What a fun night! http://www.blueman.com/

- Cleopatra at The Franklin Institute: I had high hopes for this exhibit, because it's a National Geographic presentation and they always do spectacular work. This one... eh. It was OK. There are some great artifacts, and the fact that they had to pull everything out of the Mediterranean is remarkable. But fundamentally, Cleopatra wasn't a nice person (she married her brothers, had affairs with and children by multiple men, abandoned her troops during a war, and ultimately committed suicide) and they don't know much about her. They made an attempt to make the exhibit interactive, but it just didn't resonate for me. The exhibit is at the Franklin through Jan. 2, 2011. www.fi.edu/cleopatra/
[If you ever have a chance to see National Geo's Real Pirate exhibit, go. It's great. www.nationalgeographic.com/ng-events/exhibits/real-pirates/]
[And it's worth noting that I discovered for the first time that the Franklin has a full-sized, actual, real-life steam locomotive in their basement. You can ride it. OK, it goes about 10 feet, but still. It's pretty cool.]

- Titanic at Whitaker Center: OK, I'm a Titanic junky. I've seen the exhibit four times. I'd like to see the one in New York, because I've heard they have the most artifacts. I think the one I saw at the Cleveland Science Center was the best, but it was also my first. The exhibit is interactive and immediate and tells the story through images, feelings, sounds, even temperature. I love getting my ticket with a passenger's name and finding out at the end if my passenger lived or died. I love seeing pictures of the artifacts under water, and then seeing them in front of me, sometimes displayed as they were found. And every time, I wish like crazy that the ship hadn't sunk. www.titanictix.com/ and http://www.whitakercenter.org/

- Lancaster Science Factory: For a fun afternoon out with kids of any age, hit the Science Factory. It's a small but really good example of a hands-on science museum. The interactive exhibits are easy to understand without reading the cards, but the captions are actually interesting and informative. And the activities are fun, even for adults! www.lancastersciencefactory.org/

The Fulton Is Alive With The Sound Of Music

The gush: The Fulton's "Sound of Music" is wonderful. The actors, sets, costumes, and music are tremendous. Really. From the first song by the nuns to the last full-cast rendition of "Climb Every Mountain," this is a memorable and magnificent show. 

The critic: There were a few songs that, let's say, furthered the plot without furthering my musical enjoyment-- "How Can Love Survive" and "No Way To Stop It." And I thought Randall Frizado, whom I usually enjoy in comedic roles, was weak as Max Detweiler. But really, that's nit-picking. There are no problems with this Maria.

Because it's a great cast, moving through gorgeous sets, singing beautifully. The nuns were amazing. The children were spot-on. Even my 13-year-old son enjoyed seeing the captain best the Nazis with a song. And as a bonus, the songs are in a slightly different order than the movie, so there's an element of surprise.

There are only a few performances left; buy a ticket and go. You will leave singing. "Doe, a deer, a female deer..."

"The Sound of Music" runs through December 31. Find tickets and more info at http://www.thefulton.org/.

Phantom at the Fulton

So when a theater aficionado thinks of "Phantom," he or she unavoidably thinks of Andrew Lloyd Weber and "Music of the Night." This is not that "Phantom." And, frankly, that's a problem.

I love the Fulton. I'm a season ticket holder, I take friends to the shows, and I recommend it far and wide. I feel very fortunate to have such high quality theater in Lancaster. And tonight's show did not change my opinion. I think they did a very good job, given the material. But that last bit is an important caveat.

Kopit and Yeston's "Phantom" is kind of like Disney-does-Phantom, at least for the first act. (The second act was more reminiscent of Lifetime for women.) The characters are stereotypes, with an odd dash of humor, and exaggerated acting. Christine is your basic ingenue -- young, innocent, fresh-off-the-farm-in-the-big-city (in this case, Paris). She is Cinderella -- costume girl turned leading lady via Phantom fairy godmother -- while the Phantom is a murderous Beast without the redeeming rose. Susan Moniz as La Carlotta reminded me of every Disney villain ever drawn -- but she would make a terrific Lady of the Lake in the upcoming "Spamalot." Having seen Ted Neeley in "Jesus Christ Superstar," I hold death scenes to admittedly high standards, but I felt Phantom and Gerard's deathbed confessions fell completely flat. (In contrast, I wept through the last half hour of last summer's "Les Miserables.") The songs throughout are nice, but not memorable.

On the plus side, the orchestra was magnificent. The costumes are lovely, the sets masterful, and the lighting evocative. Casting was appropriate and the actors gave it all they had, but the parts didn't do justice to the production.

Knowing that this wasn't ALW's "Phantom," I did not read advance reviews because I didn't want to prejudice my reaction. I will go back and read them now. I'd especially like to know why the Fulton chose this version of the story. I know we like to do shows "only in Lancaster," but in this case, I would have much preferred the traditional and beloved Broadway version.

"Phantom" runs through July 3 at the Fulton (http://www.thefulton.org/). Plus, tickets are currently available for next season's shows. I'm particularly looking forward to "Spamalot," "The Sound of Music," and "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang."

Riverdale Manor

Lovely. Excellent appetizers and fantastic brownies. River front. Can't believe I haven't been to a wedding there. Two thumbs up.

Learn more at RiverdaleManor.com.

First Friday

Eager to get out of the house, breathe some fresh air, and think about something new, I dragged my reluctant son to First Friday tonight. We've been before and he's enjoyed it, but it's always a tough sell -- walking around downtown and looking at grown-up stuff like art and gift-shop goodies isn't his first choice of entertainment, even when tempered with bribery in the form of tasty treats.

Tonight we started with a quick walk-thru of the Pennsylvania Academy of Music because I thought my son, a musician and music lover, would enjoy the beautiful building. He dutifully admired the bird's nest chandeliers and nodded agreeably when someone let us peek into the recital hall, but overall he was less than impressed. I needed to up my game.

(Note to the Academy: Instead of hosting formal recitals on First Fridays, haul out some instruments, unlock the doors, and show us what you do there. A less determined person would have found the locked doors and request for tickets off-putting and, as it was, my musician found your lovely building irrelevant. Just a thought.)

I thought J would enjoy a few of the convention center's amenities, so we headed in that direction. We passed the unfortunately closed and dark Fulton Theater on the way. (Note to the Fulton: We would have loved to  tour the theater, see some costumes, meet a few actors, hear about upcoming productions, maybe get a demonstration of stage makeup or effects, etc. I'm a season ticket holder, but my son's never been and I'm sure many other First Friday wanderers have wondered about the Grand Old Lady of Prince Street. I'm just sayin'.)

As we walked past Fig Central, I thought to stop and pick up a copy of the latest Fig, just released today. We were met by the warm and welcoming staff, who provided the magazine and a "Love Lancaster" sticker to go with it, as well as answering a burning question: Why "fig"? We get the reason for the magazine, but why is it named for a semi-obscure Middle Eastern fruit? Moxie House maven Deb Brandt was on hand to explain: from biblical times to the present day, the fig has been considered a symbol of unity and prosperity, as well as love -- Cleopatra and Mark Antony are said to have exchanged figs. Deb and her business partner, Tracy Cutler, thought it was the perfect emblem for Lancaster. Now that we know, we agree!

That mystery thoroughly and gratifyingly solved, J and I headed upstairs to the Print Shop at the Heritage Center Museum. There we hit pay dirt: four members of The .918 Club explaining the history of the printing press and demonstrating typesetting and printing. We learned that, contrary to popular belief, Gutenberg did not invent printing during the 1450s; the Chinese had been printing for more than 1,000 years at that point. Gutenberg's genius lay in designing movable type -- individual letters and characters that could be rearranged to spell any message. He also found the most reliable metal alloy for casting the type and introduced durable oil-based inks. Thus Gutenberg's system was easier to use and more dependable than the wood-block process and became more popular than earlier movable type methods.

I won't steal the club's thunder by giving away any of their other secrets, but I can honestly say that their demonstration was interesting and engaging, and we both learned several new facts to dazzle our friends. J helped operate a press that was once displayed in the Smithsonian Institute and was given the resulting print, which solidified his thumbs-up vote for the Print Shop.

After that success, we continued our walk up to the convention center. I was a vocal opponent of the center and still don't see how it's going to pay for itself, but I love taking people there to visit two unique sites: the utterly improbable house encased within the center and the Smith-Stevens archeological dig displayed in the lower lobby. I don't know who decided to include the sites -- and sights -- within the center, but kudos for creativity!

J got a kick out of the convention center, but after nearly two hours of First Friday fun, was starting to flag. We had time for one more stop before calling it a night: Bonbonniere, on North Queen Street, home of yummy-licious chocolates. It's a rare chocolate that's too rich or delicious for me to eat by the handful, but Bonbonniere specializes in just that kind -- really wonderful (and correspondingly expensive) treats meant to be nibbled, not inhaled. I tasted a peanut butter egg and chocolate studded with bacon (!) before settling on what is becoming my store standard, the caramels covered in milk chocolate and dusted with smoked sea salt. They are to die for, and I will ration them out over the weekend ... and then start planning my next trip downtown.

First Friday happens the first Friday of every month, no matter the season or weather. Visit LancasterArts.com for monthly listings of events and a map of galleries, stores, restaurants, and other super sites downtown. See ya there!

Spring Has Sprung at Longwood Gardens

Walking through the doors of the conservatory at Longwood Gardens is like stepping three months ahead in time. Outside it is winter, but inside, it is spring -- warm, humid, fragrant, green spring.

Longwood Gardens, the former duPont estate, is about 30 miles east of Lancaster in Kennett Square. The site comprises more than 1,000 acres, with 20 indoor and 20 outdoor gardens. It has been a park of some sort for more than 200 years, with heritage dating back to the Quakers and a family named Pierce who planted an arboretum on the land beginning about 1800. Pierce du Pont bought the land in 1906 and, inspired by the elegant grounds he saw while traveling in Europe, began planting gardens.

The results are simply magnificent. Longwood is a symphony of fountains and flowers and topiaries and trees. There's an Italian water garden, a mossy lake guarding a romantic-looking tower, treehouses, a dozen waterlily ponds, and rows and rows of roses. Longwood is known for its fountains, especially the main display with its hundreds of jets and colored lights -- you can see light and fountain shows in the summer.

Today, however, we were in the conservatory. It's a huge building -- almost 200,000 square feet and at least three stories tall with a glass roof and abundant windows. The main rooms are like a park, with areas of grass surrounded by flower beds and trees. It smells heavenly from the hyacinths, jasmine, and other fragrant flowers. The staff is working on an orchid display, so those colorful flowers are tucked in among the other, more common, blooms. One of the back walls has a facade of pillars covered in climbing flowers that always looks to me like the outside of Sleeping Beauty's castle.

In the many interconnected rooms within the conservatory, we found a garden of silver-colored desert plants; a roomful of banana trees; insect-eating plants; roses in bud but not bloom (hey, it's January) and surrounded by colorful hibiscus; orchids; the "cascade" room with plants growing up the walls and water tumbling down them; an indoor grape arbor; a number of orange kumquat trees; and, somewhat surprisingly, a beautiful ballroom with a wood floor, rose-colored glass ceiling, and pipe organ.

It was the first time I had been to Longwood in the winter, and it was well worth the 45-minute drive to bask in the scents and sights of spring for a couple of hours.

Learn more at http://www.longwoodgardens.org/. Admission is $16. You cannot take food in, but they have a restaurant with fairly good sandwiches, soups, salads, and entrees. For little flower fans, there's a children's garden in the conservatory.

Great Date: Ice Skating

I ice skated for the first time at the fantastic Wollman Rink in Central Park. It was the start of winter break during my freshman year of college, and two friends and I went to Manhattan for the weekend. Among our many adventures was an afternoon on the ice at the enormous rink, laughing and holding onto each other, looking at the surrounding buildings, and trying not to crash into our fellow skaters -- it's one of my favorite memories.

So it follows that my favorite winter date is an afternoon or evening of ice skating at Clipper Magazine Stadium. In addition to being fun and affordable, skating is exactly the right level of activity for a date -- I've got something to do, but I can still talk and interact with my companion.

And by "companion" I mean anyone I can drag out to the stadium. I've gone with girlfriends, guy friends, and my son and his friends. Pretty much everyone can skate a little and is willing to pretend they're Michelle Kwan -- or Brian Boitano -- for a couple of hours. Although, truthfully, no one does tricks; you just skate around and around the rink, enjoying the brisk air and music and watching everyone else glide, fall, and laugh. Every now and then some brave soul goes to the middle and spins, but since I can't even skate backward with any certainty, I've never tried that.

In past years, the stadium concession stands have been open, but this year, they've put a trailer on the field right by the rink. It's more convenient for skaters -- less taking the skates on and off or tramping up and down the steps -- and I imagine it's cheaper to run, too. They sell barbeque sandwiches, drinks, and snacks.

The rink is usually open on weekends from December to March. Admission is $6 and skate rentals are $3. You can skate as long as you'd like; I usually stay for about two hours. Take extra socks; the rental skates rub a little. For more information, visit http://www.lancasterbarnstormers.com/. Prefer to skate indoors? Try http://www.lancastericerink.org/.

Lancaster Symphony: Pluckin' Great!

I enjoy classical music but don't know much about it. To listen to unfamiliar music on the off chance I might like it, I turn on NPR or Pandora -- I don't plunk down $40 per ticket and head to the symphony. But last Sunday I was given free tickets to the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra, so I grabbed a date and went downtown.


The concert was called "Agony & Ecstasy: Khachaturian & Tchaikovsky." In addition to a concerto by the former and a symphony by the latter, the orchestra played a celebratory piece called "New Beginnings" written by a modern composer, Peter Boyer.


I really enjoyed the music. I was afraid it would be dull and I'd nod off, but it was lively and interesting. The Boyer piece was written to celebrate the opening of a hospital, and I could hear notes reminiscent of building mixed in with the general happy tones.


The Khachaturian concerto featured a soloist, Robert Bokor. I was interested to read in the program that he was a child prodigy, plays across Europe, and wields a 250-year-old instrument. I don't know what I expected a violin soloist to look like, but with his shoulder-length hair and tall, solid frame, Bokor wasn't it. However, he played incredibly well -- and looked as though he enjoyed it, which I always appreciate. The music was lively and had a gypsy lilt that I picked up on even before I consulted the program.


The Tchaikovsky symphony was supposed to be the "agony" of the title -- something about Fate and the sword of Damocles. I have to admit, that was lost on me, although I enjoyed the recurring themes in the music and, especially, the movement that was played primarily as plucked strings. (All of the songs featured plucking, which was a revelation to me. I especially liked the plucked cellos.)


Our seats were bad, as befits freebies -- front row center. Why is that bad? Because at the symphony, all the performers are seated. We were staring at the performers' knees, and just the front row's knees at that! I could hear drums, horns, and woodwinds, but I couldn't see them. However, the seats were ideal for watching the violin soloist's fingers fly during the gypsy-inspired piece. We were also well-placed to watch the conductor, Maestro Stephen Gunzenhauser. He's a small man who looked elfin next to the very tall Bokor. Gunzenhauser conducted with his whole body, leaning in to encourage the musicians and beckoning them into the song in a way that I found entertaining but my date, who has played in orchestras, thought was distracting.


On the whole, I enjoyed the evening. The music was good, the performance solid, the acoustics good, the theater, as always, a pleasure to visit. Will I go back? Yes. In checking the orchestra's Web site to see if I recognized anything in the upcoming schedule, I discovered that one of my all-time favorite pieces is scheduled for May:  Rachmaninoff's "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini." I will be delighted to experience this fantastic piece live, along with something new, if only to me.

For information on the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra, please visit http://www.lancastersymphony.org/.