Wilder classic ‘Our Town’ still resonates
Thornton Wilder once said, “I am interested in those things that repeat and repeat and repeat in the lives of the millions.” His most widely produced play, Our Town, aims to remind us of our universal humanity. Sometimes, however, what some imagine to be folks-writ-large is merely the perspective of a specific group of people. Can Wilder’s fictional Grover’s Corners, New... READ MORE
Dorothy’s lost dress from ‘Oz’ up for sale
It’s one of the most recognizable outfits in American movie history: the blue-and-white checked gingham dress a young Judy Garland wore as Dorothy in the classic 1939 movie The Wizard of Oz. For decades, one of the versions of the dress Garland wore in the movie was assumed lost at Catholic University of America, where it had been given to someone in the drama department in the early... READ MORE
Since her teens, a force for great music
When Baltimore music columnist Rosa Pryor-Trusty was a teenager, the famed Nat King Cole gave her a nickname that endures today. “Our band was on tour in New York, and he noticed that I was a bit antsy and impatient while waiting around in the studio. He then dubbed me a ‘Rambling Rose,’” she said in an interview with the Beacon. Rosa “Rambling Rose” Pryor-Trusty, now 77,... READ MORE
Spice up your edible garden with a theme
During the pandemic, about 15 million people became new gardeners, and research shows that the majority of them are growing or plan to grow edible plants. Always grow the herbs and vegetables that you and your family enjoy. May is a good month to get many of those plants in the ground. Whether you’re new to gardening or a seasoned grower, mix it up by selecting a theme for this... READ MORE
Places for you to cut the rug your way
When people think of dancing, they may think of twirling around a ballroom with a partner. Sure, there are wonderful dances like the waltz, the Texas two-step, foxtrot, salsa, tango and rhumba. There is West Coast swing and shag, too, and they are all wonderful. But freestyle dancing allows you to express yourself in a personal way. With freestyle dance, there is no wrong way, no steps... READ MORE
Poetry to read and contemplate at leisure
The Bibliophile Poets are challenged to condense thoughts — often moving and profound — into fewer words than a full-length book. The imaginative reader fills in the rest. The Light on Sifnos, by Barbara Quick, 34 pages, Blue Light Press paperback, 2021 How many of us can retain the inner musings that travel evokes and transform them into elegant verse? Join Barbara Quick on a... READ MORE
Chorus of singers 55+ celebrates 15 years
This month, Encore Creativity for Older Adults, the largest choral organization for Americans over 55, celebrates its 15th anniversary and honors its founder Jeanne Kelly on her retirement. The group will host a gala in Washington, D.C. on May 13, and a pay-what-you-can concert at Strathmore Music Center in N. Bethesda, Md. the following day. Kelly created Encore in 2007 after having... READ MORE
Ford’s musical ‘Grace’ is food for thought
What are the most important foods in your family? Are they the ones your grandmother made, the link to past generations or a world they left behind? In my family, Yorkshire Pudding, a savory popover, declares, “This is a holiday; here is our family,” connecting us with our mostly forgotten English forebears. In some communities, however, food, like other parts of culture, carries... READ MORE
‘Rocky the Musical’ packs a punch at Toby’s
Earlier this year, Toby Orenstein, owner of Toby’s Dinner Theatre in Columbia, was walking to the corner bakery when she happened to notice a new gym, Title Boxing Club. The gym reminded her of Rocky, the famous 1976 boxing film and subsequent 2014 musical, which coincidentally had just been licensed globally. Excitedly, Orenstein called her colleague, executive producer Mark Minnick.... READ MORE
