Funny calendars, cartoons and guides
The Bibliophile Resolve to start the new year with a smile. Subpar Parks: America’s Most Extraordinary National Parks and Their Least Impressed Visitors, by Amber Share, 224 pages, Plume hardcover, 2021 What could be more entertaining than a humorous guide to the National Parks? Pick your next vacation destination without being overwhelmed with exhaustive... READ MORE
Oz backstory, “Wicked,” is a holiday treat
The crowd-pleasing, Tony Award-winning musical Wicked was first performed on Broadway in 2004. With music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman, it is today among the top 12 longest-running productions on Broadway. Now at the Kennedy Center on a national tour, a recent performance included a number of young adults decked out in sparkling green attire in honor of ... READ MORE
Sherlock Holmes spoof now at Everyman
Believe it or not, not everyone is a fan of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s creation, Sherlock Holmes. There’s a certain reproach for a man who seems to have all the answers, is ever in command, and whose lifelong companion, Dr. Watson, seems specifically designed to make him look superior. That’s why such a character makes a wonderful target for comedy. Fortunately for theater... READ MORE
Make way for younger folk? No, thank you
She’s 83 years old and still the dynamo she has always been. She works full time. She volunteers for countless causes. She jogs three miles every morning. She’s right there to care for her husband, her grandchildren, her pets, her petunias. She’s what all of us should hope we still are in our ninth decades. Except for her attitude about making way for the next generation. She ... READ MORE
Gift books that take you round the globe
The Bibliophile These lavishly illustrated travel books make great gifts: Go Here Instead: The Alternative Travel List, by DK Eyewitness, 224 pages, DK Eyewitness Travel hardcover, 2022 Choose your itineraries with the input of 40 travel writers, editors and tour guides who can direct you to less crowded sites that replicate the experience of more congested destinations. The... READ MORE
Fairy tales intersect in “Into the Woods”
Into the Woods, playing at Signature Theatre in Arlington and directed and choreographed by Mathew Gardiner, is an excellent production of the Stephen Sondheim musical. Running through January 29, 2023, it brings together four fairy tales: Jack and the Beanstalk, Cinderella, Rapunzel and Little Red Riding Hood, intertwining them in clever ways. Act I presents more-or-less traditional... READ MORE
Flick even more wonderful as a musical
The classic Frank Capra film, It’s a Wonderful Life, is one of cinema’s greatest gifts to Americana. It was released in 1946, and in the decades since has aired on television every Christmas Eve. Some years ago, Toby Orenstein, founder and director of Toby’s Dinner Theatre, discovered that the movie had entered the public domain. So, she commissioned actor/singer David Nehls and... READ MORE
Cookbooks make time in the kitchen fun
The Bibliophile A 2019 survey by the American Farm Bureau Federation revealed that a majority of Americans prepare their entire Thanksgiving meal at home. Here are three cookbooks that can help you prepare innovative as well as traditional meals. The Complete Autumn and Winter Cookbook: 550+ Recipes for Warming Dinners, Holiday Roasts, Seasonal Desserts, Breads, Food Gifts, and More, by ... READ MORE
Oh, the wonders of yesteryear’s libraries
The flight attendant was making the usual pre-departure announcements. She urged everyone to put their rolling bags in the overhead compartments, wheels first, “and then turn them to the side, like books in a library.” This frequent flyer had never heard that line before. I was nodding my head at the cleverness of it when the very young man sitting next to me said: “I have never ... READ MORE
Former prison now an active arts center
Once a prison, the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, Virginia, today is a beehive of artists’ studios, galleries, theaters, classes, community events, a museum and more. Plans are in the works for an outdoor amphitheater, event venue, education center, Fairfax County Museum, more art studios and outdoor arts areas — even a new café and brewery. Coming soon are two enticing... READ MORE
