Grizzabella Fox's Arts Blog
 

(Grizzabella would like you to know that the opinions expressed in her blog are solely her own and do not represent the views of the CCPA board.  To contact Grizzabella, email her at grizzabella@nevadamoccpa.org)

This season's reviews: Maybe Baby, It's You, Christmas Wonderland, The Housekeeper, Cheaper by the Dozen

Feb. 19, 2010. 

Below:  The cast of Maybe Baby, It's You

The Housekeeper director Linda Davidson, and actors Mike Seitz and Erin McCullough

Oct. 20, 2009.  The CCPA Board sent a letter of thanks to supporters, which was published in the local newspaper.  Read it here.

The cast of Cheaper by the Dozen

June 20, 2009.  The CCPA season has ended for 2008 - 2009.  I understand that the board was disappointed in the attendance at the last event (the choir concert "America the Beautiful").  It's always difficult to balance the desires of the audience with the availability of directors and performers as well as the scheduling of performances with conflicting community of events.  Does the community want different programming?  What would you like to see at the Fox in the upcoming season?  What would you personally attend?  I can pass on information to the "powers that be" in terms of what our audiences say they want.  They don't necessarily follow the advice of a fox, but they'd listen to your messages!  :)

Here are some pictures of the Community Choir in its performance at the America the Beautiful concert.

April 14, 2009.  Escape your income tax and recession woes by coming to a light comedy at my Fox Playhouse this week.  The price is right - live theater for about the price of a movie ticket, and our popcorn is MUCH cheaper.  Ah, I love the smell of popcorn in the evening....  Here is the cast of Weekend Comedy.

Pictured above left to right are Chase Thompson, Melissa Decocq, Bobbie Lou Barber and Mike Seitz.

February, 2009 - The Community Choir presents Love is in the Air - An Evening of Love Songs

December, 2008 - The Best Christmas Pageant Ever cast picture

December 7, 2008.  "HEY! Unto you a child is born!", yells Gladys Herdman in The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, which opens Thursday.  This is the second time that CCPA has staged this great Christmas/children's production.  The last one, I remember (being an ancient fox), was out at the fairgrounds, and kids from Nevada who are now in their thirties and who've moved away to distant places were featured.  Gladys was then played by Carrie Buchanan, daughter of a local veterinarian.  One of the menacing  Herdman boys was played to the hilt with great relish by David Bunton, son of a local dentist.  This play is an example of how valuable community theater can be in giving the children of our area an unforgettable experience in the performing arts.  It's fun to be in and fun to watch.  Those kids twenty-something years ago gained a dimension to their personalities and lives through CCPA.  Now a new generation of young actors gets to be showcased.  Come and see.  There is truly no business like show business. 

November 11, 2008.  So, I was hanging out in the Fox Playhouse on Sunday, when in came the entire CCPA board for a meeting.  I didn't pay too much attention until they began walking around the theater, poking into nooks and crannies and discovering my stash of dry cat food snacks!  Fortunately, I know all the hiding places in this old place.  The board members were concerned about a lack of storage space.  Tell me about it!  Costumes and props are overflowing the prop room; the under and backstage areas are full of paint, flats, lights and all sorts of interesting stuff; and there isn't any room anywhere.  It's getting so I have to camp out in the green room when nobody's watching, but there IS a nice couch there.  I think some of this weird stuff could be thrown away, but the board seemed excited that there are old drive-in movie speakers in the prop room!  If you want any, I know where you can find some!  You just never know what theater people are going to want to hang onto.  CCPA needs a storage locker, if you ask me (and no one did).  Or maybe there would be someone with a nice empty second story space close to the Fox.  Or someone with a shed.  One thing I do know, old movie theaters weren't designed with theatrical property storage in mind!  Got any ideas?  Email me, and I'll be sure to pass them along.  I have a vested interest in keeping some of my spaces open for napping!

October 16, 2008.  Here are some shots from rehearsals of Dracula, now showing.

September 9, 2008.  There's a real burst of interest in vampire stories lately.  Of course, the Dracula legend has been around since even before Bram Stoker wrote his famous novel in 1897.  CCPA's October production represents sort of the "further adventures" of the evil Dracula and is slated for staging Oct. 16-19.  We seem to have a fascination with the undead that piques our curiosity and dread in equal measures.  Why is that?  We just like to scare ourselves?  Sexy vampires?  Living forever?

For example, Stephenie Meyer appears to have tapped into a huge groundswell of young adult reader interest with her Twilight Series of books featuring vampires.  I haven't read any of these, but a review I read discussed a romantic interest between a vampire, Edward, and a main female character, Bella, in which the vampire boy didn't bite her because he loved her too much!  Read more here.

And, I notice there's going to be a new series on HBO this fall called True Blood, called by Time magazine, a "Southern gothic vampire story in which vampires mingle with humans freely, including in those ways you can show only on pay cable." ("Fall Preview", Time, Sept. 8, 2008, Vol. 172, No. 10, page60)

Looks like CCPA is right in the swing of popular culture!  Who knew?!

August 19, 2008.  Oh, take a look at some great shots from the upcoming The Kitchen Witches!  Did I mention it opens Thursday, Aug. 21??  

Linda Davidson seems to be contemplating some knife action, below, while Edi Gragg balances her measuring cup...of what, I wonder.  Could it be...poison???

Below, Mike Seitz plays with a dolly, while the witches look on, and Linda Davidson and Chase Thompson pause for some suspicious looking refreshment.

Hey, maybe CCPA could make money selling these aprons!       

August 12, 2008.  A New Blog for a New Season.  Congratulations!  Through accident or design, you've happened upon my very first blog entry.  CCPA has graciously lent me this space for a new Arts Blog I wanted to try out.  I have been called an eccentric senior (not sure if that's a slam or a compliment), and I love to talk about ... whatever I love to talk about!  But I'd be willing to discuss what YOU would like to talk about too.  Just email me.  So...I recently went to see Mamma Mia!  (the movie), and it's a great adaptation of the stage play, which was also a delight.  Meryl Streep is amazing...as long as we suspend our disbelief that she could have a 20 year old daughter.  That's not real hard to do, though, as the movie progresses and we watch her singing and dancing to those great ABBA tunes that make you just feel happy.  I was so glad that Nevada's Century 6 brought the movie here, and I enjoyed watching it with other baby boomers, who were bouncing in their seats and wishing they'd kept their 70's outfits (okay, maybe not.)  Great female roles in this one.  And speaking of great female roles, I'm really looking forward to seeing The Kitchen Witches, CCPA's season opener.  Over the years of CCPA productions that I've seen (not saying how many), I've come to know for sure that when Linda Davidson and Edi Gragg are in a comedy, I don't want to miss it.  The idea of their being rival cooks on a cooking show makes me smile.  I'm going, and so should you.  See ya at the Fox Playhouse next week!