ON STAGE
The Sound of Music
You’ve probably seen at least one stage production of The Sound of Music or the movie starring Julie Andrews, but did you pay attention to the year and the context? I don’t think I did until we saw the superb performance at the Asolo Theater. This is a darker, more nuanced play and one that brings to the fore the rising Nazi presence in Austria in 1938. The actors are great, especially Captain Von Trapp’s seven rambunctious children, the Mother Superior with a big voice that commands attention, and the always in motion, all arms and legs Maria. Equally effective is the staging, particularly the last scene when the entire family performs in a competition. If you live nearby, go see it!
ON THE PAGE
The Long Call by Ann Cleeves
Fans of Shetland and Vera, TV mystery series seen on PBS, will recognize Cleeves’ name as the author of the works upon which they are based. I’ve not read any of these mystery novels, but decided to try the first work in a new series. The Long Call introduces Matthew Venn, a gay detective married to the manager of a community arts center. When a troubled man is found dead on the beach and a disabled young woman goes missing, all the leading suspects have ties to the arts center.
What drew Simon Walden, the dead man, to Barnstaple, and how was he connected to the mentally challenged teenage girl he regularly sat next to on the local bus? Venn is a complex and fascinating character who grew up in the Brethren faith, but later rejected it. In working to solve this case, he must re-visit individuals from his past. I found this mystery intriguing enough to read to the finish and will probably look for the next one in the series.
ON THE SMALL SCREEN
Unbelievable (Netflix)
On the subject of crime, I’m currently watching Unbelievable, a graphic account of the investigation into a series of rapes that occurred mostly in Colorado. Based on real events, it’s about two female detectives from different cities who come together to find a serial rapist. Several victims are portrayed including Marie, a troubled young woman, who under persistent questioning from two male detectives recants her initial account of the rape. Difficult and disturbing to watch, it is, nonetheless, a painstaking exploration of how rape crimes are handled or mishandled.
ON THE WAY HOME
Appleton Museum of Art
On our way back south from St. Augustine last week, we stopped in the town of Ocala and paid a visit to the Appleton Museum of Art. This small gem of a museum has a voluminous collection of Christmas decorations and figurines which they bring out each December. But, what was of most interest to several of us, was their featured exhibit of paintings from the Reading Public Museum in Pennsylvania. Entitled Across the Atlantic: American Impressionism through the French Lens, it showcases 65 paintings of early French Impressionistic work along with pieces done by American artists several decades later. It is a lovely exhibit and one worth lingering over. The museum also has European and Asian pieces in their permanent collection.
It was almost noon when we finished our tour. We drove into the center of town, admired Ocala’s town square with its brightly decorated Christmas tree, and then had a most satisfying lunch at Harry’s Seafood Bar & Grille. From the standard chicken Caesar salad to New Orleans style shrimp creole and the like, there is something for every taste. Service was lightning quick!
Note: Text and photos ©JWFarrington.
