To Erin, Donovin, Caydin, Arbree and David: Thank You!

Wow! We got the package and we are so happy!

We love the shirts. What artists you are. We will wear them with pride and, when we put them on, we will take a photo and send it to you so that you can see how good they look on us.

The card is amazing and is sitting on our piano. We will save it in our album. It must have taken a long time to make and we really do love it. Thank you.

We love each one of you, lots and lots and lots.


Grammy and Gramps

Thank you for the tickets to Peter Pan.

We had a wonderful night at Peter Pan! Thank you for the tickets AnnMarie, Julie, Kirsten and your families. 

The flying scenes were fantastic, the music was superb, the dancing was also so wonderful that we think that you should all run out and catch it the last day (29th). Every part was so well-done that we spent the whole time just marveling at the talent. We also had fun yelling, "We believe in fairies!"  (Even Dad!) The dog, a person, took off her head for the curtain calls. (Well, actually, one of the cast members took it off.) She was great! I still wonder she, as the crocodile, managed to crawl around and snap jaws at the same time. Of course, the scene-stealers were Peter, Wendy and Captan Hook. Smee was also great. I cannot believe the dances those pirates did: comic but with great skill. The Lost Boys and the Indians were also great. I think the whole thing was too wonderful to express. I'm glad that I don't have to review it for the paper. Who would you not compliment? Four pages later. . .

At one point, the set's drawer stuck and as Mrs. Darling struggled to open it and then Mr. Darling, in an effort to be helpful, jerked it from the case. They ad-libbed. He said the contents had all spilled and made more work for them. And she said they really needed to get that drawer fixed. 

BYU’s musical is based on the award-winning 1953 Broadway play. Music is by Moose Charlap, and lyrics are by Carolyn Leigh, with additional music by Jules Styne and additional lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, all Broadway legends. The director is Tim Threlfall.

 

Threlfall believes the play is an allegory for the creation of the world and the fall of Adam and Eve.

“On one level, Barrie’s classic adventure is an Adam-and-Eve parable,” Threlfall said in the program. "While Neverland is fun, exciting, adventurous and devoid of responsibility — much like the Garden of Eden — the Lost Boys are discontented there, like Eve.” 

“Even in their youthful innocence and naivete, the Lost Boys are willing to sacrifice eternal youth and freedom for something potentially more rewarding,” Threlfall said. “All the Lost Boys, as well as the Darling children, make a choice that sets them on the road to ‘eternal life’ rather than the ‘eternal existence’ of Neverland.”

The stage used a massive projection screen as the backdrop for a rather simple set. My, how great that set was. Various locations were projected onto this screen: starting and ending with the Darling family nursery, the rooftops of London and the jungles of Neverland to the deck of Captain Hook's ship and back to the nursery. Tinker Bell was a green laser light (or a beam of light of some sort). 

Peter was played by Bronwyn Tarboton. She must be an acrobat because she was a great flyer but also a very athletic dancer. She has a great voice as well. Ivan Hoffman was Captain Hook and Mr. Darling and I cannot express what a talent he is. Jillian Bjorn was Wendy, Joseph Thompson was Michael, Sam Bostwick was John, Lena Latu was Mrs. Darling, Daysha Hanneman was Tiger Lily, Jordan Dickison was Smee and Ari Strickland was Nana and the Crocodile. Tinkerbell also appears as an animation provided by Shane Hunt.

The program states that, "Other production staff members include musical director Gayle Lockwood, choreographer Pat Debenham, Jayna Butler, stage manager Lindsi Neilson, scenic designer Benjamin  Sanders, costume designer Shelby Luke, makeup and hair designers Shiloh White and Danielle Cluff, lighting designer Michael Handley and sound designer Troy Streeter. The actors’ flying moves are coached by Brad Allen. Rigging is by Flying by Foy."

This sounds so good!‏

Melanie wrote: I make this, but without so much garlic and no cayenne pepper. We top it with cheddar cheese as well. Very good. If you add a cup of frozen corn, it becomes similar to a corn chowder.
Mel

Baked Potato Soup

More Make It Fast, Cook It Slow (Hyperion, 2010) can serve as lunch, a first course, or a warm-up to a hearty dinner. Top the soup with bacon, green onions, or chives for an extra flavor kick.
Ingredients:
5 pounds potatoes, peeled and diced in 1- to 2-inch chunks
1 small onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper
1⁄2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 quarts chicken broth
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese
Crumbled bacon, green onion, or chives as garnish (optional)

Directions:
1. Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Put the potatoes into your stoneware insert, and add the onion and garlic. Sprinkle in the seasonings and pour in the chicken broth. Cover and cook on low for eight hours, or on high for four hours. The potatoes should be fork-tender. You can use a potato masher or a handheld stick blender to mash the potatoes into the soup. You want to get rid of all large chunks of potato to make a smooth soup.
2. After smashing the potatoes, squeeze in both packages of cream cheese and replace the lid of your cooker. Cook on high for about 30 minutes, or until the cream cheese is completely dissolved, stirring a few times during this 30 minutes.
3. Garnish with crumbled bacon, green onion, or chives.
Serves 10

Myrna wrote: How about sharing the recipe? I am soup-hungry and you are a good soup-maker.