Tourism Adventures – Page 4 – branching out… on a limb

Shakespeare’s “Comedy of Errors” Marvelously Meets 1920’s New Orleans at San Diego’s Old Globe

Magnificent sets from Shakespeare's — Magnificent sets from Shakespeare’s “The Comedy of Errors” at San Diego’s Old Globe Theater. (Set Designer Alexander Dodge). Hopefully it is all right to display this photo that I snapped last night???

Usually, I prefer to see a theatrical production in it’s original format- musicals with all the songs, operas with full sets, not minimalistic productions, Shakespeare in all it’s Elizabethan splendor.

The Old Globe Theater of San Diego presented a superb rendition of Shakespeare’s “The Comedy of Errors” that I swear should not be missed! Director Scott Ellis‘s 1920’s New Orleans setting for this play was MAGNIFICENT. I would like to know if this was his recreation or a previously produced version- I gather from our “Performances” magazine/playbill that this is, in fact, his baby. In January, he was described as “the busiest director on Broadway,” with three shows running simultaneously. This same Daily News article mentions his San Diego production, and I am beginning to get the idea that we are really lucky to have this director and his take on “The Comedy of Errors” here in San Diego.

On leaving the theater, I enjoyed forcing my opinions on the crew of teens that we brought with us last night. They had to listen to me, I was their ride home, HA!! I think that all the Shakespeare that they study should be viewed first, and then read. They need to see this language alive, intact, and played back-and-forth between actors, not the dry, difficult context of the he-said, she-said, dialog on a dull page.

Our Exchange Student (we’ve exchanged The Girl, who’s off to college, for her friend) will be reading “Hamlet” for his AP senior English class. I told him I’m going to find the best production of Hamlet that I can locate via Netflix, Amazon Prime, or any other streaming services and make him watch it.

San Diego's Old Globe Theater presents Shakespeare's — San Diego’s Old Globe Theater presents Shakespeare’s “The Comedy of Errors” This picture comes from the Old Globe’s web page, click the picture to link to their site, or try this link: theoldglobe.org

August Theater Pick: Mel Brooks’s “The Producers” by The Rialto Community Players

My mom has been having fun with community theater for decades. If she isn’t acting in a play, she is ushering or attending productions, often with her friends on stage… which isn’t a rare occurrence since after all these years, she seems to be familiar the entire California theater community.

Last month she saw a production of Mel Brooks’s “The Producers” that she enjoyed so much, she told people about it for days afterward and set my family up with reserved seats as soon as we could nail down a date to attend. Of course, at least one of her friends was in this show. I’m so glad we reserved the seats, because there was a full house and we all laughed our heads off. The local actors killed this show, they really nailed the jokes and timing. The Inland Empire has some great talent- well done, everyone!

It is too late to see The Rialto Community Players production but if you have access to iTunes, you can rent the 2005 movie version of the musical version that we saw today- it’s available on iTunes to rent for $2.99. Next up the local company will be performing another comedy, “Run for Your Wife” for three weekends in September. Some of the same cast will be in this show, and we are already looking at dates we can attend.

Get out and support your local theater, everyone, and enjoy a great show!

Post Vacation Return to Reality

Nothing like coming back home to the tumble-fur. You know what “tumble-fur” is, don’t you? Similar to tumbleweeds, they are the piles of fur shed by your sweet pets in your absence. The longer you are gone, the larger the tumble-fur becomes.

Four day vacations are all it takes to produce some mighty fine specimens.

All I did on Tuesday and Wednesday was clean up and do laundry. I didn’t even log anything new on Wednesday, unless I count trying The Husband’s beer that was new to him as well…

Disney’s California Adventure

I grew up in Southern California. That means that I went to Disneyland at least once a year- it was less than an hour’s drive from our home. By the time high school came around it grew to two to three more trips with band and choir trips plus the yearly family visits. When The Husband and I moved our kids back to The Southland (where we add the word “The” in front of our freeways like nature intended), we didn’t visit Disney or any of the local amusement parks at all. Every time the kids asked or casually mentioned how the neighbor family had yearly passes our answer was always “Nooooo! Your father/mother and I are sick of Disney!” At least we put up a united front.

We won four “Park Hopper” passes at the same school fundraiser that also netted us two cases of wine. I think that these two prizes are meant to go together… “Park Hopper” passes provide access to not only Disneyland, but the sister park California Adventure. Here is where the need for the wine comes in- after three days with three teens in Anaheim at the Convention Center for VidCon, we thought it would be a great idea to pick up two more teens and go across the street to the two parks.

It was worth it.

Neither The Husband nor I have been to California Adventure, and not only did we love the park, we both want to return. We screamed and laughed through California Screamin’, the biggest, fastest coaster in the parks. We got soaked and ooh’d and ahh’d through the World of Colors water show at the end of the day. Crammed in the day were some of our other favorite rides and a few new ones, too. We loved the Soarin’ Over California- a 4-D ride/movie/experience… despite my issues with vertigo.

Our view, shortly before our steady, misty, soaking…

We did make it back and forth between the two parks. Several times. My feet are killing me, but I’m in good company- people thirty years younger than me are hurting, too. Ha!

And about Disneyland? Both The Husband and I think that Space Mountain is even more cool than it was when we were kids.

New Sights for Old friends

“Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold.”
origins unclear

Today I greatly enjoyed bringing old friends to some of our favorite places around the greater San Diego coast.

Started with lunch at the Cliff Hanger Cafe- the best sandwich in town where you can watch hang gliders and para sailors jump off a cliff for fun and profit… with stunning ocean cliff views, to boot!

Italian Roast Beef sandwich with sun dried tomatoes. Loved it. Cliff Hanger Cafe is the best.

Debbie, quit taking photos of the nude beach down below!

We then stopped by the World famous Torrey Pines Golf Course where we may or may not have picked up a gift for someone… I may have to pick up golfing, this is such a beautiful place!