A True Story

Andrew Smith may be the most unassuming name for a superb writer, but, alas, brilliance thy name is Andrew Smith. A prolific writer with an unmatched ability to blend the absolutely typical with the completely out of this world, Smith will, if we are lucky, continue to put his words out into the world.

I first learned about Andrew Smith from a brief review of Grasshopper Jungle. Intrigued by the book's concept, I checked it out from the library and devoured it over the course of two evenings. As is my pattern, I then proceeded to read everything else Smith published. Winger and 100 Miles Sideways were standouts. Some of his other books are a little trippy for my taste, but a well-written book is readable even if the subject matter is not as engaging as one hopes. In last year’s Rabbit and Robot, one of characters is Maurice, a bisexual talking giraffe with a French accent. Thus it was with both excitement and a small amount of trepidation that I approached Exile From Eden, the continuation of the Grasshopper Jungle story. 

Where Grasshopper Jungle is the story of Austin and Robby, who unwittingly unleash a plague of giant, deadly praying mantises in Iowa, Exile From Eden follows Arec, Austin’s teenage son, who does not remember a world before the plague of the unstoppable army. Eden is the underground safe haven in which he has grown up both uninhibited and sheltered at the same time. Arec may live with a certain freedom that a lack of societal norms allows, but his grandmother, who runs Eden with an iron fist, remembers the “rules”. And her rules cause Arec to question everything he has come to know. 

When Austin and Robby do not return from an aboveground excursion, Arec decides he must find them. Not only that, but he needs to leave Eden; the pull of possibility is too strong to resist. Unbeknownst to Arec, a fellow child of Eden, Mel, hides out in his van in order to join his search team. Mel and Arec grew up together, absent the societal constraints pressed upon pre-unstoppable army kids, but always with Arec’s grandmother there to remind them. Mel and Arec are coming of age and their hormones begin to rage in ways that they both struggle to comprehend but also understand in the purest way.

Alongside the story of Arec and Mel’s mission is the story of a younger kid named Breakfast and his companion Olive. Breakfast and Olive are surviving in the post-unstoppable army world without the protection and comforts of a place like Eden. Breakfast is wild and wily in a way only a child growing up with the complete absence of structure can be. As the plot propels Arec and Mel and Breakfast and Olive forward, each pair is similarly on the move, to the next safe place, to the next source of gasoline or fresh clothes. The story continues, each pair encounters some fellow survivors and unstoppable soldiers, but to reveal too much about the plot here would be to rob you of the enjoyment of seeing the story unfold as Smith intended.

The setting of Exile From Eden may be fictional but the humanity in the characters is undeniably real. It's impossible not to respect Smith’s ability to articulate the myriad of emotions required for human existence - pre or post-unstoppable army. Exile From Eden does not lack resolution, but I am certainly hopeful that there is more to this story, that Arec and Mel and Breakfast and Olive continue to adapt and evolve, learning and relearning how to recreate a world forever changed. 

Not Like It Was Before

Bandstand opened and closed on Broadway on 2017, but, despite its' short run, the show garnered a Tony nomination for Best Orchestrations and won the Tony for Best Choreography. A perfect show it is not, however, Bandstand deserves praise for addressing issues not typically found in the plot of a Broadway musical and the strength of the choreography elevates the entire show.

Bandstand is an original musical from Richard Oberacker and Robert Taylor, directed and choreographed by Andy Blankenbuehler. It follows Donny, a recently returned WWII veteran. A singer/songwriter, Donny struggles to find his footing in post-WWII America, and decides to participate in a national songwriting competition and enlists fellow veterans to join him. Along the way, each veteran copes with the effects of war in their own way and with varied levels of success.

Zack Zaromatidis leads a talented touring cast. As Donny, Zaromatidis skillfully conveys the wide-ranging emotions Donny experiences upon returning home to a place that does not feel like home anymore. Jennifer Elizabeth Smith is Julia Trojan, recently widowed, whose husband served with Donny joins the guys on stage. Julia instantly clicks with the band and soon enough the Donny Nova Band featuring Julia Trojan is playing clubs all over Cleveland, and, eventually to New York City. There are moments wherein the plot could have taken more risks, but certain choices must be commended. For instance, when the inevitable romance sparks between Donny and Julia, it does not take over the plot, rather, it simply folds into the fabric of their healing. The members of the Donny Nova Band play their own instruments on stage, and while some are more natural actors than others, each brings an excellent level of musical talent. The ensemble is strong as well, working incredibly hard to propel the story and create the feel of the show while belying the athleticism required to perform Blankenbuehler’s choreography.  

Blankenbuehler’s choreography is as integral to the show as any of the characters. And Bandstand is definitively Blankenbuehler. Each dancer seems to grow six inches on stage because his choreography elongates the body. The fluidity, stretch and dimension in the movements is incredible. Not only that, but Blankenbuehler’s choreography helps to tell the story rather than simply comment on the story. The ensemble of dancers transports the audience from the foxholes of WWII, to the clubs of Cleveland, to the hustle and bustle of New York City. 

For Donny, Julia and their bandmates, life is not - and never will be - the way it was before the war. And their acceptance that it never will be allows the healing process to begin. When Donny tells Julia to "sing because you just need to sing," he is not only speaking of singing, and he is not talking only to Julia.

The Kitch Lit Series: Dessert?

There is no good explanation as to why there are Easter-hued cupcakes on the cover of When in Doubt, Add Butter. You see, Gemma is a personal chef, not a baker. But sugar sells, in the cereal aisle and on bookshelves, so, I suppose, to place blame for this red herring would be to blame myself, the sugar-hungry consumer.

Gemma Craig is single in her late thirties (meaning, still quite young, but too old to conform to societal norms) and she leads a quiet life. She truly loves cooking for a living, though it may not be as financially lucrative as some other options. Gemma maintains a close relationship with a fellow chef/server and her cousin who lives nearby, but her circle of trust is pretty small and coupledom is not part of her MO. Gemma lives vicariously through her clients and focuses her time providing sustenance to others rather than nurturing herself.

We meet Gemma's clients and learn their food proclivities and peculiarities. There’s the uberwealthy family whose matriarch is seemingly allergic to anything with flavor, the potential Russian mobsters, homebound Willa and a mysterious man, "Mr. Tuesday," with whom she communicates solely through short notes left on the kitchen counter. They seem to share a similar sense of humor and would likely get along, but they never cross paths. Not knowingly, anyway. The plot relies on several very coincidental circumstances, but it is such a fun, breezy read that the contrivance is easily accepted. 

When in Doubt, Add Butter is kitch lit lite. The focus is not really on the food or the profession of cooking, but that is not a surprise. Harbison does not pretend to set out to make a book focused solely on the craft of cooking. Gemma’s takes a risk one evening that leads her down a path that is equal parts familiar and uncharted territory. By the end of the book, Gemma’s circle of trust has grown like a soufflé baking in the oven and her journey is just as deliciously light and fun.

Not Just Your Imagination

As an elder millennial, my adoration of the 50s and 60s sound was rarely understood by my contemporaries, most of whom were saving their allowance for NSYNC tickets. But, you see, I was born a generation too late. The rise of Motown is a seminal moment in music history, and to have witnessed the ascent would have been ideal but, alas, I must rely on books, movies and jukebox musicals to transport me to times gone by. Thus it was with great excitement that I marched over to the Imperial Theatre and purchased one of the last four partial view for Ain’t Too Proud - The Life and Times of The Temptations (note: when the ticket agent tells you it's partial view, that's a truth fact--how many gents were in the group? I usually only saw three). While the show suffers from a bit of a lack of focus, Ain’t Too Proud has a couple of things going for it: The Temptations music catalog and Sergio Trujillo’s choreography. 

Ain’t Too Proud is a jukebox musical in the vein of Jersey Boys and Beautiful, wherein the group's music catalog is used to tell the story of the group itself. In this case, Otis Williams (played by Curtis Wiley on this night) acts as narrator for the story of a group that rockets to fame and subsequently struggles to navigate the positive and negative consequences of such a meteoric rise. And Williams, whose personality and ambition put him in the role of de facto leader, fights to keep The Temps together and relevant. Surrounding it all, a tale as old as time: sex, drugs and rock and roll. 

Dominque Morisseau’s book keeps the action moving. With families back home, members spiraling into addiction and the surrounding political climate, there is enough drama to fill a couple of musicals. The moments that touch on the growing civil rights movement are strong. In fact, the scene in which the group learns of the death of Martin Luther King, Jr. is the most powerful in the show. That said, because most of the drama takes place within the group itself, the forays into the outside world somehow feel a little out of place. Morisseau faced a difficult task. Ignoring the political climate would have been ignoring an important component to the group's rise but highlighting only the group dynamics is perhaps more suitable to the style of show.

What is not out of place is Sergio Trujillo’s Tony-winning choreography. As one who longs for the days of synchronized man dancing, Trujillo’s choreography is spot on. The knees, the hips, the arms and wrists pop, bend and swoop in perfect synchronization. The entire cast does a stellar job of making the moves look like second nature.

And, of course, there is the music. Most Temps songs are a variation on a theme: love. Loss of love, longing for love, begging for love, The Temps covered it from all angles. The hits ("My Girl," "For Once in My Life") no doubt receive just as raucous a greeting every night as they did on this chilly fall evening. Thirty one songs are listed in the Playbill and pretty much every single one causes an eruption of applause. Sometimes the musical numbers feel packed in, perhaps not given room to breathe, but they are all hits, not a bad apple in the bushel. 

Ain't Too Proud may not be a perfect musical but the dancing, shiny suits and incredible music combine to make it a perfectly fun night out. 

The Kitch Lit Series: Brewery Edition

My interest in the kitch lit genre began in 2015, with J. Ryan Stradal’s Kitchens of the Great Midwest. His story of a chef, a home cook and the people that surround them and come into (and, sometimes, leave) their lives captured my imagination. Anyone who has asked for a book recommendation in the past four years has endured my nearly begging them to read it. Now Stradal is back with The Lager Queen of Minnesota, another foray into the familial bonds of Midwestern families with their trademark civility, work ethic and stubbornness.  

Edith and younger sister Helen have little in common. Edith is straight as an arrow while Helen lives life a little closer to the edge. When Helen’s ambition trumps family circumstance, Helen and Edith find themselves estranged for decades. Each leads a seemingly fulfilled life, though with one giant piece of the puzzle is missing. Edith finds herself widowed and raising her granddaughter at an age when working minimum wage retail jobs should be long behind her. Edith’s granddaughter Diana eventually becomes the center of the story and her resilience in the face of difficult circumstance is simultaneously remarkable and a foregone conclusion. Of course Diana will survive in this world, she knows no other option.

As a non-drinker (I know, that’s a bummer), the words hops and barley are not completely foreign to me but I have very little interest in how the care and handling of those ingredients affects the taste of the brew. While Lager Queen did not have me quite as caught up as Kitchens - perhaps because my interest in the core subject is minimal, but Stradal expertly weaves a storyline across multiple generations. This is not just the story of a brewery. With descriptive prose and compelling characters Stradal wins over even the staunchest of non-drinkers.

Dorrance Dance: Beyond Belief

Foiled again! After seeing the national tour of Mean Girls last week, this post was all but destined to be another review of the show, which I was lucky enough to see on Broadway last fall. But in between seeing the show and writing this post, I attended a Dorrance Dance performance on Tuesday evening.  After that there was no other option: it is impossible not to champion Dorrance Dance. To be clear, I fully support giving Tina Fey money to do whatever she wants to do, so please go see Mean Girls when it stops in a city near you. But, for now, shall we dance?

A stuffy reputation is hard to conquer. Dance is the often seen as the abstract expressionism of the performing arts world because, absent the dialogue of a play or the lyrics of a musical, dance requires that the audience make a lot of interpretations on their own. Interpreting art is often intentionally challenging and forces the audience to look in a mirror and reconcile what they see. But tap dance has always been an easy entry point into Dance. Michelle Dorrance, a MacArthur Genius Grant recipient, and her troupe of dancers are chipping away at that stuffy reputation. It is nearly impossible not to enjoy and be swept up in the percussive fluidity. The dancers move as one but maintain a distinct individuality that allows every audience member to identify with one of the dancers on stage.

Dorrance Dance started the evening with "Jungle Blues." The piece features the entire company dancing to Jelly Roll Morton’s “Jungle Blues” and the choreography instantly transports the audience to a Prohibition era speakeasy somewhere in Louisiana – at least, that’s where I went. The dancers tap, slide and land on their heels and toes and every part of the foot in between. How they don’t all have sprained ankles I’ll never understand. Dorrance talks in a 2017 PBS Newshour interview about how the desire for a certain kind of sound informs the type of movement the body must make to accomplish such. Watching a Dorrance piece will completely illuminate that idea. 

The second piece of the evening, "Three to One," is a bit more dramatic. Initially lit to show only the dancers legs, "Three to One" features just three dancers. In the middle of the piece Michelle Dorrance herself takes over the stage. She, in fact, is the only one actually wearing tap shoes for the piece. As an aside, if ever you were under the impression that you had strong legs, I am here to tell you that you do not.

The final piece Dorrance Dance performed on Tuesday evening was "Myelination." The piece features several distinct styles and tones. The discordant, tortured, writhing segment in the middle of the piece, lit in red, was borderline painful. No, strike that. It was actually painful. But what a fascinating notion, that just music, movement and light can provoke such a specific emotional reaction. Other segments are lit with softer colors and feature far less terrifying movements. All sections of "Myelination" blew the audience away. 

Coincidentally, Mean Girls features a kick-ass tap number, so perhaps it was destiny that just a few days later the very idea of tap dance was stretched beyond imagination. I'll leave you with this video in the hope that you will watch this one and get sucked down the YouTube rabbit hole so all of the Dorrance Dance videos garner more views and they eventually conquer the world making music with their feet. 

Sit Back Saturday: A Recipe

Sit Back Saturday: A Recipe

Ingredients:

30 minutes hula hooping while reading

1 movement

1 bowl Cinnamon Toast Crunch with vanilla almond milk

2 slices English Muffin Toasting bread with butter

1 episode of Gilmore Girls (preferably from seasons 3-5)

60 minutes reading on the couch

Pinch of light errands

2 hour bike ride or 30 minutes on treadmill (weather dependent)

2 slices homemade pizza

2 scoops Culver’s Mint Explosion custard

1 classic movie

25 minutes reading before drifting off to sleep

Directions:

Combine first three ingredients to create the perfect breakfast. After breakfast, and if time allows, enjoy another episode. After the episode, curl up with a good book, and, if necessary, enjoy couch snoozies after reading a few chapters.

Begin the afternoon with a light lunch and a quick jaunt out on the town; remember the coupons. If needed, lunch and jaunt can be completed in either order. Pop over to grab 2 scoops of Mint Explosion. Upon returning home, set scoops aside for later.

Time to pay in sweat. Weather permitting, hop on bicycle and hit the trail. In the case of inclement weather, head to the gym for a jog on the treadmill. 

After exercise, prepare pizza dough and let rise while showering up. Prepare pizza and bake. Fire up the Netflix machine or – gasp – the DVD player to watch an old favorite such as The American President, My Best Friend’s Wedding or Bridesmaids.

Substitutes

For Cinnamon Toast Crunch: Peanut Butter Cap’N Crunch, Lucky Charms, Chocolate Chex

For Gilmore Girls: The Great British Baking Show