Change of seasons greetings

As we shift from Happy Thanksgiving to Merry Christmas, here are some parting shots of my lovely Thanksgiving dinner company: JD and Kris!

cheers for Cheerios!

My friend Meredith Boone Tutterow, my classmate at both Davidson and Stirling, was on the Today show this morning, presenting Cheerio's donation of 200,000 books to children in need as part of this year's toy drive. Says Meredith, "We want to nourish children not only at the breakfast table, but through a book."

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

On an unrelated note, Meredith looks amazing.

Your parents' cocaine

It may not be your parents' Oldsmobile, but only because your high-flying millionaire parent's wouldn't even be driven an Olds. But it is your parents' cocaine!



I love that this is local, and the lines:

Your daddy gon' make you VP of sales
Don't mix good shit with the ginger ale
Pacific Heights ain't Sunnydale
You could murder somebody and be out on bail

But it kind of reminds me of George Bush. Particularly with the lines:

Your daddy's got a business plan
Which made wars in Afghanistan
It bought your house in Bangkok and
Your parents' cocaine!

All the Whos down in Whoville

crimson tide

I love that Raj brings about five wardrobe changes each Sunday for Sundance Saloon.

I call this one:

Little Raj Riding Hood.

I'm going to the dogs.

Dog friend, cat friend:

fall into you

I love SF, but I do miss the southern seasons, unbearable heat and humidity and ice storms notwithstanding.  I usually have an October or November visit and I can get my brisk autumn hikes and autumnal colors fix.  No so this year.

However, photographer Jamie Scott took two photos a day for six months in New York City's Central Park and captured the park's change of season and extraordinary change of colors.  See it on Vimeo.  

Fall from jamie scott on Vimeo.

Savoir Faire is Neverwhere!

The Neil Gaiman novel Neverwhere, a tale of London Below, is enthralling, clever, and exciting.  The 1996 BBC miniseries of Neverwhere looked like a passable college production made on low-grade videotape and even lower-grade budget. (To be fair, first he wrote the story, then they made a miniseries, then the novel was published.)

But now there is going to be a BBC Radio drama of Neverwhere, and it is set to be astounding.  Meet the all-star cast, most of which are also super-star hotties which gives a new spin to the phrase "having a face for radio."

From Hypable: Neil Gaiman’s ‘Neverwhere’ recorded for radio with all-star cast
From Unleash the Fanboy: Neil Gaiman’s NEVERWHERE Gets The Best Cast Ever!
From Bleeding Cool:  England has about 20 awesome actors and they are all in Neverwhere

Here's the incomplete cast list Tweeted, Tumblred and blogged by Gaiman:

• James McAvoy – Richard
• Natalie Dormer – Door
• David Harewood – Marquis
• Sophie Okonedo – Hunter
• Benedict Cumberbatch – Islington
• Anthony Head – Croup
• David Schofield – Vandemar
• Bernard Cribbins – Old Bailey
• Romola Garai – Jessica
• Christopher Lee – Earl of Earl’s Court
• Andrew Sachs – Tooley
• George Harris – Abbot
• Don Gilet – Fulingous, Ruislip, Blackfriar
• Abdul Salis – Sable, Sump, Clarence, Homeless Man
• Paul Chequer – Gary, Guard 2
• Lucy Cohu – Lamia
• Yasmin Paige – Anaesthesia, Tenant 2 – female, Match girl
• Johnny Vegas – Lord Ratspeaker
• Stephen Marcus – Varney, Homeless man, Letting agent, Guard 1
• Karen Archer – Sylvia, Old Woman, Dream Hawker, Mother

Yeah, that's Professor X, Sherlock and Giles in that list with a number of Doctor Who alumni. Makes me wish it were a movie.

breaking up is hard to do

There was a high school alumni function the other night and I got to see an old friend I hadn't seen for a year.

Me: So how's it going?
Him: Good.
Me: Life? Work? Love?
Him: Work is good. Kind of dating somebody but trying to break up with her.
Me: Trying?
Him: It's a process.
Me: Like "I'm not returning her phone calls" sort of process or "Did you know it takes three days for a body to completely dissolve in a bathtub full of lye" sort of process?

I may have taken that to a darker place than I needed to. And sometimes I wonder why I don't date much.

more love for Ellen Hardcastle's album Hank Green

Another creative kid is supporting Ellen's album and charity project by recommending it on his vlog, and offering copies of his book too. Cute promo.

SF Sunday Streets

I like the San Francisco's Sunday Streets program, where certain avenues are blocked off to traffic on Sunday's to be used for recreation and community-building. Program organizers are hoping to expand the program to smaller neighborhoods and allow for the closing just one or two blocks for the kids and families to play.

I'm a huge fan of "let's go outside and play" and the closure of some of these small streets should have very little effect on traffic but a great effect on quality of City life. But I didn't know how carefully they've been planning this: "The pilot program, which will be held in addition to regular Sunday Streets events, will target neighborhoods that suffer from high rates of childhood obesity and lack safe places for kids to play."

Nice.

muni on fire

Seriously? This was my view on the N-Judah substitute bus last weekend headed from Church and Market toward Cole Valley. (And for fuck's sake how long will this 'no N rail service on weekends' continue past its well overdue date?)

Dude gets on. Settles in the seat. Takes out a box of papers, and a paper bag. Takes the plastic bag from the paper bag, and rather soppily fills and rolls himself a fat one. Then stuffs the bags back in his hoodie, and lights up. He tokes for a while, but has to keep relighting it for the entire ride. I have a hard enough time with smoke of any kind, but this was pretty rank, and close to me, in a closed box. I decided against saying or doing anything as he was so far gone it wasn't going to make any different. I decided I would just bide my time until I could get off, get a coffee, and transfer to another line.

On the next bus, having just escaped the loud pothead who kept blazing up, there were two unmuzzled dogs and any number of creepy general Muni policy violations, but the Muni driver—looking like Orville Redenbacher's OCD older brother—kicked me and another clear-cut rider off the bus for having coffee in paper cups, regardless of the lids.

Seriously Muni, WTF?

secret stache

No one will notice I have a flask. It's in disguise.

great pumpkin

I used to make loaves of pumpkin bread for all my close friends every holiday season, but I haven't baked pumpkin bread in maybe six years. It's been far too long. I use my mother's recipe from when I was a child and it tastes like love-filled goodness.

And I've discovered it makes a great thanksgiving dessert buttered, broiled, and served with quality vanilla bean ice cream.

Hamminah.

I brought it to school one year, around third or fourth grade I think, and mom taught me how to make it myself. One friend declared it his favorite food, and more than 30 years later I still save him a loaf or two, freeze it, and ship it to him. So someone in Lubbock had better start watching their mail.

So tasty.  And so many affectionate associations.  I even have a clear mental image of sitting down to breakfast as a family—which was  big deal for Mom—and finally trying it for the first time.  I can't believe I ever resisted.  Irresistible.

bring me the bearDs

Awesome dorky doodles here.

I love this one.  I's like to see a bear with a mouse-stache too.

Or her take on a BEARded man. Or a bear with a BEARd.   I've already asked.

'round, 'round, get around, I get around

yeah.

Etymologies of Place Names in San Francisco

brisk turkey day

The bird is looking good.

And it is a beautifully sunny brisk Thanksgiving Day so I went for a long walk. Guests won't be here for hours yet.


Jive turkeys, both.

Happy Thanksgiving

I've gone from a plan of stress-free solitude (which did have a slight twinge of homesickness) to hosting.

Turkey up.

so much to love

I need to remember this.

TransAwesome

The International Transgender Day of Remembrance was this week with events around the City and around campus.  I am reminded how fortunate I am to work in a place so welcoming and supporting of our trans friends.  I get choked up about it sometimes.

Two recent posts have prompted different versions of the same question to me: One, the mention of Hank Green and his amazing explanation of human sexuality; and two, the plug for Awesome Ellen's Awesome Album, Hank Green, which is raising money to build a well for a school in Africa.

The question is Who is Hank Green?

Here's my brief explanation:

Hank Green and John Green are brothers.  Hank is an entertainer, musician, and teacher. John is a NYT best-selling novelist (my experience).  They are both immensely popular with "the kids these days."  Together they share a video blog (blog) on YouTube and are known as the VLOG Brothers.  The Vlog is actually pretty great.    Fans of theirs are known as Nerfighters (not that they fight nerds, as in firefighters, but for nerds and as nerds, as in freedom fighters).  It is ridiculous how popular these guys are with teenage girls.  Something in the neighborhood of…and I'm guessing here, all of them, are their fans.  

Hank's site
Wikipedia on Hank Green

Hank publishes under DFTBA Records.  DFTBA is the brothers' credo, often quoted and invoked by their followers.

DFTBA: Don't Forget to Be Awesome.

There is even a nerdfighter salute, and one of the olympic gymnasts did it to the cameras  and it blew up the internets.

Last year, Ellen won a contest to be the name of Hank's next album.  So Hank Green's newest album is called "Ellen Hardcastle." When my niece was at camp last summer, other kids would ask, "Are you that Ellen Hardcastle?"

Ellen's first album came out this summer, and she named it "Hank Green."  I think that's awesome.

My brother told me this week that they were at a bookstore and the girl behind the counter recognized Ellen from her YouTube videos and music.  It is a different world!

And in honor of the Transgender Day of Remembrance, and because it bears repeating, here is Hank Green's entertaining presentation on human sexuality which should be required viewing for every parent of every age, and ever teenager everywhere.

Shelby in the City

My first evening back from Palm Springs, Cute Shelby from Nashville was in town and we met up for dinner and drinks. I met Shelby two years ago at the Swan Ball and she was able to join me again in August for my cocktail party in Nashville. Shelby is darling, and totally PLU. She had not been to San Francisco before, and even though she has a hoard of gay friends (1) had never heard of the Castro and (2) has never been to a gay bar. I was a bit too tired from my travels to do the Big Night Out and hit the San Francisco All Stars or cruise straight hotties in the Marina, but I took Shelby up to Tank Hill for the spectacular view on a clear night. We chatted incessantly like old friends and covered a lot of San Francisco news and history. While I decided adamantly earlier not to make it a Castro night, that is of course where we went. New gal pal with gay friends and no Castro or drag experience? She can hit the White Highlights with her work colleagues (which she had done all week).

By the way, I do my best but still struggle to explain clearly the distinctions between Transgender, Transvestite, and Drag Queen to the uninitiated. To me the differences seem obvious, but I have walked in the water long enough to understand getting wet. I thought I did a good job, but then she tried to relate what I said to her only frame of reference. Unfortunately, that was Dr. Frank N. Furter. I found myself saying, "No he was a transvestite, he was just from 'transexual" Transylvania. Well maybe he was in drag as he was gay...no wait, he was bi because he made it with Janet too, but he did make himself a man in the lab... you know what, we're way off course. Let's just agree that you should really not take any lessons in gender politics from Rocky Horror. Okay?"

Seriously.

Where is Hank Green when I need him!?

We shared a super tasty dinner at the Thai House Express at 19th & Castro (I have never had a bad meal there) and closed the place down. We went for a short walk around the neighborhood, and when we passed the Edge I saw that Cookie Dough's show was about to start. Nashville Drag, and southern drag in general, is all very power-ballad-female-illusionist. The show queens in Nashville tend to be pre-op trans who have big boobs but are still hiding their candy. I tried to explain that that was a very specific subset of drag, and that New York and San Francisco drag is much rather performance art. One would never mistake a San Franciscan drag queen for a real woman (although I have seen converse happen on occasion).

The theme for Cookie's Monster Show on Thursday was Toddlers & Tiaras/Little Honey Boo Boo, and while the pageant got off to a slow start, it had a big finish. It was much fun and Shelby even got a shout out from Cookie on stage.


Added bonus fun: The winner earned her crown that night, and it wasn't until I read the comments on Facebook the next morning that I found out that the winner was a friend of mine. Did NOT recognize him in the drag. Awesome.

Ellen Hardcastle, well underway

Awesome Ellen is still at it, and picking up steam!

Earlier this year, my niece Ellen Hardcastle released her first album of piano solos, and all proceeds are being donated to build a well for the Ulongwe Model School in Malawi via the H2O For Life program. Another enterprising young person has created an organization which uses youth and social media to crowd source the do-good projects of other youth. Logan Gardner's Kids for Kids program is supporting Ellen's effort and has created a fundraising page on RocketHub. This campaign will be used to support the H2O for Life project, and fund a benefit concert in Lexington, KY to raise more.

Check it out! And click on her YouTube video talking about the project too (never mind the vertical video).



DFTBA indeed!

the control group must be really boring

A study made for Wait, Wait...

New research has shown that sex and alcohol make people happier than kids or religion. Heh. I've always thought so.

And in reading the findings that sex and alcohol makes people happier than having kids, I had to chuckle that sex and alcohol is the leading cause of having kids.

Except you know,  for the gays.

Gay really does mean happy doesn't it?

Cheers!

And bottoms up.

young beauty

So me and mine were enjoying an evening in the company of a ridiculously attractive young man. Maybe 22. Charming and handsome as get out. And fit. And wholesome. Spelled with a W and everything. I kept trying to keep focus. When he walked away briefly, my also-old friend turned to me and said, "Wow. He is just too freaking adorable..." I had to reply, "Yes, but he's so young I keep looking around for the afterbirth."

unexpected history

My brother Mac was rushing through the Chicago airport around Veterans Day and passed a new history exhibit. I don't know what the exhibit is called or what its focus is, and I can't find any information on the airport's website, such as it is.

But Mac quickly snapped this photo with his phone and sent it to the family as it caught his eye as he was walking by.



That's my grandfather Clyde Keltner. He was a Colonel in the 7th Division, Army Core of Engineers. I want to know more about this exhibit!

just...wow

Points for effort.  "Make it work" indeed.  Although these days this is how I feel in most of my clothes.

From the interwebs:

Back to BARE

My wonderful friend Randy Taradash and his partners have successfully launched an off-Broadway revival of the coming-of-age musical Bare. You may remember my excitement and praise for Randy's efforts back in 2009. Originally a rock opera and full of the pain of coming out, the show has been reworked into a book musical (rather than a rock opera) and updated to reflect the fast-changing world of youth and gay youth. Ten years ago, a gay wedding daydream/fantasy scene was nixed as it was too unimaginable. Now it was nixed for being too commonplace for a dream sequence. Wow. Times have changed.

But coming to terms and coming out is still excruciatingly painful. High school is still a living hell to be endured. Smother both of those in repressive catholic religion and you've got a drama.

Reports are in from the preview nights which opened to packed houses, curtain calls, and standing ovations. COngratualtions Randy, Brett, and everyone involved. So much talent all the way around. I just wish I could have made it to NYC to attend, and had the financial wherewithal to be an investor!

Read the reviews:

The New York Times
Playbill

Anderson Cooper is still awesome

While my infatuation with the Silver Fox had waned a bit over the years, his Twitter pwnage makes me love him ridiculously again.

getting ready for Thanksgiving

Who's hosting and who's traveling?  This is my first year ever without an invitation, and I'm getting kind of excited for the day off all to myself.  Without the homecoming aspect, it is really a lot of work and a lot of pressure just for, you know, dinner.  I've got my bits to bake since I was going to Turkey 2.0 on Friday anyway, and now I am ready to cozy up without pressure and enjoy my backlog of media fun while I play in the kitchen all day.  If something comes up, I'll probably go.  But if not, it's really a win-win for me.

Have a great holiday week!




Update:  I did not foresee a third option: now I am hosting.  How did that happen?

yet another good drag name

I use it so much in daily conversation that I think it's like as Dave Barry formerly frequent comment "...which would also be a good band name."  I often add to conversation "...which would also be a good drag name."  It works with so many things.  Pat O'Butter.  Marginal Notes.  Virginia Slims.  You get the idea.

My friend's grandchild went as Cleopatra for Halloween.  She loved the costume, but didn't really get the idea.  She's like four.  She kept calling herself Cleo Patrick.  Which I think is hilarious.  It sounds like a knock-off late-night television psychic.  Miss Cleo Patrick.  ...which would also be a good drag name.

Maybe she's Irish.

I know several Patrick families and now I want one of them to name their next kid Cleo so, so badly.

take a load off

Can you get post partum depression after a really satisfying dump?

Just askin'.  Seems appropriate with the Big Meal coming up.

gobble

Clearly, I fit right in here at my new job.  We each own and wore these hats to work.

Although the person who took the photo noted that I was at risk.  She looks so very kind and gentle, but she said softly, "This photo needs a knife..."

Halloween leftovers

I forgot I had saved these little Halloween treats: 

Sure, some may find this a little offensive, but I think it mocks the trendy of the Occupy movement more than anything else.  Frankly I think it is clever.  And subtle.  And funny in a dark way.

This second photo is priceless to me.  My cousin Clark, who lives in Berlin, his young son wanted to do a mashup costume this year and he came up with this himself:  Darth the Pooh.

When questioned regarding his costume choice, the lad looked up at his father and deadpanned: "Do not underestimate the power of the dark side of the honey."

Win.

here comes the rain again

To my friend who was complaining about women with ENORMOUS umbrellas blocking sidewalks, entrances, Muni etc., all I could say was: "My umbrella is a hat."

Later I was reminded of a conversation when the rainy season started last year:

Other Friend: How have we not cracked the umbrella technology?
Me: It's called being indoors.

Your cocktail is cursed and needs to be cleansed by my liver.

I noted this earlier and it has been reported before in the SFist and other news outlets, and now it is back back in the news. Here's the deal: two or three young people approach eledery Chinese women and claim that their (the old woman's) money and/or jewelry has been cursed by an evil spirit. Then they (the ne'er do wells) offer to purify the money and/or jewelry for them if they would just hand it over.

Not surprisingly, they run off with the money and valuables.

Here is in the news again, but it's slightly better news in that because this scam was reported earlier, someone thought not to fall for it and instead went to the Police station and brought back a cop, who apprehended the scam artists. Although, really, I wouldn't call them "artists." And also, it took reports of this for the almost-victim to think twice about handing over all of her earthly valuables to strangers on the street because they said an evil spirit had attached itself to their money?

This is unquestionably terrible and nefarious and just wrong on so many levels to prey upon the elderly and fervently superstitious. Unquestionably.

However.

I can't keep thinking two things when I read these reports: (1) "A fool and his money are soon parted." and (2) "Your money is dirty and therefore you should hand it over to us and be purified and cleansed" sounds a lot like most of the popular religions in America.

However, it appears that these scammers may not be asking as nicely as those in the pulpits. Seems a little strong-arming to me. Glad they got caught, and I hope the DA is creative in finding a way to prosecute.

leopard:spots

Today Romney referred to blacks, gays, and hispanics as "special interests." Oil/Finance/Coal are "special interests." We're "citizens."

burning up on re-entry

Some days you just feel like going home and drawing a warm bath of macaroni and cheese.

Sitting still

There comes to me a guilt with sitting still.

With inactivity.

Although I have gotten quite good at it over this past year, this sitting still—abandoning reading for iPad skimming, writing for Television. Dust accumulates in the non-traveled alleys on the hardwood floor as I avoid cleaning chores. Photos go untagged and tales untold.

I do not still well and so it is an uneasy idleness. Yet the idleness has begun to creep over my life like kudzu. But always there too are nagging whispers from the guilt which sits beside me whenever I sit still.

Occasionally it pokes me.

There are, after all, Things To Do.

But today in this place—in these sunbeams and shades—the only whispers are from the warm waterfall feeding the mid-century-modern pool.

I am sitting still. I am quiet. I am content. I am reading ink on paper.

Tomorrow is another country.

And the Things To Do are in exile.

Out with ACT: Elektra

"Ph Lord,"  I thought, "Here she goes again."  I have said for eyars that ACT's productions are hit or miss.  That the hits are freakintabulously awesome and the missed are Oh Dear God In Heaven Would You Stop With the Inaccessible High Art.  I have a similar love/hate relationship with the theater's Artistic Director Carey Perloff.  She has a great eye for amazing shows to bring to the theater, and a destructive bent to put on excruciatingly boring arty works herself.  I am reminded of the Mark Twain quote (at least I think it was Twain) that "Literature is a book that everyone wants to have read but no one wants to read."  Or about like that.  The sentiment holds for Perloff's personal productions.  I feel like she puts this on because she thinks we should see it.  Like it is artistically good for us like a matron forcing us to eat the broccoli.  But here's the thing, you can prepare tasty broccoli.  Just because it is Literature does not mean it cannot also be entertaining.

In their review, the SFist really nailed my consisent sentiments of such shows: "an uninspired museum piece on a contemporary set... But all told, like 2010's gloomy and stilted Phedre, it's once again hard to see past Perloff's desire to educate us, to restage a canonized work for its own, unadulterated sake, to find any new theatrical revelation."

All that aside though, Eleketra was pretty entertaining and not at all soporific. While I am sure that the brevity of the show and the energy drink I shot beforehand may have had something to do with it, the relatively simple story and lack of extensive undulating monologues helped. But what really saved this from being yet another museum piece was the stellar acting from all involved. Rene Augesen always gives a strong performance and I would probably sit and watch her read a grocery list on stage (and feel that I have), but Caroline Lagerfelt really plays the mother with layers of pathos and empathy. I share the SFist's Jay Barmann's appraisal of her performance: "We come away seeing the character not as the evil adulteress of myth, but a woman buffeted by the wills of various men, and in search of redemption."


It's always nice to have Tony Fusco make an appearance in a role no matter how small, and Allegra Rose Edwards brought to life the easily lifeless sister Chrysothemis. I would link to all of these actor's bios on the ACT site but their site isn't set up that way (only pop-up bios).

Olympia Dukakis has been brightly billed as the star of this show as the Greek Chorus, but our performance featured the understudy Omozé Idehenre. Kevin and I have been fortunate enough to experience performances from Omozé before and were lucky to catch her tonight. The star turn would have been fun to see, and even more fun to meet, but I can't imagine even Olympia's star could outshine Omozé Idehenre's performance.

Speaking of understudies, Nick Steen does a nice job with the brother Orestes, but you would also be fortunate to catch the talented understudy Patrick Alparone. Although you may not notice either of their performances as both are so distractingly handsome.

waiting for the sky to fall

The new Bond flick Skyfall comes out this week. I'm headed to Palm Springs tomorrow and as Saturdays forecast calls for rain I think we'll go to the show. Very exciting.

And I love this marketing campaign from Coke Zero. Or perhaps Coke Zero Zero Seven.

Knock, knock mutherfcker.

Obamagasm

Yay!  The campaign nonsense is over.  And the lying incompetent oligarch had his ass handed to him.  And Karl Rove and Fox news imploded.  I managed to go the entire year without a rant against the cruelty and deviousness the GOP has become, although I did defined a few over the support.  Some in real life.  There are those so called close friends in Nashville, some dear to me, that I really can't ever speak to again.  The cognitive dissonance is staggering.  And all seriously essential financial and foreign policy failures aside, it really does come down to this:  You cannot simultaneously be my friend and vote for the Republican platform.  That's like saying "I love my black friends but I'm voting for the Klan."  To be vote Republican this year to to participate in a lynching.  There is no acceptable rationalization for that.

Okay, I almost made it through without a rant.

And considering the national Republican efforts to prevent Democratic-leaning citizens from voting this year, I did my part and voted early.  A friend on Facebook made it a social outing, and Sunday was a beautiful afternoon for it.

>
And while early voting in California had been going on for a week, there was still a long line at City Hall late Sunday afternoon.


The line moved quickly, and all poll workers were polite, upbeat, and efficient, and those in line were enthusiastic with a sense of camaraderie.  I think we all felt like we were in it together, which I suppose as San Franciscans and so dominantly Democratic, we really were. Tuesday night leaving work after 6:00, there were still lines of voters waiting at the polling place downstairs.


I joined the Trio to watch the returns at the new Sliders restaurant in the old Bagdad Cafe space at 16th and Market.  They have six large screens, and had four networks' coverage displayed.  It was an exciting crowd, and tasty eats.


And as with the the debate viewing events, it was a two-screen experience.


About half of the bar was following more news and engaging online during the night. Personally, I loved being part of the larger energy via Twitter and Facebook. Although I was happy on the iPhone. Two people there brought laptops.

The crowed went WILD when Ohio was called first for Obama. And as each station followed suit, we would again erupt in cheers (although not as explosive as the first time). Someone was following Fox news online and a cheer of a different flavor erupt when Fox finally conceded. Much excitement all around.


As in 2008, Castro Street was blocked off and a large screen and spotlights erected (bus seriously- who was in charge? Next time display and broadcast the NEWS, not techno. WTF?). The jubilant crowd took to the Streets, and it was full of Friends, San Framily, and most certainly, Community.

a spirited good time

Kevin and I always love a theater invitation, and we joined Terrence and his friends for Matt's (his kids' new tutor) performance in The Grimaldis on Saturday. Much fun. As the ghosts of the performing Grimaldis over the centuries rise in the auction house, we are treated to a range of entertainment skills, including magic, ballet, fortune telling, song, ditties and perhaps most notably, aerial acrobats. Well acted and delightful It's concluded it's current run in San Francisco, but I imagine the work will continue its journey of refinement and performance and appear again in a more polished form.

Although I must say that while there is minor work to be done from the audience's point of view (I now understand it is a challenge for the actors and musicians), this night's performances were nearly flawless.