Maple tree. 

My backyard this morning.

Pink dogwood.

Forsythia and bird house.

Staymen apple.

More dogwood.

Violets in the grass. 

Dandelion.

Mint.

 

The New Direction of MMT's 'In the Heights'

I've been sitting back, waiting for the right moment to weigh in on the controversy that has faced Roanoke's most significant live professional theatre, and I think the time has come. 

MMT has undergone harsh and often unfair criticism (mostly anonymous and online) for its casting decisions regarding the Latinx Broadway musical "In the Heights," which begins its brief run April 13 on the main stage. The reaction was in reference to the casting of a non-Latinx actress to a part that required a member of that community. The criticism was correct in pointing out that sensitivity to minority communities in the arts should be a requirement.

Hector Flores Jr., Director 

MMT made a mistake in the casting and, fortunately, the young woman who was cast (an Italian) gracefully resigned and opened the part for a woman of the correct ethnicity. MMT's every move since the initial criticism has been equally classy and correct--from admitting the mistake to correcting it as gracefully, completely and quickly as possible.

Unfortunately, as is often the case, correcting a mistake and trying to atone for it, is not enough for some critics. You almost have to kill somebody for some to be satisfied, once the blood is in the water. MMT has done everything right--as those of us who know its people would expect--since the initial mistake. These are good, sensitive, intelligent people, but they are people and people make mistakes.

Now comes news that MMT has hired a director who is perfect for this play. Veteran Hector Flores Jr. has taken over. An MMT release says, "Mill Mountain's production is a turning point in how the national theatrical community will look to produce works by, with and about people of color. The theatre has worked hard to bring in [Latinx] members of the creative team, including Flores, and a cast to tell this important story of community, neighborhood, family and hope."

MMT "has been working closely with a diversity, equity, including and belonging (DEIB) consultant with the cast and will continue to do so following the production ... to ensure cultural sensitivity in all productions. MMT is committed to working with marginalized communities throughout the region."

Flores has performed in several regional productions of "In the Heights." He is "an executive staff member at New York Theatre Barn, an anti-racist non-profit theatre company dedicated to the incubation of culture-shifting musicals, an original Broadway cast member" of the play.

The new creative team includes veterans of the show: Mikey Sylvester, associate director and choreographer; John Daniels as music director; and Eric Montesa as production stage manager.

"In the Heights" begins performances a week later than originally scheduled because of the changes and runs through April 24. Tickets are available at millmountain.org or at 540-342-5740.

Annette and I relaxing in the Floyd Country Store, with the stage behind us.

A Lazy, Fun Trip to Floyd

Floyd, about 40 miles southwest of Roanoke, is one of those little fun weekend/weekday runs that seems to always come equipped with a surprise or two.

The surprise yesterday was that Annette Marcuson and I didn't find my new pal Susan Huff at her Soup Shop ... which isn't open yet, but will be in a couple of weeks. As it turns out, we were 45 minutes late getting there because we couldn't stop talking to each other.

Instead, we got a tour of the under-construction, mustard-colored facility in Copper Hill and found it to be a place we will return to when it finally opens next month. Susan makes soup that is so good, it will make you cry.

We also met her famous-architect husband, John, who was actually helping put together the final shop--I mean like a construction worker. Good dude, that John, with a solid appreciation of his Energizer Bunny of a wife.

On into Floyd, we settled on the Parkway Grille for lunch and the little shop downstairs that reminds me of Roanoke's Co+op in Grandin Village: Lots of stuff that is good for you. Annette was thrilled ... until she discovered some of the prices. But it is a lovely store and I left with a couple of "everything" bagels, which I have no business eating. 

The obligatory stop at the Floyd Country Store where there was no live music on a Friday afternoon (that came later), but it presented a nice place to recon.

I think our best discovery was in leaving town and finding this tiny bakery across the street from a wonderfully-atmospheric abandoned old home. Annette is an artist and the house brought out the sparkling imagination in her. I shoot photos and jumped at the black and white opportunity the house presented. (The black and white shots of the house below are mine, the color photos are Annette's. Hers are presented smaller here because the resolution is small.)

This was one of those special days where not much went as planned, but everything turned out just as it was supposed to ... which meant we loved every minute of it. 

I mean, how are you going to resist this?

Annette loves barren trees, especially when the clouds provide the "leaves."

That's me sneaking up on the back to take a photo.

The sun bleaches the front of the old house.

That's the old man assuming the photo stance.

I like this towering view.

The devil is in the details.

The stories this old house could tell. We found a huge iron pot in the crawl space, that could have been used to double-double toil and trouble boil.

The roof shingles provide wonderful texture.

God only knows how many miles this old chair has on it. 

This decorative work is on the front porch.

Not sure what these vines are, but my guess is they provide great shade in summer.

Wonder if the local kids trick-or-treat here on Halloween.

The house is angles, lines and texture that invite the creative mind.

 

 

Annette and I at the old train tunnel on the Blackwater Trail.

Lovely Spring Day on the Blackwater Trail

Lynchburg artist Annette Marcuson and I did the Blackwater Trail greenway walk today and I was vividly reminded what a lovely piece of urban engineering it is. The trail ambles alongside downtown Lynchburg, but is shielded by a steep slope and a lot of vegetation as it hangs close to Blackwater Creek, which feeds into the James River at Parcival Island.

It's a good bike ride and a great walk. The walk is made even better with a leisurely stop at the Depot Grill, which featured filet mignon/poppyseed soup today, one of the best beef soups I've ever tasted. We sat leisurely with the soup, thoroughly enjoying each other and capping a completely satisfying day.

Nice. Very, very nice. 

 

These Southern Bluebells are a very real signal that something good is coming.

More Indications of Spring in the Air

My talented buddy Linsee Lewis and I strolled down the greenway in Salem's Greenhill Park today and found all kinds of goodies you don't normally see when the trees are full of leaves.

The first hint of that lovely, delicate lime permeated the woods, but a look beneath some of the leaves and across the Roanoke River revealed pink and blue bluebells and a couple of stone buildings--kilns, I think--of some perhaps 19th-century vintage, along with promise from many of the trees. 

Here's a look at some of what we saw, including Linsee burning up her brand new Nikon F4 camera, a cool little white jewel that takes mighty fine photos. 

We wound up the early part of the day at Mac and Bob's with monster calzone. 

 

Ruby Spence (left) as Helen Keller (left) and Ryan Long as Annie Sullivan stole the show.

A High School Play Makes a Statement

It has been quite a long time since I sat in the audience for a high school play, but tonight was special. My last appearance was when I was 17, a senior at Cranberry High School in Avery County North Carolina. I forgot the name of the play, but I had the lead in it until a football injury required surgery. So, I got to watch and not to act. The play sucked.

Faith (left) and Linsee Lewis.

Tonight, my friend Linsee Lewis, whose acting in local productions I have admired for years, asked me to see "The Miracle Worker" at Salem High School because her daughter, Faith, was in charge of sound (which she did well).

It was basically a high school play until Ruby Spence and Ryan Long made their way onto the stage. Miss Spence, a sophomore, was simply riveting as the deaf-mute child, Helen Keller. Junior Ryan Long, as Keller's teacher Annie Sullivan, also shown in a remarkably physical part. Misses Long and Spence spent a good half of the play wrestling, kicking, pulling, shouting, crying. 

The performances were remarkable when you consider that this was a high school play. When Keller uttered the word "wa-wa" at the end of the play, I simply could not stop a large, intrusive tear from speeding down my cheek and losing itself in my beard.

A thoroughly enjoyable evening for me, and I didn't have a kid on stage. Go figure.