Musings
an Online Journal of Sorts
By Alyce Wilson
June 1, 2005 - Stage and Screen
With all the craziness of the move and helping my sister plan her wedding, I haven't gotten around to writing about my dad's visit about two weeks ago.
He came up right before the move for his annual medical convention. Thursday night I joined him for a special evening, being held at the hotel where he was staying in Valley Forge. All of the doctors were allowed to bring one guest, so it was just me this time. That was OK by The Gryphon, who had a lot of stuff to do to get ready for the move.
We were going to have dinner and then see a stage performance by a troop associated with the hotel. At the door, we met up with his buddy from med school and all sat together at the back. I talked to the daughter of my dad's friend about her recent career moves.
They served us a preset meal, which was much more than I typically eat any more. Even so, I probably was fine until the cheesecake. I should have been good and turned it aside, but it was just one night.
After dinner, the lights dimmed and it was time for the show. First, they showed a number of things on screens to the sides of the stage, such as trailers that movie theaters show reminding people about the rules of the theater and promoting the snacks. Then the MC took the stage to introduce the show. As it turned out, they were doing songs from movies.
The very first one was a medley from The Wizard of Oz, which set the tone for the rest of the show. They wore costumes like the ones in the movies and performed in front of stills from the movie. It was entertaining, if cheesy.
Throughout the show, they introduced and then performed songs from various movies. I liked the Grease medley a lot and a song they did from West Side Story. But the guy who tried to imitate Gene Kelly in the title song from Singing in the Rain was a pale comparison.
The MC was a comedian and a gifted impressionist. He did host segments between each performance, and sometimes they were the best part of the show. I particularly liked a comic juggling routine he did.
On occasion, he performed on stage, usually in a humorous capacity. One of the best was when he appeared as Austin Powers, Dr. Evil and Fat Bastard in a performance based on Austin Powers. As Dr. Evil, he called on two of doctors, who are leaders in the organization hosting the convention, to stand up and chided them for not being evil enough.
After the show, as we exited, the cast members greeted us at the door. I took the time to tell the MC how much I'd enjoyed him on stage.
More from Dad's visit:
Moral:
Cheesy shows tend to be served with cheesecake.
Copyright
2005 by Alyce Wilson
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