Sal Sees "Tappin' Through Life"

Saturday night Sal and I went with two of our friends to see Tappin' Through Life at the Cleveland Play House.  I heard about the show while listening to the local NPR station.   (I'm now pausing for the "I heard it on NPR jokes!")

This photo was taken from my seat before the show began.  We were in the front row of the balcony -- wonderful seats.  Sal is sitting on the balcony rail, which was wide and flat enough for her to pose on.  I was only a little nervous about the possibility of her falling on the people below.  Such a tumble could have been catastrophic for Sal -- and for the person (or persons) she conked on her way down.

Tappin' Through Life -- written and starring Maurice Hines -- tells its story through touching words and wonderful songs.  It takes the audience from the beginning of the Hines Brothers' remarkable career -- when they were only three and five-years-old -- through their time as a dancing team.  The show is in many ways a tribute to Maurice's brother,  Gregory Hines, who passed away in 1993 -- and to their parents.  It is truly moving and supremely entertaining.

Maurice has a lovely voice and it was a joy to listen to his interpretations of the songs that touched him throughout his life.  He was backed up by an all-female jazz orchestra -- The Divas.  Pretty great stuff.  And there is fabulous dancing!  Maurice has still got it at age 70.  The show also features some amazing young dancers:  The Manzari Brothers and Grace Cannady.

Beautiful old songs wonderfully performed + boffo tap dancing = a winning combination.  I left the theater feeling like a million bucks!

Clevelanders know that a giant chandelier was recently installed over an intersection at Playhouse Square, and this was my first time to see it live and in person.  It is truly huge!  We had attempted a photo before the show, but thought the chandelier might show up better in the dark.  As we left the theater, though it still wasn't dark.  (Hooray for long summer evenings!)  We weren't going to wait around on the street corner for darkness to come, so I took the following shot.

David and Tom (holding Sal) with the giant chandelier.  No worries -- I didn't ask them to stand in the middle of the street.  Thanks, Tom, for suggesting this angle.  You were right about the black building making the lighted chandelier stand out.

Go see Tappin' Through Life if you have the chance.  You will not regret it!

Sal Meets the Carolina Chocolate Drops

It's pretty amazing how knowing interesting people can bring wonderful new things into one's life.  This little tale is an example of that.  A few months ago I invited a few of my fellow Fleas to peruse the catalog of the Cleveland International Film Festival and, if they so desired, select a film or two to see with me.  One of the people who took me up on the offer was Nicole.  She came down to see the film The Winding Stream: The Carters, the Cashes and the Course of Country Music.  We both really enjoyed the movie, and yes, there's a post about that.  During the course of the film, the Carolina Chocolate Drops performed a song.  I enjoyed it, but probably wouldn't have given the group another thought if Nicole hadn't said "I love the Carolina Chocolate Drops."  Jump forward a few weeks to when the Cain Park summer concert schedule was announced.  And there were the Carolina Chocolate Drops!

That is how Sal and I ended up seeing a fantastic show on Thursday night with a whole bunch of very nice people!  Starting with a tasty dinner at Tommy's Restaurant, and ending with having the opportunity to meet the amazing performers and take the photos below, it was a great evening.

Lesson learned = hang out with interesting people and you will do interesting things, too.  Thanks, Nicole!

Part of our concert-going group.  From left to right:  Bruce, Nicole with Sal, Weezle, and Laurie.  See how close our seats were to the stage!?

The Carolina Chocolate Drops during their super-entertaining performance.  Such great music!  I would see them again in a minute!

After the show the group signed posters, CDs, record albums, tickets, etc.  Of course I asked them to pose with Sal!  You can see that they are not just amazing musicians -- they are a fun bunch of people!

I ran into several people I knew at the show, including my friend Heidi and her mom Raenell.  As we were starting to say our goodnights, we saw the wonderful dancers whose fabulous footwork had added a lot to the show.  Of course I couldn't resist asking them to pose with Sal, too, and they were super nice about it.  From left to right:  Heidi, Raenell, Matthew Olwell and Emily Oleson (holding Sal) of the Good Foot Dance Company, and Bruce.

If you ever have the chance to see the Carolina Chocolate Drops, don't hesitate!  Get a ticket and go!!!

Sal Goes to a "Play Ukulele by Ear" Workshop

When I received an e-mail a few weeks ago about a Play Ukulele by Ear workshop at Elderly Instruments, I immediately decided I wanted to go.   Yes, it takes about four hours to drive there, and four hours to drive back.  Yes, I hate long car rides.  So why make the trip?   First, the workshop was to be conducted by Jim D'Ville, whose Play Ukulele by Ear website is justly well-known.  Second, Sal loves to get her picture taken with ukulele luminaries! 

On my last trip to Elderly I ate breakfast at Pablo's Old Town  (read this post if you want to know about that trip).  The gentleman who helped me -- who I assumed was the owner -- was very friendly and chatty.  At that time I did not ask him to pose for a picture with Sal, but regretted it later, so when we workshop-attending Fleas were talking about where to meet for lunch, I suggested going to Pablo's -- hoping to get the photo I didn't get last time.  Unfortunately, the gentleman was not there, so I didn't get the desired photo.  Lesson learned = don't pass up an opportunity thinking that it may present itself again.  Maybe it will, but maybe it won't.

Lunch with Holly, Sal, and Tabitha at Pablo's Old Town. 

Sal with my chicken enchilada plate.

After lunch we walked to Elderly and took our seats in the steaming hot Elderly basement room where workshops take place.  (I spent the few moments before class fanning myself with a chord chart.)  As soon as class began, however, the excess heat was forgotten, as we were all focused on using our ears!  Mr. D'Ville was a good teacher -- using much humor to get his message across.  I think we all learned some pretty cool things, and were glad we made the trip.  After the workshop, I asked Jim D'Ville to pose with Sal, and he graciously agreed to do so. 

"Pensive"

"Funny"

"Shy?"

Then it was time to leave the basement and look at the enticing array of ukuleles in the store above.  I was not planning to buy one, and held to my resolve, but Sal and I were thrilled to watch Holly select and purchase an absolutely gorgeous Ohana soprano ukulele. 

Holly with her new ukulele -- and Sal, of course.  According to the gentleman who helped Holly make her selection, the top of this uke is made of redwood salvaged from a submerged log.  It is truly a most beautiful instrument.  This picture doesn't do it justice.

We traveled safely home, and now the challenge is finding time to practice what we learned.  Sigh...

Sal Goes to a Hula Lesson

Since the ukulele is a Hawaiian instrument, it makes sense that a ukulele group should be able to play a Hawaiian song or two.  With that in mind, four intrepid members of the Performing Flea group (subsidiary of the Cleveland Jumping Fleas) spent an evening with Dahmia -- a hula teacher extraordinaire.  Of course Sal came along to join in the fun.  Dahmia had agreed to teach us the hula hand motions for the song Beautiful Kauai.  We enjoyed a meal together and then Dahmia showed us the motions, and very kindly allowed me to videotape her with my phone so we could refer back to the recording when trying to remember what to do later.  She also had lots of fascinating tales to tell about the hula training program she attended.  You can find out more about her in this article from Cleveland Magazine. 

Dahmia and Sal

After the lesson I asked everyone to pose with Sal.  Of course Dahmia's ukulele had to be in the photo, too!  I'm usually camera-shy, but in this case I figured out a silly way I could be in the shot, so I decided to go for it.  I stood at the other end of the looooong conference table in the room and took a photo of the rest of the gang on either side of the mirror at the other end of the table.  From left to right:  Lisa, Nicole and Sal, my reflection, Bruce, Dahmia and her uke.

We had hoped to break out Beautiful Kauai at our next Singalong performance, which will be July 8th at the Middleburg Heights Library.  On reflection (pun intended -- see photo above), however, we realized that there is no way we will be able to do the song justice in the three remaining rehearsals we have -- considering that there are lots of other songs to work on, too.  But we will learn it!  And it will be awesome!

I asked Dahmia for her contact information -- thinking that some Travels With Sal readers may be interested in getting in touch for lessons.  You can e-mail her at Dahmia@hotmail.com   She teaches Middle Eastern and Polynesian dance each Thursday through the City of Wickliffe Recreation Department.  She also teaches and facilitates at girls' nights, weddings, anniversaries, and birthdays.  

Aloha! 

Sal Meets Sophia!

Poor Sal.  She's sitting in her bag -- ready to go -- but going nowhere.  Add the Sisyphean Battle With the Relentless Weeds to the usual long list of stuff that must be done, and there is no time available to go someplace fun and write a blog post.  But this weekend, a most exciting event occurred.  Sophia -- the newest member of our family -- came to town for a visit!  And of course Sal had to meet her!  We had a small gathering to introduce some friends to the baby, and Sal got in the picture, too.

Many of Sophia's adoring public gathered on the porch for this shot.  Sal is being held by my ukulele-playing friend, Daylon.  Sophia is being held by her lovely Mom, Jen.

After the festivities were over, Sophia, Sal, and I had a Girls' Night while Mommy and Daddy went out for a few hours.  It was a gorgeous evening, so we started with a walk in the park. 

Sophia is looking quite serious here.  She is following the rules, but Sal is not.  Let's hope Sophia does not follow in Sal's rebellious footsteps!

Then we walked around Grand Pacific Junction a bit.

Sophia's first experience -- and I'm sure not the last -- of having to wait for a train to pass through the center of town. 

And finally back home to get some pictures of Sophia and Sal together.  I hope to take pictures of the two of them whenever possible, of course.  I took lots of shots, as you can well imagine, and had a hard time deciding which to post here.  Since both of these little ladies are so cute, it was impossible to pick just one.

I am looking forward to many more meetings of these two enchanting ladies in the future!  What fun we will have!

Sal Poses With Some Hellebores

It's Spring!  The good news is that the weather is glorious!  The bad news is that there is TONS of stuff to do to get the garden in shape!  I have LOTS of flowerbeds, and they are full of leaves, last year's dried up stalks, and a new crop of weeds.  Over the past few days I have spent quite a few hours cleaning out flower beds -- and only a fraction of the job is done -- but I must confess that I am enjoying the process.  It feels wonderful to be out in the fresh air, to discover that most of my perennials have survived the horrible winter we just had, and to see how much better the beds look after I'm finished.  And I'm not sick and tired of pulling weeds yet!  On the other hand, it's been several months since these particular muscles have been used, so I know I'm going to feel achy and exhausted until my body becomes accustomed to laboring in the garden again.

On Sunday evening, as I was outside filling tub after tub with the above-mentioned detritus and dumping it on the compost pile, I decided to take a break and bring Sal out to join me.  It seemed to me that she should have her picture taken with some of the lovely hellebores that are blooming right now.   They are a treat for the eye -- and so is she!

This was an experiment.  I knew that the flower would be in focus and that Sal would be out of focus, but thought the photo might be interesting.  I think it is!

Taking Sal photos in the garden is a real challenge for many reasons.  In this case I solved the problem of a too-tall stem by putting Sal on a brick.  I think the resulting picture is pretty neat.

Sal Goes to a Cub Scout Singalong

Sal and I are proud to be members of a wonderful group of Cleveland Jumping Fleas!  These dedicated folks practiced several times in preparation for a Singalong program for a bunch -- actually a pack -- of Cub Scouts.  It was only our second big public performance, and our first program for kids.   The husband and sons of Lisa, one of our members, are active in Cub Scouts, so she invited us to do a program for their April pack meeting.  Four dens of Cub Scouts -- 60 kids or so -- were expected to attend.  Add in the parents and you're talking a big audience.  We worked hard selecting songs and practicing them, and in two shakes, it was the big night!

To make a long story relatively short, the evening started as a bit of a disaster.  The program was to take place at North Royalton Middle School, but when the first Flea arrived, he was informed by the custodian that the staff had not been told about our event.   The custodian called somebody and there was some back and forth about whether or not we would be able to have the program at the school.  Eventually this was straightened out, and we started bringing in all of our stuff.  We carried everything to the Purple Gym -- which was where we were supposed to perform -- and began to set up.  We were then told that we would be in the Gold Gym instead, so we took all of our stuff to the Gold Gym.  When we had done this, we were told that some students were supposed to use the Gold Gym to practice basketball, so we would have to go back to the Purple Gym.  Once more we lugged all of our paraphernalia to the Purple Gym.  Then it was determined that since the Purple Gym did not have bleachers for the Cub Scouts to sit on, we should return to the Gold Gym, and the basketball players could practice in the Purple Gym.... Seriously!  We moved all of the stuff AGAIN!

Sal with Lisa's son, Dominic, in his Cub Scout regalia.  This is the Gold Gym!  With bleachers!

The fabulous performing Fleas!  From left to right:  Tom, Bruce, Terianne, Lisa, Brian, Nicole, me, Holly, Jeff, and Anne with Sal.

After intensive discussion about the best placement of the laptop (containing a PowerPoint of the song lyrics), projector, screen, backdrop, and music stands, and some rearranging of those things, we were all set up by about 6:45.  The program was to begin at 7:00, but as the hour drew near, a mere trickle of Cub Scouts appeared.   In the end, there were fewer than 20 Cub Scouts in attendance.  They brought their families, too, but the audience was much smaller than we had anticipated.  (Thinking about it later, the low turn-out could probably be explained by the lovely weather that evening.  After a truly horrible winter, perhaps people couldn't bear to be inside on such a warm night.)

As we began to play, I had an unpleasant realization!  Because of the acoustics of the cavernous gym, we couldn't hear each other well, and therefore were not playing together.  I looked down the row of ukulele players, and saw that the people at the other end were a few beats ahead of those at my end.  Fortunately we were able to overcome this problem by moving into closer formation after a couple of songs.  Lesson learned = a giant gym is not a good place for a ukulele show!  Looking on the bright side... despite the low turn-out and the lousy acoustics, the people who came seemed to have a great time -- and that's the important thing! 

After the program we went to Lisa's house for pizza, beverages, and delicious ice cream cake.  While enjoying the food we watched a video of our Fairview Park Singalong  (you can read about that Singalong by clicking here).  I'm unhappy to report that despite enjoying watching the other Fleas in the video, I had to cover my eyes whenever I appeared on the screen. I know it is wise and mature to accept oneself as is, and not be haunted by the image of oneself in a video, but unfortunately I am not that wise and mature.  I'm currently trying to recuperate from the experience.  Note to all videographers: please be kind -- don't videotape me!!!

On a happier note, Sal made some new friends at Lisa's house -- an armadillo and a racoon.   Photos of Sal with these critters -- products of Lisa's amazing artistic talents -- follow.

Sal with Lisa's paper mache armadillo.  I love how the texture of the armadillo and Sal's grain look together.

Lisa with Sal and the super-fun Cub Scout raccoon she created.

All in all it was a good night for Sal and I.  Lessons learned from the experience:
1.  Don't perform with un-amplified acoustic instruments in a cavernous gym.
2.  To maintain peace of mind, do not watch any videos in which I appear.

Kudos go to the performing Fleas for all of the time and effort they spent preparing and performing.  Extra thanks to...
Brian - for his infectious and entertaining MCing.
Bruce - for his terrible (in a good way) riddles and jokes, plus hours of PowerPoint proofreading.
Lisa - for her incredible PowerPoint artwork, percussion playing, whistling, and hostessing.
Jeff - for his musical leadership.
Nicole - for her super banjolele playing.
Tom - for his washboard skills.
Holly - for her virtuoso performance on the train whistle.
Terianne - for bravely joining us after playing uke for a short time.

And a super big THANK YOU to my sister, Anne!  Once again, she did a wonderful job as our PowerPoint slide changer.  She goes above and beyond to support me, and I really appreciate it!!!

And a round of applause for Sal -- for her ability to make people smile! 

And now it's time to plan for our next Singalong!!!  It will be here before we know it!