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Performance
Wolves, Pigs and Hoods:
Kids' shows brighten local theaters.
Theater
What Jekyll's Hiding:
Musical mania opens at ACE.
Outdoors
Grasshopper Meadow: This high Cascade
grassland is a joy in July.
Morsels
Wet Mex & Whisky Ribs: Mini-reviews
of area dining spots.
Wolves,
Pigs and Hoods
Kids'
shows brighten local theaters.
BY
ARIA SELIGMANN
If you thought the town citizens
only had Country Fair stragglers
to worry about, hold on, because New York gangsters and teenage hoodlums
have invaded Eugene and intend to hang out for a couple of weeks.
Plus, local folk will probably be given the runaround by big bad wolves
and lying marionettes with a sense of humor. And, who knows what Little
Red Riding Hood might be hiding in her basket?
If you're sick of waiting in line at Amazon Pool or
your Hollywood Video late fee count's up to your EWEB bill, here are
some theatrical options for you and your wee ones. They're fun, they're
cheap, and they're pretty darned good.
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MAD
DUCKLING THEATRE PRESENTS A SMART AND SASSY BIG BAD WOLF.
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Mad Duckling Theatre
Usually located on the lawn outside Robinson
Theatre on the UO campus, Mad Duckling shows this year are having
to move inside on some days because of campus construction noise.
But that hasn't stopped the always enthusiastic crazy Duck company
from offering up a silly-enough-for-any-age performance of Who's
Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf.
Playwright Tom McCabe (Goldilocks and the Three
Bears) has combined "Little Red Riding Hood" and "The Three Little
Pigs" to create a brand new story.
Director Rich Brown, also Mad Duckling's artistic
director, says "Young children will love the physical comedy and the
adorable Three Little Pigs, while adults are also supplied with lots
of recognizable teenage rebukes between Little Red Riding Hood and
her mom." The script is silly and smart. Big Bad Wolf continues
through July 20.
Meanwhile, the Ducklings are gearing up for Pinocchio
Commedia, opening July 30. PC, by playwright Johnny Simons,
who has combined it with the classic Italian Commedia Dell' Arte performance
style for a new perspective, featuring various Pinocchios as well
as clowns.
Director Elizabeth Helman, also Mad Duckling co-director,
says "I think the kids will really be drawn to the broad physical
comedy of these Italian clowns." It's got lessons, too, such as telling
the truth and working hard.
Shows are Tuesdays through Saturdays at 11 am, with
general-admission seating inside and outside. Free parking permits
are available at the theater on performance days for the UO lot at
East 11th Ave. and Kincaid St. Tix are $4 each, or $3.50 for groups
of 10 or more. 346-4192.
Impact! Theatre
More Little Reds and Big Bads await at the
Lord Leebrick Theatre, where Impact! is continuing its run of summer
shows for kids and their parents. Impact shows are presented by kids
who attend Impact! Theatre camp, where they learn acting technique
and immediately put their knowledge to use by performing. The first
of the summer series was a western-style Taming of the Shrew,
which was performed at the theater and also at Art and the Vineyard.
Next up is Fractured Fairy Tales, opening this
weekend, with kids as young as 10 mixing up every known fairy tale
character and writing their own blends of who-knows-what-will-happen.
Performance dates are Thursday, Friday & Saturday, July 18-20,
and 25-27.
Coming up in August is Comedy Jam, where students
perform skits, scenes, commercials and revue sketches they write themselves.
Shows are Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Aug. 1-3 and 9-11.
Impact! Education Director Katina Paxino says the
shows are filled with "satire, parody and sharp humor" and are "a
great thing to do as a family on a hot summer day. Little kids will
get it and adults will find things to smile at, too." Directors are
Richard Leebrick, Impact Theatre camp teacher, and Mitch Harvick,
Christina Hall and Lexi Cuddeback. Performances begin at 11:30 am
and last about one hour. Tix: $3 at the door, general admission. 431-1177.
Ace Youth Academy
Ace's summer musical theater production
of Bugsy Malone, Jr., featuring Ace Youth Academy performers
ages seven to 17, opens July 20. Bugsy Malone, Jr. is a pie-flinging,
pinstripe adaptation of the hit film wherein youngsters play prohibition-era
mobsters in a tongue-in-cheek tribute to the 1920s gangster flick.
This is a charming, irreverent and clean (though very
messy) showcase for the whole family, directed by Joe Zingo and Jim
Roberts with the book by Alan Parker and a catchy honky-tonk score
by Paul Williams.
Shows are Saturdays and Sundays at 2 pm on July 20-21,
27-28 and Aug. 3-4, at ACE Annex. Advanced tix: $6 kids 12 and under;
$8 adults. 683-4368. Day of show is a whopping $15, so buy 'em ahead
of time.
Spotlight Theatre
The little barn in Pleasant Hill was pleasantly
gifted by the estate of Ken Kesey, meaning Spotlight Theatre will
be able to offer more kids chances to perform. On July 15 and 16 they
performed Grease! at the McDonald (courtesy of the Keseys)
and will continue the run this Thursday, Friday and Saturday back
at their Pleasant Hill space. Mary Huls directs. Shows are at 7 pm.
Tix are $5 seniors/kids 10 and under; $6 everyone else. 988-1195.
Back to Top
What
Jekyll's Hiding
Musical
mania opens at ACE.
BY
SHARLEEN NELSON
Actors Cabaret opened its final show of
the season, Jekyll & Hyde The Musical, last weekend.
It is an adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 novella,
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, which chronicles
a brilliant physician's tormented journey into murder and madness.
The performance opens on a dimly lit ward of London's
St. Jude's hospital, where a distraught Dr. Henry Jekyll, played by
Don Kelley, is visiting his catatonic father. Delivering the emotional
opening number "I Need to Know," Kelley's rich and resonating voice
conveys the passion and obsession of the good doctor's sincere motivation
to help the mentally ill and to achieve his life-long ambition of
somehow isolating the dual elements of good and evil.
Encouraged by his good friend John Utterson (Seth
Carter) and his soon-to-be father-in-law, Sir Danvers Carew (Bruce
McCarthy), Jekyll hopes to convince his peers to allow him to conduct
research on live patients. But when he presents his case before the
hospital's Board of Governors — a buttoned-down assemblage of
narrow-minded hypocrites — they scoff at his outrageously progressive
ideas.
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HYDE
(KEVIN BOLING) WOOS LUCY (KRISTINA SELESHANKO).
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Undaunted by their rejection, Jekyll retreats to his
laboratory wherein he injects himself with a substance known as Formula
HJ7. Unwittingly, he unleashes his dark alter ego, the wild-eyed,
manic Edward Hyde, played more than persuasively by Kevin Boling.
Boling's nocturnal Hyde is devilishly sinister, euphoric, alive —
a predator of forbidden pleasures.
Jekyll fights to keep his darker half under control,
but night after night Hyde prowls the murky streets. With a rap of
his cane or swift lunge with his knife, he meticulously murders —
one by one — each member of the hospital board.
Meanwhile, in the midst of this internal struggle
are Jekyll's sympathetic fiancée, Emma Carew (Jessica Rose Rossi);
her father, Sir Danvers, his friend John Utterson; and the soft-hearted
prostitute Lucy Harris (Kristina Seleshanko), with whom Hyde satisfies
his licentious and brutal desire. In the final, tragic scene, a tormented
Jekyll wrestles Hyde for supremacy for the last time.
Director Joe Zingo has assembled a talented cast of
players whose voices resonate and pulse. The contrast between the
good Jekyll and the bad Hyde is superbly drawn by Kelley's earnest
and passionate pleas and Boling's delightfully menacing replies. As
Jekyll's fiancé Emma, Rossi's clear, unwavering voice ("Take
Me as I Am") projects no uncertainty of her deep and passionate understanding
and affection for the man she loves.
Kristina Seleshanko is stellar as Lucy, the naïve
prostitute desperately hoping to be lifted from her dreary circumstances.
Her final number, "A New Life," was absolutely dynamic.
In turn, the members of the Governor's Board lend
their superb voices and provide a nice balance of comedy/pathos. The
members are Greg Mathans as Simon Stride, the cocky, young suitor
vying for Ms. Emma's attentions; Mike Peterson as General Lord Glossop;
Robin Spoerl as Sir Archibald Proops; Nancy Anderson as the daft Lady
Beaconsfield, and Mark Innocenti as the debauched Rupert, Bishop of
Basingstoke.
Last, but certainly not least, the London People serve
as both conscience and critic in the unfolding story. From the opening
number "Life's a Façade" to the whispering "Murder, Murder" as
Mr. Hyde lurks among the shadows observing the result of his deranged
acts, to the closing finale, their voices — as engaging as the
principal characters — soared.
Likely attributed to the usual opening night jitters,
there were a few miner missteps in staging and the occasional flubbed
line. Still, the choreography, strong vocals, and appealing cast easily
overcame any flaws to deliver a dazzling production to an appreciative
audience.
Back to Top
Grasshopper
Meadow
This
high Cascade grassland is a joy in July.
BY JAMES
JOHNSTON
Viewed from the air, the dense carpet of
emerald forest clinging to the rugged ridges and deep glacial valleys
of the Cascades seems to go on forever. But if you look closely at
the south slopes of the tallest mountains you'll be able to pick out
long grassy pastures sprinkled with a few squat fir trees. These alpine
meadows — the product of periodic fire, poor soil and steep
slopes — are crammed with wildflowers and copper- and violet-tinted
grasses for most of July. One of the largest, most scenic and least
visited of these high elevation grasslands is Grasshopper Meadow up
the North Fork of the Middle Fork Willamette River northeast of Oakridge.
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Directions: Take I-5 south from Eugene for approximately
3 miles. Take the Oakridge/Klamath Falls exit (Exit 188A). Stay to
the left onto Hwy. 58. Drive 58 for approximately 31 miles and take
the sweeping left for Westfir. Travel half a mile across a bridge
over the Middle Fork Willamette River and take a left at the T-intersection.
Drive 1.7 miles on the Westfir/Oakridge Road. At the four-way intersection
(covered bridge on the left), continue straight onto Forest Service
Road 19. After 12.7 miles, take a left onto FS Road 1926. After 3
miles, stay to the right on FS 1927. Go 2.1 miles on 1927 and take
a right on FS 1929. Stay to the left after a junction in 2 miles;
the trailhead is on your right 3.3 miles after this junction. If you
haven't already, I recommend grabbing a Willamette National Forest
or Middle Fork District map at the Ranger Station on Hwy. 58 next
to the Westfir turn.
An air-conditioned vehicle is also highly recommended
for hiking excursions to the Cascades in summer. You'll want your
windows rolled up on the dusty gravel logging roads.
The first half-mile of level trail winds through a
dense stand of incense cedar with a lush ground cover of vanilla leaf,
bunchberry and false Solomon's seal. The forest gradually thins out
and opens up into a series of small meadows. About three-quarters
of a mile from the trailhead you'll bend north and begin to climb
slightly past a gurgling spring of ice-cold water (but don't ever
drink unfiltered water from the Cascades). There's a rickety old water
trough where the spring emerges from the top of a small hill.
These bleached old boards are probably a relic of
the first half of the last century when Willamette Valley sheep ranchers
would drive sheep up to mountain meadows for the abundant summer grazing.
The "hoofed locusts" (as described by John Muir) nearly ruined many
of these delicate ecosystems.
From the spring you'll catch your first glimpse of
Grasshopper Meadow itself. Among the many wildflowers you'll encounter
along the way are purple penstemon and lupine.
After the spring, the trail can be hard to follow.
If you lose it, just head for the northeast corner of the giant meadow,
where you'll find a trail junction. The path to the northwest will
take you across the top of the meadow and on to Grasshopper Mountain.
The western trail will take you to Grasshopper Point before it switchbacks
steeply downhill towards Chucksney Mountain and Box Canyon Guard Station.
On several occasions I've seen a pair of peregrine
falcons hunting over the meadow. If you're really lucky you'll get
to see one dive at a small bird or rodent at close to 200 mph. The
sights and the solace of high Cascade meadows are hard to beat.
Back to Top
Wet
Mex & Whisky Ribs
Mini-reviews
of area dining spots.
Burrito Boy
510 E. Broadway. 343-2932.
943 River Rd. 689-7970.
It's all about the "wet" burritos. Though Burrito
Boy serves chips and salsa, guacamole and tacos, enchiladas and chili
verdes, toastadas and quesadillas, vegetarian items and carne, breakfasts
and dinners, it's all about the lunchtime "wet" burritos.
You come in. A sunny day. A short fast-moving line
at the counter.
You say "One veggi wet burrito, por favor,"
and sit down at a table outside or in the small dining-room. Traffic
buzzes by on Franklin Boulevard. Lawyers and computer programmers
wax about their weekly basketball games and blood-pressure court cases,
and water-soaked radishes listen in from serve-yourself dishes on
the eastern wall past a soda-machine.
A friendly waiter brings a heaping burrito to your
table, drenched in a shiny red enchilada sauce. Broad, yellow, freshly
made chips scattered around the edges.
The lawyers with their hoop-dreams become a minor
hum as you relish one of the best, and cheapest, hot wrapped-up Mexican
morsels in town.
9 am-11 pm daily. $-$$ — BF
Jake's Place
605 W.19th Ave. 431-0513
Don't let the unwelcoming parking lot sprawl and tavern-like
square edifice steer you away from Jake's gourmet platters —
it's fine dining in disguise.
I went in, wary-eyed on a baking hot afternoon, to
find a pleasantly easy ambiance of fans blowing clumsily overhead,
sports paraphernalia tacked to the wall and CNN news buzzing in the
corner. There's also a deck around the side where you can kick back
with a microbrew and start off with some tantalizing sautéed
mushrooms seeped in fresh garlic and white wine.
And the menu just gets better — Indian Baked
Salmon is one of the specialties of the house, baked with a hickory
smoke glaze. Jake's offers the catch of the day as their nightly specials
and pasta plates with creamy dreamy cheese sauces and sun-dried tomatoes.
For the more carnivorous minded there's the Whiskey Cured Prime Rib,
marinated with sour mash whiskey.
Their menu definitely got my taste buds dancing, but
the dish I had didn't really live up to the talk. I had a vegetarian
plate, suggested by the waiter, of grilled squash, zucchini, onions
and mushrooms steaming over brown rice that was good, but nothing
special for the price.
Next time I think I'd go Jake's place for a nice dinner,
maybe try out their fish specials or stop in for a breakfast omelet,
like Mushrooms Madeira — sautéed mushrooms with shallots
and Madeira wine and Swiss cheese — mmm that's got to be good.
4-9 pm M, 11 am-9 pm T-TH, 11 am– 10 pm F,
9 am-10 pm SA, 9 am–2 pm SU. $$-$$$ — Nicole Hill
Hole in the Wall
3200 W. 11th Ave. 683-7378.
Consistent EW Readers' Choice as #1 for barbecue,
Hole in the Wall earns its marks for down-home service, food with
honest flavor; lives down to its name for decor — tiny but tidy,
a tight little niche amid an eyesore sea of highway junk, funky neon,
trashy billboards. Little joint's hard to spot at night; daytime,
watch for their big red catering trucks (along with take-out, the
source for much of their business). Lunches jump, a brisk biz in sandwiches
($5.25) made from smoked brisket, pulled pork, smoked turkey breast,
hot links, smoked meatloaf; sides of creamy dill potato salad, coleslaw,
BBQ beans; options on ribs and chicken Q (half-rack, $10.25; full
rack, $17.50). Ribs cooked to peak of Q: meat firm but almost falling
off the bone, sauces mild to middlin' fiery. Beverage options include
bottled micros, wine, sodas. Nice folks, home-style eats.
11 am– 8 pm TU-SA. — LS
Morsels is a revolving feature that tries to capture
the atmosphere as well as the cuisine of some of our favorite places
to eat in and around Eugene, along with food news. Suggestions? Call
Ben or Marina at 484-0519 or e-mail cal@eugeneweekly.com
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