This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

PATCH Entertainment EVENT: "A Christmas Memory": Touchingly Moving Indeed--Yet Quite Wise of the Best Logical Path For Your Fulfillment

PATCH Entertainment
Review
             Los Alamitos, Seal
Beach, Rossmoor, Long Beach, Cypress ... EVENTS


A Christmas Memory":  Touchingly Moving Memories -- Yet Wise
About Your Best Life Path


Reviewed By: Joseph Sirota



Aha,
the season to be jolly...but also time for reliving memories of families, their caring, giving, sharing &
HELPING each other by reaching out, some with warmth and smiles, others with well-meant
guidance. Each family member oft has their own, markedly different road they
believe is best, for the other, especially the "youngest" who's more
magnetized by childhood fun & joys than
by the rewards life may(?) be waiting to hand him, if he chooses learning, work
and development. If he makes room between the playing & laughs to add a not
yet understood creativity his success may come to him via more logical &
practical paths of well-meaning folks who lack  jolly today, to wisely
offer potential large future joys.

Originally,
Truman Capote wrote A
Christmas Memory

as a short, but powerfully moving magazine story. ... A Hit, indeed! Capote's readers
were, without doubt, deeply moved as Capote beautifully filled the pages with his
feelings and his intense comfort & joy with favorite older dear cousin,
"Sook" (She filled a very empty time in Capote(Buddy's) life with
childlike fun/play, lovingly.. a great gift in Alabama at Buddy to live, with
no parents for him, just three older cousins (dear, warm, odd Miss Sook, and
smartly stiffly, logical, Miss Jennie(the two women cousins), & Mr. Seabon,
the smart, but quiet, receding one male cousin. Capote's sad story had all who
read it, caring for Buddy's recalling of sans Mom & Dad so they all rooted for
his touching feelings of getting-by, thanks to warm, childlike, cousin Sook
& a few memorable neighbors. While these feelings are worthy, the other
well-intended (but rather stiff) cousins seem COLD! However, amazingly, it was the choice of the practical cousins
that sent Buddy to education & seeing/living in a large, diverse,
sophisticated world. Capote indeed had more than cookies & kites. He became
very successful. As well-known writer he reached "Grand-Creative-Star of artistic leaders" status. His Hard road
made him a much lauded man.

Find out what's happening in Belmont Shore-Napleswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

This
Capote memory tale turned into theatrical TV and Film/DVD plays, of Americana, adored by the
outside impressed world. He was often seen and publicized amidst artistic life.
Interviewed on TV, Radio, Lectures, and personal appearances, Eclectic-Guru-writer-status
came along when he wrote a Gory Book(later a BIG Hollywood Film), of a True
Story of Killing, In Cold Blood. Again, Capote's real life passages, widened
and he was deemed a yet more complex, fellow,& writer. So, I say, come and
see this seemingly simple tale of a lonely young boy. I think you will feel
more openly of the "Practical Cousins" and neighborly folks in his Alabama orphan stage.
This sensitive young boy was destined to be a multifaceted fellow of creative writing
& wide creative personal lifestyles. Think about those cousins &
neighbors who saw a deep light in young BUDDY. Yes, he missed having to leave
dear cousin Sook and his country friends . But Buddy-the adult stepped into a
WIDE, WIDE World of life, beyond loved Christmas Cookies & flying paper
kites by the little stream. He always adored Sook, but that last Christmas opened
the man
.

The
new, re-created version of Capote's A Christmas Memory  fits even better this Christmas time of the
year, and the intimate & smartly charming Laguna Playhouse. The
addition of a personalized musical score/lyrics, and Laguna's intimate, but wide
open stage (nary a single architectural blockage), allows the audience to see
Buddy, cousins & neighbors, as we'd have seen them outside the rural
farmhouse with Buddy at 10, getting ready for another Christmas (the "Key Last-Christmas"
there for young Buddy, as he parted uneasily to the outside world that awaited
his talents and feelings to share. As for the story line, it's also a
thoughtful coming of age --- and live music and lyrics added to the show along
side the down home music, further reaches us for feeling the country setting,
and feelings of all. The youthful time of life makes it quite OK to break out
into song (ala The Song Of Music feeling) , deliver young Buddy, et al as his last
Alabama Christmas nears. Because we know of Capote's life, we picture  the big cities and awards Grown-Up Buddy will
be heading for. He'll soon be busy talking with all those real sophisticated, smart,
& artistic, & RICH and partying in Disco's & Penthouses ... looking
down at the whole world,... recalling Sook & Alabama.

Find out what's happening in Belmont Shore-Napleswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Speaking of interesting artistic folks, Here's the fine Laguna
Playhouse Team that brings A Christmas Memory so Touchingly yet Fun together:

Creative Team: The Laguna Playhouse Executive and Artistic
Directors, Karen Wood and Ann E Wareham.
Book by Duane Poole, music by Larry Grossman, lyrics by Carol
Hall
, musical direction by Darryl Archibald & directed on
target by Ovation Award-winner Nick DeGruccio.



CAST: Connecting those
key Youthful Christmas days are: Young Buddy--By a
most believable/likeable truly young,  William
Spangler
;  

Sweet,
Kindred-Spirit, odd but lovable cousin Sook
--By an
absolutely delightful and quite youthful themselvesMarsha Waterbury
;   Connecting the now Adult-Recalling the Last
Young Christmas are:
Adult Buddy--By the Torn feeling of Christmas past vs
today's Success,
Ciaran
McCarthy
Current Still Warm Neighbor-- By
fine portrayal of a caring warm neighbor to Young or Adult Buddy, Amber Mercomes
;   



The Two Cousins who were wise & Logical-- Both very
well-Meaning Doing what's Best for Buddy
--Tracy Lore(Terrific/Strong/Do-the-Best!)



 & Tom
Shelton(Kind and smart -- also plays two more parts, showin' he can be Tough
Too!
)



The seemingly tough Tom-Boy, back in that Christmas, but a truly
worthy 1st "Girl-Friend" to Young Buddy
-- Siena
Yus
i





Off Stage Team
Making The MAGIC
!! : set design--D
Martyn Bookwalter
; lighting--Steven Young; Costumes--Bruce Goodrich


Sound--Joshua McKendry   Casting--Wally Ziegler   Stage
Mgrs--Don Hill / Luke Yankee  
Public Relations-- David Elzer/ DEMAND PR



Musicians--
Darryl
Archibald
, Tyler Emerson, Drew Hemwall
 



___________________________________________________



A
Christmas Memory
: Captures The Holiday at The Laguna Playhouse, 606
Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach,
CA.


Sched: Tues thru Sat @ 7:30:PM,    2:00PM
Matinees on Sat & Sun.  Call For Added
Show-times 
Closes:
Dec 29th,  

Price $36-$71(Senior,
Student, group discounts). Call (949) 497-2787, or (949) 497-ARTS Online:
lagunaplayhouse.com





We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

More from Belmont Shore-Naples