Theatre on the Square 2015 - 2016 Season Includes Gothic, Gulch and Guns

Theatre on the Square's 2015 - 2016 season brings a fresh look to the tiny theater, as well as the lineup. Recent fundraising efforts have made it possible to revamp the lobby into a cozy area welcoming theatergoers. In case you are not familiar with the Indianapolis staple, its location is 627 Mass Ave., in the heart of theaters, shopping and restaurants.

Enter Love
September 12 – 27

A musical about the ever-changing nature of romantic relationships in the first decade of the 21st century. It is set in an international airport, located in a large city somewhere in the Midwest. The production consists of a series of encounters—with dialogue and music—that take place between an assortment of couples and individuals at various locations—arrival and departure concourses, waiting lounges, baggage check, observation deck, and the central location, a bar—in the airport.

(Read my review of Enter Love here)

CABARET POE – The Musical

(co-production with Q Artistry)

October 3 – 31

Murder, insanity and comedy come together as Q Artistry and Theatre on the Square join forces for the 7th appearance in Indianapolis of this deadly original musical.
(Read my review of Cabaret Poe here)

MISS GULCH RETURNS

October 23 – November 8

Stage Two

Brent Marty revives his one-man/one-woman musical comedy written and originally performed by Fred Barton. It is a loose parody of the character of Almira Gulch from the 1939 MGM film The Wizard of Oz as portrayed by Margaret Hamilton. Blurring the line between fiction and reality, the show builds on the premise that Gulch was an actress - rather than a character portrayed by an actress - who appeared in the film (as herself). Songs include: Born On A Bike, Pour Me A Man, and I Can Be An Icon, Too.

[TITLE OF SHOW]

November 12-22

Stage Two

Jeff and Hunter, two struggling writers, hear about a new musical theatre festival. However, the deadline for submissions is a mere three weeks away. With nothing to lose, the pair decides to try to create something original. Helped by friends Susan and Heidi, Jeff and Hunter write a show about writing a show. [Title of Show] - taken from the space on the festival’s application form which asks for the [title of show]. The musical received a Tony Award® nomination for Best Book of a Musical in 2009.

A CHRISTMAS STORY

November 27 – December 20

Humorist Jean Shepherd’s memoir of growing up in the Midwest during the 1940s follows 9-year-old Ralphie Parker in his quest to get a genuine Red Ryder BB gun under the tree for Christmas. All the elements from the beloved motion picture are here, including the family’s temperamental exploding furnace; the boys’ experiment with a wet tongue on a cold lamppost; the Little Orphan Annie decoder pin and Ralphie’s father winning a lamp shaped like a woman’s leg in a net stocking.

8 REINDEER MONOLOGUES

November 27-December 20

Stage Two

Eight reindeer dishing about the real Santa Claus. All those rumors you’ve heard about him and the elves? About Rudolph’s little secret? About Vixen’s story that was leaked to the press? All true. Yes, the reindeer finally speak up and – believe us – they do not hold back.

SKYLIGHT

January 22 - February 13, 2016

Kyra is a young woman surprised to see the son of her former lover at her apartment in a London slum. He hopes she will reconcile with his distraught, now widowed, father. Tom, a restless, self-made restaurant and hotel tycoon, arrives later that evening, unaware of his son’s visit. Kyra, who was his invaluable business associate and a close family friend until his wife discovered their affair, has since found a vocation teaching underprivileged children. Is the gap between them unbridgeable, or can they resurrect their relationship?

KILLER JOE

February 19-March 5, 2016

Stage Two

Hired by the dissolute Smith family to murder the matriarch for insurance money, Killer Joe takes the daughter to bed as a retainer against his final payoff which sets in motion a bloody aftermath as the “hit man” meets his match. The first play by the author of August: Osage County, which premiered at Chicago’s Steppenwolf before going on to acclaimed productions in London and New York. 

PASSION

Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim

March 11 – 26, 2016

Set in 19th century Italy, this dramatic musical concerns a young soldier and the changes in him brought about by the obsessive love of Fosca, his Colonel’s homely, ailing cousin.

PORNO STARS AT HOME

April 1- 23, 2016

Stage Two

All those people who live fantasy lives up there on the not so silver porno screen ~ what might they be like at home, away from the tacky lighting and cheap interiors of their workaday world? What might they fantasize about? One wants to be discovered as a serious actress; one, a star of gay porno, is actually heterosexual and wants to be recognized as such; another wants a child. At Georgia Lloyd Bernhart’s birthday party which wish, if any, will come true?

BATBOY: The Musical

April 29 - May 28, 2016

Inspired by a series of tabloid headlines published in 1992 by The Weekly World News, a group of spelunking West Virginian teenagers discover a creature and the sheriff brings it to the local veterinarian’s home. He begins to assimilate to human life and become a part of the Parker family while trying to keep his penchant for sucking human blood under control. When Edgar tries to ingratiate himself with the townsfolk of Hope Falls, he is quickly rejected, and he and Dr. Parker’s daughter (who fall in love) run away together. After a single night of joyous freedom, tragedy strikes when Meredith finds them and reveals the dark secret of Bat Boy’s origin.

TIME STANDS STILL

June 17 - July 9, 2016

Sarah and James, a photojournalist and a foreign correspondent, are trying to find happiness in a world that seems to have gone crazy. Theirs is a partnership based on telling the toughest stories and, together, making a difference. But when their own story takes a sudden turn, the adventurous couple confronts the prospect of a more conventional life.

RENT

July 15 - August 13, 2016

20th anniversary of RENT on Broadway! Set in the East Village of New York City, Rent is about falling in love, finding your voice and living for today. Winner of the Tony Award for Best Musical and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Rent has become a pop cultural phenomenon with songs that rock and a story that resonates with audiences of all ages. Based loosely on Puccini’s La Boheme.

Tickets and details are available at TOTS.org

Elizabeth J. Musgrave writes two magazine food and wine columns: Destination Dining and White Linen & Corks,and is a travel, features, food and wine writer, travel and food photographer, and performing arts and restaurant critic. Catch her as the Travel & Leisure Adviser on FOX59 Morning News Show. She also is a speaker, consultant and media trainer for businesses, P.R. and tourism groups. Follow her on Twitter @GottaGo, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Theater Review: TOTS: Cabaret Poe

There are productions that catch my eye and are put in a mental "need to review" list. Unfortunately, time and scheduling does not allow attending every performance in the Indianapolis-metro area.

For the past several years (seven, to be exact), one show has piqued my interest and, yet, been that one I could never catch due to being out of town or otherwise committed ~ kind of my own Eleanor.

That production is Cabaret Poe. As a life-long fan of the works of Edgar Allan Poe the title of the show alone caught my attention. I have mulled over it, building it up in my mind as to how great it would be, which is not a good thing to do, but I am human. Finally, I was able to watch it this past weekend at TOTS, 627 Massachusetts Ave., to decide if it was all I had imagined it could be.

And it was. Even more so, if possible.

From the beginning to the finale, the show's performers were polished, talented and oozing with the correct amount of Gothic charm so necessary in a production of this type.

Ben Asaykwee, the creative genius behind the production, portrays Zoilus the leader of the Poe popgoth group. Julie Lyn Barber and Lauren Briggeman round out the ebony-attired trio as Berenice and Morella. (The roles of Berenice and Morella are alternately played by Jaddy Ciucci and Renae Stone, depending on the performance date.) Asaykwee and Rebekah Taylor (Shadow) perform on all dates.

Based on works by Poe with music written by Asaykwee, the musical's performers act and sing the author's most famous works and lesser known ones as well. People are hung, trapped behind walls and mourned over (or laughed at).
Tweaking the norm, The Raven is performed by a female, and the fourth wall is broken with numerous direct-to-the-audience comments, which keeps the show from being morose and bogged down.
The fast-paced Gothic-Pop musical will delight fans of Poe, musicals, Burton-esque shows and Rocky Horror Picture Show equally. It definitely lends itself to a cult-like growing fan base, which may result in a midnight showing with all attending dressed in death garb and tossing bird seed someday. Until then, you can catch it at TOTS through October 31.

Bottom Line: Beg, borrow ~ steal from your kid's Christmas account if necessary ~ but do what you must to get the money and go see Cabaret Poe.

Complete list of Poe works

Images provided by TOTS

Elizabeth J. Musgrave writes two magazine food and wine columns: Destination Dining and White Linen & Corks,and is a travel, features, food and wine writer, travel and food photographer, and performing arts and restaurant critic. Follow her on Twitter @GottaGo, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Theater Review: Indiana Repertory Theatre (IRT): The Great Gatsby

Every year, Indiana Repertory Theatre (IRT) opens its season in a big way and 2015-2016 season is no exception. What better way to welcome its 44th season in Indianapolis than with the glamour and glitz of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby?

Attendees were encouraged to don era-appropriate fashion and join in on the festivities, including the Champagne toast afterward. Arriving in 1920's-inspired attire, flapper-styled ladies and bow-tied dapper-clothed men mingled in the historic lobby creating an energy unlike any this critic has seen before at the theater's season opening night. In fact, I am uncertain how this gala will be topped next year, but will be eager to watch the attempt.

The story of people's lives spinning out of control in a world of excess, money and glitz centers on the theory that everyone cheats at something in their lives. Moral compass Midwesterner (and distant cousin to Daisy) Nick Caraway is portrayed by Zach Kenney. Kenney brings a quiet energy to the role, filled with anticipated excitement at living among the wealthy and ready to be one of them.
Daisy Buchanan and Jordan Baker are brought to life marvelously by Hillary Clemens and Teagan Rose respectively. These lifelong best friends are full of mischief, secrets, desires and love for each other's happiness. Whether lounging on a chaise sipping illegal liquor, looking for passion in their lives or giggling over an inside joke, Clemens and Rose shine as wealthy women of the post World War I era.

Tom Buchanan, husband of Daisy, is portrayed by David Folsom with slick, polished manners toward everyone except his ill-fated mistress Myrtle Wilson (Angela Ingersoll). Folsom creates a Tom with a thin pleasant veneer which he keeps in check except when his hot temper slips out for all to see. The actor's ability to portray a successful businessman ~ physically abusive bully ~ manipulator is a thrill to witness.

The mysterious Jay Gatsby's lies, a desire to break through the wall around the "beautiful people" and a desperate need to finally capture the heart of small town beauty Daisy Buchanan, are seamlessly portrayed by Matt Schwader. His lies become delusions, his need for the "perfect" love of Daisy an obsession and his drive to become rich a lifelong attempt to rewrite history.

Bottom Line: Everyone should catch IRT's The Great Gatsby twice. Once for the glitz and glamour and the second time for the moral of the story and wonderful performance. I predict this show will be on more than one Top 10 List for 2015.

Elizabeth J. Musgrave writes two magazine food and wine columns: Destination Dining and White Linen & Corks,and is a travel, features, food and wine writer, travel and food photographer, and performing arts and restaurant critic.Follow her on Twitter @GottaGo, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Phoenix Theatre 2015 - 2016 Season Includes a Merman, a Butler and a Hunter

The Phoenix Theatre, 749 Park Ave., Indianapolis, opens its doors for the 32rd season with a British farce set in the 1960s. Also included in this year's offerings are Ethel Merman, dolphins and the traditional holiday presentation of short skits and loud laughter from the audience.                                                                              Check back here for theater reviews.

Phoenix Theatre 2015 - 2016 Season

One Man, Two Guvnors

September 24 – October 18

Welcome to 1960’s England. Francis Henshall finds himself trapped into working for two bosses who are connected to each other in wildly improbable ways. He just has to keep them from discovering each other. Easy, right? One Man, Two Guvnors will have you falling out of your seats in hysteria, as Francis leads you through this topsy-turvy farce of love triangles and mistaken identities. His quest for love, a sandwich and keeping his two guvnors happy swept both London’s West End and Broadway with its hilarity and campy wit.

The Nether
October 22 - November 22

Welcome to The Nether, a virtual paradise of total sensory immersion. Just log in, choose an identity and indulge your every whim. When a young detective uncovers a disturbing realm within this virtual world filled with outcasts and criminals of society, she wonders on what level fantasy meets reality. Are some private dreams too dark and disturbing? Should people be free from consequences in their own imagination? Immerse yourself in this sci-fi thriller about a battle over technology and human desire.

A Very Phoenix Xmas X: Oh, Come Let Us Adore Us
November 27 - December 20

It’s year 10 of A Very Phoenix Xmas, and this year will be X-tra special! We’re back with another round of all new sketches, songs and dances, and in honor of this anniversary year, we may even bring back a few favorites. We’ve got everything on your list: traditional holiday music, madcap comedy skits, and some very talented people to help you celebrate this most joyful—and stressful—time of year.

Butler

January 7 – February 7, 2016

It’s the beginning of the Civil War, and lawyer Benjamin Franklin Butler has just been promoted to Union General at Fort Monroe, a Union hold-out in the state of Virginia. He soon finds himself face to face with Shepard Mallory, an escaped slave seeking asylum at the fort for himself and other slaves. Sworn to uphold the law, Butler prepares to return the slaves, until Mallory forces him to question whether what is legal is actually moral. Inspired by real events, Butler is part comedy, part historical drama.

Pulp

February 11 – March 6, 2016

In 1930’s Los Angeles, washed-up Private Investigator Frank Ellery takes on the strangest case of his life. A noted literary agent has been gruesomely murdered, and the four suspects are his remaining clients, all writers for different pulp magazines. Frank dives into the mystery, and his world turns upside down as life begins to imitate literature. In this new comedy, science fiction, romance, adventure and horror combine with one down-on-his-luck gumshoe who’s about to learn what really lurks between the lines.

On Clover Road
by Steve Dietz

March 10 – April 10, 2016

Kate Hunter has been searching for her daughter for more than four years. Now that she’s been located, Kate must carefully extract her from a cult by trusting a complete stranger to de-program her daughter at an abandoned motel on Clover Road. Will mother and daughter happily reunite? Or will the shadow of a memory she’s held on to for the past four years be all that Kate has left of the daughter she once knew?

Leyenda 

April 14 – May 1, 2016

Spanish for “legend,” Leyenda is a live adaptation of Latino folk tales, based on interviews with members of the Indianapolis Latino community, with performances in English and Spanish. Leyenda includes traditional music and dancing, and explores explanations of happenings in nature, life and mythology. The original play is part of the Phoenix Theatre’s Heritage Series, which explores the history, mythology and cultural inheritance of people of different races and cultural backgrounds, and is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts-Art Works.

Book of Merman
May 12 – June 12, 2016

The hit Broadway musical, The Book of Mormon, meets the First Lady of Broadway in this new comedy. When two Mormon missionaries ring Ethel Merman’s doorbell, they have no idea of the surprise awaiting them. With some dazzling parody music and Schwartz’s original songs, laughter ensues throughout The Book of Merman, catapulting you to places you didn’t know you wanted to go. Learn how to “Be a Merman” in this parody musical that will leave you smiling for weeks to come.

TBA

June 16 – July 17, 2016

Every season, we’ve got our eyes and ears on Broadway, with a mission of bringing the nation’s biggest hits to Indianapolis. Sometimes those plays win big awards - ahem, Tony’s - extending their run on Broadway, and delaying our negotiations. As soon as we have the rights, you’ll be the first to know.

Acid Dolphin Experiment

July 14 – August 14, 2016

Acid Dolphin Experiment tackles the life of Dr. John C. Lilly, a mid-century American neuro-scientist famous for exploring the nature of consciousness, and using isolation tanks, dolphin communication and psychedelic drugs … sometimes in combination … and frequently experimenting on himself. As a scientist, he risks his career, relationships and sanity, to decipher the subjective experiences often dismissed as “mere hallucinations.”

Ticket prices for 2015-2016 season
$20 Cheap Seats weekend (opening weekend)

$27 Thursdays and Sundays for remainder of run

$33 Fridays and Saturdays for remainder of run

A Very Phoenix Xmas X:
Oh, Come Let Us Adore Us ticket prices:

$22 Cheap Seats weekend (opening weekend)

$30 Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays for remainder of run

$35 Fridays and Saturdays for remainder of run

Wednesday and Thursday performances begin at 7 p.m.
Friday and Saturday performances begin at 8 p.m.
Sunday performances begin at 2 p.m.

Elizabeth J. Musgrave writes two magazine food and wine columns: Destination Dining and White Linen & Corks,and is a travel, features, food and wine writer, travel, wine and food photographer, and performing arts and restaurant critic. Catch her as the Travel & Leisure Adviser on FOX59 Morning News Show. She also is a speaker and media trainer. Follow her on Twitter @GottaGo, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Indiana Repertory Theatre (IRT) 2015-2016 Season Includes a Gatsby, a Mockingbird and a Mousetrap

Downtown Indianapolis' Indiana Repertory Theatre (IRT) opensits 44th season with a flourish ~ as always. Known for opening annually with a dramatic production, this year will be no different.

The remainder of the season, which ends May 22, 2016, offers the glitz of the 1920s, the confusion of the '60s, the depression of the '30s and the opportunities of the '50s.

The Great Gatsby

September 30 – October 25

Mainstage

A theatrical adaptation of what some consider the Greatest American Novel, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Opulent parties, romantic affairs, jealousy and murder come to life in this powerful and vivid tale of American bravado, lost love and war recovery in the Roaring Twenties.

April 4, 1968

Upperstage

October 20 – November 15

IRT’s playwright-in-residence shares an intimate look at one Indianapolis family and their personal experience surrounding the events of April 4, 1968, which include Bobby Kennedy’s history-making speech on the night of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination.

A Christmas Carol

Mainstage

November 14 – December 26

Indy’s favorite holiday tradition comes to life again for its 25th year on the Mainstage. A Christmas Carol celebrates the universal story of redemption as literature’s most infamous “Scrooge” learns to love after a walk through Christmas past, present and future.

Peter Rabbit and Me

The Cabaret

November 21 – December 20

In this classic tale,13-year-old Beatrix Potter creates her own exciting world as she invents such beloved characters as Peter Rabbit, Flopsy, Mopsy & Cottontail and their playful adventures in Mr. McGregor’s garden.

The Mystery of Irma Vep

Upperstage

January 12-February 14

A hilarious mash-up of chilling Gothic horror story and passionate Victorian bodice-ripper. Two actors play a mysterious archeologist, a flighty new bride, a saucy housekeeper, a loveable werewolf and an Egyptian mummy, in a dizzying quick-change marathon.

To Kill a Mockingbird

Mainstage

January 29 – February 28

The story of how two siblings, Scout and Jem Finch, and their father, Atticus, changed the way many American’s perceived race and prejudice in the country. Coming of age in a small Depression-era community in the mid-30’s, the Finch siblings learn about social injustice as their lawyer father defends a man wrongly accused of a heinous crime.

Fences

Mainstage

March 9 – April 3

Winner of both the Pulitzer Prize and the Tony Award for Best Play, Fences is the most widely acclaimed play from August Wilson’s towering 20th Century Cycle. A former Negro League baseball player, thwarted in his dreams of a Major League career, struggles to provide for his family and break free from the boundaries imposed upon him. Set in 1957, at the intersection of old prejudices and changing opportunities.

Bridge and Tunnel

Upperstage

March 29 - May 1

An open-mic poetry night becomes a celebration of American diversity in the Tony Award–winning Bridge and Tunnel. One woman plays more than a dozen characters of both sexes, many races and all ages, as life stories are shared and dreams are dared.

The Mousetrap

By Agatha Christie

Mainstage

April 26 – May 22

The Mousetrap is the world’s longest running stage play, celebrating its 64th birthday in 2016. It is the classic Agatha Christie mystery thriller, with a houseful of strangers trapped by a blizzard and stalked by an unknown murderer. Part drawing room comedy and part murder mystery, this timeless chiller is a double-barreled whodunit full of twists and surprises.

Tickets

Contact the ticket office at 317-635-5252 or visit irtlive.org.

All performances are at the Indiana Repertory Theatre building located at 140 W. Washington Street in Downtown Indianapolis.

Elizabeth J. Musgrave writes two magazine food and wine columns: Destination Dining and White Linen & Corks,and is a travel, features, food and wine writer, travel and food photographer, and performing arts and restaurant critic. Catch her as the Travel & Leisure Adviser on FOX59 Morning News Show. She also is a speaker, consultant and trainer for hospitality, travel and luxury businesses, P.R., and tourism groups, as well as a radio and television guest and host. Follow her on Twitter @GottaGo, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Theater Review: Theatre on the Square (TOTS): Enter Love

Theatre on the Square (TOTS) opens its 2015-2016 season with "Enter Love: the Airport Musical," a musical directed and choreographed by Kenny Shepard.

Although the story is set in an international airport, it bears no other likeness to the 1963 film "The V.I.P.s." Starring Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, the classic film had passengers interacting in an airport 's exclusive lounge amid personal crises brought about due to the plane's delay.
Enter Love is a musical, with music and lyrics by Lynn Lupold and Kenny Shepard, centering on everyday people struggling to find answers to life's romantic questions.
Josiah McCruiston brings the audience to laughter portraying Harold, Fern (Harold's wife) and Joe Bob for varying levels of humour. McCruiston surprises you when he sashays across the stage wearing a dress and wig, only to appear moments later in his husband-ish attire. The student at Marian University is quite the quick change artist as well as vocal and comedic talent.

Danny Kingston is delicious in any role he plays, and Austin, Chip and Wayne are no exceptions. Taking on three characters, the Beef and Boards Dinner Theatre regular performer transforms himself into each seamlessly. Whether a flight attendant greeting and helping you find a seat, tucked between two other rednecks, or wondering about his significant other and young son, Kingston shines.

As the various trials and tribulations are worked out to some degree, the characters share their more vulnerable side to the audience and each other. Some laughs, some tears and some reality checks brings this story into the "truth be told" category. Be prepared as this production runs long, with an intermission. 

Bottom Line: Enter Love: the Airport Musical shares life, laughter and love in personal relationships of all types.

Images provided by TOTS

Elizabeth J. Musgrave writes two magazine food and wine columns: Destination Dining and White Linen & Corks,and is a travel, features, food and wine writer, travel and food photographer, and performing arts and restaurant critic. Follow her on Twitter @GottaGo, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Justin Wilson Dies at 37

Justin Wilson

(July 31, 1978 – August 24, 2015)

INDIANAPOLIS, Monday, Aug. 24, 2015 - A statement from Indianapolis Motor Speedway President J. Douglas Boles about the passing of Indianapolis 500 and United States Grand Prix veteran Justin Wilson:

"We're saddened to have lost such an exceptional driver, friend and role model to many in the INDYCAR community. Justin was one of the most versatile and talented drivers of the last 15 years, as evidenced by his wins in sports cars, Champ Car and INDYCAR. More important than his driving ability was his approachable personality, his calm spirit, and the respect he earned throughout the racing community for the tremendous person, friend, father and husband he was. Justin made innumerable friends and admirers throughout the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and INDYCAR communities. All of us at IMS extend our prayers and deepest sympathy to the Wilson family."

Wilson first competed at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the 2003 United States Grand Prix, finishing eighth and scoring his lone Formula One championship point of his career. Beginning in 2008, Wilson had competed in eight straight Indianapolis 500 races (2008 - 2015), finishing in the top 10 three times, with a best finish of fifth in 2013. Wilson also competed in the Verizon IndyCar Series Grand Prix of Indianapolis in 2014 and 2015. He is just one of three drivers who has competed at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the United States Grand Prix, the Indianapolis 500, and the Grand Prix of Indianapolis.

Elizabeth J. Musgrave writes two magazine food and wine columns: Destination Dining and White Linen & Corks,and is a travel, features, food and wine writer, travel and food photographer, and performing arts and restaurant critic. Catch her as the Travel & Leisure Adviser on FOX59 Morning News Show. She also is a speaker, consultant and media trainer. Follow her on Twitter @GottaGo, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Theater review: Theatre on the Square: (TOTS): Love, Loss and What I Wore

The entire last year before my mother passed away she was 100 percent blind. She insisted, however, on someone taking her out to purchase one last Christmas gift she hand selected: a full-length black leather coat. I like to think her arms are around me holding me close as she did so many times as a child.

To this day, even though it has been more than 15 years, that coat is pulled out and cherished each winter. Friends and family have remarked on its worn appearance, but I wear it nonetheless.

Theatre on the Square: (TOTS) presents Love, Loss and What I Wore by Nora Ephron,  and her sister Delia Ephron. Based on the book by Iline Beckermen, it's a casual setting of five women recalling the most cherished memories of their lives through laughter, tears and eye rolling. Scarves, dresses and hats are a time-machine of tender moments, anger and sorrow.

The all-female cast includes, Cindy Phillips, Miki Mathioudakis, Adrienne Reiswerg, Bridgette Schlebecker and Rhoda Ludy, and is directed by Gari Williams.

There is perhaps no play more satisfying to watch than one in which the actors are so obviously enjoying it themselves. The talented cast members sit facing the audience and interchangeably play various characters throughout eras of attire, mishaps and memories.

Shared are poignant life-changing events, remembering Mom's horrendous taste in cool clothing, and even how sisters and lovers can share the best and worst of times through shopping for a dress or purse. Much laughter, nods and tears are shared between audience members as they recall their own trysts, trials and triumphs.

Clothing, like few other items in our lives, will instantly bring back memories of where we were, who we were, and conjures up every emotion imaginable. This show can almost be likened to a non-musical version of Menopause: The Musical in that it is a perfect portal to laugh, open up about, and cherish what life is ~ and isn't ~ as a woman.

Bottom Line: TOTS' Love, Loss and What I Wore is THE show to watch with gal pals, sisters, mothers and anyone wanting to understand your curious obsession to particular items of clothing.

The production is a fundraiser for the Mass Ave. theater, with a silent auction, and plays through August 1.

To purchase tickets: Click here

Images: Furnished by TOTS

Elizabeth J. Musgrave writes two magazine food and wine columns: Destination Dining and White Linen & Corks,and is a travel, features, food and wine writer, travel, wine and food photographer, and performing arts, wine and restaurant critic. Follow her on Twitter @GottaGo, LinkedIn and Facebook.

Indiana Brewer's Cup 2015 Winner Announced

Over the weekend, the Indiana State Fair Indiana Brewers’ Cup Competition 2015 was held at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.

Although there were nearly 1,300 entries at the 17th annual event, the most in competition history, three honors were scooped up by one brewery. Having recently tried out their wares, including beer and food, it is not difficult at all to see why they rocked the competition.

Chilly Water Brewing Company, 719 Virginia Ave., Indianapolis, blew by its competition, earning Professional Best of Show, Indiana Brewery of the Year, and Grand Champion Brewery of the Year.

Home Brewing saw a similar fete with Tim Palmer of Foam Blowers of Indiana (FBI) also winning across the board, taking the titles of Home Brew Best of Show and Home Brewer of the Year. FBI was also awarded Home Brew Club of the Year and the Bill Friday Home Brew Club Award.

This was the first time the Brewers’ Cup was open to the general public, including a tasting and awards ceremony reception. Entries were expanded to include ciders and meads, showcasing a vast variety of top home brewers and professional brewers. As one of the nation’s largest competitions, entries were received from across the country, including: Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Texas, South Dakota and Oklahoma.

Brewers’ Cup Champion, Chilly Water Brewing Company will be featured every day at the Beer & Wine exhibit in Grand Hall during this year’s Indiana State Fair, August 7-23.

Elizabeth J. Musgrave writes two magazine food and wine columns: Destination Dining and White Linen & Corks,and is a travel, features, food and wine writer, travel and food photographer, and performing arts and restaurant critic. Catch her as the Travel & Leisure Adviser on FOX59 Morning News Show. She also is a speaker and consultant for hospitality, travel and luxury businesses, P.R., and tourism groups, as well as a radio and television guest and host. Follow her on Twitter @GottaGo, LinkedIn and Facebook.

The Blue-Eyed Bettys Perform at Chilly Water Brewing

Free is good.

Usually.

Well ~ sometimes. 

This time it is great.

Sarah Hund, who you will remember as one of my Destination Actors and regular on the Indianapolis stage, has a side addiction. It is called The Blue-Eyed Bettys.

What is "The Blue-Eyed Bettys"? A folk music group of three musicians and singers expressing their love of theater, music and America with audiences across the nation. Daniel Emond and Ben Mackel,  are the two other blue-eyed band members.

This love brings them to Indy Friday, June 26 to perform at 8 p.m. in the trendy Fletcher Place~Fountain Square neighborhood. The free show will be held at local brewery spot Chilly Waters, 719 Virginia Ave., #105.

Hund will reprise her critically acclaimed role as June Sanders, the (ironically) non-singing family member of a singing church group in Smoke on the Mountain: Homecoming. Running July 9-August 16, the smash hit live show has proven to be a sell out production time and again at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre.

I believe June 26 will be just about the time there will be a need to try out the Chilly Water brews with a friend or two, and catch some folk music by the multi-talented Ms. Hund. Join me, won't you?

Elizabeth J. Musgrave writes two magazine food and wine columns: Destination Dining and White Linen & Corks,and is a travel, features, food and wine writer, travel and food photographer, and performing arts and restaurant critic. Catch her as the Travel & Leisure Adviser on FOX59 Morning News Show. She also is a speaker, consultant and trainer for hospitality, travel and luxury businesses, P.R., and tourism groups, as well as a radio and television guest and host. Follow her on Twitter @GottaGo, LinkedIn and Facebook.