Xapa to the World

Category: Review

  • Review: La Comedia Dinner Theatre – Springboro, OH

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    765 W. Central Ave
    Springboro, OH 45066
    1.800.677.9505 or 937.746.4554

    Website
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    My mom’s birthday was at the end of February and we did a few things right around her birthday to celebrate.  But my sisters, mom and I really enjoy doing something “classy” and “girlie” every year, if we can, and this year, we decided to go to La Comedia Dinner Theatre in Springboro, OH.  It’s between Cincinnati and Dayton, a little closer to Dayton, and this was my first time going!  Mom had gone several years ago to eat and listen to a monk choir (no, they couldn’t talk…but they did the whole Hallelujah Chorus with signs.  Not sign language, but signs with the words and parts of words written on them. She said it was hilarious.)

    La Comedia is finishing up their production of Seven Bride for Seven Brothers (April 23rd).  It was such a fun show, but I’ll have to start at the beginning.

    La Comedia begins with a buffet dinner.  There are different sizes of tables available which you can keep for your whole party or you can mingle with some other groups.  We chose to mingle with others.  As a result, our seats were right up at the front, literally inches from the stage!  We sat with two couples – one, not so pleasant, and the other, who were no longer strangers by the end of the show. 

    Our server was a lot of fun too.  My mom, sisters and I can be a bit boisterous (all in good fun) and we play along with really anything – our server rose to the challenge.  She was great fun.  We started with our drinks and a salad.  I couldn’t eat all of it, because I’m allergic to vinegar, but I had never had cantaloupe on a salad before.  This one had Papaya Chutney Dressing and everyone (else) ooed and awed and yummed their way through it. 

    When it came time to the main course, three, yes three, large buffets were wheeled out onto the stage.  We were dismissed by table to go dig in – there were very strict rules.  But the food looked and tasted delicious.  Here’s what was on the menu:

    Beef Tenderloin (carved by a chef)
    Smoked Sausage and Apples (most of us decided the sausage was the only edible part of this duo)
    Country Fried Chicken
    Fried Norwegian Cod (a La Comedia staple)
    Homemade Cornbread (my favorite part!)
    Pinto Beans served with Peppers and Onions
    Beef Stew with Buttered Noodles
    Mashed Potatoes
    Chicken Gravy
    Seasoned Corn
    Broccoli with Bread Crumbs
    Sweet Potato Soufflé (yum yum and…yum)

    Gluttony, thy name is Sarah

    I will unashamedly post what my plate looked like after sitting down.

    Despite having a decided formal feel, there were a lot of homey things about it.  For one, when you share a table with strangers, you kind of get the family-type feel with them. (Well, in our case, some of them).  This may just be a side-effect of sitting with my family – we know no strangers anyhow.

    Also, there was a quite a bit of passing of dishes.  We were frequently asked by the staff to pass down a salad to our table-mates and then pass up any dirty dishes to them. 

    When it came time for the show, I had to put my camera away, sadly.  We were so close that I thought for sure one of the Brothers would flip right onto our table.  And if our dirty dishes hadn’t been passed around and sent off to the kitchen, one of the brides could have ended up with leftover sweet potato on her skirts.  But they did a great job!  I have seldom gone to a show that I didn’t enjoy, but it sure is nice when the troupe performing is so skilled and really into their performance.  Those guys would really, really dance!  We all agreed that some more harmony and blending would have been nice in the songs, but they all did an excellent job. 

    So, here it goes:

    The food: excellent, unless buffets aren’t really your thing.  Except, I will say, this was ten times better than any normal buffet style restaurant.
    The help: They were 92% attentive.
    The parking: they have their own parking lot.
    The accommodations:  Several sizes of tables and levels (at various costs).  Our table could fit 10, 5 on each side.  It would have been snug if we had that last couple with us.  I saw several people up front who turned their chairs to face the stage, since there wasn’t much eating during the show.
    The price: Cost for an individual is between $60-$70.  If you have an Entertainment Card, you can get the Buy One, Get One Free deal.  This doesn’t apply to the White Christmas or Christmas Carol shows in December.  There are other deals and discounts you can check out here.
    Returnability: For my first time going, I’d love to go back.  The couple at our table has gone to several shows, and they said there was only one time they were so bored that they left at intermission.  It’s kind of pricey (although, now we do have an Entertainment Card.  For very special occasions, and a favorite show – I would say, most definitely!

    Find more reviews and promos by clicking on the links to the right.  Go ‘head, you know you want to.

  • Discussion Questions: Mansfield Park

    Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen

    1. Mansfield Park was written after a silence of more than a decade. During this period, Austen moved several times, saw the deaths of her father and a potential suitor, and became the dependent old maid we find so often among her more pitiable characters. The Napoleonic Wars continued; England embarked on imperialistic adventures. Austen followed both with interest. Do you see evidence of these things in the novel?
    2. At the heart of its plot, Mansfield Park has three sisters. What kind of family life do you imagine would account for Mrs. Bertram and Mrs. Norris and Mrs. Price? Find something good to say about Mrs. Norris.
    3. Fanny is an Austen heroine who, throughout the course of the book, has nothing to learn. In this she stands in sharp contrast to Emma Woodhouse. Do you like Fanny as well as you like Emma? Less? More?
    4. In one of the book’s most famous scenes, Fanny sits wilted in the heat at the Rushworth’s estate, while the other characters come and go around her. Discuss the ways this epitomizes the entire plot of the book.
    5. The various roles played in The Lover’s Vows often result in Austen characters who are, under the cover of the play, allowed to act in ways more congruent with their real natures than polite society permits. They perform themselves.Meanwhile, William H. Galperin suggests that, when Fanny Price insists she cannot act, she is actually demonstrating her “inability to know one is always acting.” Galperin speaks of “a fundamental duplicity in which one literally performs one’s inability to act.”

      Think about this until your head explodes.

    6. Plato has suggested that one cannot be both a good actor and a good citizen. What do you imagine he meant? Discuss the relevance of this to Mansfield Park.
    7. In most books, the villains are identifiable through their mistreatment of the hero/heroine. In Mansfield Park, the Crawfords are among the tiny handful of people who see the value of Fanny Price. Are they ever unkind to her?Why is Fanny so little moved by their interest and esteem?

      In your opinion, is any of this esteem genuine?

    8. The Crawfords are superficially the most attractive characters in the book. Where do their virtues become vices? Answer the same question with regard to Fanny and Edmund.
    9. Kingsley Amis said, “Edmund and Fanny are both morally detestable and the endorsement of their feelings and behavior by the author . . . makes Mansfield Park an immoral book.” Do you agree? Is there any difference in your mind between Austen herself and the book’s narrator?
    10. Earlier Austen novels suggest a society in positive transformation; earlier heroines struggle towards the possibility of improvement. In contrast, Mansfield Park is about a society threatened with transformation. Fanny Price makes no positive movement. She protects Mansfield Park by her resistance, by her refusal to change. In the end, the society represented by the estate of Mansfield Park will not and cannot be saved? What in that society seemed valuable to you? Is there anything to regret about its loss?

    From Reading Group Guides.com

  • Review: Paint by the Glass – West Chester, OH

     

    A month or so ago, I logged into my email and found a Groupon in Cincinnati, OH for Paint by the Glass in West Chester, OH.  I had never heard of this place, but I love painting and upon reading more information, I was pretty sure I’d have a good time.

    Here are the specs: 

    Paint by the Glass
    8179 Princeton-Glendale Rd.
    Suite G.
    West Chester, OH 45069
    (on 747, it’s across from the Kroger)
    513.874.1101
    Facebook

    The schedule really varies, so I’m not going to put their hours up.  Generally, the adult classes are in the evenings and the kids classes in the afternoon (2pm) but you’ll have to go to the website to check out the calendar.  The calendar features which painting they are working on which night, so you can choose the class you’d prefer to attend. 

    My friend, Lanna and I went the Saturday before Valentine’s Day and had a really great time.  The painting was called “Love Tree”, for obvious reasons.  I was surprised to see so many men there, but it was a predominantly Valentine’s Day theme, so, I’m sure many of the guys were forced into it.  I did see one couple in particular, where the guy was just observing his SO painting and didn’t seem to be much preoccupied with anything else.  Anyways, since I’m not really a fan of Valentine’s Day, to spend an evening doing something crafty with my best friend was all I could have asked for this year!  We also sat at a table with a cool, trendy Christian couple and had a lot of fun talking and joking with them.

    Here’s how it went:

    At each table there was an easel with an unpainted canvas, an assortment of brushes, and a plate with all the primary/secondary colors and white.  Oh, and of course, a cup of water.  On the canvas, as shown to the right, the basic picture is sketched in pencil, so it’s like a paint-by-number without the numbers.  I wasn’t sure how I would feel about that, but it was really nice.

    The artist (I forget her name! boo) was really great at helping us through the process.  It’s been ages since I’ve painted on canvas, so getting the pointers was really helpful.  Like, wetting your brush before blending colors.  When I paint on wood, that’s not helpful, because then it thins out the color which means I have to do multiple coats and if it’s a blended color, I don’t always have a lot of it.  But this tip was good for both surfaces: Start from the furthest area “back” and come forward.  Basically, start with the background and build on top of it. I usually do this when I paint on wood, but I wasn’t thinking about it for canvas.

    So we built and built and painted and painted and blended and blended.  At this point, we took a “break” and were able to eat some of the yummy hors d’oeuvres they were serving; chocolate-covered strawberries, meatballs, veggies. 

    By the way, they serve wine and such in the evenings.  If you’re not savvy to that, they also have pop available (not a huge selection, but good enough).  They also have a kids class called “Canvas & Cocoa” which is in the afternoons on Saturdays, with age-appropriate paintings with a drink/snack served as well. 

    I’ve also seen a “Canvas & Causes” class posted on their calendar where certain amount of the class fee goes to a good cause.  The painting seems to be related to the cause. 

    While we were painting, the artist/teacher was painting along with us, at pace, so we could see technique, ask questions about brush selection and blending, etc.  What I really enjoyed about the class is that everyone was of a different level of ability.  No one was excluded.  Also, you could choose whatever colors you wanted, and the style of painting could be whatever you felt most comfortable with, or maybe thought would best fit your home decor.  She coached but didn’t dictate or criticize.  I felt like I was back in any of my high school art classes where creativity and exploration was encouraged and only technique was taught. 

    Oh, and if you’re worried about drying time, don’t be.  They have blow-dryers handy to help you get your painting nice and dry for the ride home. (Acrylic paint is a quick dry-er anyways) 🙂

    I am fully expecting to go back sometime.  My only negative is the cost.  $35 for one class, and as far as I could tell, that didn’t include the drinks. (I had to pay for my Coca-Cola.)  So, here’s the breakdown:

    The class:  Really fun. Casual. Definitely felt like an art studio.  Our class was scheduled to go from 6:30p-8p. I don’t think we left until a little before 10p.  But they were gracious hosts and didn’t make us feel rushed or try to shove us out the door.
    The food: For hors d’oeuvres, excellent.  Just don’t go expecting them to take care of a meal.  You’re there to PAINT not dine!
    The help: Everyone there was great.  The artist/teacher, it was apparently her first night, and she did a wonderful job!  Whenever we needed something, extra paint, another plate, more water, a paper-towel, etc, they were quick to get it to us.
    The parking: It’s in a strip-mall across from Kroger and there is lots and lots of parking in the lot there.
    The accommodations: The room is narrow but it’s easy to get yourself around the table to the food, drinks, restroom.  I was sitting pretty close to the artist/teacher, so I didn’t have any problems seeing.  I didn’t check from other parts of the room though.
    The price: For the adult class, it’s kind of pricey, by my scale.  $35 for adult classes. $17.50 for Canvas & Cocoa.  There is also the option to schedule a private party, but there are no pricings available on the site for that.
    Returnability:  It was a lot of fun.  And if I see a really wonderful painting on their calendar, I may fork over the moolah, if I have extra in my budget.  But really, to go back on a regular basis, it’s more than my budget of a post-college grad paying off student loans.  I’m more open to the Canvas & Cocoa though…so long as I can kidnap a kid to take with me. 🙂

    from the Paint by the Glass Facebook Page (click picture to view)