TRAVEL

GETTYSBURG

Let's take a trip to Gettysburg and check out the scenery.  Of course the town is well known for that epic battle that took place July 1 - 3 in 1863 and for the famous speech delivered by President Lincoln in November of that year.  Today the town is very much a tourist town offering lots of history, museums, attractions, lodging and dining options.  For example, there's the David Willis House on Lincoln Square.  This is where Lincoln spent the night before delivering the speech.  The house is open for tours, as is the room where he slept.  Your first stop however when getting into town should be the Museum and Visitors Center on Baltimore Pike featuring one of the largest civil war collections.  Another stop should be the National Military Park, the actual battlefield, offering free guided walks and programs.  Not far from the Willis House is the railroad station where Lincoln got off the train that brought him from Washington.  I could go on, but  I suggest you visit www.gettysburg.travel for all the information you'll need for a visit. 

THEATRE REVIEWS

MY WAY

A dinner theatre must be putting out very good work if over the years it has received over 40 Helen Hayes award nominations.  Such is the case for Toby's Dinner Theatre.  One of their current productions at Toby's in Columbia is a show called My Way.  I'll give you one guess as to whom it is about.  If you said Frank Sinatra you would be correct.  The show is all about the music of Ol' Blue Eyes with an occasional comment from the cast about his life, his loves and his music.  It has been said he recorded over 1,300 songs, so the task of the director was to select the ones in the show.  You will hear many of his standards.  There might even be a song or two you don't know.  The cast consists of 4 talented performers singing and mugging their way through both acts.  The 3 piece band is on stage which gives it a cabaret feel, which is what they were trying to do.  There's also 4 screens showing slides of Sinatra through the years.  If you like Sinatra's music, you'll want to see the show.  My Way is sharing time the next two and a half months with High School Musical.  For information as to show times call 410-730-8311.

FOOTLOOSE

The current production at Lorenzo's Timonium Dinner Theatre is the musical Footloose.  The play is based on the 1984 movie which starred Kevin Bacon, John Lithgpow and a very young Sarah Jessica Parker.  The film was a hit and was nominated for two oscars, both for the music.  The show isn't easy to mount considering all the dancing, singing and dialogue.  But in this instance, the cast were all giving it their best.  In this show there are two songs you'll recognize, one is the title tune and the other is Let's Hear if For the Man.  Performances are generally Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  When calling ask them about their buy one ticket get the one at half price special.  The show runs through mid-June.  For reservations all 410-560-1113.

 WEEK OF April 20  

**Through  May 17 - A Circus Family:  Picasso to Leger

**Through April 26 - A Bronx Tale - Hippodrome

**Through April 30 - Racing continues at Pimlico

**April 25 - Yanni Voices Live - 1st Mariner Arena 

**April 25 - Romeo & Ravel - Meyerhoff, 8pm

**April 25 - Station North Festival - North & Charles, 5 pm

**April 25 - Jungle Books - Meyerhoff, 11 am 

**'April  24 - 26 - Johns Hopkins Spring Fair

**April 25- Mt Washington Garden & Home Show - Mt Washington, 10 to 4

**Through April 30 - The Call of the Wild, the Musical - Olney Theatre  

**April 24 - The U.S. Army Field Band - Morgan State, 8 pm 

**April 26 - May 17 - Decorators' Show House - 1121 South Rolling Rd

**April 25 - Baltimore For Less - spots around the harbor, 10:30 to 6:30

**April 22 - EARTH DAY   

**Through June 30 - 'Work and Play on the Bay' - Md Historical Society

**Through April 30 - 'Footloose' - Timoniun Dinner Theatre 

**Through April 30 - High School Musical - Toby's Dinner Theare Columbia

**March 18 - April 26 - 'The Cherry Orchard' - Everyman Theatre

**April 25 - Md Hunt Cup - Hunt Valley

** April 24 - 26 - Sugarloaf Crafts Festival - Md Fairgounds Timonium

**April 21 & 22 - Chicago, Lyric

**April 24 - 26 - St.Michaels Food & Wine Festival - St. Michaels

**April 23 - Towson Gardens Day, Courthouse Fountain Plaza

**April 23 - 26 - Bay Bridge Boat Show - Stevensville

 FUTURE  EVENTS

April 30 - May 3 - Southern Maryland Spring Festival, Leonardtown

May 1 & 2 - Flower Mart - Mt Vernon

May 1 - 3 - Decoy and Wildlife Art Festival - Havre de Grace

May 2 & 3 - International Great Grapes, Wine, Arts, and Food Festival - Anne Arundel Ct Fairgrounds 

May 2 - Solomons Maritime Festival  - Solomons, 10 to 5

May 2 - Festival at Enchanted Forest Shopping Center, 12 to 4 - music, entertainment....hosted by Frank Luber

RECOMMENDED MOVIES - Sunshine Cleaning....State of Play....Waltz with Bashir

MOVIES OPENING APRIL 24 - The Soloist

 ***FEATURED ATTRACTION OF THE WEEK:    Thurgood Marshall Statue - Corner Pratt & Sharp

SEAN AND FRANK'S MYSTERY VOICE PRIZES THIS WEEK: 

MONDAY - BAY BRIDGE BOAT SHOW

TUESDAY - FRIDAY - 4 PACK OF TICKETS TO SUGARLOAF CRAFTS FESTIVAL

 

MOVIE REVIEWS  BY EDDIE APPLEFELD

 DUPLICITY

The dictionary defines Duplicity as deliberate deception.  If you know that, perhaps it will make the viewing of the film Duplicity easier to understand.  I don't think director Tony Gilroy could have made the film any more difficult to follow.  For one thing, it goes back and forth in time and it takes place in many locales.  Why Hollywood finds it necessary to spend all that travel money on location shooting is beyond me.  This one goes to Dubai, New York, Rome, London, Miami and the Bahamas.  Maybe the cast didn't actually go to all these places, but one reason movie tickets are getting higher is to pay for salaries and all these travel perks the cast gets.  Anyway back to the movie - the stars are Clive Owen, Julia Roberts, Tom Wilkerson and Paul Giamatti.  Owen and Roberts are corporate spies, or are they, who team up to pull off the ultimate con, or do they?  This is where the deception comes in.  You can't trust anyone is the theme in this film.  It did keep my attention, it had to or else I'd be lost.  If you remember the classic Abbott and Costello routine Who's on First,  you'll have some idea about the plot.  But the acting is good and I think it's good enough to recommend.  The rating is PG-13. 

STATE OF PLAY

If  you like political thrillers and government corruption movies I think you'll like State of Play.  This is a story about corruption and cover-up in the highest levels of Washington.  It's a story about huge money, murders all taking place in the very hub of government.  Two reporters for a Washington paper, played by oscar winner Russell Crowe and Rachel McAdams, are attempting to bring to light all that's going on.  A congressman, played by oscar winner Ben Affleck, learns his top aide commits suicide in a subway, only it wasn't suicide, it was murder.  So the question is what did she have to do with this entire mess.  The movie is based on a BBC sries and it apparently was popular in England.  The movie is held togther by a good cast of supporting cast inclding Helen Mirren, Robin Wright Penn and Jeff Daniels.  I will say the film kept my attention.  The rating is PG-13.   

One hot actress right now is two time Oscar nominee Amy Adams, and you can take that anyway you want.  She was recently nominated for the film Doubt and now is in a hit movie called Sunshine Cleaning.  She portrays a single mom who cleans houses while she is trying to get a real estate license.  She is also involved with a married man and is taking care of her irresponsible sister.  So all in all her life isn't easy.  Her married boyfriend, who is a cop, gets her a job as someone who removes bio-hazardous material from crime scenes.  The business is doing well, but that's before her sister sets fire to a clients house.  I rather liked the film.  It was funny, yet had its poignant moments.  Besides Amy Adams there's a good suppoting cast consisiting of Golden Globe winner Emily Blunt (Devil Wears Prada) and Alan Arkin.  The film is charming and easy to watch.  It's rated R for language.

FAST AND FURIOUS

One can argue that Vin Diesel is not one of our A list actors.  But when his new film, Fast and Furious, makes over 100 million in two weeks, let's give him a little credit.  With that kind of dough, the studio is already talking about another film.  This edition is all about cars, testosterone, action, drugs and car chases.  So it's easy to assume it's geared to a male audience.   And it's loud.  You don't have to worry about people talking close to you, you wont hear them anyway.  Diesel, playing your basic criminal, stars along with Paul Walker, an FBI agent.  But are after the same guy, a drug dealer named Braga.  The action begins before the credits are finished rolling.  For this one I'd advise you guys getting together.  Leave the woman at home.  It's rated PG-13.