New York City Theatre Trip 2014

Saw three fantastic shows (two revivals and one new musical), "A Gentleman’s Guide”, "Cabaret" and "Les Miserables". If you are in NYC, would recommend seeing one of these shows or all of them!

“A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” is a new comedy musical that is insanely funny and has been described as what might happen if Sweeney Todd were a house guest at Downton Abbey.  “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” has been nominated for ten Tony  one of which is Best Musical. The show is located at the Walter Kerr Theatre on 219 W 48th St, New York, which originally opened as The Ritz In 1921. It was once used as a movie theater and then was restored back to a theatre in 1983.

The Broadway revival of  "Cabaret" at Studio 54 is the Roundabout' Theatre company’s revival of the Kander and Ebb's classic. Studio 54 is located 254 West 54th Street built in 1927 as The Gallo and was intended to house opera productions. The venue is probably best known for its world-famous disco in the 1970s.  Michelle Williams starring as Sally Bowles in her Broadway debut and Alan Cumming reprising his Tony Award-winning role as the Emcee.

“Les Miserables”, the classic mega-musical, returns to Broadway in a brand new re-imagined production. Ramin Karimloo as Jean Valjean is nominated for Best Actor in a musical.Ramin Karimloo as Jean Valjean who is nominated for Best Actor in a musical. Les Miz is playing at the Imperial Theatre located on 249 West 45th Street, New York. The Shuberts built the theatre in 1923 and recently the Shubert Organization had the theater completely refurbished. 

Heliotrope - A Fragrant Delight

I love this heirloom plant  bearing clusters of purple blooms with rough, looking dark leaves and always include heliotrope in my planters. The plants prefer full sun and even moisture. Originally from South America they were introduced to Europe in the 1700s and became a favorite among Victorians. According to the symbolism of flowers, heliotrope symbolizes someone’s intentions to remain true. 

Greek legend states that the nymph Clytie was in love with the God Helios (or Apollo), but he did not return her affections (left her for another woman). Clytie pined away, spending all of her days gazing at the sun, not eating, resting or talking to anyone. Helios finally turned her into a flower and she continues to this day following his movements through the sky.

For the Beauty of the Earth

“For the beauty of the earth,

for the beauty of the skies…”

Folliot S. Pierpoint

Spring has finally arrived in the mountains. The field is plowed and ready to plant when the danger of frost passes.

Blessed Redeemer - Casting Crowns

Hymn as literature

This old hymn “Blessed Redeemer” is a favorite of mine and is one of the most powerful hymns for the Easter season. One definition of a hymn is "...a lyric poem, reverently and devotionally conceived, which is designed to be sung and which expresses the worshipper's attitude toward God or God's purposes in human life.” The hymn is the most popular kind of English poetry and there are people who read or go over at least three or more hymns in the ordinary course of a week. Oddly the tune for this hymn was written before the words. Harry Dixon Loes was so inspired by a sermon he heard entitled “Blessed Redeemer” that he wrote a melody and asked his friend Avis Christiansen to write the text.