Laugh Alot-"Charley's Aunt" Opening May 4th At The James F. Dean Theatre In Summerville

Original "Charley's Aunt" 1892

The classic comedy, "Charley's Aunt", will open May 4th at the James F. Dean Theatre in Summerville. It will run through the month of May with the final performance on Sunday, May 20th. The wrap-up preparations are in the final stages. The cast are fine tuning their lines and stage scenes are being tweaked. The stage designers have merged their creative and artistic skills in the construction of a circular-rotating stage to handle the various scene changes that will take place during the play. And, even though the play has a history that dates back over a hundred years ago, the antics and concept of the play are timeless.

The original play script was written by Brandon Thomas in 1892. "Charley's Aunt" was the most successful of his plays. It opened at the Theatre Royal in England. It concluded its record breaking run of 1,466 performances in 1893 at the Globe Theatre, setting historic records for plays of all kinds. It was also a success on Broadway in 1893. There have been film adaptations through the years. The most notable of the film adaptations, "Where's Charley", was released in 1952. It starred an actor who became famous for his lovable portrayal of a talking scarecrow in the mystical land of OZ and sang, "If I only had a brain." His name was Ray Bolger.

England is the geographic location of "Charley's Aunt". The setting is St. Olde's College, Oxford. The play is about two college chums(Charley and Jack) who are in love with a couple of girls(Amy and Kitty), an uncle of one of the girls, the father of one of the boys, a temporarily absentee rich aunt, and a reluntant fellow grad student the two boys coerse into cooperating in a scheme they concocted so they can spend some amorous time with their love interests. Picture in your mind an odd-looking Victorian old lady in a long black-satin dress with a cigar in her mouth. What starts out as an innocent deception evolves into a menagerie of humorous complications.

With the script already written, the Flowertown Players went to work on the material aspects of the production. Set design needed to be tackled. After designing the various components and calculating the proper dimensions on his computer, Ernie Eliason began work on the circular-rotating stage back in March around the same time as the Flowertown Festival in Summerville. It was then I visited the prop shop located in the back of the theater where the manual task of set construction begins. Ernie was marking and cutting the various top sections of the stage out of plywood according to a pre-cut pattern determined from his designs.

Ernie Eliason working on stage construction

Ultimately, the pieces would be mounted on a rotating platform with wheels around its perimeter on which it would rest and turn. Once that was completed, it was mounted to the main stage. Then, Sean Lakey, artistic director, and various volunteers began building and painting the three different scenes that will be utilized in giving the audience the visual backdrop needed to bring the play to life.

Rotating-circular stage and set construction

Yours truly working with Sean Lakey on the stage scenes

The cast of "Charley's Aunt" consists of 10 characters made up of local residents who auditioned for the parts months ago. Since, the chosen few have been putting their lines to memory. They have been primed and will be ready to "break a leg" for you on Friday, May 4th at 8 pm, opening night. Come and see how Jack and Charley's scheme unfolds and what part Charley's aunt plays in its attempted success. Purchase your tickets ($20) today and join the fun. Show your support for Summerville's local actors and artists. It promises to be very entertaining and funny. Enjoy the pictures and ponder over of this parting thought: "I take the time to set the stage, make sure everything is in place. Even though I've got the lines rehearsed, a picture only paints a thousand words."

Cast:
Lord Fancourt Babberley - Matthias Burrell
Ela Delahay - Erin Gentry
Jack Chesney - John Black
Kitty Verdun - Alexa-Marie Acura
Charles Wykeham - David Whittington
Amy Spettigue - Lindsay Shattuck
Colonel Sir Francis Chesney - Barry Gordon
Donna Lucia d'Alvadorez - Lindsey Marie
Stephen Spettigue - Ken Malcolm
Brassett - Jerry Squires

Summerville Ghost Stories And The Blue Bottle Tree Along with A Festival At The Ponds

blue bottle tree at W. Carolina and Tupper

In Summerville, there is an area where three roads converge unto South Main Street to make a single intersection of five points. The roads are W. Carolina Ave, E. Carolina Ave, and Tupper Lane. I have driven through this intersection many times and have often wondered about the significance of the strange potted ornament placed at the point where W. Carolina Ave and Tupper Lane come together. It was always just a brief curiosity because I never made any real effort to find out what the strange looking tree-like structure with blue bottles stuck on its branches was. Until recently, and only by accident, I stumbled upon the answer. I was researching ghost stories in the Summerville area. Not surprsing, it's called a blue bottle tree and quite common throughout the South.

Today, it is mainly nothing more than a decoration people put in their gardens and on their lawns, but in history the blue bottle tree is steeped in superstitions brought here by African slaves. The color blue was believed to ward off spirits, more specifically, the evil kind. The bottles on the bottle tree are thought to entice the evil spirits into climbing inside during the evening hours where they become trapped. Then, the morning sun comes up and the sunlight kills the spirits. Quite an ingenious idea, if you believe in such things. Also, a nifty way of making good use of empty wine bottles, if you like the idea of a blue bottle tree in your yard.

Old City Jail

Charleston is rich with a diverse collection of varying cultures each laced with their own blend of superstitions and beliefs, necessary ingredients for inventing interesting ornaments and compiling ghost stories to entertain the many tourists who come here to experience history at its best. Poogan's Porch tells stories of encounters with a ghost named Zoe St. Armand, a woman who once lived there. She is sometimes heard banging things around in the kitchen. Battery Carriage House Inn is known as “Charleston’s most haunted inn." It is home to the “gentleman ghost” and the headless torso. Want to reserve a room for the scare of it? The Dockstreet Theater has two ghosts wandering within its walls, a male ghost dressed in formal attire, thought to be Junious Brutus Booth, and an alleged prostitute. You will need tickets for this show. No tickets needed on Church Street, which is lined with plenty of graveyards, but a tour guide would be helpful. Last but not least, Lavinia Fisher awaits your presence at the Old City Jail. The stories are many and the tours are plenty. Check out Bulldog Tours.

Summerville has its share of ghost stories as well. One notable story is associated with The Ponds, a community located on Highway 17A where Dorchester Rd ends. The entrance is marked by a tower. The Ponds has a history dating back to 1682. Plenty of time for human activity and interaction needed to create stories of mystery tainted by an active imagination. The first owner of the land built a plantation called Westin Hall. His name was Andrew Percival. From 1723 to 1765, the Donning family of England had controlling interest in the plantation until they sold it.

Several families from that point in time owned it and for over a hundrerd years it was a rice plantation. John Shultz took ownership in 1818 and later his son. After returning from the Civil War, having served in the First South Carolina Mounted Militia, Frederick Schultz eventually sold it to Edward Lotz in 1881. Edward Lotz became a lumber dealer and made shingles out of the numerous cypress trees growing on the land. Edward Lotz is where the ghost story begins. Today, it seems he makes a nightly visit to the old farmhouse to make sure everything is well. Sorry, nothing ghastly or gruesome to report. It seems the lands history has been one of tranquility.

The Ponds is also a center for local area events and community activities. World-renowned arts shows, outdoor music festivals, and sporting events have unfolded on this one-time plantation. There is an outdoor amphitheater on the property located next to the lake. This Saturday, April 21st, the Southern Flame - The Southern Food Festival Under the Oaks kicks-off. The time is 11 am to 8 pm. It is $10 to park all day with food and berverage tickets available. There will be a BBQ Competition and a People’s Choice Southern Foods Competition. Live bluegrass and rock music will keep you dancing. Eddie Bush and The Mayhem are the featured group. Join the fun and stick around after dark to see if Edward Lotz likes what he sees.

Charleston Has A Long, Illustrious Golf History And In 2012 Welcomes The 94th PGA Championship

Mark Twain once wrote, "Golf is a good walk spoiled." I am assuming by the tone of Twain's humorous quip about golf, he was either a poor golfer or never satisfied with his efforts. Sometimes after spending a day on the links, I have to agree with his comedic yet profound assessment. Now, I will reveal the case in point. This corresponding opinion is coming from the person who caught out of the air his own drive off the tee. You may wonder how that seemingly illogical feat could be possible. In verification to its unusualness, my fellow golfers for the day said it was a first for them. It's too bad a camera wasn't rolling because the video could have went viral and possibly been an instant hit on YouTube, subsequently leading to what could have been for me a brief claim to fame. Bearing this in mind, golf is one of those situations where at times I look brilliant and other times completely inept. I think it to be a good day on the course if I find more balls than I lose.

Painting by Carrol Ezel of David Dee's shipment

The first documented golf played in North America was right here in Charleston, although some dispute this notion and say New York was the first place. In the final analysis, the collective facts tilt in favor of Charleston. The most compelling of the facts revolve around a Scottish shipping merchant by the name of David Dees. David Dees moved to Charleston from Leith, Scotland, the place famous for organizing the first golf club in 1744. Dee's was also a store owner on E. Bay St. in the famous Rainbow Row. In 1743 Dee's received a shipment of 96 clubs and 432 balls from the Port of Leith. A very sizable shipment suggesting there was an active market in Charleston for acquiring this necessary equipement, at the time called mashies (clubs) and featheries (balls).

Existing written accounts show there was a golf association that played at Harleston's Green, a public park between what is now Calhoun and Bull Streets, east of Rutledge. This green area was commonly used by the public for riding and socializing. There was no permanent course as of yet, so they would dig holes around the park and hit the balls into them. William's Coffee House on the corner of Bay Street and Tradd served as the groups "club house". The first golf club was formed years later in 1786 called the South Carolina Golf Club. The Gazette, a Charleston newspaper of the time, made reference to the clubs scheduled events. Not so surprising, most of the members were of Scottish decent of which Charleston had a substantial population.  A similar group of golfers was formed a few years later in neighboring Savannah.

11th hole Country Club of Charleston

The South Carolina Golf Club's claim to fame is substantiated by the fact it has been listed as the oldest golf club in the United states by the USGA. The present day course, built in 1925, is called the Country Club of Charleston. It is located at 1 Country Club Drive. The course is home to one of the most feared holes in the Southeast. The 187-yard, par 3, number 11 is also the courses signature hole. It has a mounded green with an eleven foot deep bunker on the right and a seven foot bunker on the left. The intimidation is avoiding the deep bunkers off the tee because from there the picture isn't a pretty one.

This coming August 9-12, the Charleston area will be center stage in the world of golf. The 94th PGA Championship will be played on the No. 1 toughest course in the United States, the Ocean Course on Kiawah Island. The ranking was from a list of 75 registered courses compiled by Golf Digest. On March 22, reigning PGA Champion Keegan Bradley, visited the course for the first time during Media Day and said this about the course, “I think it’s a great track. It was very difficult, but fair at the same time. It’s going to take a complete player to win on the Ocean Course." He also raised the spector of the wind playing the Devils Advocate when he further said, “If the wind blows when we’re here in August, I think the winning score could be over par." Outside of Scotland and Ireland, the Ocean Course has more seaside holes than any other course in the Northern Hemisphere.

17th hole tee on the Ocean Course, Kiawah Island

Over the last few months, 12 holes at the Ocean Course have been tweaked for the Championship, mainly the reshaping of bunkers that have been altered by wind-blown sands over the years. The greens on the 5th and 11th hole received the most attention. The 5th hole is a 217-yard, par 3. A bunker on the left side of the green was lengthened to make a back, left pin placement more problematic. The 11th, a 591-yard, par 5, had an elevation change around its green. The left side used to be up about 3-4 feet above the surface of the green. It’s now about 6 feet below the surface in a collection area. The idea here is to create the temptation to go for the green on the second shot. A collection area is where a shot due to the slope of the terrain, either occurring naturally or man-made, will easily roll into.

You can play golf all year round in beautiful, historic Charleston. There are 20 championship golf courses around the Charleston area to choose from. With the 94th PGA Championship coming in August, Charleston's area hotels are offering plenty of golf packages for your convenience. Tickets for the Championship can still be purchased for the week days. So, grab your clubs and have some fun. When on the course, keep your expectations reasonable and you won't spoil a good walk.

My golf game

Golf trivia: Featheries were an appropriate name for golf balls before the advent of the modern golf ball. They were made from goose feathers and cowhide or horsehide. The feathers were stuffed into the leather while both items were wet. As the two dried out the leather shrank and the feathers expanded to create a hardened ball. The finished ball was then painted.

Charleston Loves Eddie Bush-It's All About The Music

click here for the video

I remember the first time I picked up an electric guitar, cradled it in my lap, strummed the strings, fingered the fret, and clumsily attempted to play some simple chords. Actually, it was a friends guitar. It was red and white. He was looking to sell it. I watched him play this old piece called "The Little Black Egg", a popular song by the Nightcrawlers. He plucked the strings and moved his fingers across the fret. It was magical. He showed me his fingers. He had developed grooves on the tips of his fingers, a desired result from the many hours of play needed to perfect his skills. I was sold.

"The Little Black Egg" was the first song I wanted to learn. I envisioned brightly lit stages and screaming, adoring fans. I was seventeen and it was the 60's. Vietnam broke hearts and bodies. Society was in an uproar. The British invasion was underway and the Beatles ruled the day. The Doors sang, "Girl, we couldn't get much higher." Rock was the salve that soothed the wounds or the stick that stirred the pot, depending how you want to remember it, but my aspirations of playing in a band faded. Other interests had muted the music. I also loved to play sports.

alto sax

When I turned twenty-one, I began to work for a company that made brass line musical intruments. Assembling and tuning saxaphones became my expertise. The saxaphone is the most complicated of the brass instruments, requiring the most parts to bring it to completion. I loved the rich, powerful and vocal sound it produced. I was asked on numerous occassions what seemed to be a logical question to many of my acquaintances, "Do you play the sax?" In the ten years I spent making the instrument that makes the music, I didn't take the time to perfect the skill for playing it. My oldest son became the sax player. It was the 70's. The Flower Children sang for love and  peace. Kent State mourned their fallen students. The Eagles sang about "Life in the Fast Lane."

I then began to build trumpets, which I did for a short time, and no, I didn't become a trumpet player. My youngest son became the trumpet player. For the remainder of my years working for King Musical, that became United Musical, that became Conn-Selmer, I made pistons for all the instruments that had a valve. Many of them went into instruments played by famous musicians in big city symphanies and marching bands from all over the country. I estimated to have made close to 1,900,000 pistons in those thirteen years.

My story doesn't end there. On a lighter side, in my early thirties, my oldest daughter took up the piano. I accompanied my daughter on her lessons. It was during this time I decided to teach myself on the piano. My daughter took lessons at a mall store that sold pianos and keyboards. So, while she was taking lessons I would play around on the pianos. This practice however, of playing in the store while she took lessons, became a source of discomfort for my daughter. Apparently, her teacher would hear me pounding on the pianos and would make mention of my unknown-to-me indesretion. She would say something like, "Your Father is at it again." Children can be sensitive about such things. A few years later an opportunity to play keyboards with a band materialized, but once again, other interests prevailed.

All total I worked 35 years making the instruments that make the music, and then I retired. Like society, rock music has morphed in so many ways. Music has always been an integral part of my journey. Other interests may have overshadowed it at times, but the passion has never been exstinguished. In recent times, I have taken up the keyboards once again and I still recall the old song, "The Little Black Egg", with fondness. Aspirations of playing in a band still remains a viable possibilty. You should never give up on your dreams. Visions of brightly lit stages and screaming, adoring fans, only in my wildest imaginations. But that isn't what it is all about, aspirations and adoration. It is all about the music.

Before I came to Charleston, I had not heard of the name Eddie Bush. Since my arrival in Charleston, near seven years ago, I have researched and consumed every bit of information I could gather to learn about the place I have come to love and now call my home. I started a blog to share my discoveries with family and friends and to inform my readers of upcoming events. I came to learn the name Eddie Bush is as well known in the Charleston area as Rainbow Row and the Battery. So, I did what I do. I researched his bio and began to follow his engagements throughout the Lowcountry. Eddie picked up a guitar at age four and from that moment on his path was set in stone, no other possible distractions had a chance to prevail. He has a strong base of committed and loyal followers. I have seen Eddie perform. I have become a believer.

Eddie is a person who has truly found his calling. Yes, he has loyal, adoring fans. It's the subsequent byproduct of a great performer. But he doesn't do it for the applause or adoration, he does it because it's all about the music. When on stage, he breathes charm, sweats passion, and bleeds guitar. His vocals are powerful, his songs inspiring. "The Thin Blue Line" is a masterpiece. I recently had the privilege of meeting Eddie. He is a class "A" performer. You can get the whole story at eddiebush.com.

Eddie Bush & the Mayhem at Wild Wing Columbia, SC (Vista) 4/6/12
Eddie Bush & the Mayhem @ King Street Grill - Northwoods: 4/7/12
Eddie Bush & the Mayhem at Wild Wing Charlotte, NC 4/14/12
Eddie Bush & The Mayhem: Southern Flame Festival 4/21/12

Flowertown Festival Saturday-Chelsea Summers, Jami Sun, The Hunley, Rubber Ducks, The Flowertown Players And More Fun

The Flowertown Festival in Summerville is in full swing. Parking spaces are getting scarce as the crowds increase each day. Friday was crowded. Saturday was packed. Not even a threat of rain could dampen the enthusiasm. A replica of the Hunley was present today. The Hunley was a Confederate submarine famous for the sinking of the USS Housatonic outside of Charleston Harbor. It was the first successful combat submarine. After accomplishing its mission, the Hunley disappeared into the Atlantic with its crew. Recently the submarine was recovered and can be viewed at the Warren Lasch Conservation Center, 1250 Supply Street (on the old Charleston Navy Base), North Charleston, South Carolina.

The Hunley

The Flowertown Players were just warming up on Friday. Saturday the young actors stole the stage. Ashlyn Whittemore, Riley Hatch, and Hailey Barker performed a song from the "Sound of Music". I had a, "Whoops, wish I had a V8," moment. My plan was to shoot a video Of Ashlyn, Riley, and Hailey for posting, which I proceeded to do. I turned my camera sideways to include the whole stage in their performance. What I didn't realize at the time was once you video something in that position it can't be flipped back at processing. So, you will have to turn sideways to view it.


Chelsea Summers sang her heart and soul out to her most devoted followers along with other festival attendees with popular hits and a mix of her own songs. Summerville and beyond are keeping their eyes on Chelsea's rise in the ranks of the areas most popular singer/song writers.

Chelsea Summers

The festival is a great place to hang out with previous acquaintances. Spent considerable time with Bill and Aura Lee Summers. Bill is Director and Vice President of Vision Financial Group, Inc. and Aura Lee operates a well known store in Summerville called Aura Lee's Jewelry and Handbags. They are also the parents of Chelsea. Great people and very active in the community. Bill was working with the Summerville Rotary Club collecting donations for a charity involving 25,000 rubber ducks being dropped from the I-526 Wando River Bridge and racing to the Community Pier at the Daniel Island Waterfront Park. There are 25 chances for the fastest ducks to win $25,000 in prizes and 10 chances to win $1,000,000. The Charity Duck Race will begin at 10:00am on June 2nd. The drop will occur at 11:30am. There will be entertainment, childrens activities, and food trucks. Net proceeds will benefit civic and charitable work. This is really something to quack about.

The festival is also a great place to meet new and interesting people. Jami Sun won Charleston's Acoustic Throwdown two years in a row. He was at the festival to catch Chelsea's performance. Jami was going to have a busy day with appearances at Wet Willie's from 3 to 7pm, then from 8:30 to 9:15pm at the Windjammer. Other scheduled performances will be at the Montreux's April 5 in Summerville at 10:00pm and Wet Willies April 7 in Charleston at 4:00pm. For more information scheduled appearances and albums go to his web site jamisun.com.

Jami Sun and yours truly

Paul Zoeller is a photographer who was taking pictures for the Summerville Journal Scene. You can view his work at PaulZoeller.com.

Paul Zoeller

Oh Valentino is an intimate acoustic duo,  Aaron O'Brien, Christina McNeill, featuring piano, guitar, mandolin, and delicate vocal harmonies. For more information click here.

Enjoy the pictures and videos of my visit to the festival on Saturday. Sunday is the last day, but not least. I will be back to catch Eddie Bush and the Mayhem at 1:30-2:30pm. See you there.

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