All Roads in Summerville Lead You "Into the Woods"

I only saw brief portions of the movie called Into the Woods. However, anything with Johnny Depp in it is definitely going to have unmistakable weirdness weaved into the characters. So, going into the James F. Dean Theater to see Steven Sondheim's adaptation, I was totally unaware what to expect in the way of a storyline. The live stage production is loosely inspired by the Grimm Brothers' fairy tales including Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk, Cinderella, and Rapunzel with a witch thrown in to conjure up a little chaos for an unfortunate baker and his wife who want a child. They can undo their bad luck by collecting four objects in three days: the cow as white as milk, the cape as red as blood, the hair as yellow as corn, and the slipper as pure as gold.

The Flowertown Player's presentation of Into the Woods was an empty your bladder and settle into your comfy seat for a three-hour giant rompem' stompem' whopper of a tall tale, including the short intermission. As the play's red-caped little vixen (Mackenzie Comer) skipped between the trees from scene to scene, I inexplicably thought of the lyrics of the song of the same name by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs, and it was surely looking good. The performance was everything a big bad review could want. So, listen to me.

The stage was set. The props were in place. The production team was intensely focused. Director Nina Kahn had her well prepared cast of 24 ready to hit the lights and hit the heights to kick off their three weekend "bag of magic beans". The musical performers were harmonious as a whole from the opening prologue to the closing finale, when they symbolically blew the roof off the theater. If there were any glitches in prop placement as they moved from scene to scene, I didn't see it. If there were any hick-ups in the casts dialogue as they moved from musical number to musical number, I did not detect any. However, I respectfully have to mention one tiny thing. I sat in row L, which was more than halfway back in the theater. I had to strain a little to hear some of the dialogue due to the music being a tad to dominant when the vocals were in less dynamic ranges, or maybe my hearing isn't what it used to be. I'll leave it to you to decide.

It was not so hard to hear one of the most entertaining singing collaborations of the play between Jonathan Ford and Elisha Black as Cinderella's prince and Rapunzel's prince, when they belted out "Agony" in confidence and stunning harmony. Along the line of upper decibels, there was no escaping the ear popping screams of "hair as yellow as corn" Rapunzel played by Rachel Hiester-Myers.

Other notable renditions were "Witch's Lament" sang by Sarah Daniel, "Moments in the Woods" performed by Liz Perez (the Baker's wife), who also teamed up with Justin Robinson (the Baker) in "It takes Two", "On the Steps of the Palace" executed by Meredith Lane (Cinderella) and singing "I Know Things Now" was Mackenzie Comer (Little Red).

Other cast notables were Bryce Beasley as bad boy giant-killer Jack, beside herself Rachyl Kissling as Jack's Mom, the well-dressed ravenous Wolf played by Zachary Henderson, Vance White II as the Narrator, long-time Flowertown Player Jamie Young, who did double duty as Mysterious Man and Cinderella's Father, Holly Matthew's as Cinderella's Stepmother, Angela Pinkham as Florinda, Julia Sorenson as Lucinda, Krissi Hardy as Cinderella's mother, Graycen Szalwinski as The Steward, and Leighton Winters (Sleeping Beauty), Maddie McCall (Snow White), Zach Rettig (Granny), Susie Hallat (Voice of the Giant), Patti MooPone (Milky White).

Finally, I must give special props to Julie Crist for her adept handling of one of the play's more challenging characters, "the cow as white as milk"--Milky White Puppeteer.

This musical fairy tale is unlike anything you have ever seen before. There is no yellow brick road that takes you to an Emerald City, but the witch is witchier, and who honestly said of herself, "I'm not good, I'm not nice, I'm just right. I'm the witch." And cute, bratty Little Red noted of the baker and his vow breaking wife, "You seem to argue a lot." Cinderella's not so pure, self-adoring prince confessed, "I was raised to be charming, not sincere." I could go on and on, but I will leave the rest for you to see and hear for yourself. 

I encourage you to purchase a ticket, slip on your shoes, and make your way to the little theater on Hutchinson Square to see one of the funniest scenes of the play that has to do with guess what, footwear, and gold ones at that.

The cast skillfully delivers plenty of laughs along their way Into the Woods where you will discover family life isn't always little blue birds chirping happy bird songs, but it can also be downright morally and ethically jaded at times.

Dates: March 7 - 23

Times: Evenings at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 3:00 pm

Tickets for Into the Woods

Photographs by Flowertown Players

Legendary Savannah's Forsyth Park, Mercer Williams House Museum, and Sorrel-Weed House Museum

General William Sherman's headquarters

Established in 1733, this southern gem was the grand design of General James Oglethorpe. Its formation was patterned after a Chinese city. Noted Architect, John Massengale, called this city's layout "the most intelligent grid in America, perhaps the world". Instead of burning it to the ground, General William Sherman presented it to President Lincoln as a Christmas gift. As a travel destination, it ranks number three in the United States according to the Travel + Leisure World's Best Awards 2024 reader's survey.

Savannah, Georgia is dotted with picturesque miniature parks called squares, rightly named the "crown jewels" of the city. There is a total of 22 remaining today. Many are dominated by a monument featuring a famous dignitary who played an important part in its history and growth. Originally, they were used by the militia for practice and drills but now are gathering places for citizens and visitors. Each are shaded by huge live oak trees, beautifully landscaped, and surrounded by inns, shops, restaurants, museums, churches, and majestic estate homes available for you to tour.

On our way to Savannah, we made a stop at the Sheldon Church Ruins in Beaufort County, SC, which would turn out to be a fortuitous decision. From there, it was another hour drive to Savannah. Our accommodations for our two-night stay was in the Historic District at the Cambria Hotel on Montgomery Street. It turned out to be a good location because it put us within decent walking distance to the landmarks and points of interest we wanted to see. We were about a half a mile from East Bay Street and a little less than a half mile from the famous and stunning Forsyth Park, a must see when visiting the city.

Forsyth Park is a massive 30-acre park. It was the first landmark we targeted as we made our way down Whitaker Street past four of the city's picturesque squares, Palaskie Square, Madison Square, Chatham Square, and Monterey Square. It is three blocks wide, spanning from Whitaker Street to Drayton Street. Its vastness becomes obvious as you stand at its entrance on Gaston and Bull Streets--a tree-lined green space leading to an inspirational white fountain and extending beyond as far as you can see. The famous fountain was modeled after the fountains at the Place de la Concorde in Paris. The perfect place for family pictures, selfies, and contemplation, which we did.

Moving past the fountain, you come to a building called The Fort on Forsyth where there is a restaurant, children's playgrounds, and a huge domed stage for concerts. Continuing further, you come to a tall Civil War Monument, and beyond that, acres and acres of green grass for setting up picnics and playing sports. The sun was getting low in the sky, so we made our way back toward our hotel, walking past the nearby squares, picking out the estate homes we were interested in touring on our next day--the Mercer William House Museum and The Old Sorrel-Weed House Museum.

The Mercer Williams House Museum is one of the largest homes in Savannah, covering a full block. Even though the house bears the Williams name, no one from the Mercer Williams' family ever lived in the house. John R. Wilder bought it and completed its construction. The house and carriage house are both constructed with deep rose-colored bricks called 'Philadelphia Reds'. Its architectural design adds Renaissance Revival elements to a standard mix of Greek and Italianate. The house maintains its original moldings, windows, doorways, hand-railings, interior shutters, flooring and famous interior dome with stained glass fitted in 1868 when construction on the home was finished. Its 60-foot entrance hall retains its original ceramic tile made in England at Stoke-on-Trent.

The house was slated to be demolished. In 1969, James A. Williams, one of Savannah’s earliest and most dedicated private preservationists, bought the vacant property and began a two-year restoration of the house that would become his permanent residence. Thus, we have the famous Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. I will not go into detail about the true murder story. You will have to read the book, watch the movie, or go to Savannah and do the tour to get the facts. However, I do enthusiastically suggest the tour. It is fascinating, and our guide was excellent. I have no pictures of the Mercer House gardens or interior. You are not permitted to take photographs once you leave the carriage house, where the tour begins. However, I will say, it was stunning. Interesting fact--James Williams had a cat named Sheldon, who came from the Sheldon Church in South Carolina, according to the guide. Tour cost--$13.50 per person.

The Sorrel-Weed House and Carriage House Museum was our next tour. We were encouraged to take as many photographs as we wanted to. This house is famous for its ghost stories and is considered the most haunted house in Savannah. However, we did not do the nighttime ghost tour, we did the history tour. The tour began in the gardens, moved to the carriage house, then to the ground level floor, and finally to the main floors. The tour guide told story after story of the three different owners and the people who served them as we moved from place to place, some historically fascinating, some diabolically gruesome. Wealthy French Hatian merchant Francis Sorrel, the original owner, hosted well known guests like Robert E. Lee and the Sorrel family's many famed parties. It was the first home in the State of Georgia to be designated a state landmark. Enjoy the photographs. Tour cost--$14 per person.

Savannah's history oozes with charm. Its architecture dates back more than 200 years. Many of the city's oldest houses and buildings have been transformed into museums over the years. You'll find that Savannah is legendary for its unique old-world antebellum architecture, her cobblestone streets, beautifully landscaped garden squares, and world-renowned parks. Small shops and fine eating establishments small and large are aplenty. One visit is not enough. Two visits are not enough. Three visits are not enough. I will go as far as to say, no number of visits is enough to take in all that is Savannah.

Biscuit Belly Opening in Downtown Summerville--Biscuits and A Lot More

The invitation on its cheery and colorful wall mural reads, "Sit a spell in Summerville." Summerville residents did exactly that on Saturday and Sunday at the soft opening of Biscuit Belly. It was all courtesy of the house as an introduction to their Southern menu filled with biscuits and a whole lot more.

Biscuit Belly is the inspiration of restauranteurs, Chad and Lauren Coulter, onetime pharmacists who met in college. Their first venture was growing a successful wine and tapas concept. However, one of their favorite pastimes was brunch. Thus, Biscuit Belly came into fruition. Everyone loves a good brunch menu, the perfect excuse to indulge in a Mimosa, which by the way, is on the menu. 

Of course, if you are going to open a restaurant, integral to its success is the chef. The Coulters enlisted the expertise of renowned Bluegrass executive chef, Tavis Rockwell. If you want to get to know more about Tavis, click on the following link, Secrets of Bluegrass Chefs. Tavis spent three months perfecting his famous biscuit recipe. He has one highly guarded secret, but he does reveal he uses cake flower in his mix, and the proof was in the biscuits served to Summerville residents on Saturday and Sunday.

For the Summerville soft opening, the Coulters were joined by the restaurant's manager, Cynthia Hesslewood, and Clint Umphrey, Vice President of Operations.  About the town, Clint said these nice words in an interview with Post and Courier, "We fell in love with Summerville's small-town Southern feel, which continues to draw more families every year." The Coulters believe "great food is a catalyst for community, giving people a chance to come together." It was good to see all the friends conversing and having fun.

If you are going to include Southern in your descriptions, hospitality is a must. The restaurant's motto is "expect a warm smile served with every order." Upon entering through Biscuit Belly's doors, I was greeted by the days maître d', Madelyn, who was very cordial and personable. She handed out menus and answered all questions with a smile. Upon arriving at the order counter, it was more smiles and a staff that was willing to answer any questions you had concerning the selections, which were abundant. Along with the menu, we were given a list of suggested insta-worthy dishes, from which I made my choices. You are given a number to put on your table, and a cup for your beverage, which you fill yourself at the beverage station. The staff is very conscientious about clearing what appears to be an abandoned table. If you get up from your table to converse with a friend, just be aware of that.

I chose Mamas Boy, which included spicy belly pickles, green fried tomatoes, buttermilk fried chicken breast, and roasted jalapeno pimento cheese sauce. I generally decline sauce, but this time I went with it. It was tasty and didn't overwhelm the other flavors it was paired with. The chicken was tender with a savory coating. For a side, I picked Home Fries. For a beverage, I went with the blood orange soda. What can you say about fries and drink? Well, a potato is potato, and a soda is a soda. However, fries, if not done right, can turn out to be somewhat soggy, but these fries were done perfectly. There was a lot of other tempting selections on the menu, which will require a return visit.

Biscuit Belly, when it comes to downtown Summerville, is at the ideal location--the corner of W Richardson and Short Central, next to the downtown parking garage. The restaurant's interior is cheerful, welcoming, and painted with bright colors. There is plenty of seating throughout. The back wall is covered with Biscuit Belly's very first blue shimmer wall with the town's name spread across from end to end and below, wall to wall comfort seating. The eatery is a great addition to Summerville's growing list of restaurants. Be sure to check it out when it opens February 4. I will be returning.

118 W Richardson Ave Suite 100

(843) 977-3008

Monday to Thursday, 7:30am-2pm

Friday and Saturday, 7:30am-3pm

2025 Dunleavy's Polar Bear Plunge on Sullivan's Island--A Real Cool Time

Every year on January 1, after a night of celebration, Lowcountry residents gather on the beaches of Charleston's barrier islands to take a plunge into the Atlantic's cooler waters. I say cooler waters because in the heat of the summer months the ocean around Charleston reaches a temperature of 83.5 degrees, which was the high temperature this past August 2024. The ocean temperature on Jan 1, 2025, was 57 degrees.

The two barrier islands who host a polar bear plunge are Folly Beach near its famous pier and Tides Hotel, and Sullivan's Islands at Station 22 1/2 and Dunleavy's Pub. Over the years I have attended both, but most of the time I have favored Folly Beach's Bill Murray Look-a-Like Polar Bear Plunge.

I had initially planned on going to Folly Beach this year. However, I inadvertently missed the exit for Folly on I26 and ended up on the Ravenel Bridge, where I decided not to turn around but to keep on going to Sullivan's Island, and I was glad I did. It was one of the largest crowds to attend Dunleavy's Polar Bear Plunge that I have seen.

Lowcountry residents came to have a good time, and they certainly did. Many participated in the traditional practice of wearing a costume, and there was an assortment of creative ones ranging from the unusually imaginative to the outrageously funny.

I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them. It was a beautiful day on Charleston's historic Sullivan's Island, once the home of Edgar Allan Poe when he served in the military at Fort Moultrie and wrote his short story The Gold Bug. Thank you to Dunleavy's Pub for hosting their 30th charity event for the Special Olympics. Here's to everyone having a great 2025.