The promotional video for Carol is on YouTube! Check it out at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xDe0YVIw50
or search "Come and See MTG's A CHRISTMAS CAROL!" on YouTube.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
November 29 Cast Party Update
The cast and crew party on November 29 at Pancho and Lefty's is now adult only due to space constraints.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Christmas Carol Trivia
At the very end of the beloved Charles Dickens holiday classic A Christmas Carol, a reformed Ebenezer Scrooge and his long-suffering employee Bob Cratchit share an oddly named libation:
“A Merry Christmas, Bob!” said Scrooge with an earnestness that could not be mistaken, as he clapped him on the back. “A merrier Christmas, Bob, my good fellow, than I have given you for many a year! I’ll raise your salary, and endeavor to assist your struggling family, and we will discuss your affairs this very afternoon over a bowl of Smoking Bishop, Bob!”
The drink is hot, spiced wine similar to wassail -- something like a hot sangria, scented with oranges and infused with port. In his book Drinking with Dickens, Cedric Dickens -- the great-grandson of Charles -- tells us that people back in the 1800s enjoyed a whole range of “clerical drinks.”
“Pope is burgundy, Cardinal is champagne or rye, Archbishop is claret, Bishop is port, and so on,” Dickens says.
Here’s Dickens’ “Smoking Bishop” recipe:
• Take six Seville oranges and bake them in a moderate oven until pale brown. If you cannot procure any bitter Seville oranges, use four regular oranges and one large grapefruit.
• Prick each of the oranges with five whole cloves, put them into a warmed ceramic or glass vessel with one-quarter pound of sugar and a bottle of red wine, cover the vessel, and leave it in a warm place for 24 hours.
• Take the oranges out of the mixture, cut in half and squeeze the juice, then pour the juice back into the wine.
• Pour the mixture into a saucepan through a sieve, add a bottle of port, heat (without boiling), and serve in warmed glasses.
• Drink the mixture, and keep Christmas well!
Smoking Bishop - Purple Wine
At the end of A Christmas Carol, Scrooge proposes that he and Bob Cratchit will discuss all that Scrooge will do for Bob’s family later that afternoon “over a bowl of Smoking Bishop."
In his notes for the 1907 edition of A Christmas Carol E. Gordon Browne describes this Christmas punch:
The drink is made by pouring red wine, either hot or cold, upon ripe bitter oranges. The liquor is heated or “mulled” in a vessel with a long funnel, which could be pushed far down into the fire. Sugar and spices (chiefly cloves, star anise, and cinnamon) are added according to taste. It is sometimes called “purple wine” and received the name “Bishop” from its colour.
courtesy of Fr. Mike Klarer
“A Merry Christmas, Bob!” said Scrooge with an earnestness that could not be mistaken, as he clapped him on the back. “A merrier Christmas, Bob, my good fellow, than I have given you for many a year! I’ll raise your salary, and endeavor to assist your struggling family, and we will discuss your affairs this very afternoon over a bowl of Smoking Bishop, Bob!”
The drink is hot, spiced wine similar to wassail -- something like a hot sangria, scented with oranges and infused with port. In his book Drinking with Dickens, Cedric Dickens -- the great-grandson of Charles -- tells us that people back in the 1800s enjoyed a whole range of “clerical drinks.”
“Pope is burgundy, Cardinal is champagne or rye, Archbishop is claret, Bishop is port, and so on,” Dickens says.
Here’s Dickens’ “Smoking Bishop” recipe:
• Take six Seville oranges and bake them in a moderate oven until pale brown. If you cannot procure any bitter Seville oranges, use four regular oranges and one large grapefruit.
• Prick each of the oranges with five whole cloves, put them into a warmed ceramic or glass vessel with one-quarter pound of sugar and a bottle of red wine, cover the vessel, and leave it in a warm place for 24 hours.
• Take the oranges out of the mixture, cut in half and squeeze the juice, then pour the juice back into the wine.
• Pour the mixture into a saucepan through a sieve, add a bottle of port, heat (without boiling), and serve in warmed glasses.
• Drink the mixture, and keep Christmas well!
Smoking Bishop - Purple Wine
At the end of A Christmas Carol, Scrooge proposes that he and Bob Cratchit will discuss all that Scrooge will do for Bob’s family later that afternoon “over a bowl of Smoking Bishop."
In his notes for the 1907 edition of A Christmas Carol E. Gordon Browne describes this Christmas punch:
The drink is made by pouring red wine, either hot or cold, upon ripe bitter oranges. The liquor is heated or “mulled” in a vessel with a long funnel, which could be pushed far down into the fire. Sugar and spices (chiefly cloves, star anise, and cinnamon) are added according to taste. It is sometimes called “purple wine” and received the name “Bishop” from its colour.
courtesy of Fr. Mike Klarer
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Message Fr. Mike Klarer
Last night on Monday November 2 we did the first full run through with Scripts. After the warm ups last night Dave Bristow announced that all actors had to be "off script" by November 15. That will be the next full run of the show. The show ran under an hour and 45 minutes which is good meaning we can keep it under two hours. I played roles of those actors who were not able to be present and had a blast.
Dave Bristow also was very pleased. He said at the end of the rehearsal, "Actors we have a show. It has a ways to go but now we begin the work of polishing." Polishing will include some reworking of some of the scenes that have already been blocked and helping the actors to coordinate their movements with the flow of the script.
Ahead is to over the next rehearsals is to focus in on each stave (each act) to ensure that the flow is smooth for the actors. It will also mean helping a few of the actors who have been out of town to catch up with the rest of the cast.
We also heard from Richard Hilger, the retired actor who is an expert on Carol of his praise for the final script. Richards comments were very uplifting. He has been an extraordinary help to me in writing the script.
John Baumann and I have over 17 appearences in the community to showcase the show and provide some instruction on Charles Dickens and A Christmas Carol. We are scheduled to appear at most of the senior citizen centers, the schools in the community, and many orgainzations and churches.
If you would like to schedule a show please contact Wendy Weiler Erb.
Dave Bristow also was very pleased. He said at the end of the rehearsal, "Actors we have a show. It has a ways to go but now we begin the work of polishing." Polishing will include some reworking of some of the scenes that have already been blocked and helping the actors to coordinate their movements with the flow of the script.
Ahead is to over the next rehearsals is to focus in on each stave (each act) to ensure that the flow is smooth for the actors. It will also mean helping a few of the actors who have been out of town to catch up with the rest of the cast.
We also heard from Richard Hilger, the retired actor who is an expert on Carol of his praise for the final script. Richards comments were very uplifting. He has been an extraordinary help to me in writing the script.
John Baumann and I have over 17 appearences in the community to showcase the show and provide some instruction on Charles Dickens and A Christmas Carol. We are scheduled to appear at most of the senior citizen centers, the schools in the community, and many orgainzations and churches.
If you would like to schedule a show please contact Wendy Weiler Erb.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Interview with Dave Bristow, Play Director
Q: How do you think the play is going?
A: I think we are right where we should be. The actors are very talented and have much of the play memorized. We aren't even finished we the blocking.
Q: What is most inspiring to you about Dickens's story?
A: What inspires me is that it's a child who heavily influences Scrooge to change. It shows we have the ability to make a change in this world.
Q: Are you excited for the opening of the show?
A: Yes. I'm excited because at that point in time, it is the actors' show instead of mine. It is exciting to watch them take it.
A: I think we are right where we should be. The actors are very talented and have much of the play memorized. We aren't even finished we the blocking.
Q: What is most inspiring to you about Dickens's story?
A: What inspires me is that it's a child who heavily influences Scrooge to change. It shows we have the ability to make a change in this world.
Q: Are you excited for the opening of the show?
A: Yes. I'm excited because at that point in time, it is the actors' show instead of mine. It is exciting to watch them take it.
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