Movie Review: VeggieTales Celery Night Fever

Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber are back in another cleverly titled VeggieTales adventure: Celery Night Fever (out August 5th)! And yes, there are vegetables in leisure suits, fringed vests, and Sgt. Pepper jackets this time around.

What I love about the faith-based VeggieTales films is that they teach kids such great lessons in a very sweet and cute way, with enough sass to entertain parents as well. You never have to worry about your little ones seeing something violent or disturbing, which is really nice. Although, I have a cried a few times during particularly touching moments.

Celery Night Fever does not disappoint! During Grandparents Day at school, we find out that Laura Carrot's grandfather was a member of a legendary 1970s group, which he refuses to discuss these days. Another child's grandfather, Bruce Onion (voiced by Terry Crews), is a wealthy veggie that wants to turn the kids' beloved Celery Park into a strip mall or motel. Laura and her pal Junior Asparagus are determined to save the park, and put a bold plan in motion...a plan that could involve getting Grandpa's band, The Groovy Brothers (who got their start in Celery Park), back together.

Can the band members find their way back to each other after years apart? Will Laura and Junior be able to mend their own broken friendship? Do not miss Celery Night Fever, which is all about friendship and forgiveness, and is full of fun new VeggieTales songs, like "Perfect Puppy." My four-year-old loved the movie so much that when it ended he pulled out our set of VeggieTales Christmas Marathon DVDs to watch next and screamed, "Mama! There's never, ever, ever, ever, ever been a show like VeggieTales!"

BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge: Review of Erin McCahan's LOVE AND OTHER FOREIGN WORDS

I liked this book right away, as I related to fifteen-year-old Josie Sheridan's passionate love for Dennis De Young; seriously, have you HEARD his version of "On the Street Where You Live?!"

This is technically a Young Adult novel, but (like the wonderful Wonder by R.J. Palacio), Erin McCahan's Love and Other Foreign Words is a great read that I would recommend to anyone and everyone. After reading some heavy stuff lately (Nathanael West's The Day of the Locust and You Should Have Known by Jean Hanff Korelitz), it was a relief to dive into something light and sweet and fun where nothing terrible happened to anyone. Unless you count breaking up with someone in the middle of a high school dance.

Josie, the ponytail and glasses-clad narrator, is so cute that I wanted to squeeze her; she's smart (genius iq and in high school and college at the same time), funny, and just the right amount of gangly and awkward to keep her feeling like a real person. She is surrounded by an interesting cast of characters, consisting of her family, her best friends (Stu and Sophie) that live across the street, and her friends from high school and college. All of the characters engage in witty banter on everything from how a good-looking boy smells (like day-old pizza grease, it turns out) to when a couple will have kids, which reminds me a little of the Dawson's Creek days of rapid-fire exchanges. I will say that all the cleverness does get a wee bit exhausting if you are a little sleepy while reading, and there were moments where I just wanted someone to give a straight answer or be serious for a moment; For example, Josie's dad buys a journal, and when she asks what he will be using it for his response is, "Wouldn't you love to know?"

Life is going along just fine, and then one night Josie's beloved older sister Kate brings new fiancé Geoffrey Stephen Brill over to meet the family. Josie is horrified at Geoff for a variety of reasons (one being that he seems really into tick-borne diseases) and vows to stop Kate from making what she thinks will be the biggest mistake of her life. Kate tells Josie, who has been on three dates in her life at this point, that she needs to fall in love first, and then they can talk. Josie, who is wise beyond her years when it comes to book smarts and already studying language in college (she's working on a project on the different meanings words have), sets out to try to define and understand this mysterious feeling called love. (Note to Josie: Even most of us grownups still struggle with that.)

Will Josie find love? Will she be able to define something that poets and authors have struggled with for centuries? You will have to read Love and Other Foreign Words to find out, but you will definitely find a charming coming of age tale that had me laughing out loud on the treadmill at Equinox. If you are a younger reader, you might see shades of your life right now in Josie's story. Since I am (a few years) (okay, more than a few years) past high school, this story took me back to that innocent and complicated time in my life, and also made me yearn for the kind of close relationship with my siblings that Josie has with hers. Erin McCahan does a beautiful job of capturing the unique love and closeness between sisters, but also the ways they can wound each other.

How would I define Love and Other Foreign Words? In one word: Fantastic!

Theater Review: ONCE at Pantages Theatre

Guy meets Girl and makes her a CD in ONCE. (Photo Credit: Joan Marcus)

 After seeing the movie Once, I sat on my couch for fifteen minutes and sobbed, unable to move. Even now, years later, if I hear even a second of the big hit song from the film, "Falling Slowly," I fall apart quickly. I was so thrilled to hear that the film had been turned into a musical, and even more excited to find out that it was coming to the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, one of the best places in town to see a show. (I wrote about the Pantages in detail in my book, From the Corner of Hollywood and diVine: Your Guide to 30 Old Hollywood-Inspired Spots in Southern California, available here.)

First of all, let me say that Once the Musical has not been turned into a huge, over-the-top production. This is not Phantom of the Opera with a giant chandelier, or Miss Saigon with the helicopter, or even Ghost the Musical with the cool LED curtains. What Once is...is lovely, funny, and charming. But I think it is good to know that it is very low-key (with lots of dim lighting on stage and a set that does not really change) before going in so you can have some tea or coffee; there were lots of people yawning around me, but it was not because they were bored! I heard lots of, "This is the greatest musical EVER!" "Beautiful!" and "Fabulous!" statements at intermission. Not that I was eavesdropping on everyone around me (I was), but the general consensus seemed to be that it was nice to watch a story unfold slowly, experience the actors creating a scene, and not be blown out of your seat with a loud orchestra.

The Pantages is an Art Deco lover's dream.

There is no orchestra at all in Once, in fact; the music is provided by the actors on stage. The whole cast is fantastic, the two leads (Stuart Ward and Dani de Waal) beyond perfection, and I have to give props to the ladies who were dancing and singing while playing violin. And they start the show a little early; there is a jam session on stage before the play even officially begins, with audience members hanging out in the pub that is the center of the action! Each song is truly something special and was warmly received by the opening night audience at the Pantages. The music and lyrics were written by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova (the stars of the movie), and the book by an award-winning Irish playwright and screenwriter named Enda Walsh.

Without giving anything away if you have not seen the film...Once is not your traditional love story. Boy meets girl (or, in this case, Guy meets Girl--we never get their real names) and finds in her his muse; as the tagline on the posters say, "His music needed one thing--her." Of equal importance in the story is the message of having the courage to follow your dreams, no matter what the price, that I'm sure was especially poignant to the crowd in Hollywood, a town with a well-deserved reputation for squashing artistic dreams like bugs. I have a feeling that once will not be enough for many of us who experienced Once, and that we will be back again. And again. See this immediately!

Even the bathrooms at the Pantages are glamorous!

Once is playing at the Hollywood Pantages through August 10th. Click here for ticket info. 

Theater Review: Shakespeare Center of LA's ROMEO AND JULIET

The Japanese Garden, on the VA Campus in Westwood, is a beautiful place to be on a summer night, with its pond, strands of lights, and picnic tables. Throw in some William Shakespeare, and you have got an evening to remember.

This is just 5 minutes from the 405 freeway!

I attended my first Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles (SCLA) production here last summer, and it was A Midsummer Night's Dream infused with some rockabilly tunes that sounded straight out of the 1950s. So, when I heard that this year's offering was a 1920s-inspired Romeo and Juliet, I was intrigued.

I am thrilled to say that this production did not disappoint. Performed in the round, the cast held the audience's attention for three hours and even occasionally ventured into the crowd to involve an audience member in the action. The set is bare bones, but it did not seem to matter because the acting was so good. And it does not hurt that Juliet is played by a gorgeous gal who looks like Rihanna!

Jack Mikesell (Romeo) & Christina Elmore (Juliet) (photo credit: Michael Lamont)

Being a huge Art Deco fan, it was cool to see this classic story of star-crossed lovers set against a backdrop of 1920s Los Angeles, with Romeo and Juliet being from warring newspaper families. "My only love sprung from my only hate!" proclaims Juliet, in flapper headband, drop-waist dress, and t-strap shoes. She sports beach pajamas (big in the twenties) in one scene, while the guys stroll around in gangster suits and tilted fedoras. And there is a great moment at a party when the guests do the Charleston!

Back in the day, we had to watch Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 version of Romeo and Juliet in one of my classes, and of course there was Baz Luhrmann's 1996 take on The Bard with Leo and Clare Danes. If you love Shakespeare and live theatre, I think you will really enjoy this fresh take on the story, and it is nice that the dialogue remains unchanged ("With a kiss, I die." *I attempt to cry quietly into my scarf.*)

A river runs through it.

Things to know:

1. Come early and picnic! A lot of local markets (like Gelson's) will pack a meal for you. Bring a blanket, as the tables tend to fill up quickly and you might end up on the ground.

2. There is ample parking, but if you end up in one of the overflow lots you will take a small hike up a little hill and then walk down a dirt path, so you might want to opt for comfortable shoes with a closed-toe.

3. Dress casual and stylish; this is a hip crowd. Layers are good, as it might be warm when you arrive but cool off quickly when the sun goes down.

Shakespeare Center of LA's Romeo and Juliet is playing through July 26. For tickets, call 213.893.8293 or click here.

BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge: Review of Emily Giffin's The One & Only

 As a proud bookworm, I am honored to be one of the bloggers for the 2014 BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge! I will be reading and posting a review of a book a week through Labor Day, and you can see the full schedule for the program here. Plus, they are giving away some great prizes, like a $500 Visa Gift Card! Happy Reading! #SRC2014

Disclaimer: My son is named Dallas, my husband is from Texas, and we are huge Cowboys fans.

I try not to find out much about books I am planning to read so that I can just jump in with an open mind, but I did kind of geek out when I found out that Emily Giffin's latest, The One & Only, involved football and the Lone Star State. I have read everything she has ever written, usually staying up until the wee hours to see how they ended, and this book was no exception. 
  
(cue the Friday Night Lights theme)

The One & Only tells the story of Shea, a thirtysomething football fanatic and sports writer who has started to wonder if her comfortable and familiar life might be a little too comfortable and familiar. I pictured her as a cross between Erin Andrews  on Fox Sports and Diane Keaton in Something's Gotta Give, since Shea is hot but refuses to believe it, even while football players are falling at her feet and gifting her with diamonds. Her BFF since birth, Lucy, is the daughter of the superstar college football coach, Coach Carr, a man so handsome that a male sports writer once compared his looks to those of George Clooney. He also constantly calls Shea "girl," which brought to mind The Gos in Crazy Stupid Love. The story kicks off with the death of Coach Carr's wife, and while I am not going to give anything away here...I will say that certain things about the book are very predictable. But still enjoyable.

If I am remembering correctly, all of Emily's books have an element of a forbidden relationship in them (remember Rachel and Dex in Something Borrowed?), which I think is one reason why her stories connect so well with her audience. One of her books was called The Heart of the Matter, and that is exactly what she gets down to in The One & Only, in a way that would make Don Henley proud. If you have ever longed for someone that was out of reach or forbidden, or felt torn between two loves, or harbored a secret crush for years, this story will resonate with you. And beyond romance, the novel might make you consider if you are dreaming big enough and truly pursuing your passion, no matter what your age or stage in life.

If you are going anywhere near a beach or pool in the next few days, The One & Only belongs in your bag. It is a perfect summer read, and can easily be devoured in a few days or even one marathon reading session into the wee hours while the hubby and kids snooze. Even if you are not that into football and do not know a line of scrimmage from a coin toss, you can still enjoy the story, and you might even be inspired to check out SportsCenter or an actual game when the season starts.

Movie Review: Disney's PLANES: FIRE & RESCUE

 In the "airport" section of our family room, Dusty Crophopper, Ripslinger, Bulldog and more friends from Disney's Planes are lined up and ready for takeoff. When my son saw the movie last year, the story of the gutsy cropduster with a dream captured his then three-year-old heart and imagination...and I also think he developed a crush on the aerodynamic plane named Ishani.

In the LA Live Regal Cinemas lobby.

I am happy to say that I thought Fire & Rescue (which opens July 18) was even better than Planes, and it is a wonderful tribute to all those who fight fires. As one character says about the fire planes, "They fly in when others fly out." The action starts off in Propwash Junction with Dusty and his friends from the first movie, but quickly moves to Piston Peak, where Dusty goes to train and become certified as a firefighter. And, of course, we get to meet a some new friends, including a Dusty super fan, voiced by Julie Bowen of tv's Modern Family, who likes to watch Dusty while he sleeps.

Fun Thing To Watch For: If you have been to the Grand Californian Hotel at Disneyland, you will see that the Grand Fusel Lodge in the movie looks just like it.

Sporting some stylish 3D glasses.

You are most likely going to be seeing Planes: Fire & Rescue if you have little ones, but I do think that mom and dad and older siblings will enjoy the movie, too. We saw it at the LA Live Regal Cinemas in 3D, and the flying and fire scenes were absolutely spectacular. And do stay through the credits (the movie is very short) for a little surprise about one of the characters. Enjoy! Maybe we can look forward to a third Planes film in Summer 2015?

And...thanks to Disney for these two activity sheets for the kids! Print the pics and have fun coloring and doing the maze.

Prehistoric Fun at the Natural History Museum in Downtown Los Angeles

My son, who is four years old, absolutely loves dinosaurs, so he was thrilled to spend an afternoon this week at the Natural History Museum in Downtown Los Angeles. The buildings and grounds are just gorgeous, and this is a great place to take the kiddos to learn some history and facts about animals and also explore some great outdoor spaces. I highly recommend getting tickets to the Butterfly Pavilion (buy your tix online ahead of time), and checking out the museum's daily schedule, as they offer lots of free tours and programs. Where do YOU take the kids when school is out?

The dramatic entrance hall at the Natural History Museum.

It's fun to see how many different kinds of dinosaurs you can identify.

On a hot day, you can stick your feet in one of the fountains, and then walk around and look at all the plants. 

 

I am part Cherokee, and I really enjoyed the Native American section of the museum.

The Butterfly Pavilion is magical; you walk into a screened-in area where they fly freely around you...

...and sometimes ON you!