I ride the rides at Lee Regional Fair

This week, I took nothing but a camera and a bag of bravery and rode the rides at the Lee Regional Fair. The following videos can also be found at The Herald’s Fair Blog, http://blogthefair.wordpress.com.

Part I

Part II

Lee Regional Fair rides open today

Rides at the Lee Regional Fair open at 5 pm tonight. The Herald incorrectly published they would open Wednesday.

TV Review: ‘Glee’

After the promising pilot Fox aired last spring (and again this fall), I couldn’t help but be just a tad disappointed in the “series premiere” of Glee, a show that despite my concerns, it sure to be a hit this fall.
Where the pilot blended wit, cleverly placed musical numbers and a solid plot introduction, this week’s episode, titled “Showmance,” tried too hard to reintroduce the show’s conflicts (we get it … Coach Sue hates Glee), something the pilot did effortlessly. And unlike the opener’s productions of “Don’t Stop Believin’” and “Rehab,” the numbers in this episode — “Gold Digger” and “Push It” — sounded overproduced and obviously done in a studio.
In other words … when the kids decide they’re going to belt out a tune (which will happen, I imagine, on a number of occasions in the future), then let’s have it sound somewhat real. “Showmance” came awfully close to “High School Musical” territory in that aspect.
All that said, there’s still something very likable about this show, as it’s one of those rare network shows that the teens and 20- and 30-somethings can relate to. The adults get Will Schuester’s struggle with his dream and reality. The teens get the Finn-Rachel chemistry and conflict, and unlike the aforementioned Disney machine that is HSM, the dialogue in “Glee” comes much closer to what real high school students sound like. The show has a “Hamlet 2″ feel at times, without the insanity.
Despite the few bumps this week, I like “Glee,” a solid character-driven show that seems to be going the way of the dinosaur (especially if Leno succeeds and his economy-friendly show sets a trend). Cory Monteith, who plays Finn, is perfectly cast as the jock with a heart (a better version than Chris Klein’s “Oz” in “American Pie”), and Rachel is a likable loser who we want to see succeed.
And as for Mr. Shoe? Keep livin’ the dream, pal.
And drop the wife.

Next week: Will forms an a capella group and spends more time with them than he does with New Directions after he is asked to perform at the PTA meeting with some surprising additions to his group. Meanwhile, Kurt is under pressure in his life which isn’t helped by Mercedes new found interest in finding a relationship.

The Rant: September 9 episode

The Rant celebrated 09/09/09 with a spin of the topic wheel, Lee Regional Fair talk, discussion about the local “Biggest Loser” competition, headlines (Obama speaking to school children talk), entertainment news and the final 30 minutes without Billy.

Enjoy.

Brick City Bowl IV video

Sights and sounds from the fourth Brick City Bowl — the annual football game that pits intra-county rivals Lee County High School and Southern Lee High School — on Sept. 4, 2009. Lee County won the fourth contest, 55-7, evening the series at 2-2.

Sunday column: Beatlemania is back

A few weeks back, former flower children and hippies everywhere were reliving Woodstock as the nation celebrated the 40th anniversary of that little concert in the cow pasture.

This year also marks the 40th anniversary of perhaps an even bigger event in music history, however … the last live performance by a little foursome known as The Beatles. That year, 1969, also marked their last album, “Abbey Road.”

That’s right … it’s been 40 years now since The Beatles have done anything new, yet it’s hard to watch commercials without hearing a Beatles song, listening to the radio without hearing a Beatles-influenced tune and still difficult to meet somebody (all generations, all races) who doesn’t know a Beatles song.

What’s incredible is the window of time The Beatles had to forever change pop and rock music. Seven years.

They hit it big in the U.K. in 1962, and in seven years, they went from mop-topped suit-wearing youngsters to psychedelic, beard-growing rock veterans. “I Want to Hold Your Hand” somehow morphed into “Get Back.” “Love Me Do” to “I Am the Walrus.”

I was born seven years after The Beatles’ break-up, around the time John Lennon was giving the world “Imagine,” and Paul McCartney was leading Wings. I’ve often wondered what it was like to grow up in the 60s and “experience” the release of a new Beatles album or to hear a new Beatles song on the radio for the first time. Long before the days of Internet leaks and iTunes sneak-peeks, the public heard The Beatles through vinyl, through the airwaves and in film … great, great films, by the way.

But I’m lucky in that I grew up the son of a big Beatles fan — my dad. He was 10 when John, Paul, George and Ringo landed at JFK Airport and soon after, performed on Ed Sullivan. He was a a teen when The Beatles matured into their “Rubber Soul,” “Revolver” and “Sergeant Pepper’s” days. He was in his early 20s when his first son was born, and it wasn’t long before he started playing Beatles music around him (and a bunch of forgettable nonsense from the late 70s, early 80s … but The Beatles stuck).

I always appreciated them, but it wasn’t until I matured that I became a big fan. Back in 2000, the compilation album “1″ was released, featuring every No. 1 single ever released. The purchase of that album turned me from casual Beatles fan to all-out devotee. I’ve since delved deeper into their catalog and discovered songs like “Hey, Bulldog,” “Glass Onion” and “Norweigan Wood.”

And I’m still discovering.

I’m glad to see Beatlemania is alive today, as Wednesday marks the biggest day in Beatles history since that 2000 release (or the 1995 release of “Free as a Bird”). “Beatles Rockband,” the Fab Four version of the hit video game, hits stores on 09/09/09, and if it has half the success of games like Rockband and Guitar Hero, it will mean millions of tweens, teens and 20-somethings will not only be hearing digitally remastered Beatles tunes … they’ll be playing and singing along.

I’m beyond excited about the game, so much so that I’m bugging my 37-weeks pregnant wife to forget the money we’ve been saving for the newborn and splurge on a new Playstation (one that supports this game). I think I’m wearing her down … perhaps I’ll ask again while she’s in labor.

You can be sure it will be a game I’ll introduce to my daughter as soon as she’s able to get her fingers around those colorful buttons. Already, I’m considering The Beatles “Rock-a-bye” lullabies CD, which I discovered after a friend got us the Radiohead version (it’s sleepy, baby versions of these songs … and it’s actually pretty good).

I think my dad will be proud to see his influence will be passed on to my young ones. And he’ll agree with me that if our world ever hits a generation where The Beatles have been all but forgotten, it just won’t be a better world.

Temple Review: ‘Bingo! The Musical’

My past experiences with bingo — the game, not the musical — were never fun.
I mean, where’s the fun in being dragged to the local VFW by your former stepmother and her mother just to sit and watch people much older than you loom over numbered cards as if they were their own children. Every excited call of “bingo” was met with a room full angry old coots who were bitter because they were one number away from a $50 prize.
And don’t get me started on the clouds of smoke and stench of whiskey sours and Ben Gay.
I hated bingo, and when I walked into Temple Theatre this week for a musical about the subject — a musical where they hand you bingo cards and a dauber as you walk in — those memories started flooding my mind again.
Thankfully, the Temple is smoke-free. And much to my amusement, “Bingo! The Winning Musical” parodies many of the stereotypes of your typical bingo hall — a place ripe for the picking when it comes to comedy (I remember an episode of “Roseanne” that nailed it, too).
“Bingo!” is the opener to Temple Theatre’s six-show 2009-2010 season, and unlike bingo at the smoky VFW, this is a family-friendly event. The story follows a trio of die-hard bingo buddies — Vern (Temple director Peggy Taphorn), Patsy (Mitzi Greshawn Smith) and Honey (Trish Hamilton) — who brave the storm of all storms to make it to the bingo hall, only to arrive late, be forced to sit in the non-smoking section and be forced to welcome a young newcomer, Allison (played by Temple newcomer Ruth Golsteyn), with a secret she’s not ready to reveal.
Much like the popular Broadway hit “Putnam County Spelling Bee,” which gets audience members involved in the competition, “Bingo!” is interactive in that the audience gets a chance to play three games of straight bingo with prizes like restaurant certificates and concession stand vouchers available to the winners.
No, I didn’t win. I did grumble once, though, because I was one number away.
There was good and bad in “Bingo!,” written by Michael Heitzman, Ilene Reid and David Holcenburg. As in every Temple production I’ve seen to date, the good came in the form of the performances.
Taphorn, who shined in last season’s “Dames at Sea,” is the bingo-obsessed Vern, who seems to possess most of the bingo-playing stereotypes mentioned earlier — heavy smoker, jealous of other winners, wears a bowling shirt. She, Hamilton and Smith open the show with “Girls Night Out,” a strong, catchy number that also serves as the closing.
Smith, who last appeared in Sanford in “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” shows her talent in the gospel-like “I Still Believe in You,” and Hamilton performs well in “Gentleman Caller,” a duet with Stephen N. Moore, the lone male in the cast who plays bingo caller Sam. Sam and Minnie (Kathy Gelb) serve as the emcees throughout the night, with Minnie often serving as the liaison between the audience and the performers.
Golsteyn delivers the show’s best performance in her limited role as Allison, who reveals early on that she is the daughter of the trio’s former gal-pal, Bernice (played by Kris Skjellerup). Through a series of flashbacks, the audience learns how Bernice became an outcast of the group 15 years prior, and it’s Allison’s duty to make them a foursome again. Golsteyn is instantly likable as the not-so-naive newcomer, and I hope to see bigger roles from her in future Temple shows.
Unfortunately for the performers, the material isn’t on par with the quality of previous Temple shows like “Dames,” “Misbehavin’” and last season’s non-musical, “Hamlet.” While “Bingo!” does well with the parody, it falls flat on more than one occasion with its one-liners, and a few scenes — namely an off-tangent “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” number and a Clint Eastwood bit — seem misplaced. They’re performed admirably, mind you … just misplaced.
The interactive games, while fun, did take away from the show’s continuity, as there seemed to be lulls in action while the “hosts” called numbers and checked winning cards. They were still far more enjoyable than the bingo I experienced as a child.
And when it’s all said and done, “Bingo!” is a good time. Temple Theatre continues attracting quality talent, and it’s a fun show for the family. With the mature-themed “Stones in His Pockets” (which I’m looking forward to), the holiday classic “A Christmas Carol” and the serious “Blood Done Sign My Name” coming up, this will be one of the few comedies appearing this year.
So laugh, play bingo and support another quality show. Just don’t get mad when you lose, and for God’s sake … don’t light up.

The Rant: September 2 show

It was a good show today, as we discussed last week’s trip to the karaoke bar, discussed the nice, cool fall weather North Carolina is experiencing, had Lee County dance champion Carl Bryan in studio and much, much more.

Enjoy it.

The Rant: Aug. 26

We were a man down this week, but we were still The Rant.
Topics this week included:
• Billy’s Dancing with the Stars performance
• Jon’s karaoke experience
• Mary’s “Inglorious Basterds” review
• Jon’s troubles in the boys underwear aisle at Walmart
• Sex offender talk
• Zombie Ted Kennedy talk
• and much, much more ….

The video …