Cure for the Bullhockey: Sean Cannon as a Bear

Every once in a while, you stumble upon something that makes life just a little bit better.

When you say to yourself: "Self, there's a whole lot of bullhockey in the world. This thing you have found-- it negates just a little bit of that bullhockey."

This is one of those things.

And there's been a lot of bullhockey lately.

So, it's a good time to share it with you.

I've been pretty vocal on Twitter about my love for Sean Cannon, the "After Dark" dj at WFPK. So much so that it made the one time I met him a little bit awkward-- for me at least. (I think I hugged him-- what can I say? I'm a hugger!)

I'm convinced Cannon is my musical soulmate. One particularly glum evening, I was sitting in front of my computer, probably blogging, and Cannon whips out a series of tunes-- Pixies, Sonic Youth, Dinosaur Jr, Counting Crows, and Grant Lee Buffalo (there may have been one or two songs in between)-- that made me want to crawl through my computer and give him a big ol' smooch.

And congrats to Cannon for having the "After Dark" podcast featured glowingly on the USA Today website recently.

Cheyenne Marie Mize is a Louisville treasure, one of those unforgettable voices and stage presences. And her song "Wishing Well" is ludicrously catchy.

Put Sean Cannon in a bear costume in a mall with a tambourine to a "Wishing Well" soundtrack... it's a cure for the bullhockey, folks.  Not all of it, mind you. But if this little video doesn't make you smile, you're in dire straits, my friend. Maybe you need a hug. From me. Get on over here!

Tom + Chee Open on Bardstown Road

I admit that I can be something of a loner at times. But when I couldn't find a "plus-one" for the soft opening of Tom + Chee on Bardstown Road, I succumbed to a little bit of panic. Luckily, the gods were smiling on me... just ten minutes or so into me feeling terribly awkward and lonely at the event, a familiar voice said, "Would you join us at our table?"

And so I got to enjoy the whole soft opening hoopla at Tom + Chee with Tony and Heather, two-thirds of Le Petomane Theatre Ensemble. A great night of food. And a great night of conversation.

Tom + Chee started as a vendor in a tent by the Fountain Square skating rink in Cincy in 2008. They've since been featured on Man vs. Food and Amazing Eats.  The new outpost on Bardstown Road across from Java is their first outlet outside of Cincinnati.

I spent a lot of time talking with James, their PR person, and what I loved most was how much he talked about 'passion'... way more than he talked about food.  He said that the Cincinnati folks vetted the Louisville franchisees, Natalie and Rich Tinsley, as passionately as they vetted Tom + Chee. The word "love" came up again and again with James.

The food was awesome.  I'm not a particularly healthy eater-- although I am trying to turn over a new leaf these days... if you're going to change your life, you might as well CHANGE your life-- but my favorite sandwich of the six or seven I tried was the Hippy + Chee: hummus, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and cheddar on wheat. On the flip side of that, Tom + Chee features a whole series of grilled cheese sandwiches with smooshed up potato chips inside-- brilliant! I did this with every sandwich that I ate in my middle school cafeteria. I tried the BBQ + Bacon: bbq potato chips, bacon, American cheese on white.  Delish-- the potato chips add just the right amount of sweetness to offset the smokey bacon.

Speaking of sweet-- y'all know Mama ain't much of a sweet eater-- but I wouldn't blame you if you found the most interesting thing about Tom + Chee to be the fact that "glazed donut" is a bread option.  There's a whole donut menu, and I tried one called the "Mint Julep Donut"-- I can't even begin to explain how that was constructed, but I was really only able to eat one or two bites before the sugar headache took over. Tony & Heather, however, finished their donut in the time it took me to take this Instagram picture!

My disinterest in sweets aside, I might be in for tasting a cheddar on glazed donut... One of the few sweets I like is apple pie, and I like it best with a big hunk of sharp cheddar melted on top. As our friend Rachel said, "Yummo!"

I haven't even gotten to the Tom part of Tom + Chee-- the tomato soup. There are at least 5 variations on tomato soup on the menu. The overall favorite at our table was the creamy tomato soup. The best part about the soup menu-- you can add a "soup dipper" to any sandwich purchase for just $1. That's around 4-6oz of soup to dunk your sandwich in.  Awesome.

I'm pretty excited for a new, reasonably-priced, reasonably-local chain that serves one of the most universal of comfort foods. As I said, everyone in the building was very helpful and very friendly. They even made Tony and Heather a series of meat-less meat sandwiches to accommodate their vegetarianness.

My only concern is that Tom + Chee opened on a week of 90+ degree days. Grilled cheese and tomato soup-- gazpacho even-- couldn't be further from my cravings. I hope they can hang in there til the bitter days of November, when you'll have to beat me away with a stick.

Personal: Meeting Roommate

Ten years ago this week, I met my best friend. This picture of us was taken that week. When Roommate and I met, I was living in New Orleans, and he was living in Knoxville; he was working for the Writers Retreat Workshop, and I'd won the inaugural Robin Hardy New Student Scholarship for the event. We'd corresponded via email before we met, and I remember thinking, "Oh, this guy is great." And when I met him in person, it was, like, crazy fireworks and rainbows.

I live with my ex-boyfriend. And that is, by any estimation, a little insane. Roommate and I lasted only three or so years romantically; but our love for each other was so solid, so real, that it seemed wrong and weird to call the friendship quits too. I think that's pretty awesome.

Every so often, Roommate gets it in his head that it's time for him to move out or change cities (usually, this is at least in part because some woman has worked her way into his heart....). I promise you this: if and when the time comes for him to move on... and I'm pretty sure it will come some day...  I will be, like, whoa devastated. We've been through some stuff together, Roommate and I: my divorce, Katrina, my cancer, his heart attack, some heartbreaks, a couple of family deaths, a miscarriage. But BFFs through all of it.

Thanks for everything, Roommate, my chosen brother.

[502]: Season 2 Announced!

Last year, Theatre [502] had its debut season-- and what a season it was! I'm still kicking myself for missing their first play, but HUNTER GATHERERS and BROADSWORD were brilliant. When I opened up an emailed press release from Theatre [502] just a minute ago and read that their season starts JUNE 1-- SO SOON!!-- I did a little happy dance in my chair.

Last season I had the privilege of interviewing two of [502]'s Co-Artistic Directors and Founders for two separate articles for The Paper-- Mike Brooks and Amy Attaway.  (Watch out, Gil Reyes, I'm coming for you soon!) Read the article on Mike for more about Theatre [502]'s inception.

Without further ado... here are the synopses for the three plays that are [502]: Season 2...

[502]: Season 2 will open June 1, 2012, with FUTURA by Jordan Harrison, directed by Attaway. A dangerous lecture on typography turns deadly in a not-so-distant future where the page has been absorbed by the Cloud and the author has lost all authority. Words quickly become action in this dystopian thriller from the author of Humana Festival premieres Kid Simple and Maple and Vine. The play will run June 1-9 in the Victor Jory Theatre at Actors Theatre of Louisville.

In August, the company will present GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES by Rajiv Joseph, directed by Theatre [502] Co-Artistic Director Gil D. Reyes. Romeo and Juliet have nothing on the often funny, possibly tragic, and always gripping tale of Kayleen and Doug. They’ve suffered life’s slings and arrows, its heartbreaks, its electrocutions and its blunt force traumas. Now, about to hit 40, and no more certain than ever of their place in the world, they spin the yarn of two lives that began in a schoolyard, criss-crossed through the decades, and hurt like hell the whole time. Performances will run August 3-11 in the Victor Jory Theatre at Actors Theatre of Louisville.

The final full-length production of the season will be THE ALIENS by Annie Baker, directed by Theatre [502] Co-Artistic Director Mike Brooks. Three geniuses on the outside looking out pass a shaky summer in a staff-only area, where their worlds change slowly under an exploding sky. Are they The Aliens? The New Humans? Or are they just like you? Bukowski meets Beckett in this unforgettable suckerpunch comedy that whispers to scream. Performances will run October 5-13 in the Victor Jory Theatre at Actors Theatre of Louisville.

Visit www.theatre502.org for more information. Do not miss these plays... 

Who's In Town: National Archery in the Schools National Tournament

The National Archery in the Schools Program started in Kentucky in 2002 and has worked to advocate adding competitive archery into schools' PE programs ever since. They provide 4th-12th grade curricula that follow National Physical Education Standards to schools and mentor and recruit coaches of International Style Target Archery.

And they're in town from May 11 - 12 for their National Tournament.  I asked John Gautier of the NASP a few questions about their visit.

And let's just get this out of the way, I did not fall down on my job as your favorite blogger (or second favorite?... third?... just 'area blogger'?). I asked the folks from the National Archery in the Schools National Competition if the HUNGER GAMES was driving kids in droves to the sport of archery.  Jon's response, "We feel that NASP has contributed to the popularity of Archery, so the exact opposite of what the media announces. Archery has been around for a very long time and NASP has been in the works for just over 10 years." I'm not sure what that means. Does he mean that the NASP has made archery so popular that Suzanne Collins included it as Katniss's hobby?

The rest of the interview was equally... terse... But still, it sounds like a fantastic-- HUGE-- event! And, what a spectacle it probably is. It's at the Expo Center. I'm sorry I can't give you more information but their website is also... clear as mud.

LOU: What goes on during the tournament? Can you give us a brief overview of the event?

Gautier: The Nationals is a culminating event. NASP archers from all over the US have competed at the Regional & State level tournaments and advanced to the Nationals. The NASP World tournament at ESPN's Wide World of Sports follows this event in October each year and draws NASP archers & teams from the US, Canada, New Zealand & South Africa.

LOU: The website refers to the event as "Where Olympic Journeys Begin"-- just how close are the medal-winners to earning a spot on the Olympic team?

We have partnered with the US Olympic Committee to help promote the 2012 Olympics, NASP archers have a very good chance of advancing in Archery as they are receiving an excellent start with NASP.

LOU:  How many competitors do you expect? How many people total?

A. Over 8,100 NASP Student Archers

LOU:  Can the public attend this event? If so, what would be the most exciting time for someone to attend?
A. Yes, it is open to the public, there is a nominal gate fee per person per day. The most exciting time would at anytime, however the very last competitive flight that leads up to the Scholarship shoot off will be feature as well as the awards ceremony.

Friday Fun Fact:Prince Charming Josh Dallas

I am sure that I am late to this game and that the Lamestreet Media (LOL, Sarah Palin jokes never get old) has been all over this story. But I had no idea that the male lead on one of my new favorite TV shows was a Louisvillager.

ABC's ONCE UPON A TIME is a little hit or miss. When it hits, it's pretty fabulous-- usually thanks to Jane Espenson's writing (Espenson's career is one of the most enviable in television... she's written for BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, BUFFY, GAME OF THRONES, TORCHWOOD, and many more geek favorites).

My favorite thing about the show is that it revolves around the lives of three women, stars Lana Perilla Ginnifer Goodwin, my favorite wife from BIG LOVE, and Jennifer Morrison (Ginnifer/Jennifer... I wonder how that goes on set.). For once, the men on a television show are simply there to service the stories of the women. And these aren't SEX IN THE CITY style chick-plots. It's fantasy and fairy tale and crime and thriller.

One of those men servicing the women's stories is Josh Dallas, who was born in Louisville and raised in New Albany and attended New Albany High School.

I had no idea about any of this until Roommate told me he was in the Pegasus Parade (it also explains why Ginnifer Goodwin was in Louisville for Derby-- apparently, they're a couple).

Here's some interesting stuff from his bio:

At the age of 16, Dallas received the Sarah Exley Scholarship, awarded to one American student every three years in support of their study of acting at the prestigious Mountview Conservatoire for the Performing Arts in London, England. In London, at the age of 20, he landed his first professional job as an actor with the acclaimed Royal Shakespeare Company, and he went on to perform with some of the most renowned theatrical companies in the world, including the Royal National Theatre, The English National Opera, The New Shakespeare Company and The Young Vic.

Though he never left the theatre far behind, Dallas began to land parts in television and independent features. Feeling nostalgic for his home after a decade abroad, he made the move back stateside and landed in Hollywood. Five days later he received a call offering him the leading role of Fandral in 2011's Blockbuster Thor, directed by the Oscar-nominated director/actor Kenneth Branagh.

Awesome.

He's not really my type, so William Mapother doesn't have to worry about losing his place in my heart as favorite celebrity Louisvillager. But he's pretty adorable, and that resume is pretty darned impressive.

Have a great weekend, kids!

Free Orchestra Concert

It's not often you get to hear musicians from the Louisville Orchestra perform for free, so I wanted to make sure that I shared this event with you. I don't have a good anecdote or chit-chatty bit for this one. I kinda figure my Cancerversary post probably filled my chatty quota for the week, right? (Again, thank you so much for the lovely, lovely things you people have said about me and about that post. It's a cliche to say that something 'means a lot," but when I say your words 'meant a lot' to me, I really mean it. I've been thinking about some of the things y'all said for days.)

Anyhoo... What a great way to spend a Friday evening... Tomorrow at the Village Anchor (a place I've been meaning to try out) will host the Louisville Orchestra Musicians Association at 6p in a free concert. LOMA is performing for free as a thank you to the community for the support they received during their protracted battle with management this year.

Personal: Thank you... all of you.

Four years ago today, I was teaching an afternoon class and noticed out of the corner of my eye that my cellphone message indicator was blinking green. I knew what it was. I'd been expecting the call. I took a deep breath, shook off the willies and the encroaching tears, and finished the lesson on The Great Gatsby. I shooed my students out of the room a little early, I admit. Retrieved the message. And through tearless, breathless astonishment, called back the nurse who'd called me.

She affirmed what the message had told me, what the biopsy had told the doctor.

Breast cancer. Invasive.

Four years ago today, I am quite sure I can say that I knew none of you. And that just about none of you knew me. It was the baby days of the blog, and I'd yet to embrace Louisville's budding social media community. I'd rolled my eyes at Twitter, only used Facebook for old friends. I'd yet to dent the local blogosphere. I was less than two years a Louisvillager, and truly, with the obvious exception of Roommate, who had moved here from New Orleans with me, I had almost no friends at all.

I did not go through my cancer experience alone. From the uncle who flew down for my mastectomy because my father-- his brother-- passed away when I was a child, and he felt I needed a "father figure" by my side, to the mother-in-law of a near-stranger who heard through the grapevine that I didn't have a ride to chemo and picked me up, talked to me for the 5 hour treatment, and later brought me brownies, I was blessed with unexpected support. My students and their parents and my colleagues at school fed me two or three times a week for four months. When I insisted that I wanted to go back to school in August, halfway through my treatments, my school did me the great service of refusing to let that happen and paying me my full wage for part-time work until I did return in October, even though they didn't have to. Roommate, of course, was there for much of the journey. He was the one who shaved my head when the first clumps started to fall out in early July-- in the backyard, as I sobbed, and as maybe he cried a little too.  He was the one who held me four years ago today and assured me that everything would be okay. Mama Lou was a champ, heroic even for a woman who lost her husband to cancer when she was just 26 and now was watching her only child suffer.

That picture above is from the very early days of my treatment. I'd heard that the Newport Aquarium had a penguin encounter program. I told Roommate, "I want to pet a penguin," and he made it happen. Much like he made Bonnaroo happen just 12 days after my mastectomy-- he wrote the organizers, and they upgraded us to VIP handicapped access... I was stoned out of my gourd on painkillers much of the time, but it was amazing.

When I think back on those days, I am rarely bitter or angry. Yes, I hate that I had cancer. I hate that I lost my (huge, beautiful-- just being honest-- the last bra I bought was a 32-E) breasts. I am brutally indignant that my cancer care is still causing me financial trouble; the only way I could be even more passionate about National Health Care is if it could possibly be retroactive.  But all in all, cancer, on a day-to-day basis, is just something that happened to me. It killed my dad. It happened to my grandmother. It happened to my uncle. It happened AGAIN recently to a fellow young breast cancer survivor friend. It happens. It sucks, but it happens.

What makes me sad about Melissa-circa-four-years-ago, though, is that she didn't have you. These days when I tweet or blog about having strep throat or preparing for a root canal, I have dozens of people who offer soup or advice or a ride to the doctor. When I think of that one week that found me calling around to cancer support groups, teary-eyed, looking for a volunteer to drive me home from chemo... when I realize that today I am 100% sure that a single tweet would have solved that problem... I am so sorry for the four-years-ago-me.

I am so lucky.

This year, on the week of my Cancerversary, because of this blog and because of social media, I could be busy celebrating every single day with people I love. Roommate, who has been here through thick and thin. My boyfriend, who is the first I've had since cancer and who makes my hot flashes, memory loss, and wonky body feel utterly inconsequential and sometimes endearing. My amazing friends who want to celebrate this Cancerversary-- not even a milestone year-- by taking me out to the fanciest restaurant in town... every email and text about it makes me tear up with gratitude. Four years after my cancer experience, I am blessed with a stable of amazing friends and acquaintances-- nearly all of whom I've met because of this blog-- beyond what I could have ever imagined during those lonely, lonely days of surgeries and chemo and recovery.

The pop culture cancer narratives of people like Lance Armstrong lead people to believe that cancer makes people better, stronger, more courageous. And that may be true for a handful of folks, and I admire those people. I do.

But four years after I was diagnosed with cancer, I can honestly say I am a different person now. A better person. A stronger person.  A more courageous person.  But it's not because I had cancer.  It is because of you. The hundreds of you who read every blog post. The 1800+ of you who follow me on Twitter. I am a better, different person because of you. You have created a community for me. You have become my friends both online and in person. We're a strange sort of family. And because of you, I am almost never lonely. In fact, unless I choose to be, I can't imagine ever being lonely again.

Four years after the day I first heard the words "you have cancer," I am healthy, and I am infinitely happier. My hair is long again. My heart is full. My life is infinitely improved by your presence in it.

Thank you, readers. Thank you, followers. Happy Cancerversary to me.

Brown Hotel: Travel + Leisure's The Best for Less

Travel + Leisure Magazine, in one of their infernal slides hows-- how I hate internet slide shows!, named the Brown Hotel one of the Fifteen Best Affordable City Hotels.

Says T+L: Built in 1923, The Brown, in downtown Louisville just three miles from the Kentucky Derby’s Churchill Downs, was a magnet for celebrities through the 1950s. This year, all 293 guest rooms will undergo a renovation. Doubles from $129.

I also happen to know that if you are very lucky, you can get a room at the Brown for considerably less than $129 on Hotwire-- if you're willing to roll those dice. The Brown's lobby bar is one of my favorite bars in the city. (And is the place where Roommate & I tossed back a couple of bourbons with Lucinda Williams and her band... good times.)

May is Hometown Tourism month here in Louisville. The Brown would be a great home base for a little downtown exploration and dining!

Samurai Exhibit at Frazier-- Coming Soon!

I once had a boyfriend who gave me a sword for my birthday. Scratch that. He was actually my ex-boyfriend at the time. And although I think (that time), I was technically the dump-er and he was the dump-ee, I was so overwhelmingly moved by this gift. I remember thinking, "Man, I have always really wanted a sword, and he just knew I would never go out and buy a sword for myself. That's so sweet."

This wasn't, like, high school. I was in my late-early twenties at the time. And yes, I still have the sword, and no I have never had cause to use it. But it's pretty. And I am glad it's there.

And I happen to know that that ex-boyfriend recently married a woman who is totally the kind of person who would also appreciate being given a sword for her birthday. And I've recently-ish entered into a relationship with a man who gave me comic books about a samurai rabbit for Christmas (which I loved).

So... it's all good.

And you'd better bet that visiting the upcoming "Samurai" exhibit at the Frazier Museum will be an easy, no-brainer date for us. From their website:

May 12 through September 30, 2012

Centuries old armor made of iron, silk and gilded metal showcase how the Samurai used their artistry to convey ferocity and instill fear. Personal items, such as painted scrolls and screens, reveal a more intimate side of Samurai culture and help expose the role of women in Samurai society. An exhibition of extraordinary beauty, artistry and richness, “Samurai” tells the epic tale of the rise and fall of one of the greatest warrior cultures in history.

This original Frazier History Museum exhibition will feature national treasure-level artifacts from Japanese and American collections, and will be shown exclusively at the Frazier Museum. “Samurai” presents a once in a lifetime opportunity to see some of the finest artifacts relating to the legacy left by this great warrior culture.

So excited!

TICKET GIVEAWAY! An Evening With Yanni

No, no, no, ladies... I'm not giving away an actual EVENING with Yanni. I'm sure that would be a fantastic night; based on the videos on his website, he seems like the smiley-est, most chipper dude in the world.

But I AM giving away two tickets to see Yanni's world tour called "An Evening with Yanni."

I am crazy excited about this. I'm so grateful that Yanni's folks touched base with me.

Here's some info from them:

After an extensive world tour, popular contemporary composer Yanni returns to the United States with a new show An Evening with Yanni, coming to the Louisville Palace on Saturday, April 28, 2012 at 8:00 p.m.

Yanni will return to his roots and perform the instrumental hits from legendary live shows that have amazed millions on every continent. Joined on stage by world-class musicians, Yanni will perform the pieces made famous by his shows at the Acropolis in Greece, India’s Taj Mahal, the Forbidden City in China and the Royal Albert Hall in London. The live show will also feature music from Yanni’s newest album Truth of Touch. Now platinum in the Middle East, the compilation of original studio music is the composer’s first in almost a decade.

Reserved Seat Tickets are On Sale Now: $89.50 / $69.50 / $59.50 / $49.50 / $39.50 www.LouisvillePalace.com

I always associate Yanni with my dabbling in New Age-y stuff in the 90's. But he's also a huge humanitarian and involved with lots of global events like the Olympics and, according to Wikipedia, is the widely considered the biggest fundraiser for PBS. 

What do YOU associate Yanni with? Tell me to be entered in the drawing to win TWO tickets to "An Evening With Yanni." You can email me the answer at lou@loueyville.com with the words "I want to see Yanni" in the subject line or comment below. I will choose one random commenter or emailer on Thursday 4/26.  Good luck!

PSA: Don't Be a Thunder-Lover-Shamer

I am not a Thunder Over Louisville fan. I "get" Thunder-lovers. Occasionally, the sight of expertly-flown fighter jets dancing in the skies over the city makes me go all Lee Greenwood inside. How can it not? It's an art. It's a talent. It's dangerous and beautiful. And how can you not admire the brave patriots who fly those planes?

But the air show makes me squidgy. So much money goes into all that. And fuel and other resources. And the celebration of instruments of war and destruction?... I'm not really cool with that. And certainly, I can't help but ache for those Louisvillagers who have at one point in their lives lived somewhere where the sound of a fighter jet overhead was not the sound of celebration or martial artistry but the sound of immanent peril.

Lord knows, as someone who was one of the first groups of people to return to New Orleans after the mandatory evacuation, post-Katrina, I was-- for years-- wigged out by the sound of low-flying helicopters. I still kind of am.

And fireworks at close range have always made me edgy.

I'm not a Thunder-hater, but I'm not a Thunder Over Louisville fan, either. I could absolutely do without it.

But you know what I like LEAST about Thunder? All the Thunder-Lover-Shamers.

It's the day before Thunder Over Louisville, and this is about the time when the Thunder-Lover-Shamers start rearing their ugly heads. They pop up on Twitter or Facebook. They emerge among your co-workers. They start troll-posting on the CJ website.

Their primary goal: to make people who genuinely enjoy Thunder feel terrible about their love for this event.

Listen, it's totally fine with me if you hate Thunder. As I said, I'm mostly in your camp. But it's not okay to, once a year, express your hatred of Thunder by deriding and shaming those people who truly love it. If you have serious moral objections to Thunder Over Louisville, then you should be working ALL YEAR LONG to somehow ban and/or improve what happens during this Derby season opener.

I don't know if it's the same people, but Thunder-Lover-Shamers are the same beasts as Awards-Show-Lover-Shamers or Football-Lover-Shamers. The people who tweet during the Emmys: "I don't know who Julie Bowen is or what she is wearing... Thank God! Curled up with the latest Jonathan Safran Foer and my cat."

Love what you want to love, and let other people get their giggles from whatever it is that tickles their toes. Thunder-Lover-Shaming makes you sound like a jerk.

In the immortal words of Bill & Ted, "Be Excellent To Each Other."

Party on, dudes.

And want to watch the finale of Thunder 2009 from my back yard? Check this out (bonus, for those of you who don't know me, you get to hear the dulcet tone of my voice). Thunder from my back yard

WHO'S IN TOWN?: KY State Rabbit Breeders Association Kentucky Cup

MINI-BUNNY (click photo for source)

For the second installment of Loueyville's new series WHO'S IN TOWN? the more important answer to the question is this:


BUNNIES!! Lots and lots of sweet, little, cute, cuddly, soft, fuzzy bunny rabbits. These aren't even your run-of-the-mill cutie-patootie bunnies-- these are champion bunnies. These are gold-medal-worthy bunnies.

What a soothing, delightful alternative to the sometimes nerve-jangling Thunder over Louisville airshow, huh? Go out to the fair grounds and see some bunnies? Sounds like a good plan to me.

The Kentucky Cup is from 8am-4pm and is open to the public at the West Pavilion of the Expo Center.

I had some questions about the Kentucky Cup, and Christy Frey-- vice-president of the Kentucky State Rabbit Breeders Association was nice enough to answer them.

LOU: The Expo Center's calendar lists the event as the "Kentucky State Mini Rabbit Breeders Convention." And that confused me. I assumed it was a convention of "mini-rabbit" breeders. But from your website I take it to mean it's a "mini-convention." Can you clear this up for me? Also, there is such things as mini-rabbits, right?

CHRISTY FREY: You are correct about the name. It is the KSRBA Mini Convention. We are also calling it the Kentucky Cup. The smallest breed of rabbit is the Netherland Dwarf and Brititannia Petite. Their maximum weight is 2 1/2 lbs. The largest rabbits are the Flemish Giants, Giant Angoras, French Lops and Checkered Giants. Their maximum weight can be over 20 lbs.


What goes on during the Convention? Can you give us a brief overview of the event?

During the show, American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) sanctioned judges will be judging one breed at a time to see which rabbit is the closest to that breeds standard. There is 47 unique breeds recognized by the ARBA. Hopefully we will have many of these breeds at the show. These 47 breeds are distinguished by color, size, and many other characteristics.


How many breeders do you expect? How many rabbits? 

We do not have an exact number, but we are expecting many rabbits and exhibitors from many different states.


Why did you choose Louisville for this event?

We chose Louisville for the location. It is centrally located in KY and has I-64 & I-65. Also the fairgrounds has an excellent facility. We have been advertising the Thunder over Louisville and other tours of famous places around Louisville for the exhibitors to look into doing. The show will be starting at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. It should run late into the afternoon.


Welcome to town Rabbit breeders (and more importantly, your RABBITS!!)! Enjoy Louisville. The KSRBA website is here: http://www.ksrba.webs.com/


Want to know more about the WHO'S IN TOWN? series on Loueyville? Click here. Our last installment was about Handbell Ringers. Read that here.

This American Life: Live Broadcast to Local Theatres

You know what I love about Louisville?  (your almost-correct response: "Everything, Lou?")

Well yeah, almost everything.

But one of those things that I big time love is how much we Louisvillagers all love our public radio. Seriously, sometimes I'll be on the Twitter, and I will see a Tweet from someone I perceive to be... well, not an NPR nerd... proclaiming his bro-crush on Peter Sagal, and I'll be floored!

And yes. People stereotype you on Twitter just like they stereotype you in real life. Like the guy who puts his sunglasses "at rest" on the back of his head??  (THIS IS NEVER OKAY, PEOPLE!! NEVER!!! [confession "that guy" just walked into the coffeeshop])  He probably doesn't listen to "Stereolab," right?

That's neither here nor there.

Point being, I expect that the May 10 This American Life live broadcast at Stonybrook and at Tinseltown will probably sell out fast.  From the TAL website:

We're thrilled to announce that on Thursday, May 10th, 2012, we will perform an episode of This American Life on stage in New York City and beam it live via satellite to more than 500 movie theatres around the country! We did a show like this in 2009, and were blown away when 50,000 people came out to see it. A lot of you have asked us if we'll be doing it again.

So yeah, we're doing it again!

The show will feature stories by Ira Glass, writer David Rakoff, comic Tig Notaro and Snap Judgment host Glynn Washington, plus live music by OK Go. It'll also include things you could never do on the radio, like a new short film by Mike Birbiglia, dance by Monica Bill Barnes & Company, original animation, projected illustration and more. Plus special surprise guests.

Ira writes:

I saw this amazing dance performance by Monica Bill Barnes' company, and I thought - that is totally in the style of our radio show. But obviously you can't have dance on the radio. Then I realized, we have to do another cinema event! We've built this lineup of stories mixed with super visual things, including the dancers I saw, so it's going to feel like the radio show but also totally unlike anything we've done before. I really can't wait to see how it turns out.

Live on Thursday, May 10th at 8:00pm ET/7:00pm CT (tape delayed to 7:00pm MT/ 8:00pm PT).

Le Petomane Does Derby

The first article I wrote for The Paper is probably still my favorite. Not only did it introduce me to the always-fantastic Le Petomane Theatre Ensemble's work, it also led to me getting to know six really great people who I now count as friends. (Awww... yeah, there's all kinds of awww going on here.)

But I became a fan before I became a friend.

Speaking of the Paper, have you picked up this month's Derby issue?  If you have, then you know that the Le Petomane folks don't need to be on stage to be funny... and that they know their Derby.

Their next show throws A Christmas Carol, Hunter S. Thompson, and local Derby lore and legends into a blender-- what comes out is a Gonzo, satirical roast of the entire Derby season.

Unfortunately I missed the WFPK Live Lunch preview of three of the songs, but Roommate listened in while he was in Portland, OR (yay, interwebs!), and he said it was fantastic. I had an in-person preview of Kyle Ware's song. The name escapes me right now, and I am totally NOT going to email him and ask him what it was called because I was singing it for DAYS. Serious earworm there.

This is the last show of the 2011-2012 season for Le Petomane, and what a great season it was (you can read all my posts about Le Petomane's season here). It's going to take one hell of a show, though, for this one to top the amazing 5 THINGS-- which was not only my favorite thing I've seen from Le Petomane, but also goes on my list of top ten favorite theatre experiences ever. Yeah... that good.

A DERBY CAROL runs from April 19-29 (no show on the 24th) at 730p at the Bard's Town. For reservations (recommended!) call 502-609-2520 or email Us@lepetomane.org. Yes, there's a show the night of Thunder. Yes, people have already reserved for that night.  And on April 23, Le Petomane will participate in World Book Night. Because they're book nerds. And we love them for it.

Diego Garcia Returns to Louisville!

Love this photo from METROMIX

Grumble, grumble... *stink-eye*

I'm still none-too-pleased with the folks over at Zanzabar, but it's very difficult to get around the fact that they're my favorite music venue in town. Oh... and TATER TOTS. Of course.

DO BETTER, ZANZABAR!

And there's no getting around the fact that Zanzabar is the only place to catch the return of Diego Garcia this weekend.

Garcia is once again headlining a night of music on April 14 at 9pm-- just five months after his last show at Zbar. I went to the last show, and it was pretty fabulous.  Just yesterday I was in the car listening to WFPK, and a song came on the radio, and I thought, "Why do I love this song so much? The moment it came on I was slammed by a wave of happiness." Turns out-- Diego Garcia song.  Great music. Nice guy. Chatted briefly with Diego after the show, and he gave me the softest t-shirt... hey, the little things count when you're a starving blogger.

Anyway, I emailed Diego a few questions about his upcoming show.  Here are his responses:

LOU: You're playing Louisville during the craziest time of the year in Louisville... the build-up to Derby. What are your impressions of the Kentucky Derby? Decadent and depraved or stately genteel tradition? Something in between?

DIEGO: All of the above. Tradition is beautiful especially when it's part of the land. Crowds are scary.

LOU: You last played Zanzabar on December 10. We're so happy to have you coming back so soon. What was your experience like atZanzabar and in Louisville? Did you have any time to hit the town at all? Did you get to eat at Zanzabar? Did you have their famous tater tots?

DIEGO: Zanzabar is beautiful. It's real. Again, another iconic building and location. The food was also unreal but this time i will make sure to eat after the show and not before! And yes, the tater tots are the real reason were coming back to Louisville

LOU: Lindi Ortega opened for you last time you were here. Wow. Who can we look forward to seeing open for you in April?

DIEGO: Not sure yet but Rumor has it the band "the tater tots" are opening.

LOU: For those of us who went to the show in December, what new can we expect this time around?

DIEGO: A few new songs I'm working on in the studio. Neil youngs harvest moon has also made its way into the show. As well as a new petty song. It's all cool.

How nice of a guy is Diego? He (or his peeps, rather) sent along a free download for you!  Here's "Roses & Wine," folks!

Another Beautiful Infographic from DBS Interactive

Once again DBS Interactive has come up with a gorgeous, Louisville-oriented infographic. This one is all about the Derby.  Ostensibly, it is an ad for Derby Supply Chain Solutions, but wow... so much fun! I did not know, for example, that the Kentucky Derby could have easily ended up being the Kentucky Bunbury! 12,000 Mint Juleps on Derby Day? Awesome.

Their last infographic push "Why Louisville Is Awesome" was very popular and went viral quickly. Check out this one and learn all kinds of minutiae that will impress your peers and colleagues at Kentucky Derby Events!

Broadway Across America: BLUE MAN GROUP

Unless you've been living in a cave for the past twenty-odd years (and if you have been living in a cave, good on ya! I hope you at least have wifi!), you've probably heard of The Blue Man Group.  Hopefully, if the world has been kind to you, you've even actually seen the Blue Man Group-- if not live then on television on in one of the documentaries made about the performance group.

I was lucky enough to catch pretty much the original show in 1991 at Astor Place Theatre in NYC. And the first time I attended (after that first time, I took just about every out-of-town visitor who came to town to see them), I was one of the audience "volunteers." They brought me on-stage and made me unwrap and eat a Twinkie-- and then white goo shot out of a spout on a vest they'd put on me. It was HI-LAR-IOUS! (Yeah, you're gonna have to trust me on that one).

I am so super excited to be seeing the Blue Man Group again tonight.  Once again, Broadway Across America brings a little of NYC to Louisville. The show runs through April 15. I promise you, if you go, you will laugh. Hard. And may tinkle yourself a little (but that's okay, there's usually lots of toilet paper involved in the show... I'm serious).

And if my brilliant description of the show isn't quite doing it for you, here's the Q&A from their website:

STORY

Blue Man Group centers on three human(ish) men who have blue heads and no ears. They don’t speak and, in fact, utter not one sound. But look at their faces long enough and you can detect the faintest hint of curiosity and wonder, like when gazing at audience members’ cell phones and Blackberrys as if they were objects from outer space. The ultimate mission of the Blue Men is to share with us their own interesting gadgets, like their sci-fi drum kits and LED-screen thought balloons. Just prepare yourself when they break out the Cap ‘n Crunch and toilet paper.

SHOULD I SEE IT?

What Is Blue Man Group Like?
If the description above didn’t tip you off, Blue Man Group is not plot-driven and has only the slightest thread of a storyline. It is, however, an incredibly entertaining spectacle that incorporates high-tech stage effects, old-fashioned comedy and even a bit of circus-style mime and clowning. As interactive as theater gets, the first few rows come equipped with ponchos and plastic coverings, so audience members can shield themselves from food, paint and whatever other substances fly off the stage. Surely the Blue Men are saying something about life, technology and the failure to communicate. Then again, you might just walk out thinking, “Dude that was way cool!”

Is Blue Man Group Good for Kids?
Yes, by all means. These men don’t speak, hence they don’t even come close to using any bad language, making rude gestures or anything else that might be considered unsuitable subject matter for your children. Fact is, if the Blue Men simply walked onstage and did nothing, kids could busy themselves for hours just looking at their faces. That these guys also roll out many a space-age bell and whistle makes the show an experience kids will never forget. Adults won’t, either.

Tickets available here: Broadway Across America-- Louisville.

LAST MINUTE POST: 24hr Theatre Festival

Sorry folks, usually I am more on the ball about cool stuff that's happening at Actors Theatre. But come on, it's Monday night... you didn't have plans anyway, right?

Tonight at the Rudyard Kipling The Actors Theatre Apprentice/Intern company presents their 24 Hour Theatre Festival, for which they stay up all night crafting ten-minute plays, start rehearsal at 10am and produce the show at 8pm.

I'm in. Not just because I'm a sucker for 10-minute plays and theatre experiments, but this is seriously the best group of Apprentice/Interns I've seen at ATL. They'll be leaving us soon, so I'm going to take every opportunity I can to see them.

What: 7 playwrights, 5 directors and 16 actors team up to produce five killer 10-minute plays in less than one day.

When: Monday, April 9 @ 8pm

Where: The Rudyard Kipling (422 W Oak St)

Cost: Pay-What-You-Can

Coming up next week: the New Voices Theatre Festival on April 17 & 18.  More on that soon.  

WHO'S IN TOWN? Handbell Ringers April 12-15

When I saw that the American Guild of English Handbell Ringers Area V Spring Festival-- aka "Bellebration"-- was coming to Louisville next weekend, my little head went kablooey! What the...? Who ARE these people? How can there be such a thing? I was delighted... "delighted"doesn't even begin to cover it. I am endlessly fascinated with people who are devoted to obscure things.

I immediately hit their website and read up on their many competitions, scholarships, youth initiatives. And the idea for this new series-- WHO'S IN TOWN?-- was born. Because if the handbell ringers had come and gone and I was none the wiser... I would have been bummed out.

And honestly, who knows how obscure the handbells really are? This season on the Zooey Deschanel show "The New Girl" an entire episode centered around a handbell competition. Maybe Zooey can do for the handbells what other Manic Pixie Dream Girls have gone for the ukulele.

I fired off an email to the Handbell Ringers to see if I could find out more about the upcoming Bellebration, and I got this fantastic response from Area 5 Secretary, Wendy Ransom.  

LOU: What goes on during Bellebration? Can you give us a brief overview of the event? 

WENDY: Bellebration is a handbell festival hosted by Area 5 of Handbell Musicians of America (There are 12 areas that make up the national organization).  Area 5 covers a five state area-Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Kentucky and West Virginia. Handbell choirs from all over the 5 states will gather in Louisville for a 2 day event featuring a combination of massed rehearsals and hands-on classes on various handbell techniques. Approximately 400 musicians are expected.

The event has two levels of handbell musicians. Tins who perform generally easier music and Coppers who perform more complex or difficult music. Each group has 2 unique pieces they perform on their own and then 3 pieces for the entire massed choir. The groups rotate through divisional rehearsal, massed rehearsal and then time in classes. Classes include topics such as, basic ringing technique, high bell technique including four in hand, bass bell technique, musicality, handbells in worship, and others. (note- bells range in size from approximately 2" in diameter weighing less than a pound to approximately 11" in diameter and weighing 11lbs. Different sizes have different techniques.)

Why did you choose Louisville? 

We aim to rotate the annual festivals around the 5 state area to make them accessible to members. We host 2 each spring and aim to host them in areas in opposite locations. Our other festival this year was held in Akron, Ohio on March 16 & 17. It is also a bit about price and what any given city has to offer in a convention center. The event is short. It begins on Friday at 4 and is over by 6pm on Saturday. Having dining options in the vicinity of a convention center is important due to the need for 400 people to get out, eat, and get back to the event in a relatively short amount of time. It is also nice to have an entertaining city for those who opt to stay over Saturday night and return home on Sunday.

Aside from your Bellebration events, what are you most looking forward to doing while you're in town? 

It has been a number of years since we hosted our event in Lousiville so we are looking forward to heading to a different city and a generally bigger one than our usual venues.

Are there any events associated with Bellebration that the public can attend? 

Yes our closing concert is open to the public. It is at 5:30pm on Saturday the 14th at the Kentucky International Convention Center. The concert will run approximately one hour. Seating is general seating and our concerts are usually well attended.

You can learn more about the guild at http://handbellmusicians.org/ and more specifically about Area 5  http://area5.handbellmusicians.org/