The Balcony Bards

“Anything Goes” is Saturday Night’s grande finale. This singing, dancing, musical fantasy, with music and lyrics by Cole Porter, is set in 1934 on board the S.S. American. The sky’s the limit on costumes for this extravaganza! Think 1930s cruise wear, sailor outfits, glamour gowns and formal wear, broad brimmed hats, bow ties, and feathered wraps. Or, as we say, just look at the title – “Anything Goes!”

“Make the coming hours overflow with joy and pleasure drown the brim.”

• Wednesday, August 7
  • 5:45 PM – Dinner “as you like it”
  • 6:45 PM – Play orientation in Auditorium for “King John” & Greenshow
  • 8:00 PM – “King John” in the Adams Theatre
  • 10:00 PM – The Balcony Bards’ Reveling
• Thursday, August 8
  • 9:00 AM – Literary Seminar in the Grove on “King John”
  • 11:00 AM – The Props Seminar w/Ben Hohman in the Randall Jones Theatre
  • 2:00 PM – “Peter and the Starcatcher” in the Randall L. Jones Theater
  • 6:00 PM – Dinner at the five-star Centro Woodfired Pizzeria – 50 W. Center St.
  • 6:45 PM – Play Orientation on “Twelve Angry Men” & Greenshow
  • 8:00 PM – “Twelve Angry Men” in the Randall Jones Theatre
  • 10:00 PM Balcony Bards’ Reveling
  • 11:00 PM USF Cabaret, at the Grind Coffee House on Main Street
• Friday, August 9
  • 9:00 AM – Literary Seminar in the Grove on “Love’s Labour’s Lost”
  • 10:00 AM – Literary Seminar on “Peter and the Starcatcher” and “Twelve Angry Men”
  • 11:00 AM – Costume Seminar in the Randall L. Jones Theatre
  • 12:00 PM – Balcony Bards’ Biking with John at Navajo Lake; Hiking or Hanging on the Balcony
  • 5:30 PM – Dinner at David Ivers Home – 190 South Casa Loma Lane; 435/586-9586
  • 7:40 PM – Ken’s Quickie Intro to “The Tempest” at the Cedar Grove
  • 8:00 PM – “The Tempest” in the Adams Theatre
  • 10:30 PM – Balcony Bards Celebrating Miranda’s Wedding, and other weddings & engagements
• Saturday, August 10
  • 9:00 AM – Literary Seminar in the Grove on “The Tempest”
  • 12:00 PM – Carol & Ken’s hosted lunch at the Garden House, 164 South 100 West
  • 2:00 PM – “Love’s Labor’s Lost” in the Auditorium Theatre
  • 6:30 PM – Dinner on the Balcony of Pizza & Chicken
  • 8:00 PM – “Anything Goes” in the Randall L. Jones Theatre with Marian & Mike Peters presiding
  • 10:30 PM – Balcony Bards’ “Anything Goes” Costume Party with UnTalent Show UnFairly Judged by Marian & Bruce, Followed Sunday by Hoarseness, Exhaustion, and Bittersweet Departures

In the aftermath of Elaine & Bruce’s wonderful weekend in Chicago – again, thanks & praise be to them! — we need to plan for the glorious time together inCedar City this coming August.

The 2013 season looks wonderful, and Brian & David told us in Chicago that it will be amazing.  By the way, the two lads are appearing together in the Fall in one of our very favorite Shakespeare plays, Richard II, which we will go see in Cedar City.  So let us know if you’re interested in joining for the Fall shows as well, probably in October.

Meanwhile, we’ll focus on this summer’s plays, which run from Wednesday, August 7th to Sunday, August 11th.  We sure hope that some Bard favorites – Linda, Art & Annie – can return this summer, as they did to Chicago.

As usual, Carol has reserved Best Western rooms, which as usual will get a bit discombobulated until Carol makes everything perfect the weekend before we arrive.  Most of our block of rooms is on the balcony side, though some are on the inner courtyard.

Call the Best Western El Rey at 1-800-688-6518 to reserve your rooms among our block. You get extra credit – though risking sleepless nights — if you take a room on the balcony side.

Please email me back which play, with how many tickets, you’d like for:

• Wednesday August 7th
  • King John – 8:00 pm
• Thursday August 8th
  • Peter & the Starcatcher – 2:00 pm
  • Twelve Angry Men – 8:00 pm
• Friday, August 9th
  • The Tempest – 8:00 pm
• Saturday August 10th
  • Love’s Labor’s Lost – 2:00 pm
  • Anything Goes – 8:00 pm

David & Stephanie are inviting us all over to their house for another great dinner on Friday night, the 9^th, so that will be a fun evening.

While Mike & Marian Peters and many other Balcony Bards wanted to return to Dee Dee’s Restaurant, across the alley, for medium-rare roast beef and some thick, juicy salmon – otherwise known as salmon jerky — we are resisting this push, and will have a Bard-d-Cue on the patio in our Western attire Thursday night, with Mike & Marian welcoming and hosting.

There will be the usual Thursday post-show talent performance on Main Street; hikes at Bryce or Zion; biking with John; card-playing on the balcony with Norm; cigar-smoking with Howard, Freddy & Ken, and with Nancy close-by this year; and, a real highlight, swimming with Lyla and Lawson.

Lunch Saturday we will host, as usual, with Fred and other USF folks at the Garden House. Saturday night dinner on the balcony where Nancy & Alan serve our traditional Adelman family recipes, handed down from the old country, of chicken and pizza.

After the Saturday night play, we will get in full 1920’s song-and-dance garb, typical of Cole Porter and his glorious characters in Anything Goes.  And rather than a Bad Poetry contest, we will have a Talentless Show where gifted Bards, and Bardettes, led of course by Grace Connaughton, will present whatever it is that they do to our esteemed judges.

Erudite discussions will be held at all hours, with loads of laughs and warm fellowship as we all experience the Balcony Bards’ culture of “random acts of kindness” amidst riotous revelry.

See ya’ all in Cedar City to share our happiness during this wondrous week.