Mamma Mia! at the Pantages

Mamma Mia! at the Hollywood Pantages is excellent. But before I get to that, I just want to say that I’m so behind updating this blog. First, I don’t like this time of year because the days are shorter. I do a few things, and the day is over. Second, I was planning to blog two weeks ago, but my laptop stopped working on Saturday, and I was up until 1:30 a.m. at my brother’s house as he tried to get the keyboard and mouse to work. I have to say, he is a lifesaver because he finally solved the issue; otherwise, I would have lost a lot of data. And this past weekend, I hanged out with my family and my niece who was on a college holiday, and a friend I hadn’t seen in a longtime. So, this post will be short, but I’m working on a few things coming soon…

My friend and I got to the theater right before the lights were dimmed. This year, she and I have been to a bunch of plays. If I don’t like a play, I don’t blog about it. And although Frozen is still my favorite musical in Los Angeles to date, I must say, this jukebox musical was pretty good and put us in a happy mood. Of course, no one is allowed to record any of the scenes until the end.

There were a lot of funny scenes. The outfits in the above video when the trio first came on the stage were so outrages that we couldn’t stop laughing. One of my favorite scenes is when Rosie chases Stavros in the Take a chance on me scene. In the movie, it is funny, but in this play, it is absolutely hilarious.

Another fantastic thing about this play was that the actors loved performing and were enjoying themselves. So, when the story ended, they continued to sing and dance, and it felt like we were watching yet another performance.

The acting, singing, dancing, and Choreography, were flawless. If you get a chance, go see it. You will not be disappointed. And you don’t need front row seats to enjoy this play. The balcony or upper balcony works just fine.

Happy Holidays from Los Angeles to Japan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is magic around us 365 days of the year, if we pay attention.

 

My friends and family don’t exchange gifts anymore, but we do buy gifts for the kids.

 

It’s always fun to bake a few cookies. 

This is a photo of my friend standing by a Christmas tree at The Dolby theater in Hollywood.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I took this picture a few days into November in Japan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas decorations go up early over there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This man in Osaka was so nice to let me take a picture of his shop that hadn’t opened up to public yet. He was just starting to set up his merchandise for sale.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another picture I took while in Osaka. It was near the Umeda Sky Building. 

 

The Piano Bar

Saturday night…time to have fun. Movies…theater, Clubs, dinner at a hip restaurant…oh the choices in L.A are limitless. My Cousin and I opted for drinks at the famous Hollywood Piano Bar. Now, don’t get the wrong idea. I’m not a drinker nor am I a bar hoping gal. I choose the people I hang out with carefully and it takes me a longtime to build a deep friendship with someone. Yet, I’m always up for trying out new places. So, we parked our cars and headed to the bar. At the front door, the line was short and moved quickly. The nice bouncer with a big smile checked our IDs. I asked him why in the world was he checking our IDs when clearly we passed 21 years ago? He said he just had to make sure we had IDs. My cousin said that it was probably just in case we got drunk and he had to send us home in a cab. Well, no chance of that. That was all behind me a year after I graduated college.

 
So, there we were walking into the smoky ambience of the Piano Bar. Ironically, the band did not play the Piano. The music was more like Jazz and the place looked more like a bar one would find in Ireland than in the U.S. People were casual and easy going, no egos. The night we were there, the men outnumbered women by 8 to 1 and my cousin said, “Maybe we’re at a gay bar. There are so many men here.” 
  

Soon we learned that the majority were straight men looking to relax and listen to good music. Everybody chatted with everybody. The atmosphere was comfortable and friendly; none of that gawking one would find at a bar where the customers are on a prowl. Below is a photo of two of the guys we spoke with among the many.

  

The Piano Bar is a cool place to visit. So if you’re ever in the area, go check it out. You will not be disappointed.