Saturday, April 13, was a lovely day for an afternoon drive east to the Don Bluth Front Row Theatre, where seven Matinee Friends enjoyed and were tantalized by “Holmes and Watson“. Three years after Sherlock Holmes’s death at Reichenbach Falls, Dr. Watson receives a message that his old friend may still be alive. At a remote asylum off the coast of Scotland, three patients claim to be Holmes. Who’s the real sleuth?
Did Holmes actually die, or did he fake his death? Along with Watson, we were all drawn into a web of intrigue, murder, and surprises. There was one twist after another until the very end when we were all going, “What????”. Bits of humor relieved the suspense. The actors were all terrific and so believable. And, as usual, the costumes were great. Another winner at Don Bluth!
On Sunday afternoon, May 19, nine Matinee Friends attended the play “Alice by Heart” at the Spotlight Youth Theatre in Glendale. This touching musical inspired by “Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland” was co-written by the creators of “Spring Awakening” It takes place in the rubble of the London Blitz where a group of teenagers are sheltering in the Underground. Alice Spencer has brought her very ill friend Alfred there. When Alfred is quarantined with TB, Alice encourages him to escape with her into their cherished favorite book and journey down the rabbit hole to Wonderland. All the other teens become part of the story too. This show featured some very complicated and unusual choreography, which the actors performed perfectly. Some of our favorite characters/actors were Alice, Alfred, the Cheshire Cat, the Caterpillar, and the Mad Hatter. Even when we were not just sure what was going on, we were impressed with the quality of the acting and singing. These teens were always giving their all in this imaginative production.
