Saturday night was the first show of our 2010-2011 season tickets with the Whittier Community Theatre. We've had varying size groups attending through the years, but this year so many folks have baled for one reason or another (I don't care if you've moved to Arizona, Vicki! You should have been there!) we're reduced to three: myself, Peggy and David. To start off this season we took a chance on dining at a little bistro around the corner from my house, Crepes and Grapes.
Now, I need to explain that David and I tried this place when it first opened a few years ago and were sadly disappointed. They totally ruined our meals by putting the wrong sauces on the crepes we had ordered, the crepes were thick and pale and not very appetizing, and to cap the entire event, the service was awful. We'd been on our way to the theatre that night as well and vowed never to return.
Since then, the place has gone through some changes. For one thing, the menu has changed for the better. There is now a good variety of fresh food and there's no longer any chance of putting the wrong sauce on the wrong crepe! They must have taken the advice of Chef Gordon Ramsay. Ha. I chose a grilled vegetable crepe which was lovely. The simple accompaniment was a delicious scalloped potato dish - just the right bit of creamy goodness that set off the other grilled veggies nicely.
Here is Peggy. She got a turkey crepe that was topped with crumbled Feta. It looked yummy, too. The interior of this place is slightly French with a lovely mural (see above) featuring Whittier's Uptown Village area. This time, we all enjoyed our meals and got out in plenty of time to enjoy the theatre.
WCT's first show is always a musical. This year they performed A Funny Thing Happened on the way to the Forum. Amazingly, I had never seen this show before. I've read about it through the years, but never managed to see either the stage version or the movie.
It was fun to see lots of my former cast mates from It's a Wonderful Life-Radio Show onstage and in the audience.
It was a lot of fun, too, to see this production. I'm not overly fond of Sondheim, and I know there are folks who worship him, so I apologize for admitting that. However, this was a fun show, a solid production with good casting and excellent voices. Whittier theatre is sensitive to the community they serve and they had toned down the bawdy nature of the piece and played up the sweet silliness. It made the whole very enjoyable. The scenery was nicely done, as were the costumes. The 2nd act, with its screwball comedy mayhem, comings and goings and running through the audience, was perfectly executed. The pace was fast and furious and I found myself laughing out loud.
I like laughing out loud while watching a comedy. We all enjoyed the show immensely.
Later, after the show, we went over to the Rocky Cola for ice cream. They have a varied menu for late night. When Rocky Cola opened, some 20 years ago, it was superb. It went downhill a bit in the last decade. Although it's gotten better, I still feel like it needs a facelift. It just doesn't draw crowds anymore, either. But we all ordered different things and everyone enjoyed what they ordered.
Nice night on the town. I love my little part of the world.
Note: "Forum" runs for one more weekend, so you still have time to see it. Tickets are available at the door or on Gold-Star and are beyond reasonable. The next production is "12 Angry Jurors", in November. You can still get season tickets. For the low price of $35, it's the best theatre deal in Southern California.
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