The Chronicles of Narnia

(The Land of Narnia)

(One Last look at the Kings Study)

This show is one of those that kept us painting and fixing right down to the show date! This one took MASSIVE amounts a stage painting, (lots of 2 - 3 A.M. nights!) but the end result of the teams work is just marvelous! Having done this show at the theatre before, we set out to "out do" the last time and I really think we did. We had the collaborations of my ideas along with those of three different directors, most of the bone structure of the sets goes to the talents of  Joe (co-captian of the set dressing team) and Bryson (the Set teams master carpenter) as always most the finished Stylized product was my doing with lots and lots of help to get it finished.  With a HUGE and special thanks to friend Utah who designed, built and painted the witches sleigh!

My projects included,

Mr. Tumnus' cave

The White Witches Castle

The Lamp Post

Sounds easy, right...

  "The Chronicles of Narnia- The Lion, The Witch, & Wardrobe" 
The story begins in 1940 during World War II, when four siblings--Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie--are evacuated from London to escape the Air Raid Blitz. They are sent to live with their Uncle Digory, who lives in a country house in the English countryside.

( The Set of Marbleton Manor)

While the four children are exploring the house, Lucy looks into a wardrobe and discovers a portal to a magical world named Narnia. There she meets a faun named Tumnus.

There she meets a faun named Tumnus, He invites her to tea in his home.

(Set of Tumnus cave, design collaboration of Joe Reed and Myself.)

There he confesses he planned to report her to the tyrannical White Witch.

 (Sleigh by Utah)

Her spiteful older brother Edmund enters the wardrobe and meets the White Witch, who befriends him and offers him magical Turkish delight that enchants him.
Eventually all four of the children enter Narnia together while hiding in the wardrobe. Edmund sneaks away to the White Witch. Her castle is filled with stone statues--enemies she has petrified.

 (Witches Ice Castle/ Courtyard designed by Myself.)

(With Petrified residents of Narnia)

The children and their new found guides the Beavers meet with Aslan and his army. Peter engages in his first battle, killing a wolf who threatens Susan.

The White Witch approaches according to "deep magic from the dawn of time" she has the right to execute Edmund as a traitor. Aslan speaks with her privately and persuades her to renounce her claim on Edmund's life.  Aslan has bargained to exchange his own life for Edmund's. The Witch ties Aslan to the Stone Table and then kills him with a knife.

(The Sacrificial Stone Table)

The following morning Aslan is restored to life. Unknown to the witch, "deeper magic from before the dawn of time" allows someone who willingly dies in the place of another to return to life.

 There he breathes upon the statues, restoring them to life. Peter and Edmund lead the Narnian army in a battle against the White Witch's army, The Narnians rout the evil army, and Aslan kills the Witch.

 The children are named kings and queens of Narnia. Several years later, now adults, the siblings go hunting for a lucky White Stag. On their search they rediscover the lamppost, branches become coats. The siblings are back in the wardrobe and are children again. They reenter the Professor's house where only fifteen minuets of time has passed.

As stressful as this show has been to get up, its entrancing to watch! I wish the plot wasnt as long as your arm and I could post more before and after pictures! As Always I owe a huge thanks to scads of people who came and helped paint, cut things out,  listen to me complain, and kept us going to reach the finished goal.

Chalk another one up to Success!

-Mick-

To The Ladies Who Lunch!

Not much going on this weekend, things at the theater are CRAZY as we get ready for a new show to go up this Saturday.  Friend Bryson and I headed out to the Casablanca Saturday evening after a long work call on the sets. Sunday we had a Birthday lunch for Friend Holly!

(Friends Chloe, Amy, Holly, and Patricia)

Serving up Parmesan Chicken...

With sides of fruit, hash brown casserole, chocolate strawberries, apple crisp and for dessert a special monkey bread for Holly's Birthday!! 

Just as we were cutting into the bread friend Utah arrived just in time to grab a bite to eat and join is some card games.

(Friend Utah)

After we cleared the dishes, we played a few rounds of "Spoons" and chatted the afternoon away!

Just a peaceful Sunday Afternoon here at Mick's

-Mick-

Another Show!

 Guess who just landed the part of Gideon Pontipee! The youngest and shortest redhead of the Seven Pontipee Brothers.

This show is going to be a HOOT!

-Mick-

Pyrex (1) Hipsters (0)

On our Denton trip I picked up a few pieces of Pyrex. I was so disappointed at some of the antique stores we went in, they were those places that have all kinds of everything, and nothing at the same time. Patricia had scouted out the "Desert Dawn" 8 inch round a few weeks ago.

At first I passed on it as it had a $15 price tag, but after all our shopping I decided to give it another try. I went in and as I was checking out the lady said "OH I love this stuff!"  and I said "Really? Whats your favorite piece?" and she said "I just love my two-quart casseroles"  and I said "I love my 404's and cake pans!" and she paused a minuet and said - "Tell ya what, your a good kid, I can tell- you can have it for $10." SOLD!

*  *  *

During our walk around the square, we stopped into a "Hipster" run antique store, (and you know my encounters/ feelings for hipsters) After searching and searching, it looked like the oldest thing in the shop was from 1989. Then in the back of the store about 10 feet from where I was standing, My Pyrex senses started tingling.

I saw the very top of this Butterprint Cinderella its a (number)  I dug it out from where it was and saw it had no price tag. CRAP I thought, these hipsters (whom I loathe the idea of) are going to take me to the bank on this... So I go up to the counter and the girl behind the register puts down her mandolin and cat and says "Can I help you?" I said "yes, could you tell me how much this bowl is?" *she looks it over* "Wow this old, like REALLY old I don't think I've ever seen one like this before... *Aw Crap, I think* she then says "Well its really grungy, and I don't think thats coming off... how about $10?"  SOLD!

Well when I got home that night, I let it soak in hot bubbly water and used one of those magic cleaning eraser sponges and it cleaned right up and looks brand new!

We couldn't help but smile, we got a $35 bowl for $10 because of that girls unwillingness to give it a good scrub! 

I think we're going to keep Oranges in it... take THAT Hipsters!

-Mick-

SUPRISE Weekend In Denton!

Well Readers,
Saturday was Patricia's Birthday, and she had to stay down at school and was sad. Well for about a month now friends Jenny, Emily and myself have been planning a surprise trip to see her on her Birthday!

(Friend Emily waiting outside of Patricia's dorm to Surprise her with me!)

I wish I could have filmed when Patricia came out of the door! She was so happy to see us, and we'd all kept our visit a secret so she was TOTALLY surprised! After we pried her from our necks, we whisked her away to the Denton Square for some antique/thrift shopping.

(Friends Emily, Patricia, & Jenny!)

Denton is a College town, and the square has lots of neat little shops and antique places, we wandered them all! Stopping for a picture here and there...

It was lots of fun and we picked up some Pyrex! (That I will share Wednesday) After our walk we asked Pat where she wanted to go for her Birthday dinner, and she said Hooters... So we picked up friend Logan from T.W.U.  and headed out to eat!

(Logan & Emily)

(Me & Pat)

(Emily & Jenny fighting about their hooters in Hooters...)

After dinner we all headed back to Patricia's dorm to watch a movie, we picked "Drop Dead Gorgeous"  and that set us up for the rest of the evenings events. If your familiar with the movie, you will know its a Mock-umentary  set in a small town in Minnesota, it has a great cast of stars, and they all speak with heavy Midwest accents.  Well after watching the movie, WE all started talking with heavy Midwest accents and decided to hit the Denton Square again! 

(The Court house in the Square all lit up around 8:00 P.M.)

We first went to "Denton Square Donuts" 

(Us making squares)

These donuts are like no other!  They are square and you can get anything on them from plain chocolate frosting, to fruit loops, to bacon! we ordered in our accents and then the games began, lucky for us "Church Basement Ladies"  was set in Minnesota so we answered every question they through out like natives!

("DONTCHA KNOW!)

A quick walk around the Square then we stopped for old fashioned ice cream.

( Happy Birthday Patricia )

It was at the Ice cream parlor that a group of people heard us talking in out thick accents and asked "Are you guys from Minnesota?" to which we all replied (even thicker) "Oh Yah, GO BADGERS!!!" and they totally bought the act and thought we were serious! Having enjoyed our frozen treats, friend Logan suggested we go over to the Texas Women's University campus and he could give us a late night ghost tour! (He is part of the historical society at the university)  So away we went...

 

He took us all over campus showing us all kinds of sights and telling us all kinds of tales.

 (Tour Guide Logan)

This building particularly sent chills up my spine, when it was being constructed in 1934 one of the workers died on site. Rather than file and accidental death report and holding up construction, the Foreman filed a Missing Persons report and hid the mans remains IN THE PILLARS OF THE COLONNADE. Logan is leaning against the pillar that structural X-rays taken in 2007 revealed a Femur and full left arm/hand from the elbow down. There are four 20 foot pillars on the colonnade... all of which have, shall we say - spare parts in them.

Spooky, spooky, spooky after our tour we stayed a little while longer with Logan and then finally had to call it a night as Emily and myself had to make the hour and a half drive back to Wichita Falls. It was a wonderful and Patricia was so happy we all came to see her! I owe a HUGE thanks to Friends Jenny and Emily for helping me pull the surprise off, I don't think we could have possibly done it any better!

-Mick-

Cooking Up Fun!

(Friends Lara, Spencer & Patricia over for Sunday Lunch!)

Well Readers, 

I'm currently stuck in that dreadful time between shows where one show is closing (killing your weekend as you have to be there to store props)  and not quite ready to begin work on the next set... It also keeps me away from my beloved Casablanca... So here are some photo's of the food I've been cooking up in the Kitchen. 

I put together an old recipe of my Great Grandmother Jordan's for (what we call now) Monkey Bread , I was worried for a while because I didnt know if i was following the instructions correctly but it turned out great!

I hate to show you the product with out lending the recipe, but that brings me to something the members of the Casablanca have been thinking about. We've been thinking about putting together a cook book of "Kitchen Favorites" straight from the Casablanca, everything of course being cooked, tested, and rated by our members for the official stamp of approval. 

I know in this day and age of "Google"  you can pretty much get any recipes for you name it, but this book would be a little more personal and FULL of good food (lots of what you see in our pictures!) All of the entries being easy, good home cooking featuring (my personal favorites) Put it in the oven and walk away meals. At this time we have no idea how much it would cost to get everything made up and printed, but would any of you out there in Blog land be interested in purchasing a copy of the final product? 

Like I said, we are just toying with the idea and gathering this and that, but feedback is nice!

So, what are your thoughts?!

-Mick-