Colorful Kansas & Magnificent Missouri, Our Trip Part 1.

Bright and early Tuesday morning, Patricia and I loaded up the car and headed out for Lawrence Kansas! It's about an eight hour drive and we were on our way to see and stay with friend Curtis for a few days.

So we drove, and drove, and drove some more through Oklahoma City....

Through the Kansas Flint Hills and finally we made it to Curt's house.  Once unloaded,  Curt and his girlfriend Lauren took us over to the "Lawrence Observation Point" it is a neat Civil Engineers project that's free to the public.

(Lauren, Curtis, & Patricia)

(The Observation tower)

We got there just as the sun was about to set, and it gave to us a spectacular view!

(Patricia & I watching the sun sink over the hills )

To end the Day we took a hike on a small trail, then headed home for dinner and a good nights rest! 

*  *  *

Wednesday June 22, My Birthday...

*  *  *

Was a day of thrifting fun! Our little group started in down town Lawrence Kansas on Mass street. Massachusetts Street is lined with old buildings and is mostly antique and reporupus shops... theres also parts of the street that have been taken over by the Dreaded "Hipsters" Ugh.

Patricia stopped to pose by the bicycle, shes wearing the favorite dress that I got her on another thrifting trip and two seconds after this picture was taken a lady walked up and told her she "Looked absolutely stunning"  and I would have to agree!

The next stop was in The Love Garden record shop on Mass St.  They have so many records it will  make your head spin... haha Okay I'll stop trying to be punny!

(Curtis has a listen to Mr. Conway Twitty...)

After that we hit a few vintage clothing stores here and there...

(Lauren likes to play dress up, poor Curtis...)

Finally we wrapped up the Mass Street activities with a trip to my second favorite Antique mall in Kansas...

(Patricia Looking for vintage hats)

(The Haul from The Antique Mall)

The Lamp I purchased for the set of Hairspray for $30.00, the fireplace TV lamp I snagged for $14.00 and the Commemorative plate I got fro $8.00 and will soon have a place in the kitchen of the Casablanca!

(" 'America's First Family' President & Mrs Dwight D. Eisenhower") 

Well that's all I'm going to show for now! Tune in Wednesday for the rest of my Birthday adventure and Friday for our electrifing outing!

-Mick-

We're Off!

Patricia and I are off on a Midwest, Birthday road trip adventure this week!

&

 &

Be back and blogging about it next week!

-Mick-

Yay More Junk!

Found yet another teacup with my Grandmothers blue and pink flower pattern on it from her Wedding Dishes for $0.33!! I had just been telling Patricia about the last time I came and out of no where spotted one and then just as I was gesturing to where I found it BAM! There was another one! Of course a frantic search ensued to see if there were any matching plates or candy trays, but alas one little teacup was all that remained. The record in the back is an Ebay find, from the 1953 Broadway musical "Wonderful Town" after stumbling upon the 1954 telecast with Rosalind Russell!
I HAD to have it, mostly because of the song in the show titled "Conga!" What Basically happens is Ruth more level headed sister (played by R.R.) in dire need of a job heads down to the Brooklyn Ship yard to get an interview (for a paper she thinks she has been hired at, but is really just a mean joke from her more attractive sister Eileen's beau.) from the foreign Saliors  who only know the English words "American. Dance. Conga!" and Hillarity ensues...

Its just a terribly fun show I hope to be apart of someday! AND who doesn't love a good conga!

Now I owe a great big thank you to Chris over at Im not Old im Vintage!

She read my post about the fantstic Frankoma I scooped up, and offered to send a few pieces my way. She totally surprised me and made my day with the White glazed vase for my Birthday (June 22 is right around the corner!) I love the way it looks and its marked "43" on the bottom, I know that's the pattern number but the Casablanca was BUILT in 1943, How perfect! Thanks so much Chris I'm just itching to use it!

Hope your thrifts are good ones!

-Mick-

Seussical - The Musical

"Oh the things you can think, when you think about Seuss..."

(Cat in the Hat & Jojo)

This show has been a trial for me, You see I am a "period set" guy, period...

None the less this show has broadened my horizons, every set piece was made from the imagination of Myself, Director Lara, and  Set dressing team!

(The very last photo of the Villa Von Trapp)

For the vast world of Seuss we used lots of open space and only about four moving stages pieces, I wanted the colors to be vibrant and flow with the setting. The show has action in two distinct places, the Jungle of Nool, and the Planet "Who".

(Rough drawing of stage overview, Maize's tree, and the Who Instruments )

 

(The Jungle of Nool )

For the jungle Center stage, we created foliage effects by painting with wadded up T-shirts using a base coat of green, the slopping a darker green over the base coat and finally adding a medium green to even it out. The stairs were painted bright orange to contrast, and to be visable for exits in a black out.

For "The Planet of Who" which flanked both sides of the stage. I used a bight yellow with red accent, Most people say it looks like someone took a giant crayon and scribbled everywhere and that's exactly what I wanted!

(Put it all together and Ta-da! Click to enlarge!)

(before the red swirls were added)

The four set pieces have been so much fun to dream up and make!  The first being the red claw foot bathtub and the rolling platform it sits on.

Originally the entire stage floor was to be painted with the yellow and red swirls but was changed later in production ...

The Piano with special made curvy keys, painted a base of purple then splattered with blood red and white, The I used a sharpie marker to draw in the keys! The design comes from the Broadway production of Seussical, (with our own twist on it ) built by Nick. 

(Friend Chloe finger painted the titles of the books on the steps!)

The Tree is the home of Maize La-bird, thinking outside the box I gave it a coat of blue and then added purple and white zebra stripes!

The Clover patch...

Made from muslin and quite a few funny looking sponges spray painted pink! One of the other "plant life" props included the "Pill-berry bush"...

(Crappy office palm before)

 (Pill-berry bush after!)

What really makes this show, is a combination of the Lights, Costumes and Sets everyone has worked hard and its really paid off!  We got an outstanding review which you can read Here.  One of my favorite lines being...

"These tales jump to life with the brilliantly colored costumes and brightly painted sets."

 But none of this would have been possible with out my Team!

(Cameron, Sheldon, Myself, Bryson, Chloe, Jordan, Joe, Patricia, Director Lara & Spencer)

*  *  *

For my memorabilia fix for the production, I was lucky to snag a "Horton Hears A Who" Record off of Ebay.

(Seussical is basically the story of Horton Hears a Who/ Horton Hatches the Egg)

All in all another smashing sucess for Myself, the Set Dressing Team and the Wichita Theater!

-Mick-

Well It's Up!

The show poster that is, the Show doesn't open for another month, but look who's listed on the poster!

(Photos courtesy of director Lynn Marshall.)

-Mick-

OH MY GOSH Music, Music, Music!

 This last weekend was sure a packed one, The latest show I've been working on sets for "Sussical the Musical" opened Friday go a smashing review and even a tiny mention about the sets! (I'll have a full set post later this week)

 (Myself, Kelcie, Wes, Mr. Mulligan, Mrs. Mulligan, Patricia, Caitlin, & Margaret)

Saturday morning our friends Brett & Lydia were married (for the second time), If you didn't  see the post about it, click the link and read all about the Casablanca's First Wedding.  After the wedding and between Sussical shows Patricia and I went and did a little thrifting and we cleaned up in the sheet music department! We snagged all this sheet music for $4.50!!!

Patti Page - "I went to your wedding" - how appropriate

Bing Crosby - Missouri Waltz- for the next time Michael come to vist

Hair - Let the sunshine in  - we're currently addicted to this musical

Wallace Beery - La Cucaracha - just for fun

Judy Garland - Songs Judy Garland sings -17 hit songs circa 1939

Brodway - 17 summer songs - my favorites being from Kiss Me Kate & Wonderful Town.

(Last but not definitely not least)

 The Andrews Sisters - Rum and Coca-Cola - original copy dated 1944

 Even more exciting than its great condition is that it was personalized!

("To a lovely friend Reggie, 4-21-1945" )

Since the Broadway book has the same sheet music for "Rum & Coca Cola" I think I might just have this near mint condition photo cover copy of the 1945 sheet music framed to hang up in the turquoise room!

-Mick-

And We Had A Wedding

Well  Readers,

Remember the red velvet cake I with held from you on Wednesday?  As it turns out it was a wedding cake for our friends Brett & Lydia, our little group of friends had decided to throw them a "Wedding Party" so we baked up the two tier cake.  It was kind of a last minute deal and I was really kicking myself for not getting a vintage (ultra tacky) cake topper so after searching around town I finally made one myself!

( Two gold bells $2.95 & topper stand $0.99)

(After a little Mick Magic)

After giving up on trying to find a vintage groom and bride topper on such short notice, I remember that on my Grandmothers wedding cake in 1955 she had gold bells as the topper. Since this year is "1957" I figured the bells would still be appropriate... however, the next part of our story is pure Casablanca magic.

You see, I've always wanted to have an at home wedding at the Casablanca, Iv'e had this It's A Wonderful Life-esk idea of a formal parlor filled with flower garlands and the like, and a few friends have tried, even  written letters asking about it, but its never happened. Well  Sunday that all change din a matter of about 10 minuets! I kept going on and on about it and then friend Savannah from Oklahoma says "Well hey I took a two week course in college and I can bless and marry people..." I immediately freak out  shouting "FOR REAL?! DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW TO PLAY THE WEDDING MARCH?"  Friend Jarrod says "I think I do!" and with that we were off on a race against time as Lydia and Brett were minutes away!

"Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue..."

We run around the house frantically, something Old- is the Casablanca itself, something New- a brand new 2011 penny (which she will be wearing in her shoe on Saturday when they have the second and more real ceremony), something Borrowed- Miss Casablanca's crown acted a a wedding veil, and something Blue- we made a crate-paper bouquet and wrapped the handle in bright blue painters tape! When the happy could arrived at the Casablanca friend Kelcie went out and sent Brett inside and helped Lydia get ready for her walk across the living room isle. Once Brett stepped in the door he said something like "Hey guys whats going on?"

 (Minister Savannah, Groom Brett, Best man Wes, & pianist Patricia)

I coolly reply "Oh stand here, your about to get married..."

 (The Witnesses, Mr. & Mrs. Adams)

Witnesses, Maid of Honor, Ring bearer and all the Ceremony went something like this...

None of that was rehearsed and we had them "Casablanca married"  in a minute and 44 seconds! Of course there was a reception immediately following the ceremony...

(Refreshments included Red velvet cake and raspberry sherbet punch)

(sorry I cant make it right side up!)

(Mr. & Mrs Kevin Brett Mulligan of the Casablanca)

 (Wes, Mr. Adams, Mrs Adams, Brett & Lydia)

And what would a wedding  reception be with out a few speeches...

Oh Wes and his candid comments...  not to be out done the Maid of Honor makes a speech!


After the festivities the evening was spent swimming away...

(Patricia, Savannas, & Kelcie)

(Lydia & Brett, and what believe is a piece of the 'Titanic')

 After swimming we lounged about talking of the up Actually upcoming wedding Lydia has been planning (and we will be attending this Saturday) before everyone headed back into town we toasted the happy couple once more!

We are so very happy for them, and wish them all the love and luck in the world as they start out on this new chapter in their life! 

 (An occasion added to the long list of highlights in the Casablanca's door frame record of History)

*  *  *

Brett asked if anyone else had been married there before and when I told him that they were the first he said he was honored, well truth be told I was honored to have the opportunity and such great friends to throw a Wedding party/ impromptu ambush marriage ceremony! (and go right along with it!)

(The Wedding Party)

-Mick-