The Trip of a Life Time! Cabana Bay Beach Resort!

(Universal Studios Cabana Bay Beach Resort!)

As some of you may know, a few weeks ago Patricia and I, along with friends Cindy, Seigen, Margaret and Jordan went on a week long trip to fabulous Orlando Florida! The main focus of the excursion was to stay at the brand new, 1950's themed hotel, and Readers let me tell you it did NOT disappoint! This post will be mostly about the hotel itself, the night that we arrived!

After two days of driving from Texas we finally made it to Orlando around 9:00p.m. on Monday night. a slight drizzle covered Orlando, but as we turned into the driveway of the resort the rain didnt matter, it was beautiful.


All lit up and Chuck Berry pouring out of the lobby speakers it was a welcome sight to walk into after a full days drive. Once we stepped through the doors, we stepped back in time.

(Floridians LOVE their terrazzo tile floors!)

The check in went swiftly, and we got to pick our room. So we went big, booked a room on the 4th floor of the "Castaway" wing, with an outside walkway/balcony. It didn't face into the court yard, but it was great!

It was absolutely better than anything I could have imagined! We carried our bags across the court yard and went up to the room. I had been concerned that the rooms would not be as good as they had looked in online pictures. However it was just exactly what they had promised.

(Stock photo, but it really did look just like this!)

Back in March we booked a family sweet, so there was room enough to sleep six. I'm sure the maid was surprised when she cleaned our room. We had all kinds of props with us! Cameras, radios, bowling trophy's, clothes... all of which looked like they'd been furnished in the room.

After a full days drive, and each others company... we decided to split up for a few hours and explore the hotel on our own.

So away I went with my trusty camera to snap a few photos in this neon wonderland!

(The main neon sign of the hotel.)

(The food court/restaurant.)

(Even the salt packets have star bursts on them!)

(A sputnik or three in every hallway.)

The clocks, chairs, and everything else was to die for!

(Even the signs had vintage font.)

Past the Starbucks and up the grand staircase was the Bowling alley!

(The stair railings were a super cool combo of metal and glass.)

The gym was also upstairs, and it too keeps with the 1950's theme... We didn't use it though!

Two swimming pools, a lazy river, AND when you jump in the water they even have 50's music playing in the pool!  Let me say, I fell in love with this place! It was constructed the way old hotels of the 1940's and 50's were, with lots of public space and ample seating in the lobby and public areas. It really feels like a hotel from the 1950's. The gift shop is good sized, but it is dwarfed by the massive two story lobby and botanical terrarium.  Which again I love, because the focus is to relax. Not to shop and buy. (Haha, you'll do plenty of that at the theme parks!)

Having explored all I could at night, and having a cocktail or two. I returned to the room with the rest of the group and we went to bed to get a good nights sleep. Tuesday morning Seigen, Jordan and I would be heading to Disney World, while Patricia, Cindy, and Margaret were off to Universal Studios!

Tune in wednesday to see our visit to Disney World, Universal Studios Adventure Island, and the straight out of a movie evening and Dinner we experienced!

I wish you all could have been there!

-Mick-

Summers End 1960

We're baaaaaack! Have you missed us Readers?! I have all sorts of stories and tales to tell in the coming weeks. But let us begin with Summer's End 1960, set the tables and break out the paper lanterns!

(Katie, Josh, Katherine, Kate, Jacqueline, Johnathan, and Mary-Grace!)

It's is once again that semi-sweet time of year where we wave a wistful bye bye to summer days and start to prepare for the Fall social season at the Casablanca. So friends and members gathered last Sunday afternoon for the annual "Summers End Dinner", a pot luck, with 35 guest in attendance!

(Russ, Rachel, and Deanna!)

(Jeremiah, Austin (home from Canyon), and Seigen!)

(Kitty, Tres, Craig, Rachel, and Baby Caleb!)

(Cindy, Kelcie, Terrace, Jacob, Margaret, Patricia, and Jennifer!)

(That World Renowned Theatrical Producer- Lynn!)

 

It was hot! My goodness 102, but we braved the heat to eat out in the yard and got some nice pictures as a result! It was a fantastic, friend Shara entertained us with piano tunes all afternoon. And there was a guitar solo or two from friend Tres!

A wonderful afternoon with  nice way to see the summer of 1960 off!

Wish you were here!

-Mick-

Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Cats".

Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Cats" musical (based on T.S. Elliot's book of practical cats) was a project that I was reluctant to work on, but it is a show that won me over in the end. All the pieces in the pictures were painted in five days. (After the set builder walked off  and quit a week before the show opened. leaving us with less than the bare bones of the set.) I am very pleased with the final product!

The musical tells the story of a tribe of cats called the "Jellicles" and once a year they make what is known as "the Jellicle choice" and decide which cat will ascend to the Heaviside Layer and come back to a new life.

My projects included-

The Junk Yard
And creating a space that showcased the actors as "Cats".

(Full Junk Yard.)

This is the second production of "Cats" to hit the Wichita Theatre (with five years in between.) The last time, the set was comprised with odds and ends to make a junk yard. This go round I was saddled with the task of making the set proportional to the actors. In other words, making it big!

(A rusty "Tappan" model stove.)

To show how large the pieces are (about 6-8ft tall) acquaintance Katie stands next to the stove. The look of the stove was achieved with paint, and I used paper bowls for the "oven knobs".

(Barber pole and chest of drawers6ft tall.)

The chest of drawers was used as an entrance for one of the cats. (In most productions this is an old car trunk.) For our version we went a different direction with a working dresser.

The bottom drawer is a rolling platform that is pulled forward to "open". I also used painted paper bowls to for the "drawer pulls".

(Stage right set.)

Stage right featured, a trampoline disguised as an old radio microphone, a large kitchen chair, an abandon doll house (on its side)and a stone irrigation culvert.

(1960 stone culvert.)

Many people have asked about the "1960" on the culvert as the show came out in 1980's, 1960 is simply our "Casablanca" year.

(Center Stage.)

Stove, broken Santa Clause sign, tires, barber pole, chest of drawers and graffiti.

(Stage Left.)

All sorts of junk nestled on stage left. Neglected billboards, stain glass windows, a slide, and a tombstone radio. 

The radio is one of my favorite pieces, I created it by using an old window frame from a store display, cardboard, a few spray paint caps, and some sheer & burlap fabric. It really rallies with the stove for my favorite piece in the show... well, except for the train.

During the song "Skimbleshanks" in the second act, about a famous railway cat. The cast of cats collect spare pieces of garbage from the stage to make a moving train. I designed our particular version of the train, and was surprised how WOW'ed the audience was by it that they erupted in applause! It was deemed so impressive, that it was mentioned in the news paper review THREE TIMES!

As I said, when we started this production I was not a HUGE fan of "Cats" BUT, it has steadily grown on me! I think the thing I enjoyed most about this set was the paint effect and distressing of the pieces. Since I was pressed for time it also helps that the setting was a "junk yard".

(My signature record album for the cast to sign on Opening Night!)

Conversation from the final night of tech week-

Me: "I'm really excited about this show and this set! You know, they call me "the magical Mr. MICKstofolies"! "

S: "No they don't. No one calls you that."

Me: "Yeah, you're right... They don't."

 Haha so glad this revival was a smash!

-Mick-