Entertainment/Arts

‘Mr. Sherman’ from Surveillance Pelicana

(Editor’s Note: I plan on publishing my creative writing on a regular basis at The Grapevine as a “public” service, and also to acquaint readers with my accumulated writings that have not seen the light of day. These will be posted under the names of dweissmann or Dean Weissmann for clarity’s sake. Enjoy!) Act begins stage right. A bell rang signifying a change of school…


‘A Christmas Carol’ at Welk Resort Theater

(Carol Davis is the reviewer d-jour, proprietress of Carol’s Theater Reviews — it’s fun to go out. Visit her blog for more reviews.) Dates: Through Dec. 31st Organization: Welk Village Theatre Phone: 888.8027469 Production Type: Musical Where: 8860 Lawrence Welk Drive, Escondido, CA 92026 Ticket Prices: $59.00 Web: welkresorts.com/sandiegotheatre Photo: Ken Jacques Welk Resort Theatre at Escondido is mounting an eye popping singing dancing, beautifully…


Stone Glassblowing back from the ashes

WHO: Stone & Glass WHAT: GRAND RE-OPENING WHERE: 629 W. Grand Ave., Escondido 92029 WHEN:  1 P.M. TO 7 P.M. SATURDAY, NOV. 11 WHY: Long story, see below… Welcome to the world of unintended consequences, and just plain bad luck. Or maybe making lemonade out of messed-up lemons department. Internationally recognized hot glass and mixed media artist, James Stone, had a great studio in a…


‘On Golden Pond’ at Welk Theater

The details  “On Golden Pond” plays through November 5, 2017 at Welk Resort Theatre San Diego, 8860 Lawrence Welk Drive, Escondido. Friday at 8 pm; Saturday at 1 and 8 pm; Sunday at 1 pm. Tickets: (888) 802-7469 Director Randall Hickman has a good feel for placement and emotional space. A frayed father-daughter bond and the problems of aging are the concerns of Ernest Thompson’s…


Blast from the past, Dick Noel dead at 90

Dick Noel, a crooner with the Ray Anthony Orchestra who went on to be known as “The King of the Jingles” for his work on commercials, died Friday, Oct. 23 at Escondido after a long illness, his friend Hank Jones said. He was 90. A Time for Love, his highly regarded 1978 album made in collaboration with pianist Larry Novak, featured world-weary renditions of such…


Want to escape? Take a stab at Clue Ave.

Part game, part theater, part team-building exercise, escape rooms are taking off around the world, and that includes Escondido and San Marcos. Growth has been explosive. The number of permanent rooms world-wide has gone from zero at the outset of 2010 to at least 2,800 worldwide today, according to MarketWatch calculations based on rooms registered to escape-room directories. The concept was birthed in Japan, spread…


Whacking Welk: Et tu theatre, time shares

The year of no Welk Resort Theatre For nearly four decades, Welk Resort Theatre has showcased all manner of live stage shows at a 309-seat showcase. That tradition comes to an end with the final performance of “A Christmas Carol” on Dec. 31. Following the Dickens of a show, the string of live dinner shows at the north Escondido resort dating to 1981 comes to an…


Welk Theater: ‘The Drowsy Chaperone’

This is the 2006 winner of five Tonys… “Oh dear God, please let it be a good show. I just want a story and a few good songs,” says Man in Chair at the top of “The Drowsy Chaperone,” and I was silently saying “amen” to that right up front. The Man (Vincent Pasquill), a shy depressive in a shapeless brown cardigan, plays an LP…


Move over Banksy, RSF is popping art

Rancho Santa Fe this summer is channeling Buffalo Springfield: “There’s something happening here. What is is ain’t exactly clear.” It’s anonymously placed mysteriously at night in the manner of English-based graffiti artist Banksy. Some call it the ultimate in pop-art. Unfortunately, as quickly as the art pops up, it tends to pop down. The Ranch can be an unforgiving place when it comes to anonymous…


‘The Music Man’ at Welk through July 30

Deets What: “The Music Man” plays through July 30; Where: Welk Resort Theatre San Diego, 8860 Lawrence Welk Drive, Escondido; When: Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at 1 pm; Thursday and Saturday at 8 pm; How: Tickets: (888) 802-7469 or welkresorts.com. Classic musical at Welk Resort, Escondido through July 30. I’ll grant that “Oklahoma!” is a pretty good opening song for a musical, but for my…