Banned in Boston, cancelled in Atlanta, and flourishing in Tacoma, Calendar Girls is a hit. A group of middle-aged British women go from Tai-Chi to touching hearts. We saw very few empty seats on the Sunday matinée. From the look on the face of Managing Artistic Director Chris Serface, the previous two performances and subsequent […]
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The Addams Family, the Musical Review – Tacoma Musical Playhouse
We grew up watching Father Knows Best, Leave It to Beaver, The Real McCoys, Ozzie and Harriet, and The Donna Reed Show. White bread family values. I graduated from Clover Park High School in 1964, and Peg from Rhine High in Kaiserslautern. It felt like our generation was out to change America and the world; […]
Letter: It's not about what, it's about who
She’s been asked to speak to a woman’s group. About grief. And what we’ve learned. As we’ve talked about her coming presentation and she shared her heart, it seems to me this will be my wife’s title: “It’s not about what, it’s about who.” Who came in the crisis; who listened; who cried, who cared. […]
Susanne Bacon Reads at Lakewood Pierce County Library
Would you like to travel to Germany with me? Not physically, of course, but to mind-travel while listening to a couple of chapters from my brand-new book “Home from Home”? Some of you might know that the chapters were originally published as a weekly column in The Suburban Times in Lakewood. And you might already […]
Brown's Point Diner – Restaurant Review
Sunday morning usually means breakfast with friends. We travel together and enjoy our favorite restaurants and explore new favorites as well. This particular Sunday we chose the Brown’s Point Diner in Northeast Tacoma. I had eaten dinner there before as well as attending a memorial for my book reading friend John who lived just up […]
Biloxi Blues Play Review – Lakewood Playhouse
I’ve seen some comments about “Biloxi Blues” being best produced by college drama programs. For me this only works for accessing actors in the right age group. I would guess that “Biloxi Blues” is not edgy enough for most colleges. My wife and I have seen Poonah the F***dog at the University of Puget Sound […]
Good Wok & Teriyaki Restaurant Review – University Place
We had to read the writing on the wall. My buddy Jim picked me up for lunch. I knew he had a tennis match at 1:15, so our lunch spots were reduced to places we could reach and still enjoy a leisurely meal. We chose the Good Wok & Teriyaki on Bridgeport Way in University […]
Westside Story – Boyle Awarded Writer’s Prize
Based on the accumulated impact of the vast number of eclectic Westside Story articles published in The Suburban Times, since November of 2010, it was bound to happen. I was just awarded the No-Bell prize, not to be confused with the Nobel Prize. The Nobel Prize is awarded to deserving individuals by Swedish and Norwegian […]
Letter: “I’m sorry I was naughty grandpa”
I was sitting there, cold, huddled in a blanket, not feeling very well, a cup of coffee cradled occasionally in my hands to ensure my fingers would stay somewhat nimble on the keys of the computer, looking forward to my bowl of Chicken Noodle Soup. But my heart was warm given the sweet, contrite voice […]