Florence, SC Reviews, to-dos, and not quite news™

The Francis Marion University Performing Arts Center is about to end its second season and if you haven’t been to a performance yet you have two wonderful shows to choose from.
The first is The Piano Men, Starring Jim Witter. This performance at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 16, celebrates the music of the 70’s, year by year and hit by hit, featuring the songs of Billy Joel and Elton John. Recording artist Jim Witter and his band lead an expertly crafted tour of an entire decade that begins with Your Song and winds us along on a musical time machine, saluting two of the century’s most popular contemporary songwriters. With Witter at the grand piano and his musicians on keyboards, guitar, bass, flute, sax, and drums, the music is not an attempt to recreate the long list of familiar hits – instead, Witter unleashes his golden tenor on hit after hit to recreate fully-formed mental and emotional return visits to specific landmarks in a pop culture lifetime.
The last show of the season at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 23, is a glittering, glamorous showcase of memories known as Faye Lane’s Beauty Shop Stories. Rhonda Faye Gunnels – The Green Bean Queen – grew up in her mama’s beauty shop, an old A-frame house converted into a salon, with big mirrors and swivel chairs in the front room and shampoo bowls in the old back bedroom. This chronicle of a childhood lived in a Texas beauty salon earned Gunnels the 2010 Overall Excellence Award from the New York International Fringe Festival, the 2011 Bistro Award for Best Musical Comedy, and the 2011 MAC Award for Outstanding Special Production.
Tickets are now available for both of these fantastic shows online at www.fmupac.org, by calling 843-661-4444 or by stopping by the Box Office Monday thru Thursday from 12-5pm.

(FMU PAC is a paid sponsor on theflossip.com. Please support them!)

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Be jealous!

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Progress generally means there will be changes– some good changes and some bad changes. Although I am somewhat sad to see Victors move, I am excited that it will still be open and a part of the downtown scene. The last day at the current location was yesterday, and we went for Mothers Day Brunch. After all, I could NOT MISS the last day at Victor’s. I am pretty certain I was there for opening night, have seen it through menu changes, staff changes. I have celebrated special occasions there, spent nights with people important to me.

I wish Tim Norwood and Victor’s all the best as they make the move and can’t wait to see the new place. You can like them on Facebook to follow the progress! Also, don’t forget to follow my list of Downtown businesses. (You think this is enough for me to get an invite?)

Little Miss Flossip had a Shirley Temple to toast Victor’s hello and goodbye.

I had champagne:

The food was delicious, and more than we could possibly eat. My kids had breakfast for dinner last night too.

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“Legally Blonde” is currently running at the Florence Little Theatre.  If you have not bought tickets yet, I urge you to buy TODAY as the shows are selling out quickly and this is a must see production.  From now on, I am going to walk around pretending I have a Greek Chorus singing to me throughout the day.

Rebecca Kelly is fantastic as Elle Woods.  From the moment she dances onto the set until the curtain call you will be captivated.  She has such an engaging smile, a sparkle in her eyes, and the ability to nail every note while dancing and acting… what a delight she is!

Ashley Costas shines as Elle’s best friend Paulette.  Ashley commented in the SC Now article that this was her first big role.  However, I would point out that I CLEARLY predicted fame for Ms. Costas way back in my very first review of “The Producers.”  Since then, I have watched Ms. Costas transform into an extremely capable and compelling leading lady.  I noticed that she had a mic on, but this girl can project to the moon and back!  (If Paulette could make my hair look like Elle Woods did in the show, I would be forever in her debt!)

Jennifer Thomerson as Vivian Kensington was truly great (better than Selma Blair in the movie by a long shot)!  I really enjoyed her as the bad girl gone good.  (Also, that high note!  Wow!)

It was nice to see Joey Webster on stage as Profesor Callahan.  He personified the talented but lecherous lawyer… I wonder if his face still hurts after the slap that Ms. Kelley gives him when he makes his unwanted advances towards her.  Blake Graham as Emmit and Cameron Turner as Warner round out this all star cast.  The leading man are definitely swoon worthy and it is readily apparent that Elle has great taste!

There is one scene in the play that makes me absolutely green with envy.  Meggie Baker as Brooke Taylor Windham manages to sing and jump rope for an abnormally long time.  This seems like it should be totally impossible!

I am very impressed with the talented dog acting that I saw in this show.  Rufus and Brewster followed all of their cues and had impeccable timing!  (Plus, they are REALLY, REALLY CUTE!)

The music at Florence Little Theatre is always impressive as is  (special shout out to the musicians) the choreography (hat tip to Preston Stone) and the acting (Kudos to every person that walked on the stage) as well as all of the dancing!   We have a top notch theater behind the Pine Curtain—if you have never been, you are missing out.  There are very few communities that are as fortunate as we are.

Finally, I have to compliment Director Frankie Sullivan on his keen attention to detail.  I watched every single background role as the show progressed and every single actor on that stage nailed each and every expression.  From Will Bynum’s very suave hairdresser to Elle’s very snooty Malibu Ken and Barbie parents (Rebecca Thompson and Frankie Sullivan) (Please share that cosmo!) to seeing Shannon Dunn step out of the props room to be a very scary Dewey to Joseph Steen’s charismatic UPS man… it was truly… legally blonde!

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