Dreams Reimagined

On the evening of February 27th, Frank and I went to a local singing production at the Firehouse Arts Center in Pleasanton CA, a theater in our neighboring town. The show was titled Dreams Reimagined: A Miscast Cabaret. Publicity for the performance hinted at what to expect.

Come see some of your favorite performers sing roles you’d never be cast in! Dreams Reimagined is a bold and heartfelt evening of theater where the usual rules don’t apply. Gender? Age? Type? Forget it. If it inspires them, they get to perform it!

In the theatre lobby, while waiting to be seated for the show we explored some of the costumes on display. I recognized Belle from Beauty and the Beast and Eva Perón from Don't Cry for Me Argentina. I am guessing that the pleated skirt ensemble was from Nine to Five. These songs were not necessarily in the repertoire but the costumes were fun to look at nonetheless.

The only accompaniment to the singers was a piano with a set of drums. The staging was minimal with minor props like tables, or stools, or chairs. However, in one case in particular, a two piece toilet complete with tank and bowl was carried out and assembled on the stage by two people. The singing was highly enjoyable and the vocalists were powerful and clearly very talented. Our seats in Row D out of K rows on the main level were just perfect for sound and visual. A projected image displayed what song (or songs when two were counter-played with each other) were being performed. The majority of songs I knew, but for those lesser known, both Frank and I found this projection helpful.

Here is a complete list of the songs from ACT I and ACT II. In some cases the male and female roles were the opposite of the norm and, impressively, this mis-casting worked! Afterward I comment on a select few I liked in particular.

• The woman who sang You'll Be Back from Hamilton was excellent in her mannerisms, sarcasm, and intonations. She was a great runty king who tickled the audience as much as the royalty on broadway. 
  
  
• The "girl" who sang 16 Going on 17 from The Sound of Music came on stage in a mini skirt, a low-cut cleavage-revealing top, black mesh stockings, and toting two beer bottles. The presentation was hilarious.
  
  
• In the aria duet from The Phantom of the Opera, a woman played the phantom in the half mask and a man played the soprano Christine. I waited with bated breath and damn — if he didn't succeed spectacularly in hitting that final high note spot on!
  
  
• A quartet of four women did a medley of hits as the Jersey Boys. I thoroughly enjoyed their crisp harmony and walking motion like the original four guys performing Sherry,  Big Girls Don't Cry,  Walk Like a Man from the musical and real life Jersey Boys.
  
  
• I never would have imagined to counter-sing Winner Takes It All from Mama Mia against I Dreamed a Dream from Les Miserables but it worked. Both have themes of dashed love.
  
  
• Even the songs I had never heard appealed. Micheal in the Bathroom from Be Chill was sung with such angst I could really feel that terror and struggles of teen years. This song benefited greatly from the toilet bowl prop. Here is a sample of the lyrics from the song Michael in the Bathroom. Complete lyrics are at this link.

I am hanging in the bathroom at the biggest party of the fall.
I could stay right here or disappear and nobody'd even notice at all.
I'm a creeper in a bathroom 'cause my buddy kinda left me alone.
But I'd rather fake pee than stand awkwardly or pretend to check a text on my phone.

The Firehouse Arts Center is a small venue, created in what used to be a fire station. Our seats on the main level were great.

This 20,000 sq. ft. cultural arts center features a 221-seat theater, a 2,000 sq. ft. fine arts gallery, an 1,800 sq. ft. classroom space, and an hourglass shaped grand lobby that links Downtown Pleasanton to the facility’s 3,000 sq. ft. Parkside patio and adjacent Lions Wayside Park.

If a similar show plays where you live, I would highly recommend attending. Granted the particular performance was a collection of local talent and so can be greatly varied based on singers and venue. My guess is that there must be licensing of some sort, so perhaps there is continuity to some degree. Frank and I were certainly glad we'd gone and feel fortunate that such an experience was available to us so close to home.

Revisit to Chabot Space and Science Center

Frank and I took Alex to the Chabot Space & Science Center for an afternoon outing on March 8th. The complex, sprawling over the hills of Oakland, consists of two main buildings, the Spees and the Dellums connected by a Sky Bridge. The last time we had been there was in the May 22nd, 2022 and I commented on that visit in my post dated 6/5/22. Alex really enjoyed himself then, but we were a bit disappointed this visit. There seemed to be fewer things for him to do and those hands on exhibits that he could get engaged in, seemed worn out from use and in need of freshening or refurbishment.  

Our first stop upon arrival was to see the Planetarium show. It focused on how Pluto lost its status as a planet and is now categorized as a dwarf planet. The voiceover was fascinating for Frank and me but it was the visuals that really seemed to engage Alex. The swirling motion seemed to mesmerize him. We sat in the first row but after a few minuets I had to change seats. Alex kept jiggling and swaying. His movements combined with the whirling visual made me nauseous and I had to move a row back where Alex's motions did not make my seat move, too. Despite my initial queasiness, I think this was the best part of our visit.

There were many empty deserted "classrooms", most likely intended for school visits. "Studios" contained "exhibits". After the planetarium show we set out to find some interesting, low key exhibits. We found very few and the ones we found I actually thought could have been far better presented. In our travels from studio to studio we came across this phases of the moon demo that Alex liked from last time but that was about it.

It was not until we got to the third floor of the second building that we found two hands on activities that could engage Alex (and Frank and me). One was to build a structure, then shake it to simulate a quake on Mars. Alex much preferred putting the blocks back in their milk crate source. Frank got involved with him and then Alex did show a short-lived interest in building. On our previous visit he had lingered there, engaged for nearly an hour. Gone also were the giant LEGOs which had entertianed him on a previous visit.

There was one other demo that was to illustrate magnet-powered trains. Blocks with metal on the bottom would slide down an incline more rapidly, drawn along by magnets. Putting the blocks metal side down held no interest for Alex. Instead he rolled balls from a neighboring, non-functioning exhibit down the slope.

This facility seems to have changed its demographic to appeal to scheduled visits by school field trips. Other than the planetarium shows, not much is going on for impromptu touring by the general public. Either the focus has changed or the funding has dwindled. We will not be going there again soon. The pleasant ride there and the mesmerizing planetarium show were successful activities that allowed us to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat on this impromptu Sunday outing with Alex.

Trip to NC visiting Sister and Daughter

QuiltCon was a stake in the sand to establish when I flew out to NC from CA to visit my sister, Maxine. Timing my visit for during the quilt exhibition was a great incentive for my daughter, Robin to fly out from OK to join us for part of the visit. Robin is also Maxine's goddaughter. Robin's and my flights arrived late Thursday night within 30minutes of each other at the Raleigh Durham airport. We Uber'd to the hotel and Maxine joined Robin and me the next morning.  Our plans were to attend the show on Friday and possibly Saturday as well. All three of us did enjoy our day at the show on Friday. We were still smiling at our departure but unanimously agreed that we were worn out and that one day had been enough.

Although we'd spent only one day at the show, I had booked us five nights and four days at the Embassy Suites so we'd have to time to further visit, rest up, and play games. The location is within the area known as the Research Triangle.

The Research Triangle (or "The Triangle") in North Carolina is a premier U.S. innovation hub anchored by Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill. Named for its proximity to three major research universities—Duke, UNC-Chapel Hill, and NC State—the region is famed for its high concentration of tech/biotech companies, elite education, and high quality of life.

The hotel had its own restaurant and free breakfast so we did not even have to venture out if we were not energetic enough to do so. Perhaps the research aspect of the location influenced the decor of the restaurant area. In the bar section, the wall paper imitated a blackboard inscribed with formulas. Another seating area had a design on the wall that made me think of some sort of chemical bonds among molecules.

Saturday morning we opted to skip the free breakfast, sleeping in and playing games instead. We played Kollide. 

Kollide is a TikTok-famous magnetic strategy board game for 1-4 players (ages 8+). Players compete to place all their magnets inside a flexible rope ring without letting them snap together. If magnets collide (link up), the player must take the entire cluster back, making it a high-tension game of skill, precision, and focus.

Seeing those magnets zip together in an unpredictable fashion was a lot of fun and sparked much surprise. We jumped and laughed at each collision and its collateral damage. Robin lost to Maxine. In solo games where each player attempted to put all twenty gold stones within the rope ring, only Maxine succeeded in the solitaire game.

That Saturday we also competed in puzzles races. Maxine had brought two 50-piece puzzles, one with a pizza theme and one with a strawberry theme. I started with the pizza one and Robin with the strawberry one. We had some initial confusion with starting the timer on the cell phone — or rather debating the resolution to two timers on two cell phones — when we realized it did not matter what the actual time was, just who was faster. Further complicating a rather simple task, was the fact that neither Robin nor I knew what the picture on the puzzle was, nor what the finished dimensions would be. Robin had hers completed while I was still struggling to make the border. She won hands down! When we traded puzzles, now knowing the image and size, Robin was faster than me by a wide margin. Robin took those puzzles home with her to conduct her own familial races back in Oklahoma.

Maxine spent some time sharing her Quiltcon purchases and admiring her zebra-striped zippers. Robin and I also shared our purchases. (See purchases section of DL2Q for 3/7/26.) Then we decided to go out for an early dinner at the Cheesecake Factory in the Crabtree Valley Mall across the street.

The Cheescake Factory had a two hour wait list. We added our name and then set out to walk the mall a bit. The restaurant had an entrance that opened out into the mall proper.  Maxine and I could not remember that last time we had been to a mall, so it was a nostalgic, nice treat to just window shop. We made it about two-thirds down the upper level and never got to the lower level before my cell phone went off that our table was ready. The territory we covered is marked in red in the following diagram. The Cheesecake Factory is indicated with a yellow arrow. We did not go into any major anchor stores of the mall.

Maxine ordered Truffle Honey Chicken and was impressed with its presentation since she loves asparagus. It tasted real good, too. I think I had a salad and do not remember what Robin had, but I do remember that Maxine and I ordered cheesecake to go. Robin refrained. She was flying out very early the next morning and thought a heavy dessert like that was not a wise option. My Peach Perfect with Raspberry Drizzle lasted two days and Maxine's Mango Key Lime Cheesecake also required multiple sittings to finish. Sunday and Monday were sweet.

Robin left on an early flight Sunday morning. Maxine and I were content to just hang around the hotel. The view out our window was underwhelming — air conditioners and a parking lot. Inside was better. I liked watching the indoor scenery pass by while on the glass sided elevator. Maxine faced away, closed her eyes, and did not look. She said it made her woozy. We did explore a sitting area with comfy pre-St. Patrick's Day chairs. Maxine preferred to let the world pass by her, rather than her pass by the world.

I'd brought along my iPad and was able to log in to recordings for Olympic opening and closing ceremonies which Maxine has missed during the original broadcast. We also watched skating, skiing, sledding, and hockey. We watched, and rewatched,  and re-rewatched, the winning goal that earned the American hockey team a gold medal. Maxine is an ardent hockey fan.

Maxine had brought her copy of Scrabble and we played many games. She hates to have her picture taken so these two are all I could manage of our games together. That should teach her to cooperate and be more photogenic! I had to settle for a photo of the completed board only, after one game. 

I brought a 300-piece jigsaw puzzle from CA. We enjoyed doing that together one evening.

Tuesday morning I took an Uber to the airport for my flight back to CA. Maxine packed her belongings after I  left and checked out of the hotel to go back to her home in Cary, NC. All in all it was a very happy trip; I am so glad I made it. We will need to do it again, even if there is no quilt show to inspire the date.

Ponder: Tailspin

I read Tailspin ©2018 by Sandra Brown on my flights to and from North Carolina for visiting QuiltCon last month. Perhaps the title might indicate that this was not the best topic for in-flight reading, but it was a real page turner, kept me engaged, and made the time in the air go quickly. A boring book and a cramped airline seat do not make a good combination, so I was very fortunate I had Tailspin to read. Sadly, no, it did not made the leg room any more spacious, but I was absorbed in the novel and did not notice so much.

According to the book's front flap synopsis

Rye Mallett is a fearless pilot with a reputation and a deadline to uphold. When he's asked to deliver a mysterious black box to Dr. Lambert, he doesn't ask questions. After a sabotage attempt on his plane, he's greeted by the mysterious Dr. Brynn O'Neal. Rye finds himself irresistibly drawn by the intrigue surrounding his cargo...and the alluring Brynn. Soon, Rye and Brynn are in a treacherous forty-eight-hour race to deliver the box. With everyone from law enforcement to hired guns hot on their heels, they must learn to trust each other to protect their valuable cargo–and their lives–from those who would kill for it.

Finding out what the mysterious cargo is and why its delivery is time critical, despite horrendous weather conditions, kept me curious. The pilot Rye regarded the transport as a mere delivery transaction and couldn't care less about its contents... until all hell breaks loose. I have read several other of Sandra Brown's book and they have the right mix of fast-paced adventure and smoldering romance. I general rate them around fours stars, very enjoyable but not classic literature. The following three Sandra Brown titles about which I happened to write blog posts.

• Out of Nowhere ©2023 about a mass shooting at a county fair in Texas and its aftermath
• (see post 10/21/23) ★★★★☆
• Tough Customer ©2011 mediocre, but moves quickly, minimizing exposure to creepy villain
  (see post 9/17/14)★★★☆☆
• Low Pressure ©2013 involves tornado obscuring crime scene evidence
  (see post 9/2/13) ★★★★☆ 

Shortly after completing my first Sandra Brown book back in 2013, Frank noticed that an e-bay auction item for 30 of her books, a mix of hardcovers and paperbacks with the current bid at $12.50 was closing within 16 minutes. The coincidence was so uncanny we figured it was word from above. Frank put in a last minute bid and won them all for $15.50 + $12 shipping. For less than $30 we got 30 books. This deal even beats the $0.01 books on Amazon, since each of those has $3.99 shipping. I just remembered that he'd done this when I reread my post from 9/2/13. These are the novels from that eBay bargain that I have left to read. I am so glad I rediscovered these on shelves in our garage.

Tailspin was a fun read that had a strong premise which was maintained and resolved to my satisfaction. I also enjoyed the multi-dimensionality of the two main characters. Their growth at the end of the story pleased me as well. Perhaps the sex scenes could be a bit too graphic for the sensitivity of some gentle readers, so I rate Tailspin four stars.

★★★★☆ Really good; maybe only one weak aspect or limited audience

Ponder: In Her Defense

I found the premise of In Her Defense ©2026 by Philippa Malicka intriguing and thought-provoking, a psychological topic I'd been curious about understanding. Anna and Bonamy Finbow have become estranged from their adult daughter, Mary, and blame her therapist. Per the front flap of the book.

The whole country has been riveted by the trial: Beloved TV star and national treasure Anna Finbow, standing in court, accusing her daughter’s therapist Jean Guest of brainwashing her daughter Mary for her own financial gain. Jean insists Mary’s traumatic memories arise from her upbringing and her time studying at a prestigious art school in Rome; wounds only Jean’s therapy can heal. But as the trial unfolds, it’s Augusta “Gus” Bird, Anna’s former employee—a seemingly insignificant bystander, a nobody—who holds the key to unraveling the tangled web of lies and deceit.

If you can tolerate reading about smoking, heroin snorting, the stigma of lesbianism, and the deprived conditions within an artists' colony, juxtaposed with child abuse and the entitled wealth of an elite crowd... then this book might appeal. Plowing through these unpleasant topics to get to the core of the central conflict made this book a difficult read for me. What really are memories? Chapters about the court trial alternate with chapters about remembrances or interactions that gave background. The trial chapters were engaging but I wish I could have skipped the other chapters. I would have liked more discussion about repressed memories versus false "recovered" memories. The novel fell short in this area. In Her Defense was a disappointment for me. I rate it only one star but I did read it through to completion to learn of the trial resolution.

★☆☆☆☆ Awful but I read most or maybe even all of it

Ponder: Gone Before Goodbye

Gone Before Goodbye ©2025 by Harlan Coben  and Reese Witherspoon  is a creative, engaging novel which intrigued me enough that I stayed up until 2:30 am one night to finish it. I was not familiar with Coben and this is Witherspoon's first novel, so my choice to read this was not author driven. The book starts out relaying the actions of three surgeons — Maggie, her husband Marc, and Trace — friends throughout med school and internship, who work in combat zones, neutrally attending to the injuries of whoever needs it, whatever side of the combat and whatever age. According to a loose quote from the novel, they aim to save all lives, good or evil, and let God sort it out in the end.

Maggie is approached to perform surgeries on undisclosed but extremely wealthy clients, for which she is promised to be handsomely rewarded. There is a strong emphasis on being discreet to a point that borders on cloak and dagger. Maggie is a well developed character; Marc and Trace not so much. Maggie's father-in-law, amusingly named Porkchop, leads a motorcycle gang and owns a restaurant for bikers. Belying the stereotypical biker persona, he is very level headed and capable and loves his daughter-in-law Maggie to the nth degree, being very protective of her as well.

The settings of the story are exotic and extreme from desolate war zones to luxurious towering skyscrapers. Here is the plot per the front flap

Maggie McCabe is teetering on the brink. A highly skilled and renowned Army combat surgeon, she has always lived life at the edge, where she could make the most impact. And it was all going to plan ... until it wasn’t. Upside down after a devastating series of tragedies leads to her medical license being revoked, Maggie has lost her purpose, but not her nerve or her passion. At her lowest point, she is thrown a lifeline by a former colleague, an elite plastic surgeon whose anonymous clientele demand the best care money can buy, as well as absolute discretion.

Halfway across the globe, sequestered in the lap of luxury and cutting-edge technology, one of the world’s most mysterious men requires unconventional medical assistance. Desperate, and one of the few surgeons in the world skilled enough to take this job, Maggie enters his realm of unspeakable opulence and fulfills her end of the agreement. But when the patient suddenly disappears while still under her care, Maggie must become a fugitive herself—or she will be the next one who is ... Gone Before Goodbye.

I felt the ending of this book was abrupt and did not tie up a few loose ends I would have liked addressed.  Maybe I rushed the dénouement, missing a few details I could go back and seek. Or perhaps, I was enjoying the read enough I wanted it to keep going. A reviewer on Amazon voiced this same concern that I did, so I think the claim of loose ends is valid. The approach may be intentional, keeping the reader wanting more. For this minor shortfall I rate Gone Before Goodbye four stars instead of five but still would encourage it as a worthy read.

★★★★☆ Really good; maybe only one weak aspect or limited audience