Christmas Version Of The

Flagpole Radio Café Filled The Alexandria Room

By Eliza Hallabeck

Despite the snow earlier in the day on Saturday, December 20, the show at the Flagpole Radio Café in Edmond Town Hall went on.

Musical and dramatic reading performances flavored the air in the Alexandria Room of Edmond Town Hall for about 90 minutes while the Newtown Cultural Arts Commission production entertained an audience.

“It’s a wonderful collaborative effort,” said Martin Blanco, the producer and director of Flagpole Radio Café.

Mr Blanco said the event was not as well attended as previous showings of the Flagpole Radio Café due to the weather, but the room was nearly full nevertheless.

Performances for the show on Saturday included a performances by the Flagpole Shakespeare Repertory Theatre, a musical performance by Rabbi Shaul Praver, and news about other cultural performances happening in the area.

“The idea is to help create an awareness of the cultural events in Newtown,” said Mr Blanco.

One of the performances by the Flagpole Shakespeare Repertory Theatre included a dramatic reading called “The Best Christmas Dinner Ever.”

Members read a skit written about Mary Hawley, Newtown’s benefactress, celebrating Christmas dinner with her family members as hurdles arise. Complications that daunted a young Mary Hawley during the night included a cousin coming home from Smith College wearing pants, the dinner’s planned entrée, a boar’s head, burning and a family member getting caught in terrible traffic on Route 25.

This lead’s Mary Hawley to complain about the need for a better Route 25 to accommodate the increase in vehicular traffic.

“Certainly it’s flavored or seasoned with [local Newtown references],” said Mr Blanco, during a phone conversation.

Performers and the production of the event included the Newtown Cultural Arts Commission members, the Radio Café Orchestra, which includes Jim Allyn, Rick Brodsky, Dick Neal and Chris Teskey, the Flagpole Shakespeare Repertory Theatre, which included Martin Blanco, Barbara Gaines, Jennifer Rogers and David Wheeler. The production was written by Martin Blanco, Barbara Gaines and David Wheeler, and the sound and  recording engineer was David Shugarts.

Mr Blanco said each show tries to discuss other upcoming cultural events, because, he said, it will help further the knowledge that there are other such events in the area.

Each production of Flagpole Radio Café takes about a month of preparation, according to Mr Blanco. After the first performance of the café happened in September, there was roughly a month to prepare for each event after that.

Each show is aimed to last roughly 90 minutes, according to Mr Blanco.

“In February we have some holidays coming up,” said Mr Blanco, and the upcoming shows of the Flagpole Radio Café will try to accommodate them.

And for the performance scheduled in March, he said, St. Patrick’s Day will add its flavor.

“There’s a mass amount of talent,” said Mr Blanco, “and it’s a wonderful vehicle to showcase them.”

Tickets for the show are $10 ($5 for seniors and students) and reservations can be made by calling 364-0898. Future presentations of Flagpole Radio Café are planned for Saturdays, February 7, March 7 and May 30, each starting at 7 pm. Artists wishing to participate in the Flagpole Radio Café should contact Newtown Cultural Arts Commission at info@NewtownArtsCommission.org.