Before one can play, one must work, so it was up this morning to give Tucker a quick trot around the neighborhood, and then we grabbed a BelVita bar each and went grocery shopping. We got soup for supper and other essentials at Kroger, and also stopped briefly at Publix to get the chicken and ham salads James eats for snacks instead of noshing on sweets. Once we had all the groceries put up, we took a little breather, then set out southbound on I-75 to Stockbridge, where ARTC is performing this year's edition of An Atlanta Christmas. I was worried about traffic around Southlake Mall; I should have worried about the speeders—it was like the Atlanta Motor Speedway out there. We had the windows down all the way; what weather we are having, up into the low 70s. Mosquitoes are out and the air is all full of particulates and trees are blooming. No wonder our noses are stuffed and my joints are aching.

We arrived at Stockbridge about 1:20 and went to the Piccadilly Cafeteria for lunch. James had some turkey and I had the chicken cacciatore (which, frankly, didn't have enough chicken, but the onions were plentiful—but I don't dare eat that many) on top of spaghetti. We shared a piece of "chocolate cake" which turned out to be a really thick brownie. Wow. Chocolate overload.

For the next two hours we were at the theatre and enjoyed this year's version of the Christmas show (it has separate elements which can be included or rearraged for a different experience each time), which included many of my favorites, including the wistful "Are You Lonely Tonight?" and its humorous sequel, "The Experts," the wonderfully nostalgic "Davy Crockett and Me," and the funny "Legend of the Poinsettia" and "Blue HanukkaChristmas Carol" (in which a man who's missed his flight out of Atlanta due to fog and is home alone on Christmas Eve meets three definitely peculiar ghosts), plus more. Music was provided by a transgender group called Spectrum who sang seasonal favorites plus an absolutely hilarious song called "Chiron Beta Prime."

If we thought traffic was crazy on the way down, we hadn't seen anything yet. James was doing 75 and at one point four motorcycles came zooming past us doing fast lane switches like they were some sort of performing team. One of them cut in front of us so sharply that the bike tilted at a 30 degree angle to the pavement!

By the time we arrived home, it was suppertime. I took Tucker for his evening walk, then we had our soup and ended up watching America's Funniest Home Videos, with lots of footage of falling Christmas trees.

This week's episode of The Librarians brought Ezekiel front and center and showed what he could be—but of course there was that little twist at the end. And the little fillip with Jenkins just as the final scene faded out does not bode well for our merry troop.

Finally it was Alaska: the Last Frontier. Next week is their Christmas episode.

Labels: Atlanta Radio Theatre Company, radio drama, shopping, television

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. . . . . noted and logged by Linda at 10:40:00 PM

Comments:

When I saw your title "A Radio Christmas" I thought of my plan to dig out my eBay purchased video tape entitled "Remember WENN -- For Your Consideration: In All Acting Categories for a Comedy Series" which has three television episodes, including "Christmas in the Airways" from 12/21/1996. I'm rather surprised that the one hour episode has yet to be mentioned in your lists of favorite television holiday specials you've watched.

But perhaps you're not as old-fashioned as I am. Another Radio Christmas tradition of mine is to spend an hour of Christmas Eve listening to a cassette tape of the "Campbell Playhouse" from December 24, 1939 -- "A Christmas Carol" starring Lionel Barrymore as Ebenezer Scrooge, and narrated by Orson Welles. Mr. Barrymore repeated his role of Scrooge for about 20 years of radio broadcasts, and he's still the repenting Scrooge every year in my home.

# posted by  Unknown : 10:51:00 AM

 

Karen, I just read a book about versions of A CHRISTMAS CAROL done on the radio; it was excellent! The author is Craig Wichman. Much of it is about Lionel Barrymore's CAROL.

I'll confess. I haven't watched "Christmas in the Airwaves" yet because it makes me cry. Cry for the dirty trick AMC pulled on its viewers, cry for a show too soon canceled--and cry because I always danced with Bandit to "You Make It Christmas."

# posted by  Linda : 11:22:00 PM

 

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