I love their milk bottles!

(I don’t think you can take them out anymore, this was from back in the day)

Flossip Featuring reviews, to-do's, and the not quite news in Florence, SC.

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!)

Flossip Featuring reviews, to-do's, and the not quite news in Florence, SC.

Be jealous!

Flossip Featuring reviews, to-do's, and the not quite news in Florence, SC.

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.

Flossip Featuring reviews, to-do's, and the not quite news in Florence, SC.

“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!

Flossip Featuring reviews, to-do's, and the not quite news in Florence, SC.

The Francis Marion University Performing Arts Center will close out its season with five shows during the remainder of April and May. The variety offers something for just about everyone from a special show about professional baseball  player Jackie Robinson to the acclaimed dance show Stomp.

Tickets for the shows may be purchased at  www.fmupac.org, via telephone at (843) 661-4444, and at the FMU Performing Arts Center Box Office. Telephone and personal ticket sales are available Monday through Friday between 12-5 p.m. Subject to availability, tickets may be available for purchase at the door.

April 27 at 2 p.m. Jackie Robinson: A Game Apart

A Game Apart provides a glimpse of Jackie Robinson’s life during a bygone era of separate and unequal locker rooms, of whites only hotels, and of restaurants with only a back door for colored athletes to enter. Witness the hopeless humiliation of a star player who was showered with adulation on the field and became a second-hand citizen when he walked off the diamond. Meet Jackie’s compatriots fighting the same battles between the end zones, inside the ring and around the track. A Game Apart is a powerful lesson of courage through dedication, perseverance and leadership.

April 30 at 7:30pm:   The Water Coolers

Written by real people with regular jobs, The Water Coolers hilarious brand of song and sketch comedy celebrates anyone who’s ever been held captive by a help line, pretended to understand an IT guy, or forced to buy a can of old popcorn by a Thin-Mint-crazed Sales Parent.  Like a cross between The Office, The Capitol Steps and Modern Family, The Water Coolers uses top NY talent to answer the question “does this stuff happen to anyone else?”

May 2,  7:30pm: Stomp       

The eight-member troupe of Stomp uses everything but conventional percussion instruments – matchboxes, wooden poles, brooms, garbage cans, Zippo lighters, hubcaps – to fill the stage with magnificent rhythms.

May 16,  7:30pm: The Piano Men – Starring Jim Witter

The Piano Men Starring Jim Witter is a musical celebration of the 1970’s – year by year, hit by hit – from the songs of Billy Joel and Elton John. Utilizing rear screen projection, we return to the newspaper headlines, the automobiles, the people, the events, the toys and even the TV shows that shaped a decade.

May 23, 7:30 p.m.: Faye Lane’s Beauty Shop Stories

With her Texas lilt and gentle demeanor, writer-performer Faye Lane serves up a Southern-fried cabaret show that’s sweeter than banana Moon Pies and RC Cola. Interspersing country-and-western-flavored cabaret songs (accompanied by Andrew Graham on piano) with monologues about growing up in her mama’s Texas beauty salon, the platinum blond Lane narrates her inspirational tale of an overweight little girl who learns to follow her dreams. Faye’s shows include stories and songs, mostly true and sometimes outrageous.

Flossip Featuring reviews, to-do's, and the not quite news in Florence, SC.

Moms and Dads all over town are starting to think– “What can the kids do this summer?!”

Here is a helpful guide to help you get started with those plans! (Most of these camps do not last the full day, so check dates and times carefully to see if they will meet your needs.)

• ScienceSouth always has a good selection of camps.  Kids can have a blast while learning during the summer– what more can you ask? 
• This link isn’t updated yet, but the Florence Museum also offers a great selection of camps. Keep checking back here and I will let you know when they have updated.
• My kids are big fans of the Acting Up! Summer Camp put on at Florence Little Theatre.  This is a great camp for kids to learn more about expressing themselves through acting– and trust me– even the most introverted child will have fun!
• I have always been intrigued by Camp Florence.  This camp is very active and does last all day– it is a little pricey, but I think it looks really good.
• The Florence YMCA has a plethora of options-- even options for that hard to find age 12-16!  Sailing, surfing, skiing, kayaking-– are you kidding me?  I WANT TO DO THAT!!!  If I can get the times to work out, I really think I may take Flossip son to the Golf Camp.
• The Florence Redwolves baseball team already have their summer camp information available!  This link takes you to a PDF form.  This camp is from 6/10-6/13.
• Francis Marion University also offers a variety of summer camps”

• FMU Baseball
• FMU Men’s Basketball camp
• FMU Men’s and Women’s Soccer camp
• Men’s Tennis (Not linked yet, check back soon- they had a 2012 camp)
• Women’s Basketball
• Women’s Tennis (Not linked yet, check back soon- they had a 2012 camp)
• Volleyball camps (I think these are geared towards girls 6th grade and up) (Also this link.)

Flossip Featuring reviews, to-do's, and the not quite news in Florence, SC.

13 years ago this past summer, I went to an amazing wedding… it was back before the amazing wedding became commonplace and most people had normal-ish weddings.  The reception was spread out over acres of land.  There were multiple food tents, multiple bars, and people as far as the eye could see.

Then, there was the band.  It was probably the best band I have ever heard at a wedding.  We danced all night… even ignoring the multiple food tents.

The band was “Too Much Silvia”.

THIS FRIDAY NIGHT?  Too Much Silvia will be at Florence After Five.  So, if you can’t get tickets to Legally Blonde at Florence Little Theatre (and I know that means you will be going another night), you still have something to do!  AND– it is FREE admission!  The band will play from 6-8.  Florence After Five is on S. Dargan Street between Evans and Cheves Street.

Flossip Featuring reviews, to-do's, and the not quite news in Florence, SC.

A while ago I wrote about the conversation I had with my children about their friend Owen. I talked about having that hard conversation about their friend having cancer, about how the thing we can do is pray (And eat pancakes, go to concerts, buy candy, buy bracelets–WHATEVER we can do to help him and his family).

Tonight we pulled into Townhouse for me to grab a salad. I took the few minutes we were waiting to say “So, there was this explosion in Boston today… did you hear about that?” I wanted to have this conversation– not just wait and let them hear about it at school.

Their eyes got wide and they said they had not hurt about it. They asked so many questions– how many people were hurt, did anyone die?  I answered their questions as honestly as possible.

Then my daughter said “Why are there such bad people?”

I’m not even close to being a biblical scholar. I leave that to the more learned around me– David Wike, Will Malambri, Bob Norris, Jim Crooks… to name a few. However, when you are sitting in your car with your little girl looking at you to answer, you do the best you can.

“Honey, its a reminder that the Devil exists and he is a force to be reckoned with. However, our God is greater than all of his evil. We can pray for God to look after Boston and everyone that was hurt, just like we pray for Owen. It’s also why we pray when things seem good– to keep our family safe from harm.”

It’s HARD y’all. I even had to reassure them about bad guys breaking in– reminding them that we have the most excellent alarm system and protectors and a mean barky dog…

I’d rather be able to say this world is clean and pristine. But, it isn’t. Its big and dirty and troubled. However, even as dirty as it gets– it is OUR country. We come together to help. We will see people overcome obstacles, and we will see people reach out. Just like Florence came together for Owen (and will continue to do so), America will come together for Boston. You don’t mess with our people. And if you do– you should be prepared, because we will prevail. God will prevail. GOODNESS will prevail.

“I pledge allegiance to my Flag and to the Republic for which it stands one Nation indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all.”

Flossip Featuring reviews, to-do's, and the not quite news in Florence, SC.

Spring has arrived! The flowers are blooming and one of the best spring events in the Pee Dee, Francis Marion University’s Arts International, the annual celebration of the arts, is just around the corner. It will be held this year on Saturday, April 20, from 10 a.m. to 5 pm. The event is free and open to the public. This celebration of the visual and performing arts is for the whole family, with simultaneous performances at several different venues on campus. The event, a union of FMU’s Arts Alive and the Pee Dee International Festival, will take place on the FMU campus. Musical performances are scheduled on stages indoors and outdoors. For the first time, this year’s festivities will include Florence-Darlington Technical College’s Welding Sculpture Competition. Located behind the Smith University Center, the sculpture competition will feature teams of experienced craftsmen who will have eight hours to create a breathtaking piece of art, using only a pile of scrap material. Featured on the international stage are the Walhalla Oktoberfest Bavarian Dancers, the Jabali African Acrobats, Shrimp City Slim, Wanda Johnson and Swamp Pop Shelley. Robert Sims, a lyric baritone who specializes in African American folk songs and spirituals, is among those who will perform in Kassab Recital Hall in the Fine Arts Center. In addition, artists from all over the southeast region of the United States will be showing and selling their work at the festival. There will be oils, acrylics, pottery, woodwork, stained glass, jewelry, metalwork, photography, basketry and more. Food vendors representing countries all over the world will be on hand and cultural booths will have displays featuring global history, businesses and organizations. You will also be able to participate in a sidewalk chalk art competition and a recycled reading book sale. The annual Art Show and Sale will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the festival as well. This one-day exhibition and sales event is designed to promote the quality of diverse artisans residing in the region. In addition to booths displaying items for sale, several sites will have artisans demonstrating their skills For more information and a full schedule of the day’s activities, please visit www.fmarion.edu/news/artsinternational.

Flossip Featuring reviews, to-do's, and the not quite news in Florence, SC.