Craft Gossip

Independent craft blog since 2007

The Boys are in town – Review of Jersey Boys, Brisbane

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Jersey Boys Brisbane Review

There was a hush around the theatre. Everyone was dead silent. And then it just exploded. So started the Jersey Boys story on the stage with everyone’s favourite tunes.

With a dramatic setting, a high value cast, and an engaging storyline, the Jersey Boys: The Story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons opened for its premier season in Brisbane at the Lyric theatre at QPAC.

What was intensely appealing was the way the story was narrated, engaging everyone, even those who hadn’t grown up with America’s answer to the Beatles. The narration by different cast members explained how the the brand of Jersey Boys was developed and the familiar tunes that we all know them by. How it was such a trial and error, how they found the sound. The narrator explained it, and the actors performed it. A seamless integrated blend of high value theatrics. Absolutely brilliant!

Perhaps it is a sign of the brilliant direction but everyone had their story to tell and the show featured that person’s views impeccably. Franki Valli’s story was the least important (in a way). More social drama than business drama.

Then the music itself! There was not one flat note. The vocal projections were superb. How did they ever find so many artists with such superb voices?

Intermission was welcome and in the second half you related to their exhaustion. The show just built on the story in the second half.

Hats off to the set designer (Klara Zieglerovaas). The props and the stage setup was amazing. Everything moved fluidly. Such artistry!

I couldn’t find anything that was wrong with the show. Appointment was amazing, the details were superb. The trademarks gestures were spot on.

Very uplifting and put you in a feel good moment. Captivating. And it is great story – well told – sad but uplifting. Everyone was on their feet at the end. Go see it.

What?

Jersey Boys: The Story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons

Where?

Lyric Theatre, QPAC

When?

July 14 – September 16

How?

http://www.qpac.com.au/event/Jersey_Boys_12.aspx?showTab=Overview

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Designer Spotlight: Happy Sloth Patterns

You know a little bit what you’re in for when you see the header for the Etsy shop Happy Sloth Patterns, whose tagline is “dumb patterns made by an idiot human.” Which at least implies there’s no AI to be found in the Australia-based shop, but also plenty of snark. 

(That’s also clear from the images in the shop header, which include a bow-bedecked squirrel with the words “we’re all doomed but whatever.” You’ll find these in the category “unsupportive animals.”)

The biggest category is for animals and pets, and there’s plenty of sarcasm and silliness here. Since the people are all about geese this year (see also: goose cross stitch patterns) I couldn’t help share this silly goose who got a little too silly. This design is 87 by 69 stitches, which comes out to 6.2 by 4.9 inches, or 15.8 by 12.5 cm when stitched on 14 count fabric.

That would look great in an eight-inch hoop, though measurements are included for other counts in the pattern notes if you want to make it smaller. It uses eight colors.

Another big category is vintage style patterns, which include vintage looking often cartoony designs with more modern sayings. In a similar vein there is the quotes and text patterns section, which praises the virtues of prescription medications, offers plenty of puns and some throwbacks to the early days of personal computing. 

There are also patterns that are specifically pop culture references such as a Pac Man game and designs inspired by Firefly, the Golden Girls and Dirty Dancing among many others. 

And there’s a lot more to be found here, including patterns for Halloween, Christmas and Valentine’s Day, projects with wizards and mermaids, feminist and LGBT designs, some collections of mini patterns (including fairies, forest creatures, tiny rubber ducks and more) and a collection of emotional support animals that also don’t feel all that supportive. 

There’s even a nice array of alphabets you can buy to use in your projects, everything from retro gaming fonts to one inspired by the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and one with flames inside the letters. 

Check out all the goodies at Happy Sloth Patterns. 

[Photo: Happy Sloth Patterns]