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

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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If you’ve been around here long, you know that I’m in a perpetual battle with my stash. I feel like I haven’t bought yarn in years unless I needed it for a specific project. I knit fairly a lot, and crochet some, too, but it feels like my stash never gets any smaller.

It’s not just the unused balls of yarn that are a problem. In fact, maybe a bigger issue is all the odd balls and leftover bits that seem to pile up without any effort. Even though I love scrappy projects (and knit a whole sweater dress with scraps earlier this year) it still feels like a never-ending quest to use up all the little bits.

So I’m always on the lookout for good patterns that are made to use of the extra bits of yarn. If they are super easy, too, that’s so much the better.

So it is with the Lalu Scarf by Sheena Stone. This any yarn, any gauge pattern is designed to use up whatever scraps you have on hand (assuming they’re mostly the same weight or can be held double to make the same weight).

It’s a tube scarf worked in the round, and she specifically notes that she works it outside in, so the back of the scarf is on the outside as you knit. The needle tips are on the part of the circle farthest away from you as you knit.

It also has an attached I-cord edging, which sounds really time consuming but does give the edges a nice, finished look.

The way the colors are changed as you knit you don’t really need a lot of each color. It would probably be good if you had at least enough of a color to complete one round, but you can change colors more often than every round if you need to because you’re using all your tiny bits.

Grab the free pattern on Ravelry.

[Photo: Sheena Stone.]

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