Contributor Review by Lori Miller: Fiddler On The Roof

This contributor review is by Rockville Central friend Lori Miller:

You really should take your kids to see “Fiddler on the Roof,” the spring musical at Richard Montgomery High School. And bring their grandparents. It will get the conversation going about past and future, parents and children, love and music. You might want to start that conversation before the show; this musical is a little more complex than most, and younger folks will get more out of it--and you’ll do less on-the-spot narration--if you explain some of the history and names.

The show is the first in RM’s new auditorium; the acoustics are much better here, and there are no bad seats, unless you’re a little kid. Parents may want to come early to scout out the best sight lines; the reserved seats are in the front and center, but the back rows may be better for shorter viewers.

Some RM traditions still hold--the cast, chorus and orchestra are huge and impressive, and the production has been carefully designed. It’s hard to take your eyes off Zach Sandberg as Tevye; he has some transcendent moments out there. But be sure to watch Matty Golub as a charming Motel the tailor and Micajah Dudley as the dancing, and scene-stealing, innkeeper.

The best entrance of the show belongs to the ghost of Fruma-Sarah during the dream sequence, but some younger viewers may dive for cover. If you see night terrors ahead, join in the post-show tradition at RM and take your children up to meet the actors and crew. They can see the ‘ghost’ among her friends, and maybe start dreaming about their own days on the RM stage.

“Fiddler” runs at 7:30 p.m. April 5, 11 and 12. Tickets are available at the door at $10 for adults and $5 for students. Reserved tickets are $12 for adults and $7 for students; call 301-610-8087.

Would you like to write a contributor review of an arts event to Rockville Central? Excellent! Just send it in and we will consider it. Rules: Event is in Rockville; fairly recent; article is your work; you are not offering it for publication elsewhere. Try to keep it under 500 words; we will edit for length. Include a photo if you have one!

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Town Square Tiles To Be Replaced

From the "Thank You About Time" department, the City has announced that the tiles in the walkways at Town Square by Gifford's and Five Guys are going to be replaced.

Perhaps you will recall a Photo Of The Day from back in February titled "Slippery People." It was by Rockville Central friend Eric Jensen and featured the really, really slippery tiles pictured at left.

Soon, these ceramic banana peels will shuffle off this mortal coil, according to the City:

Beginning April 7, and lasting for approximately two weeks, tile work will take place in the pedestrian vias at Rockville Town Square. The “vias” are the walkways that connect the parking garages to the Town Center Plaza. The parking garages, all retail outlets and restaurants will remain open during construction. Additionally, pedestrian access will be maintained from the garages to the plaza.

Completion of work is expected by Thursday, April 24.

FRIT (Federal Realty Investment Trust) has hired a contractor to complete the tile work, which is necessary because the tiles become slippery when they are wet. The tiles that are in place will be demolished and removed at all three locations. A new and safer natural stone material will then be installed.

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Rockville Central Radio Pilot A Success

In case you did not get a chance to tune in today for the pilot edition of Rockville Central Radio, you should know it was a great success! We were worried about filling up all that time but the hour flew by.

If you missed it . . . there is still hope! You can listen to any past show. The latest one will always be available here at Rockville Central in the little player on the right sidebar. Or, you can go to our page at Blog Talk Radio and access any past episode.

Thank you to all who called in to 646-200-3332 and took part in conversation, as well as the listeners and chat room guests! And, special thanks to Rich Gottfried, who shared some ideas for local campaign reforms, Frank Anstasi and Council Member John Britton, who each gave some insight into the Court House issue, and Susan Coll who read from her book, Rockville Pike.

Tune in next Friday at noon for the next episode of Rockville Central Radio. We'll announce special guests shortly!

But you never know who may show up, so stay tuned.

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POTD: Munch!

This photo is by Richard Montgomery High School PTSA president Kate Savage. Of it, she says: "This is the back side of the auditorium. The old building is finally coming down to make way for athletic fields!"

Want to submit a photo for consideration to be the Picture Of The Day at Rockville Central? Wonderful! Just email it to me. Rules: a) Must be taken in Rockville; b) Must be your own work; c) Must not be published or offered for publication elsewhere; d) Should be generally contemporary (try to keep them less than a month or two old).

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Weekend to Weekend 4/3/08

Events in Rockville

Friday, April 4

Art After Hours, VisArts Metropolitan Arts Center, 6:30 PM – 9 PM. Free. The four exhibit spaces are open late and the nine artists are creating in their studios. It’s a wonderful evening but get there early for wine and cheese. This month features Kimonos and Woodcuts: Collaboration – A Way of Work, a mixture of American and Japanese art forms.

HearArts is presented during Art After Hours from 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM. This month the author is Susan Coll who has a new novel, Acceptance. I’ve read and recommend her novel, Rockville Pike, which tells the story of the daughter-in-law made to work at the big box furniture store down from the cemetery with Fitzgerald’s grave, trapped in our suburbia. HearArts combines word with music and this month the Bethesda Chamber Singers will make music without instruments or electronics. All I can say is go to Art After Hours!

Fiddler on the Roof, Richard Montgomery High School, 7:30 PM. Tickets at the door. $10/adult, $5/students. This is the first performance in the NEW Richard Montgomery High School! Come on out and enjoy these talented performers in the brand new theater. (For a $2 surcharge per ticket, you can reserve tickets by calling 301-610-8452.)

Pasadena AND 86 The Effort, Austin Grill Rockville, 9:30 PM. Never a cover charge.

Pasadena – These boys are from Pasadena, MARYLAND. Mixing up the styles with the hip hop, acoustic, and some great drummin’. They’re “doing their best” and you’ll want to just hang with them because I know I do.

86 The Effort is a ROCK reggae alternative band from Baltimore and I say “Don’t mis ‘em mon!” Loving Ryan’s spinning, smiling voice and “there’s nothing wrong with singing songs about life”.

Saturday, April 5

City-Wide Stream Clean-up, Meet at Rockville City Hall, 9 AM. People interested in picking up trash along the streams in Woottons Mill Park, Dogwood Park or Rock Creeek Park (off Southlawn Lane) should report to City Hall. Volunteers will be sent out one of the three locations as needed.

Fiddler on the Roof, Richard Montgomery High School, 7:30 PM. Tickets at the door. $10/adult, $5/students. This is the first performance in the NEW Richard Montgomery High School! Come on out and enjoy these talented performers in the brand new theater. (For a $2 surcharge per ticket, you can reserve tickets calling 301-610-8452.)

Lloyd Dobbler Effect, Austin Grill Rockville, 9:30 PM. Talented and tight modern pop rock with culturally diverse rhythms coming to our doorstep from Silver Spring. Check out “Radio” especially since Rockville Central’s going radio.

Sunday, April 6


UPDATE: Gallery Opening, Kimonos & Woodcuts, VisArts, 12 – 3 PM. New exhibit of Japanese woodcuts, kimonos from the Edo period to present, and collaborative works by American artists. Plus, thanks to Judith Heartsong for letting me know that VisArts will be opening a shop at street level by the VisArts entrance at the same time as the gallery opening. Her work, as well as that of resident, regional, and national artists will be available for sale. She promises, “The shop is jam packed with gorgeous stuff.” I have absolutely no doubt!! Thanks Judith!

Spend the entire afternoon and evening at our Civic Center Park because they have five events in one day!

Meet the Artists Opening Reception, Interpretations-Mixed Media, Glenview Mansion, 1:30 PM – 3:30 PM. A collaborative exhibit, promising something new. April 6- April 29, 2008.

Brooker and Bullen, Sunday Afternoon Concert Series, Glenview Mansion, 2 PM. Beautiful Celtic, folk, Brazilian blues music.

Free Lecture and Tour, Glenview Mansion, 3:15 PM -4:15 PM. Celebrate Glenview Mansion being added to the National Register of Historic Places by attending this lecture “Glenview Mansion: from Plantation to Summer Estate to Civic Center” by Jeff Winstel, Historic Preservation Planner for the City of Rockville. Reservations are requested 240-314-8660.

Rockville Concert Band’s Concluding Concert of the 50th Anniversary Celebration, F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre, 3 PM. Free but donations are welcome. Selections include “Procession of Nobles,” “Four Scottish Dances,” “1812,” and the “Mancini Magic” medley.

The Diane Peacock Jezic Memorial Concert: Celebrating Women Composers, featuring the Ravel Trio, F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre, 7:30 PM. $20/adults, $15/seniors & students. The Ravel Trio and special guests promise to captivate the audience as they honor women composers.

Wednesday, April 9

Fundraiser for Special Olympics, Gordon Biersch, 6 PM – 8 PM. Free buffet and Maibock tasting, live DJ, silent auction. No cover charge for the event but donations are, of course, encouraged to support this charity! The best Masquarade mask wins a prize. Suggested donation for the masks is $5 each.

Thursday, April 10

Irish Dancing, Twinbrook Library, 7 PM. The Culkin School will Irish dance the hour away! Don’t miss this lively demonstration.

Patty Reese, Austin Grill Rockville, 8:30 PM. What can I say that I haven’t said already? Grab some friends and go hear her. I’ve been loving my CDs!!

Friday, April 11

Showing of the film Blue Angel by the Rockville Sister City Corporation, Rockville Senior Center, 7 PM. Free. The film will be in English and it tells the story of a university professor who is driven to madness after he gets caught up in the life of his mistress and is ridiculed by his students.

Fiddler on the Roof, Richard Montgomery High School, 7:30 PM. Tickets at the door. $10/adult, $5/students. This is the first performance in the NEW Richard Montgomery High School! Come on out and enjoy these talented performers in the brand new theater. (For a $2 surcharge per ticket, you can reserve tickets by calling 301-610-8452.)

Saturday, April 12

“By Popular Demand” A Benefit Performance for Musical Theater Center, F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre, 1 PM. The concert will feature 17 faculty members -- voice, dance and acting. Call the Box Office for tickets 240-314-8690.

Fiddler on the Roof, Richard Montgomery High School, 7:30 PM. Tickets at the door. $10/adult, $5/students. This is the first performance in the NEW Richard Montgomery High School! Come on out and enjoy these talented performers in the brand new theater. (For a $2 surcharge per ticket, you can reserve tickets by calling 301-610-8452.)

Coppelia by the Rockville Civic Ballet, F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre, 7:30 PM. $12/adults, $8 seniors/kids under 12. “Swalinda and Franz are to be married – but he falls for Coppelia, the girl sadly reading on her balcony.”

The West End, Austin Grill Rockville, 9:30 PM. They’re promising new material and makeovers for the old favorites! This performance features Matthew Taylor as a special guest. We all know what I think.


Sunday, April 13

Coppelia by the Rockville Civic Ballet, F. Scott Fitzgerald Theatre, 3 PM. $12/adults, $8 seniors/kids under 12. “Swalinda and Franz are to be married – but he falls for Coppelia, the girl sadly reading on her balcony.”

Living History Presentation about Julia Child: America's Favorite French Chef, Montgomery County Historical Society, Beall-Dawson House, 4:00 PM. Free but registration is required. Call 301-762-1492. Mary Ann Jung will portray Julia Child, who changed the way Americans cook. Before studying to be a chef in Paris, she had civilian and government jobs. Women who follow their dreams and change their lives always impress me.

Email the information for any fun, educational or community events to be included in Weekend to Weekend. Businesses are invited to send along specials and discounts. Include links!

We will publish event listings occurring in & around our coverage area (map) on Thursdays. The inclusion of events and specials is at our discretion.

If you attend an event, we invite you to write a contributor review. Just send it in and we will consider it. Rules: Event is in Rockville; fairly recent; article is your work; you are not offering it for publication elsewhere. Try to keep it under 500 words; we will edit for length. Include a photo if you have one!

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Listen To Rockville Central Radio Tomorrow At Noon!

Tune into Rockville Central Radio tomorrow at noon!

It's a talk show: Call-in number is 646-200-3332.

We have launched a weekly radio talk show called "Rockville Central Radio!" It airs every Friday at noon. It's on The Internets at BlogTalkRadio.

It's completely easy to listen to: Just go to this page at noon on Friday, to start listening in. You'll need a computer, an Internet connection, and speakers.

But, we really hope you'll call in and talk to us! Just dial (646) 200-3332 and you will be connected. You may have to wait to get on the air -- depending on what is going on and how many others are on.

We are planning a great show: Susan Coll, author of Rockville Pike will be joining us to read part of her novel!

Since this is the first show, there may be glitches. Please be patient with us. We apologize ahead of time for any mistakes!

If it goes well, we will keep it up! If not, then it didn't hurt to try.

Thanks for all your support.

(That coffee cup is merchandise from a certain band. You can get one here.)

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POTD: Home!

Now there's some nice news. Thanks Rockville Central friend Brenda Dunham for alerting me to this.

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A Constitutional Crisis?

That's how council member Piotr Gajewski jokingly referred to the situation facing the leadership of Our Fair City in a recent telephone call. We were discussing the apparent fact that the City's governing body, the Mayor and Council, though charged in the City Charter to "pass rules and by-laws for its own government while in session," evidently has not done so.

In fact, according to the Gazette, "City Attorney Paul Glasgow said the council has not adopted a formal set of operating guidelines since he began serving the city more than 25 years ago."

My feeling: Since it's a state of affairs that may have been going on for a quarter-century, "crisis" is probably the wrong word for it.

However, if it is true there's no set of rules governing how the Mayor and Council conduct business, this ought to be remedied as soon as possible. For the most part, it may not be a big deal -- but you never know when a decision that is particularly sensitive may come before the City.

The question that touched off this exchange was whether the Mayor and Council ought to hold a meeting on April 7 -- a meeting which has been canceled due to "insufficient business." The motion, to hold the meeting, got a 2-0-2 vote (two abstentions, and council member John Britton was absent). The Mayor ruled that the motion did not carry, because it would have had to achieve three "yea" votes (a majority). However, an argument could be made that 2 yeas to 0 noes means the motion carries.

Having clear procedural rules would settle valid disputes such as this.

For my part, I agree with council members Gajewski and Phyllis Marcuccio, who pushed for the City to adopt, as an interim measure while legislation can be drafted, Robert's Rules of Order. Robert's is the "gold standard" when it comes to the way groups conduct business. (Their effort failed on a vote of 3-2, which would likely be held valid under any possible set of rules!)

I can see an argument for not moving precipitously to just adopt rules out of a sense of urgency. Adopt rules once, the argument goes, not twice. But, I urge the Mayor and Council to establish some set of rules with as little delay as possible.

There are issues facing the Mayor and Council that are emotionally charged in the minds of many Rockville citizens: How often to meet, the City's response to the state's efforts to place a new District Court House on the old Library site, how best to move forward with the creation of a new stormwater management utility, and the budget, to name just a few.

Good governance would seem to call for a stable, well-articulated set of rules under which to conduct the business of leading Our Fair City.

As I say -- not a crisis, but definitely a situation to remedy. Indeed, Mayor Susan Hoffmann's reassuring words are important to keep in mind: "I would not want anyone to get the impression that this governing body is spinning out of control because it does not have written rules."

What do you think?

Want to talk about this? Call in and listen to Rockville Central Radio on Friday at noon: (646) 200-3332.

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POTD: Hah!

I normally have rules about POTD submissions . . . you know, keep it recent. But, this photo by Rockville Central reader Gayl Selkin-Gutman, was hard not to make an exception for.

It was taken one year ago!

Want to submit a photo for consideration to be the Picture Of The Day? Wonderful! Just email it to me. Now, back to the rules: a) Must be taken in Rockville; b) Must be your own work; c) Must not be published or offered for publication elsewhere; d) Should be generally contemporary (try to keep them less than a month or two old).

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Warm Weather for Walking

During the course of both my pregnancies, I walked every street in Twinbrook constantly. Every day that I could, I was out walking. Of course, this was followed by walking with strollers and walking to lose the baby weight. I’ve covered a lot of ground and found it to be a painless and convenient way to exercise.

To encourage healthier lifestyles, the City of Rockville has made it easy to keep track of how much you have walked through a program called Walk Rockville.

Fourteen walking routes are mapped on the City’s website and also in a handy brochure available at City Hall. All the routes are about one to two miles long and they start in a variety of neighborhoods and parks. Before starting any exercise program you should always consult your physician.

You can purchase a walking starter kit for $10 at one these City facilities: City Hall, the Swim Center, the Senior Center, or the Twinbrook/Lincoln Park Community Centers. The kit includes a pedometer, t-shirt, wristband, maps, monthly log sheet, and fitness information.

If you really want to be organized you can participate in the City-wide walking challenge by submitting a monthly log sheet recording the number of steps you have taken. You can get the forms and submit them online, or bring/mail them to City Hall. A City-wide tally will be announced at Hometown Holidays. Grab some friends and walk together because there will be awards for schools, businesses, neighborhoods and age groups with the most steps walked.

To plan your own walking route from your doorstep, I recommend walkjogrun.net. With a few clicks, you can map out a route close to your home and know exactly how far you go. I use it and find it easy to adjust my path and add distance when I’m ready. As in any exercise routine, you should start out simple and increase intensity and distance over time.

The City lists some common walking mistakes:
--Overstride
--Swinging arms too vigorously
--Looking at the ground
--Hunching your shoulders
--Carrying hand weights or using ankle weights.

So if you want to control your weight and lower your risk for diabetes, heart attacks, or colon cancer, avoid this list of mistakes and simply walk around Rockville. The inviting warm weather makes walking a pleasurable way to get healthier.

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POTD: Flowers!

This lovely photo is by Rockville Central friend and Rockville Roundtable participant Brenda Dunham, taken in her back yard.

Happy April! No foolin'.

Want to submit a photo for consideration to be the Picture Of The Day? Wonderful! Just email it to me. Rules: a) Must be taken in Rockville; b) Must be your own work; c) Must not be published or offered for publication elsewhere; d) Should be generally contemporary (try to keep them less than a month or two old).

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Watershed Cleanup This Saturday (4/5)

With Earth Day coming up later in April, you'll be seeing lots of environmentally-theme events and happenings over the next few weeks. The City has just passed along a notable one -- it involves rolling up your sleeves and pitching in directly. Join your neighbors for the annual Potomac Watershed Cleanup on Saturday, April 5th at 9am!

From the City's announcement:

Would you like to make a direct impact on helping out your local environment? Come out and be a part of the Annual Potomac Watershed Cleanup, this Saturday April 5th from 9am - Noon!

The City of Rockville will be sponsoring three cleanup sites throughout the City - just show up at City Hall this Saturday at 9am for supplies and directions to a cleanup site.

Last year volunteers removed hundreds of bags of trash, discarded tires, and general junk from Rockville stream valleys alone!

For more information, email environment@rockvillemd.gov or call 240-314-8870.

Come on out in Saturday and pitch in!

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POTD: In With The New

They tell me the weather's about turned. About time, I say.

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