MO - December 2008 - (Page 26) p/reviews Click here to comment on these stories. of Christmas past and a few that should have just been passed. Starting with his fifth Christmas, Valdes Greenwood remembers how much he wanted a doll of his very own that year. His newly divorced mother was prepared to wrap the toy and put it under the tree. Valdes Greenwood’s formidable Grammy, a small woman who seems, in this book, to be 10 feet tall, was completely against her youngest grandson’s wish. The first chapter in this book, The Powder Keg Under the Tree, speaks to the child in us who captured the gift most wanted, despite adult misgivings. A little later in a kid’s life comes the time when he or she questions the presence of a Santa on every street corner. Has the truth been deduced? In the chapter entitled Bad to Santa, Valdes Greenwood and his older brother figure it all out, but instead of being nice about it, they’re definitely naughty. And who can forget those old sibling skirmishes at Christmas? Grammy was famous for her fudge, her divinity, and her fruitcake, and in The War of the Fudges, she finds an unusual (but very practical) way to even out the “he’s got more than me” battle. And then there’s the time when a kid realizes he’s not a kid any more, and Christmases are changed forever. In the last chapter, Valdes Greenwood remembers the end of his childhood and the sudden realization that his nutty-as-a-fruitcake family was actually way more than just half-baked. This time of year, when you’re about finished fighting the crowds and listening to the umpteenth rendition of Jingle Bells, there’s an antidote to all that perfunctory cheer: real cheer, in the form of a book like this one. A Little Fruitcake will make you laugh out loud at some of the universal, almost-froma-movie memories that Valdes Greenwood shares, including messing up at Christmas programs, being the kid most picked-on, and the oh-no feeling you get when you know that precious last crinkly paper-wrapped package under the tree contains (ugh) new socks. Later on in the book, the memories sober up a bit but are no less appealing in their everyman feel. If you cherish any memories of Christmas past, let this book help you remember and laugh. A Little Fruitcake is a real peach of a holiday book. Terri has been reading since she was three years old and never goes anywhere without a book. BOOK REVIEW A Little Fruitcake: A Childhood in Holidays By David Valdes Greenwood Reviewed by Terri Schlichenmeyer For eleven months of the year, you barely think about it. But every Christmastime, the memory of it fills your brain with the same kind of feelings you had that holiday way back when. Maybe that morning, Santa brought you what you wanted more than anything else. Or maybe you didn’t get what you want, and it still stings after all these years. Or perhaps a family member’s presence or absence makes you recall that Christmas more than any others you’ve had in your life. We all have those unforgettable Christmases, but only the brave put them to paper. Author David Valdes Greenwood is one of those souls, and in the new book A Little Fruitcake, Valdes Greenwood shares 12 memories LIVE CONCERT EVENT Broadway’s Next Generation Showcased In New Voices 6 Now in its sixth incarnation, the New Voices series is a concert showcasing the best of today’s most promising young musical theatre composers. An exciting blend of Sondheim and pop/rock, this next generation of composers is turning Broadway on its ear with musicals about grunge bands, electroshock therapy, road trips, and Anna Nicole Smith. Performed by some of Seattle’s hottest talent, join us for a break from the holidays for an evening of brand new musical theatre songs. The latest installment will perform December 29, 8:30 PM, at the Leo K. Theatre at The Seattle Rep. The showcase features an exciting mix of up-and-coming local talent as well as more established Seattle artists. Leading the concert will be Billie Wildrick (5th Avenue’s upcoming Sunday in the Park with George), Kat Ramsburg (5th Avenue’s MAME), Taryn Presented December 29 at The Seattle Rep Darr (Village’s South Pacific, 5th Ave’s A Chorus Line), Nick DeSantis (I Am My Own Wife), Tanesha Ross (Saint Heaven), Ann Evans (A New Brain), Don Darryl Rivera (Guttenburg, High School Musical), and Jennifer Paz (Village’s EVITA and Beauty and the Beast), among others. The music director for the evening is R.J. Tancioco (EVITA and Once Upon a Time in New Jersey) and the host/curator is Contemporary Classics artistic director Brandon Ivie (Zanna, Don’t!, A New Brain). “I’m so thrilled that New Voices has grown so fast in the last two years or so,” says Brandon Ivie. “When I started it I never dreamt this little cabaret concert would be performing at Seattle Rep. Many of these songs are being performed on the West Coast for the first time, and these composers are thrilled that their work is being heard outside of New York.“ 26 PHOTOS BY ROBERT J. AGUILAR L–R: Antonia Darlene and Nick DeSantis, two of the performers in New Voices 6 One night only: Monday, December 29, 8:30pm, at the Leo K Theatre at Seattle Rep, 155 Mercer Street at Seattle Center. Tickets for New Voices 6 can be purchased for $20 (adult), $15 (25 and under, with ID), $20/two students (with two IDs) at www.brownpapertickets.com. Cash or check only at the door. For more information, please visit www.contemporaryclassics.org, or call 253.906.3348. celebrating seattle’s gay community http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/48579 http://www.brownpapertickets.com http://www.contemporaryclassics.org
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