The Dumpsta Players Present… PromTrash Broadway!

The Dumpsta Players Present "PROMTRASH BROADWAY"

The Date: Wednesday, APRIL 16, 2014
The Time: Doors open at 10 PM, showtime is 11 PM sharp! 21+ $1.99 cover!
The Place: Bob and Barbara's, 1509 South Street, Philadelphia PA, For info: 215-545-4511

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the trashiest Prom Queen of all? That's right, folks, time again to pick America's trashiest Prom Queen!

The Dumpsta Players celebrate their 18th Annual stag, drag, come-as-you-were/are/is "PROMTRASH BROADWAY" @ Bob and Barbara's!

Cheery Hell High's drama teacher, Mr. Blob Claymation, is workin' the kids up into a frenzy as this Prom is guaranteed to be an EXTRAVAGANZA! From "A Chorus Line" to "Bye Bye Birdie" the kids promise a show you will not soon forget!

Will 2013 Prom Trash queen Sharon Babcock AKA Divine Miss Jimmi return? Will last year's runner up, Mrs. Miller be back?

It's revenge of the dreadful prom, so join in the ffffun! We invite all to put on a prom dress, don a tux, and compete with the gender bending drag kings, queens, straight up females and males, fag hags, pretty princesses and assorted other freaks!

Come enjoy The Dumpsta Players' 150th show and the sensational crowning in - "PROMTRASH BROADWAY!"

A portion of the proceeds from "PromTrash Broadway" go to support The Rotunda.

The Rotunda is a community-gathering place that is fueled by the belief that art is a catalyst for social change and that the arts can lead to the formation of meaningful partnerships between the University of Pennsylvania and surrounding neighborhoods. Over 300 events are offered every year, including live music, film, spoken word, theater, art, dance, education, youth programs, arts incubation, and various experimental genres. As an alcohol-free, smoke-free venue, The Rotunda provides a critical social alternative for all ages. At its core, The Rotunda is a shared space fostering learning, enrichment, and community support while empowering the public to present, produce, and promote their work.

This event is also co-sponsored by Philly Queer Media.

Check out The Dumpsta Players on Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, and on their own website.

The All Things Fun! New Comics Vidcast for June 2013

The All Things Fun! New Comics Vidcast features co-hosts Ed (X-Wing Pilot) Evans, Allison (Get Off My Lawn) Eckel, and Glenn (Blue Lantern) Walker, as they discuss the new comics, trends, games, and toys out this month! You can see the show here, or check it out below.

Discussion featured in the special June 2013 episode includes: The Movement by Gail Simone, Green Team, Batman/Superman, Superman Unchained by Scott Snyder and Jim Lee, Larfleeze by Keith Giffen, Trinity War, Age of Ultron, Avengers/Captain Marvel by Kelly Sue DeConnick, Hawkeye, Star Trek comics and games, the original Battlestar Galactica, Ten Grand by JMS and Ben Templesmith, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Free RPG Day, Star Wars from Fantasy Flight, Cherry Hill Comic-Con, and the Legendary Marvel deck-building game.

Be sure to check out the All Things Fun! website, and the newly revamped All Things Fun! Blogs, written by Allison and Glenn, featuring The Vidcast Drinking Game so you can play along at home, and watch ATF! on YouTube (don't forget to subscribe to the channel while you're there, and leave a comment or two on the Vidcast as well!).

The All Things Fun! New Comics Vidcast is shot live at All Things Fun! - the South Jersey/Philadelphia area's best comics, toys and gaming store - located on Route 73 in West Berlin, NJ.

And don't forget to visit us at Facebook!

Lost Hits of the New Wave #18

"What Do All The People Know?" by The Monroes

The Bride loves the New Wave, and the Alternative. In many ways, she's still living in the 1980s. So I was quite surprised some time ago, while we were in the ShopRite, and this tune was on the overhead speakers, she had never heard of it.

I remember it quite well, and even remember seeing this segment from the Merv Griffin show back in 1982, not lipsynced, rare for that time. Back in the day, before MTV, or before everyone had it, Merv was one of the ways to see new music and new bands. I think on Fridays, the legendary Friday Morning Quarterback, Cherry Hill native, Cal Rudman would come on and introduce new bands.

The Monroes were a San Diego synthpop band who only had this one hit wonder, and toured throughout the eighties with folks like Rick Springfield, Toto, and Greg Kihn. Band members left one at a time until they broke up completely in 1988.

M'korstock 2011

The annual music and arts event sponsored by Congregation M'kor Shalom will be held this Sunday, May 22, 2011.

M’korstock is a Jewish festival, in that it features Jewish singers, songwriters and musicians performing Jewish music, along side non-Jewish performers, performing a variety of genres from folk, country, contemporary, pop, and gospel. It is the only Festival of this type in the region.

At M’korstock, there will be major entertainment on two outdoor stages. Nationally-known performers Rick Recht, folk duo Aztec Two-Step, Ross M. Levy, and Cantor Jen Cohen of Temple Beth Sholom, Also, the interfaith choirs of M’kor Shalom singing with the Baptist Church Unity Choir will sing in their beautiful blend of music and faith. Local Klezmer band “Izzy” comprised of M’kor Shalom members, will take the stage, along with M’kor Shalom religious school students, to open the program. Kneehigh Spunk, the a capella group that won "Cherry Hill's Got Talent" will also hit the stage.

A huge marketplace will include crafts and wares of all kinds, including, jewelry, food items, home goods and children’s items. In addition there will be a children’s area complete with entertainment, activities such as inflatables and craft-making activities. A wide variety of food from Kuzina by Sofia will be available ranging from ethnic foods to standard festival fare along with wine and beer by WineWorks of Marlton

M’korstock is open to the public. M’korstock guests are invited to bring their own lawn chairs and blankets to relax on the grounds and enjoy the music, arts and food for hours. There will be offsite parking and free shuttle service throughout the day at a drop off area with handicap onsite parking. In case of inclement weather, the entire event will move indoors.

The festival runs from 11 AM to 6 PM and will be held at Congregation M'kor Shalom in Cherry Hill NJ. For more information, check the website and M'korstock on Facebook. Hope to see everyone there for a day of music, arts and shalom!

Loews Cherry Hill Does Not Want My Business

You’ve all heard my rap on Loews Theatres in Cherry Hill NJ before, but after my experience Christmas night I have come to the conclusion that not only don’t they want my money – they don’t want your money either, and furthermore, they just don’t care.

For the scary high prices they now charge for a movie ticket, well over ten dollars, they expect you to watch a film sometimes with the lights on, usually with audience members talking loudly, either to each other or on their cellphones, and texting throughout. And if you say anything to these other audience members they will sometimes go as far as to threaten you. That’s just part of the experience at the Cherry Hill Loews it seems, part of what you’re paying for I guess.

Now when I brought this to the attention of the manager on duty, Kathryn by name (and only first name as employees are not allowed to give their full names, nor are they allowed to give the names of superiors), the theatres are supposed to be checked by an employee once per show. I never saw anyone come in, and if they had, they would have seen all the lit cellphones and also noticed that the audience noise was drowning out the sound of the film.

Now an argument might be made that they were busy that night and might not have had time to check the theatres. Why then did more than a few employees I saw (before the film when it was even busier) have time to chat with friends, throw cups back and forth behind the snack counter, and chase each other into the rest room? Yeah, they were busy all right.

Now Kathryn No-Name was nice enough give us passes to see another film at the wonderful Loews Theatres where we would be treated to probably a similar experience. I would have rather gotten my money back. After all, if I had gotten rat poison instead of Frosted Flakes, do you think the folks at Kelloggs would have given me my money back or another box of rat poison?

Is this what the movie theatre experience is about these days? At least at Loews Cherry Hill it is. There is an alternative. I would like to direct anyone seeking a movie night out to the Showcase at the Ritz in Voorhees. It’s not far from Loews and has just about the same variety of films and even some from off the beaten path. Not only is the viewing experience a pleasure, but the staff is friendly and cooperative. They also have various special events and goodies all the time. They have my full endorsement, and would love your business. And no, I don’t know anyone there, nor do I work for them, they just know about customer service unlike some theatres.

Welcome to AMC Loews in Cherry Hill, Now Go Home

Marley & Me ~ This would not have been my choice to see on a movie night but it was The Bride’s choice, so we saw it. I was pleasantly surprised. Based on John Grogan’s book of his newspaper columns that follows his life, with his wife, his family, his career and his dog. I’m a sucker for writer movies so I was sucked right in. For a change Owen Wilson and Jennifer Anniston, notoriously not my favorite actors turn in believable and entertaining performances, as do the twenty-odd stunt dogs that portray Marley. Very sweet, lots of fun and well worth seeing.

Yep, great movie, if only we didn’t have to see it at the AMC Loews Cherry Hill 24. This was one of the worst theatre experiences I have ever had. Yes, even worse than when I saw Spider-Man 3 in London – of course in that case there was inexcusable behavior both in the seats and on the screen.

We saw Marley & Me this past Friday night, and the movie has been out for several weeks, and the theatre was hardly packed – possibly thirty or so people in a room that could easily hold a hundred or so. We arrived during the previews, and although we did not see the announcements about talking, smoking, cellphones, etc., I’m quite sure they were still shown. They are always shown.

First off, people, mostly unchaperoned kids between ten and twenty, talking non-stop throughout the film. The audience, in front of us at least, was a sea of cellphone lights, as if we were at a Styx concert and Dennis DeYoung was belting out “Babe.” And yes, I know I’m dating myself there, and that in my day we would have used lighters, but I’m sure you get the point. There was more texting and talking going on in this theatre than at the mall food court.

Then there was the matter of the constantly shifting audience. I really think The Bride and I were the only ones in that theatre who paid to see Marley & Me. People, I say people, but again they were unsupervised kids, kept coming and going, sitting and watching a little bit of the film –usually talking or texting the whole time- and then leaving again. Where are the parents? Or is AMC the new babysitter?

After the movie we complained and were given a full refund plus free passes by a rather flustered and timid young manager. We were not alone in our refunds, but the other angry couple was surprisingly from yet another movie. We were told that employees do actually patrol the theatres, but only first runs where the crowds and the problems were more plentiful. Wow. Remind me not to see a first run flick at AMC Loews in Cherry Hill – apparently it could be worse...