At The Dietrich

by
Hildy Morgan

          Oh my, oh my, oh my!   So many terrific things to tell you about this week! There are so many goings-on at the theater, and in the town, this weekend that I hardly know where to begin! Okay. I guess I’ll begin with this being Christmas in Our Hometown and that means COOKIE WALK at the Dietrich! Mmmmm. Best cookie walk ever! So many people volunteering their best yummies to help the Dietrich pay for all its terrific classes and programs for the wee ones.   Don’t forget to come to the theater Friday at 5:00 and pile up on some of the best Christmas goodies ever. Ever! It helps us out and you get good eats. Perfect.

     And of course on Saturday morning we have the holiday workshops wherein the balloon lady comes, the singing guitarist, the cookie decorators etc. etc. The kids love it, it’s mobbed and it’s pure Christmas fun. Oh, yeah, in the evening totally free showings of Emmett Otter’s Jug Band Christmas, one of the most charming Christmas movies ever made. It’s forty-five minutes of pure heaven, so if you and your kids haven’t seen it before make sure you bring them. And if they have, see it again. It never loses its charm!

     Coming up this week we have another in our classic films series, and this time, because it’s December, we’re showing White Christmas. Rosemary Clooney and Bing Crosby. And snow. Sigh. I don’t have to say another word – that says it all.

     And then there’s the fact that we have totally terrific movies on our screens.   We are holding Frozen and Catching Fire, of course. And speaking of the two of them, it’s been a long time since we’ve seen the kind of lines these two movies brought out. Oh my heavens! It was soooo cool! Made me remember those first few sellouts and how thrilling it was! When the old popcorn machine would about break its’ mechanical heart trying to keep up and  the little ones would come in, all rosy-cheeked and smiling, waiting for their popcorn so they could go in to see The Santa Claus or whatever holiday goodie awaited them. Sigh. I’m not fast enough at the popcorn anymore. The crowds are bigger, our concession kids are so fast, and there’s no longer a place behind the counter for an old lady who can’t keep up. But the thrill of seeing those wonderful lines never stops for me, and I love seeing our terrific concession kids smiling and waiting on people and having a good time! It’s fun to watch – for me it never grows old, even if I have.

     And don’t forget Rick Santorum’s Christmas Candle starting tonight. Now, I don’t agree with a single word out of that man’s mouth, but I have to say, he took his dislike of Hollywood and made the kind of movie he thinks should be made. Agree with him or not, he made a lovely Christmas movie – a period piece about faith and family and the spirit of Christmas.  It’s not for everyone, but I think many folks will enjoy it immensely, and that’s what a small town theater is all about – trying (as hard as we can!) to make everyone happy. So enjoy.

     And after having seen 12 Years a Slave, I have to tell you that everyone should see it. It will haunt you forever.  It’s magnificent!

     See you at the Dietrich.

P.S. – So. After cutting and peeling and fine dicing the rutabaga, cooking it, draining it and adding butter and salt and pepper, I left it on the kitchen counter so once again we had no rutabaga on the table. Aaaaarrrrgggghhhhh! Next year I think I’ll skip the turkey and just serve a giant rutabaga! Yeah, that’s definitely the solution to this problem. Why didn’t I think of that before????