romance – Mitch's Muse

Just in time for the holidays, author Donita K. Paul weaves a brilliant tale of family, relationships, romance and religion all into one for an unlikely couple in “Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball: A Novella“ Searching for a perfect gift leads Cora Crowder to an unusual bookshop on Sage Street, where she meets bookshop owners Bill and William Wizbotterdad. The owners not only direct Crowder to finding perfect gifts for her unruly family members, but Cora Crowder also encounters co-worker Simon Derrick. Derrick is not only Crowder’s boss, but his distant manner makes her hesitant to approach him. But the unlikely bonus of special tickets to a Christmas Ball from the Warner, Werner and Wizbotterdad’s bookshop leads Crowder and Derrick down an unusual path. The storyline is easy to follow, and the reader will chuckle or frown along the way. “Two Tickets to the Christmas Ball” is so heartwarming and inviting that the book could be finished in a day! With just the right elements, Paul makes it possible for anyone “to dream of a true love beyond imagination.”

Editor’s Note: A copy of this book was provided by WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. Rate this review here: http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/bloggingforbooks/reviews/view/587

The Broken Arrow Community Playhouse (BACP) presents William Inge’s romantic comedy “Bus Stop” at 8 p.m. Feb. 5-6, 11-13, and at 2 p.m. Feb. 14 at The Main Place at 1800 S. Main in downtown Broken Arrow.
The production is directed by Bob Papisan. According to a news release, this is Papisan’s directorial debut at the BACP. He previously directed several shows for the Kansas City Community Theatre. The “Bus Stop” cast consists of Sheila Alley, Ken Calkins, Samantha Smith, Sydney Rick, Terry Michael, Richard Perceful and John Hansen.
When William Inge’s play, “Bus Stop,” opened on Broadway March 2, 1955, it was an immediate commercial and critical success. Based on Inge’s earlier one-act play, “People in the Wind,” “Bus Stop“ involves a pair of young lovers and their struggle to find love in the modern world. It’s cold and snowy, the roads are closed and a bus can’t get through. The passengers must spend the night in a Kansas diner entertaining themselves as best they can. Flirtations and romances bloom. All roads are blocked, and four weary travelers have to take refuge until morning. Cherie, a nightclub singer, has the most to worry about. She’s being pursued by a young cowboy with all the romantic finesse of a rodeo bull. The belligerent cowhand is right behind her, ready to sling her over his shoulder and carry her, alive and kicking, all the way to Montana. As a counterpoint to the main romance, the proprietor of the cafe and the bus driver at last find time to develop a friendship of their own; a middle-age scholar comes to terms with himself; and a young girl who works in the cafe also gets her first taste of romance.
Ticket prices are $13 for adults, $10 for seniors, $9 for students, and $6 for children 12 and younger. For more information, go to www.bacptheatre.com. Reservations may be made by calling the BACP box office at (918) 258-0077.
Produced by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service Inc., the production is made possible in part by grants from the Oklahoma Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. The Broken Arrow Community Playhouse is a member of the Oklahoma Community Theatre Association and the Tulsa Area Community Theatre Association.