Ann Davis-Rowe

🍴:

Mon – We hit a Piedmont Opera HOPera event at Joymongers to cheer on the padre from Man of La Mancha this time last year, with delivery from That Place in the West End. I always say I’m going to try something new but mmmmm, poké.

Tues – grilled pork tenderloin and veg. I apparently didn’t draft this post like I normally do, so no idea what Hampton did to it.

Wed – Tuscan chicken and white beans with salad to use up the rest of last Sunday’s roast.

Thurs – dinner party with friends with an easy pork tenderloin with port wine sauce, mashed potatoes, and salad. Hampton did all the work again.

Fri – an early Cugino Forno dinner with Hampton’s sister and eldest nephew who had a field trip from Raleigh over in our neck of the woods.

Sat – Mediterranean veg bowls for a gluten-free veggie friend — grilled portobellos and zucchini, beans, roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomato and feta quinoa, and grilled halloumi with honey.

Sun – chicken and potatoes with creamy caper sauce, salad

🥃: we got a new Two Wolves delivery this week so opened older bottles for both dinner parties this week. Life is short; drink the good wine.

🐶: when Gretchen came over for dinner on Saturday between her Piedmont Opera rehearsal and our concert [more on that below], she immediately sat on the floor and started giving treats and Pack 493 has never been so happy.

📚: Cleaning up my NetGalley and wow, I’m sorry I slept on How to Get Away with Murder. Luckily for you, that means it’s out now. For most of the book, I assumed this would be a four-star read. Pleasant enough, even though I was semi-irrationally irritated that the trainee had a first name last name when sometimes he was called by his actual first name — and very rationally irritated by various miscarriages of justice. The ending was super satisfying. Highly entertained.

🎭:

It’s official — I’m spending my spring diving into this classic… but with a TPPA twist! I’m playing Hucklebee, traditionally a male role, co-parenting with my dear friend Ali Fox. The rest of the cast and staff are a delight, and I’m tickled.

In performing news this week, we did a redux of Chris Rayis’ Strange Music for Strange Times on my favorite stage. It was great to reunite with Gretchen and Jennifer on our trio and my pirate partner Sammy, as well as to perform for some of my favorite residents — including two who I saw at the TPPA revue the other week. Theatre really is the smallest world, especially in central NC.

Sunday, my forever Roger and I headed up to Rockingham County to see some of our CTG cast loves in another RENT. So dang proud. Michael *is* Mark, Erin and Marian had great takes on Maureen, and Mimi, and Collins was written for Curtis — that standing O after the “I’ll Cover You” reprise was so deserved. Also great to see Elizabeth in the ensemble and Jamari and our director Justin in the audience.