4 Trends to Make a Splash This Festive Season
Planning to attend a few festive outings this year? If you want to stand out from the crowd with your killer style, opt for a fashion-forward outfit that highlights your assets. Get inspired by these four trendy ideas before you go shopping.
1. HAPPY YELLOW
Although yellow isn’t typically associated with Christmas and New Year, this vibrant, sunny color has become popular among top designers for their 2023 winter collections. From mustard and canary yellow to high-vis and Pantone’s Blazing Yellow, this hue is sure to turn heads!
2. TEARDROP NECKLINE
This is the golden age of the teardrop neckline, which is
surpassing traditional plunging and V-shaped necklines in popularity. This style features a cut-out shape that can reveal varying amounts of skin, from a little to a lot, depending on your personal preference. The teardrop neckline can be found on blouses and dresses in various styles, from a modest collarbone peekaboo to a daring navel plunge.
3. BOLD MAXIMALISM
Want an outfit that refuses to go unnoticed? Combine refined pieces with classic or bohemian prints for a curated maximalist style. Celebrate the holidays in style with tartan, stripes, polka dots and flowers. This year, take a pass on the monochrome look. Instead, have fun mixing your favorite patterns, colors and fabrics.
4. 3D FLOWERS
A high-quality garment adorned with 3D fabric flowers can be both romantic and playful. Whether you choose to add a few to the collar of your dress, top or skirt, or go all out with a whole bunch, it’s sure to grab the attention of those around you.
You can find everything you need to design a headturning holiday outfit at your local women’s clothing boutiques. Happy shopping!
Riddlesbrood Touring Theater Co. Expands Foothold in Pine Barrens One of New Jersey’s Oldest Touring Theater Companies Puts Down More Roots at Historic Smithville
By Pa M ela M iller
Barrens Tribune
Advertorial for the Pine
Since its formation in 2000, Riddlesbrood Touring Theatre Company (RTTC) in Stratford, NJ, comprised of a zany troupe of local, talented actors, including many alumni of the now closed Elaine's Famous Dinner Theater in Cape May, has become a formidable regional theatrical production company known for presenting original, top quality, comedic interactive dinner theater productions, especially murder mysteries, at a wide variety of venues in NJ, PA, DE, MD, CT and NY under the direction of Ryan Long, executive director of Riddlesbrood.
Since 2001, the traveling theater company has performed at many locations in the Pine Barrens, year after year, including the renowned Show Barn, formerly in Historic Smithville, which ultimately developed into their four-year stint as the resident theater company there from 2001 to 2004, when it closed.
After the Showbarn, RTTC built upon their successful run by continuing to perform at local venues and private homes in the Pine Barrens where they had established a reputation for unique, high-quality entertainment.
From 2019 to 2022, RTTC managed to meet the challenges that presenting live indoor performances posed by the COVID pandemic by revamping its stage productions and re-emerging as a top-rated outdoor performance theater company presenting live shows on large portable stages resplendent with their trademark colors of purple and gold that they built to take their productions “on the road.”
Although most of their scheduled indoor shows were cancelled and their prospects for booking new shows was bleak, it was in 2020, during the height of the pandemic, that RTTC premiered their two-day outdoor “Dickens Fest” in the Pine Barrens at Historic Smithville that featured their original, musical adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic, “A Christmas Carol.”
Performed on their large, beautifully crafted, portable stage set up on the “Village Green,” along with several other portable stages nearby, the shows included actors from the RTTC troupe along with local children of all ages from the community, who are welcomed as part of the ever-growing Riddlesbrood
“family.” Many of the children and teen actors enjoy their role in their first show and learn so much that they go on to become a “regular” cast member in future Riddlesbrood’s shows.
Despite the challenges holding the event presented, Long was eagerly looking forward to hitting the road to present the first “Dickens Fest” at Historic Smithville. His refusal to shut down the company and determination to find a way to continue presenting their shows outdoors in the community fired up his and his troupe’s imagination to come up with a solution - and they did!
“When the pandemic hit and all of our indoor shows were cancelled, we realized we had to shift gears and up our game to present larger scale, outdoor shows,” Long explained. “So, we designed and built a modular, portable, outdoor stage that we can easily bring to any venue to set up and use to present a high caliber production that is lifted up off the cement or grass and onto a real, professional stage, just like Shakespeare did!”
“Then, we got a hold of a bus with a trailer so we could haul our stage anywhere and have room to carry all the other production components like sound and lighting equipment, sets, costumes, and even our cast, if we needed to!" Long continued. “All the world truly could be a stage for us!"
From children’s summer camps to fine dining restaurants, wineries and entertainment/vacation destinations, RTTC "kept the lights on" in their theater company as they hauled their stages behind a large, artfully painted RTTC bus that held the actors as well as their costumes and everything else necessary to bring a professionally staged show to an outdoor venue.
“We had over 20 years of experience creating original shows and performing them at a wide variety of venues on the East Coast," Long said. “But this would be the first time we presented a major, ‘Main Stage’ production, like 'A Christmas Carol,’ outdoors in a festival setting.
“Even though we've participated in outdoor fairs and festivals and have had our share of presenting outdoor shows at everywhere from wineries and swim clubs, to amusement parks and kids’ summer camps over the years, putting on this ‘Dickens Fest’ was in a different league.”
With a long history of presenting shows in the Pine Barrens, returning
Fe turing ur riginal Musical daptation of “ Christma Carol” & 7 PM I Sun ov. 6 1 P
original, top qualitycomic audiences at Banquet Facilities, Restaurants, Private Homes, Festivals /Fairs or any other type of venue. Since 2000, we’ve performedover1,500 showsinNJ, NY,PA, DE and beyond!
Our trademark brand of crowd-pleasing humor and interactive repartee during our one-of-a-kind, comedic shows guarantees they will always be full of surprises as the plot unfolds -leaving your guests exploding with laughter and thankingyou for the fun!
3Packages to Choose From
We make your entertainmentdecision easy! Simply pick the show you like, then choose the package that best fits your needs and budget.
Just give us acall!
Photo Provided
Riddlesbrood Touring Theatre Company's Bus with Dean Woody Duncan from Smithville.
AccessorizeYour Festive Outfits
Do you have your Christmas and New Year’s Eve party outfits picked out but feel they’re missing that special something? Here are a few suggestions for trendy men’s and women’s accessories in 2023.
BOW TIES
This year, bow ties aren’t just small and worn neatly around the neck. Oversized versions are now being used as collars and in other creative ways.
BLACK TIE
To add a touch of chic to your holiday outfits, consider wearing a black tie made of sheer or satin material. This fashion accessory can also be worn at various other events and occasions.
COLOURFUL GLOVES
Whether short or long, made of soft leather, velvet, lace or latex, colored gloves in bright green or red make a stylish and daring addition to any holiday outfit.
SIGNET RING
This ring’s timeless design features a flat bezel that often showcases initials or a coat of arms. It’s currently seeing a rise in popularity, so why not join the trend?
COMBAT BOOTS
Military-inspired black ankle boots instantly add character to an ensemble. For Christmas, choose a pair made of glossy patent leather or bedecked with glitzy embellishments.
Which accessory will you choose?
What Will Stylish Men Be Wearing This Holiday Season?
Do you enjoy keeping up with the latest ready-to-wear trends but feel your wardrobe needs a little novelty? With the festive season fast approaching, why not draw inspiration from the current styles showcased in the 20232024 collections of the world’s top designers?
THE PREPPY LOOK
This year, fashionable outfits suitable for a model student are on trend. You can choose a bon chic bon genre style consisting of a polo shirt, neutral pants and a waistcoat adorned with diamonds. Alternatively, you could go for a contrasting shirt featuring the logo of a famous university.
THE CHIC JUMPSUIT
Do you struggle to put together cohesive outfits? If you’re tired of trying to match colors, fabrics and patterns, consider wearing a jumpsuit. Here’s a tip: to avoid looking a little too much like a mechanic, pay attention to your hairstyle and wear stylish shoes. After all, it’s the holiday season!
THE SLEEVELESS TOP
Have you spent the year working out or lifting weights at the gym? If you’re proud of your chiselled biceps, show off your hard work by trying out the popular sleeveless top trend. This style is also ideal for those with tattooed arms
or anyone who tends to run hot.
Visit your local menswear boutiques to find outfits that’ll make you stand out at your holiday parties.
AVic torian Chris tmas at Smithvil le Mansion
Everyroom is decorated by local clubs, historical societies, and individuals highlighting this year’s theme HB’s Victorian Christmas.
Christmas Day Tours: Will be Held on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 12/7through 12/30 with exception of 12/24 and 12/25. Adults $10 •Seniors/Students $8
Candlelight Tours: will be held on 12/14, 12/17, 12/22 and 12/29. The cost is $15 per person. Reservations are required online. www.smithvillemansion.org
The Boutique will be open Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday during the month of December beginning 12/1. Christmas Tea Events: Allare sold out.
Black Friday: Enticing Deals Near You
Who’s on your holiday shopping list this year? Children? Parents? That special someone? Have you been considering a wardrobe refresh or looking for the perfect outfit for those seasonal get-togethers? How about that electronic device you’ve been eyeing to make your daily life a little easier? Black Friday is your opportunity to find everything you need at exceptional prices.
PRIORITIZE LOCAL
You may benefit to some degree from shopping online from the internet giants. But consider for a moment the additional benefits of exploring the Black Friday deals available from your local entrepreneurs.
Visit local businesses and their websites to take advantage of their many promotions. In addition to getting quality products and personalized customer service, you get to boost your local economy. The choice is yours!
In 2023, Black Friday is November 24. However, some companies are extending the fun for a few extra days. Happy shopping!
Pork Roast with Bacon and Winter Vegetables
When placed at the center of a festive table, this juicy, fragrant roast will have everyone salivating. Bon appétit!
INGREDIENTS
Servings: 6
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• Zest of one lemon
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon rosemary, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pork loin roast, 2.2 pounds
• 8 slices bacon
• 4 carrots, peeled and cut into large sticks
• 4 parsnips, peeled and cut into large sticks
• 2 apples, quartered
• 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. In a small bowl, combine the mustard, lemon zest, garlic and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof frying pan and brown the roast on all sides. Place on a plate and coat with the herb mixture. Arrange the bacon slices in a single layer on top of the roast. Tie the roast up with kitchen string or butcher’s twine to hold the slices of bacon in place.
4. Place the carrots, parsnips and apples in the bottom of the pan and place the roast on top. Cook for approximately 45 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 140 F.
5. Remove the pan from the oven, cover with aluminum foil and let rest for 15 minutes. Arrange on an attractive serving dish and garnish with fresh rosemary.
Festive Orange and Beetroot Salad
Bursting with flavor and color, this salad is the perfect way to liven up your festive meals!
INGREDIENTS
Servings: 2
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 3 cups mesclun
• 2 purple carrots, thinly sliced 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
DIRECTIONS
• 1/4 cup roasted pecans, chopped
• 1 orange, cut into half slices
• 1 cooked beet, sliced into rounds
2 slices mild cheddar
• Salt and pepper, to taste
1. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, orange juice and Dijon mustard. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. Arrange the mesclun, carrot slices, pomegranate seeds, pecans and orange slices on a pretty serving plate.
3. Using cookie cutters, create pretty shapes from the beet slices and cheddar cheese. Arrange the shapes on the plate. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Place the bowl of vinaigrette in the center of the plate before serving.
Date:Friday, December 1st, 2023
Date: Friday, Starts: 5p.mStarts:5p Closes: 9p.m
There is no parking or admittance fee for this event.
Do you have a lot of shopping to do this festive season? This year, combine business with pleasure by buying local as often as possible.
FOOD
Your local caterers, grocery stores, restaurants, pastry shops, cheese shops, bakeries, butchers, chocolate shops and farmers’ markets are bursting with delicious treats for your holiday parties. Visit them in person or browse their websites to stock up on tasty, ultra-fresh products.
DRINKS
Drinking local has never been easier. Whether you prefer wines, spirits, ciders, cocktail syrups, soft drinks, fruit juices or beers brewed next door, you’ll be able to raise a glass to local producers from noon to midnight.
GIFTS
Christmas markets, gift shops and many other types of businesses in your part of the country offer a variety of products to slip into stockings or under the tree, including toys, body care products and
sweets. Shop local or order online now to avoid the rush and enjoy peace of mind.
CLOTHING
Want to look your best on Christmas Eve or New Year’s from head to toe?
If so, choose clothes and accessories made locally with love. A growing number of designer websites and boutiques are showcasing up-andcoming designers. It’s up to you to find outfits that reflect your style this festive season.
Finally, remember that buying local helps boost your community’s economy. Happy shopping and happy holidays!
BUYING LOCAL FOR THE HOLIDAYS: a must for quality and variety
THEATER
(Continued from Page S3)
to Historic Smithville to perform their annual shows there further cemented RTTC's presence as the dominant original theater company.
RTTC brings two festivals to Historic Smithville annually. In the spring, it’s their “Fantasy AdventureFest ” featuring a new, original musical each year complemented by a host of fantasy and adventure themed vendors.
In the fall, their “Dickens Fest” featuring their original musical adaptation of “A Christmas Carol ” with unique holiday themed vendors returns to the delight of enthusiastic audiences of all ages who come out to enjoy Riddlesbrood's popular, entertaining, interactive shows that always include local children who also learn the Riddlesbrood theme song as part of their acting and singing rehearsals. (Visit: https:// www.riddlesbrood.com/themesong )
This fall, their exciting, new way of presenting live theater will, once again, roll into Historic Smithville!
RTTC will bring the Spirit of Christmas back to Historic Smithville, 615 E. Moss Mill Rd., Smithville, NJ, 08205, when they return to present their two-day outdoor “Dickens Fest” featuring their original, musical adaptation of “A Christmas Carol,” Charles Dickens’ heartwarming, classic tale of Ebenezer Scrooge’s journey from
greed to redemption that will surely raise the spirits and warm the cockles of the hearts of their audiences who will travel through time with the Ghosts of Christmas and witness the ultimate transformation of this miserly skinflint into a jolly Father Christmas, himself!
Parker Smith, a seasoned local actor and an alumni of Elaine's Famous Dinner Theater from Cape May, will be portraying Scrooge. Presented on Riddlesbrood’s portable, main stage, along with two other stages set up on the Village Green in the heart of the Village of Smithville, 615 E. Moss Mill Road, Absecon, NJ, 08201, the show will have a matinee performance at 1 p.m. and an evening performance at 7 p.m. on Saturday, November 25th, and a matinee performance at 1 p.m. on Sunday, November 26th, that are filled with their trademark banter and improvisation that guarantees a rollicking good time for audiences of all ages. A variety of vendors with art, artistry and collectibles brimming with holiday gift ideas will add to the festivities. Admission and parking are free both days.
The cast has 25 children from 6 to 17 from Atlantic and Ocean counties in it, including 12 year old Erin Sheey, from Tom's River, who plays Issabelle. Erin has been performing in key roles in Riddlesbrood’s shows at Historic Smithville for several years, such as playing “Wendy” in last year's “Peter Pan” production.
Gerald Castro, a 10 year old from Lakehurst, NJ, plays the principal role of Tiny Tim. Even at his tender age, he is already another “veteran” of Riddlesbrood’s productions. He has been in several previous shows including portraying one of the “lost boys” in their “Peter Pan” production.
To add to their entertainment roster, RTTC will be offering short, 15-minute audience-engaging “Side Shows” entitled “Pen and Jester ” performed in a tent several times during the day.
Over a quarter of a century, it has become apparent that RTTC stands alone by creating its own lane for bringing its signature brand of live, original comedic theater to a wide variety of audiences.
But that’s not all that is propelling the theater company into the forefront of regional theatrical productions. As its Executive Director, Long has continually sought out unique ways to differentiate RTTC from all other theater companies.
In addition to spearheading RTTC to make it a leading theatrical force in the region, Long has demonstrated that there are no limits to the directions his creative expression could take. His active imagination has already lured him to venture into the fantasy book market with the writing and subsequent publication of his truly bizarre, 100,000 word ghost story brochure about RTTC, “Riddlesbrood: The Greatest Brochure in the World.”
Long soon began to sell his book at their shows as well as on Amazon. (Visit: https:// www.amazon.com/dp/1795132426 )
Besides becoming an author in addition to his long career as an actor and playwright, Long has emerged as a successful conlanger, a creator of a language that premiered in his original, inter-active, fantasy musical adventure show, “Harken: A Game of Phones ” at Historic Smithville in 2021 that lets audiences decide on the course of the action throughout the play by downloading an app on their phones upon arrival to the outdoor show area.
Long even created his own language, “Riddle’s diculous,” for an original show
back in 2012 called “The Dark Side ” that was a steppingstone for the “Riddle’s diculous” language he created for "Harken," with guidance from none other than David Peterson, the facilitator of the two languages, Dothraki and Valyrian, created for the award-winning Medieval fantasy epic, “Game of Thrones.”
“Harken ” proved to be a game changer for RTTC with its new way of involving the audiences' participation in the play. Once their audiences understood how they could be involved in the “Game of Phones,” word spread quickly about this exciting new show and many people who were intrigued by the concept returned to play again and again.
RTTC’s first show of 2023 at Historic Smithville, “Riddlesbrood’s Peter Pan and the Pirates ” attracted audiences who had already enjoyed several Riddlesbrood shows there and came back for more of the theater company’s own brand of crowd-pleasing humor and repartee that has become their trademark and earned them a reputation for presenting one-of-a-kind, engaging comedic shows that are always full of surprises as the plot unfolds.
Long and the troupe’s other highly creative, wild and wacky group of actors, are celebrating their 25th year of bringing over 3,500 of their original theatrical productions that combine comedy, murder mystery and often, local folklore, to the sheer enjoyment of their diverse audiences in the region.
To Long’s surprise, this new, unique way of presenting live outdoor shows has become an integral part of RTTC’s performances, as well as a great audience-pleaser.
“It looks like our outdoor shows on our portable stages are here to stay,” Long said. “Bringing our shows to audiences at
outdoor venues gives us an opportunity to reach people in a totally different way that is less inhibiting and more relaxed than being in a confined space. There's an increased rapport with our audiences that inspires and encourages us to engage our audiences more - which has been so much fun for everyone!”
“No two shows are alike now,” Long pointed out. “Because there are always interactions with members of our audience who 'get into the act' and end up adding a special, one-of-a-kind aspect to each show that keeps every show fresh and unpredictable. We couldn't ask for anything more than that!"
Visit riddlesbrood.com for more information about their public shows and private parties.
This is a paid advertorial.
Photo Provided
A Christmas Carol, an original Musical Adaptation By Riddlesbrood Touring Theatre Company.
Photo Provided
Riddlesbrood's portable stage.
Photo Provided Ryan Long as Clyde P. Riddlesbrood (The theater company's mascot).
Photo Provided
RTTC actors who are part of Riddlesbrood's branding. L., David Polgar, Ocean Co., as Nyx in Harken and is in the Sideshow at Dickens Fest R., Dean Woody Duncan, Smithville, as Clyde P. Riddlesbrood, RTTC mascot, and Mary Foley, Ocean Co., as Madame Cludetti and is RTTC's Company Blogger.