Opinion
4A |
Plenty of caffeinated comedy A
www.newtondailynews.com | Friday | Nov. 18, 2016
In the Neighborhood Pam Rodgers
nearly full house filled into the Temple Theater in downtown Des Moines to see the comedic trio of “Triple Espresso” in action. I had no idea what to expect as I took my seat. I had heard the show was good and had appeared in Des Moines for a number of years. I was treated to a sample of their work at a press event in March, but that was only a slice of the laughter I was about to see. The show centered around the interactions of an old trio: Hugh Butternut, Bobby Bean and Buzz Maxwell. Butternut was the “featured entertainer” for the night and had arranged a 25 year reunion with his old pals, Bean and Maxwell (I like the coffee puns for the names). The reunion didn’t start out well. There were still some hard
feelings about things that had occurred in the past. The trio then took us through the years, and the mishaps of what led them to where they were now. I don’t want to say too much and give away all the fun, however, there were many different phases that contributed to the animosity between the three performers. We saw the moments when the three first saw each other perform, and when they eventually started performing together. All of the “big breaks” didn’t turn out as planned, for one reason or another. The part that had me laughing the most was the Cable Zaire scene. They had taken their show to Africa and converted some of their favorite 70s music into “Zaire remixes” almost offending the Swahili language. It was
definitely entertaining. The show had several theatrical elements — music, dancing, magic, laughter and even some shadow puppets — with plenty of audience participation to keep the audience involved.. You could tell it was a scripted play but with some freedom. I noticed a few times when an actor must have improvised his lines, because the other two almost broke character. It made me smile even more. By far the most audience involvement came from singing “Home on the Range” as a group. An added twist was trying to sing it as a mashup with “My Home’s in Montana” using picture cue cards. As corny as that sounds, it was hilarious. You never quite knew what was coming next. The magic by Maxwell in the show was intentionally bad, poking fun at what typical illusionists want to hide. However, that set the scene for when he did something that was truly, well, magical. It went from funny to wow. Butternut on the piano was very
talented. He could sing and play very well through many genres. He even took requests from the audience, ignoring them until he heard a song he could actually play of course. Bean was the quirkiest of all. He was the one that was always mixing things up and causing mayhem at the same time. His shadow puppets bit was both unexpected and comical. I never thought shadow puppets could be so funny. The three characters worked well together. Their comedic timing was on-point throughout the performance. I can just imagine each performance is unique with these three guys on stage. Triple Espresso will be at the Temple Theater through Jan. 7. They have evening shows Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays with two shows on Saturday and a matinee on Sunday. They do take days off for the holidays but it should be easy to find a time to check out these three comedians. I’d say it’s well worth it. Contact Pam Rodgers at prodgers@newtondailynews.com
So Anyway Dana King
When will I learn? As I was brushing my teeth this morning, I scolded myself for trying to save a few bucks by replacing my “name brand” battery-operated toothbrush with a less expensive one. I had struggled with the high-tech cleaning device when I made my first power toothbrush purchase several years ago. Without fail, I had to clean the mirror above my bathroom sink every time I brushed my teeth — it took me a while to get my “technique” in check. But once I finally figured it all out, I was sold on the thing. The last time I replaced my toothbrush, I went with a less expensive one. Standing in the store, I picked up the lower-cost toothbrush, powered it on and it seemed to function just like the pricier ones. So in my cart it went. But once I got home, apparently the weight of the toothpaste was just too much for it and by the time I started brushing my teeth, I instantly knew why it was cheaper. It had no “umph.” Lesson learned. I should have spent the extra few dollars. It got me to thinking about my spending habits. Clothing? Shoes? Those things really don’t matter to me. I would rather be comfortable that fashionable. Hair styles? Get real. I’ve never seen a haircut worth the equivalent of an eight-hour day’s pay. Restaurants? I can walk away just as satisfied with my meal at a mom and pop cafe with a view of the gravel drive as I can at an steakhouse with a view of the cityscape. Automobiles? I’ve driven many a vehicle to the brink of death. They’ve never been fancy and frankly, it hasn’t bothered me in the least. However, I currently drive a car — although still nothing fancy — that sports a heated steering wheel and seats and those are two features of which I’ve become very fond. I will also admit to being quite attached to the Sirius radio in my vehicle. To think, I once scoffed at people who would pay to listen to radio. So what exactly do I spend my money on? Well, the short list includes replenishing the squeaky toys for my dogs on a monthly basis, real butter, treehouses and you can be sure a pricey battery-powered toothbrush is now on there as well. Contact Dana King at dking@shawmedia.com
YOUR VIEW
NCEA celebrates American Education Week This past week, the Newton Community Education Association (NCEA) joined millions of Americans nationwide in the National Education Association’s 95thannual American Education Week celebration. The celebration highlights the importance of bringing together educators, support personnel, parents, students, and communities in a unified effort to build great public schools. On behalf of the Newton Community Education Association, I want to acknowledge all
Thanks for the memories Dana King’s column “Just out for a Ride,” brought back memories of my childhood rides. Four other siblings and I sat in the back seat and the two youngest siblings sat with mom and dad in the front of our Chevy. Car rides were always on Sundays and dad drove one speed which was slow. He earned the nickname “Sunday Driver.” These rides were educational as well as entertaining. We did not have to go far from home to see things and learn about places. In the 1960s dad showed us
the Newton Community School District personnel who are making a difference in ensuring that every child receives a quality education. These are our teachers, administrators, school counselors, success coaches, specialists, instructional coaches, substitute teachers, school board members, paraprofessionals, nurses, secretaries, cooks, food service, crossing guards, custodians, delivery people, maintenance, bus drivers and mechanics. Thank you to every individual in the NCSD who is making a difference in our children’slives. I also want to thank the Newton community for your continued support of public education. I witness your generosity, support,
and influence on our children in the NCSD daily, and we definitely couldn’t do our jobs without you. American Education Week’s tagline, “Great Public Schools: A Basic Right and Our Responsibility” represents NEA’s vision of calling upon all of us to do our part in making public schools great for every child, so that they can grow and achieve in the 21st century. Nelson Mandela said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” In a world that is often full of uncertainty,it is comforting to know that so many of us are working together.
a new nursing home which had been built in a nearby town, and that ended the culture of the youngest child staying home to care for aging parents. A few years later my youngest sibling was okay with that. Once we stopped at a small isolated country church. It was not locked, and we went inside and enjoyed the quaintness of this church with just a few pews. Sometimes the drives were long and sometimes they were short. On all day trips, mom would pack sandwiches which we ate at parks. Dad farmed and he liked to look at the corn crops. A city person thinks that all corn looks alike, but not dad,
as in a dry year, he would mention in varying degrees how “fried up” the corn was. In the early years of our marriage, the house my husband and I lived in did not have air conditioning. Luckily, our car had air, so we took drives to cool off during hot evenings. Nowadays when driving home in the evening, most people have their lights on, and haven’t yet closed their curtains or blinds and their televisions are on. When kids travel with their parents today, they have their smartphones.
Deborah Rose Newton Community Education Association President
Elaine Hammer Baxter
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