Mom's 66th Birthday Celebrated at (and by) the OSC Theatre--(Thank You, OSCT!)

I've been looking forward to seeing "Dinah Was!" at the Open Space Cafe Theatre ever since I saw "Rounding Third" there. Mom's birthday is August 29th, and since that was one of the dates for "Dinah Was!," it worked out perfectly as something to do on Mom's birthday.

Before the play, we ate at Bert's Seafood Grille, immediately across the street from the Open Space Cafe Theatre.

I had picked up a cake at Ganache, and Bert's kept it refrigerated for me while we ate dinner. Earlier, I had secured permission from the OSC Theatre management to bring a cake for our party. The theatre sells cake slices and other desserts, but I wanted to ensure that there was enough for our party without "stealing" desserts that other play-goers might want.

We waited until intermission to cut into our cake. It was delicious!

But the real treat came right before the show continued. "Dinah Was!" Director Robin T. Rich McGhie took the stage to select a couple winners for some free tickets to the next show, "Ruthless! The Musical" (September 24-October 3).

But Robin also announced Mom's birthday and then initiated a full-house singing of "Happy Birthday" to my mom. The small band even played. It was one of those special touches that only added to an already perfect evening.

The show itself was a true crowd-pleaser. Along with the drama, listening to LaShon R. Hill sing Dinah Washington's music made you feel like you were enjoying a live concert. Hill captured the power of Dinah Washington's personality while also making us aware of her struggles with alcohol and pills. (I couldn't help but think of Michael Jackson; August 29th would have been Michael's 51st birthday.)

The supporting cast did a very good job also. Toward the end, Ronell Kiensler grabbed the audience's hearts and imagination with her scene-stealing portrayal of Violet, a hotel cook who receives an unexpected invitation from Dinah Washington to join her on stage. Given the chance to take the stage, Violet rises to the occasion, eventually becoming an even more enthusiastic performer than Dinah was at this point in her career.

Dinah Washington died at the age of 39. But she ended up having a stamp with her image on her, allowing us the chance to lick the back of her head, as someone put it.

The August 29th show was a sell-out, as were several others for "Dinah Was!"

Your next chance to visit the Open Space Cafe Theatre is when "Ruthless! The Musical" opens September 24th; it runs through October 3rd. Apparently, Britney Spears and Natalie Portman were understudies for the central role of Tina.

Based on all of my experiences at the Open Space Cafe Theatre over the last couple years, I can only strongly suggest that you consider attending a show there. As I've said before, I think it's very possible that you'll fall in love, just as I have.

Thank you, again, Open Space Cafe Theatre, for yet another special night on my Mom's 66th birthday!

Happy Birthday, Mom! You deserve it!