‘Dreams of Flight’ will take ‘Daytimers’ to new heights

Next event for “Daytimers” will be a trip on TRE and DART to Fair Park in Dallas for the exhibit, “Dreams of Flight: A Journey through Air and Space” at the Women’s Museum, Wednesday, Oct. 20. The group will leave the Fort Worth Intermodal Transportation Center at 12:15 p.m., enjoy lunch on the train and transfer to the DART Green Line at Victory Park Station.
Lunch on the train will be catered by Subway. Guests have a choice of turkey on honey oat, chicken teriyaki on wheat, or tuna on Italian, with chips, cookie and bottled water. Trip, including train fare, lunch, bottled water and museum admission, is $15.
The exhibit at the Women’s Museum highlights the glorious achievements of the first female aviators and follows the path they cleared for the eventual inclusion of women in the space program.
Most Americans know about Amelia Earhart and that Sally Ride was the first female U.S. astronaut to enter space, but the stories of women who fought incredible prejudices between Earhart’s disappearance in 1937 and Ride’s re-entry in 1983 are lost in the murk of forgotten history. There were scores of female aviators who fought long, difficult battles to be accorded the same joy, privilege and excitement that men had been given when they were granted wings.
For reservations, call Barbara Rubin, 817-927-2736, or Irv Robinson, 817-731-7447, or checks can be mailed to Daytimers, Beth-El Congregation, 4900 Briarhaven Road, Fort Worth, TX 76109. There will be no payments accepted the day of the trip.
The Sylvia Wolens “Daytimers” is a program of Beth-El Congregation with financial support from the Jewish Federation.

Be on hand to get the newest Haber thriller!

Dr. Julian Stuart Haber will be signing his recently published mystery/espionage thriller, “A Nail In The Body of Christ,” at the Arts Goggle for The Neighborhood Library at 1310 W. Allen St. in Fort Worth on Saturday night, Oct. 2, between 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. On Oct. 3, from 3 to 5 p.m., he will sign the book at the awards party for Stage West on West Vickery Street. The plot begins in Morocco when al-Qaida threatens to put a nail in the body of Christ and a bullet into the heart of Israel. The Dallas FBI director retires to Port Aransas near Corpus Christi. However, an unusual friend and near-fatal accident force him out of retirement and into direct confrontation with a terrorist cell in South Texas. The action takes place in the above locations as well as in Italy, off the Somalia coast, Mexico and Costa Rica. The book is available on amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com, and you can get signed copies at the above events or purchase it for $16 at FreeLance Writers, 7001 Candlestick Court, Fort Worth, TX 76133.

The best little production at Casa Mañana

Casa Mañana is excited to bring back Fort Worth favorite Ruta Lee to star in “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas,” Oct. 23–31 at Casa Mañana Theatre. Don’t miss the themed costume party following the 7 p.m. performance on Oct. 31.
Lee returns to star as Miss Mona Stangley in this 1978 Tony Award-nominated hit stage play turned cinema classic. Set in fictional Gilbert, Texas, “Whorehouse” tells the story of Stangley, proprietor of the famed Chicken Ranch, as she and local sheriff Ed Earl Dodd, played by Ed Dixon, fight to keep the doors open to the century-old brothel.
Lee’s first Casa Mañana appearance was in 1964 in “The Unsinkable Molly Brown.” Some of her other shows at Casa Mañana include “Funny Girl,” “Annie Get Your Gun,” “Steel Magnolias” and “Hello, Dolly!” She also has appeared on TV in “Hogan’s Heroes,” “Mork and Mindy,” “Three’s Company” and “The Love Boat.”
Dixon also has ties to Casa Mañana. He received his equity card at Casa Mañana 41 years ago in a production opposite Lee. Since then he has been a fixture on Broadway for over 30 years, appearing in 10 Broadway productions. He was seen in the revival of “Sunday in the Park with George.” His other Broadway credits include “The Scarlet Pimpernel,” “Les Misérables” and Dr. Seuss’ “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!”
Following the 7 p.m. Oct. 31 performance, Casa Mañana will host a themed costume party at 9:30 in the Grand Lobby at Casa Mañana Theatre. The party will include dancing to the music of Professor D, a costume contest with a $100 grand prize and a cash bar. Patrons who attend a performance of “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” can come to the party for free with their ticket stub.
Casa Mañana’s production of “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” is directed by Michael Susko and choreographed by Josh Rhodes. Susko has directed several regional productions including “Les Misérables,” “The Producers,” “All Shook Up” and “Hello, Dolly!” Rhodes was assistant choreographer for the original Broadway production of “The Drowsy Chaperone” and directed and choreographed Casa Mañana’s production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.”
Additional cast members include Joe Sturgeon as “Melvin P. Thorpe,” Liz Mikel as “Jewel,” Paige Wheat as “Angel,” Melissa Farmer as “Shy,” Amber Guest as “Doatsey Mae,” Neil Rogers as “Senator” and “Rufus,” Greg Dulcie as “Edsel” and “Bandleader,” and David Coffee as “CJ” and “Governor.”
Ensemble cast members include Lindsay Gee, Grace Neeley, Christine Zavakos, Aubrey Adams, Tami Mostert, Maranda Harrison, Christopher J. Deaton, Babakayode Ipaye, Michael Anthony Sylvester, C. Nicholas Morris, Bryan Lewis, Michael Borges and Judah Gavra.
This production is an exclusive limited engagement at Casa Mañana Theatre in Fort Worth. Performance dates are Saturday, Oct. 23 at 2 and 8 p.m.; Sunday, Oct. 24 at 2 and 7 p.m.; Tuesday, Oct. 26 at 7:30 p.m.; Wednesday, Oct. 27 at 7:30 p.m.; Thursday, Oct. 28 at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, Oct. 29 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 30 at 2 and 8 p.m.; and Sunday, Oct. 31 at 2 and 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 22 at 7 p.m. is a student preview night with cast talkback following the show, open for students, faculty and staff with valid school ID for $10. This show is not suitable for all audiences; parental discretion is advised.
Tickets for “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” are on sale now and can be purchased by calling the Casa Mañana Theatre box office at 817-332-2272. You can also visit the box office at 3101 West Lancaster Ave., Fort Worth. Ticket prices are $40 to $65, depending upon seating location. For more information, visit www.casamanana.org.

Two local women cited as tops in their fields

Mazel tov to Tricia Haber, who was selected as a 5 Star Top Wealth Advisor in Texas in Texas Monthly magazine’s August issue. Karen Johnson was selected one of the Top Attorneys in Tarrant County for the November issue of Fort Worth magazine.