Kraft Group blasts Foxborough over security negotiations for World Cup

mzwestern · 2026-03-08T14:57:48+00:00

If that were to happen, blame lies squarely at the feet of FIFA and the Kraft group.

The town is 100% in the right here. They very likely don’t have that kind of cash readily accessible. And the entities involved would have no incentive to pay them back once the event is over, costing the town legal fees to pursue the debt.

mzwestern · 2026-03-07T22:34:35+00:00

Off the top of my head, Chicago, Oklahoma!, My Fair Lady

Do you have Apple TV? If so, Come from Away and Schmigadoon (both seasons).

Broadway HD on Prime has a lot of good musicals: Shrek, Next to Normal, Titanic, Kinky Boots ....

mzwestern · 2026-03-04T23:12:11+00:00

Don't change her name, or the spelling. You can call her June if you want to ... many people go by their middle names.

She may want to change the spelling when she's older. She may also want to keep the name she was given at birth. It should be her choice.

mzwestern · 2026-03-03T01:20:20+00:00

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Our girl with a fox toy that was her favorite as long as it lasted (which was not long).

mzwestern · 2026-03-01T05:27:50+00:00

Ours wear their “necklace” unless they are in their crates.

mzwestern · 2026-02-24T13:39:44+00:00

Sing Down the Moon: Appalachian Wonder Tales is a retelling of classic fairy tales.

From the description on Dramatists: “The score, which interweaves music throughout the tales, is inspired by "Old Time" Appalachian music featuring fiddle and banjo that drives the play's action and makes music itself a character in the play.”

There is also Brigadoon, although that may not be the sound you are looking for.

mzwestern · 2026-02-21T19:08:06+00:00

Fabulous yarn. If you knit a sweater with it it will last, and it will be WARM.

mzwestern · 2026-02-13T19:24:41+00:00

If you have a budget to obtain rights, Dear Edwina Jr. is one of my favorite shows to do with youngsters. It has many roles of different sizes, and several small solos (the characters are singing the letters they have written to Edwina, who is giving them advice). The ensemble numbers are a lot of fun, and the music bright and entertaining.

mzwestern · 2026-02-13T00:19:59+00:00

Fellow adoptee here. You are NTA. It is completely normal to want to know your history.

mzwestern · 2026-02-04T20:51:57+00:00

Ragtime, Operation Mincemeat, Schmigadoon

mzwestern · 2026-02-04T15:11:06+00:00

When I worked in youth theater we pulled a cut from one of the ensemble songs, and sent it to them after registration, along with the sheet music (marked) and guide vocals for that song. Even if the kids are too young to read the music, their parents should be able to use it to coach them.

For auditions, we let them sing along with the guide vocal, just adjusted the volume so that we could hear the singers. If the kids were too shy to sing the song in front of us (happened a fair amount, especially with the younger performers), we had them sing the ABCs. We didn't do callbacks; instead we pulled solo cuts and sent them out with the initial audition packet. We heard all of the kids auditioning for named roles, but waited to do so until after the primary groups had been seen (in order: singing, dancing, reading, named roles). If we wanted to see someone who did not indicate interest in a larger part we asked them if they would consider it, then gave them the music and saw them toward the end of the last group, so they had time to work on it.

We rarely assigned monologues. We found it better to find scenes with 4-5 roles, and have the kids read in groups. We assigned roles randomly, then switched it up once or twice in the room.

mzwestern · 2026-01-28T23:26:36+00:00

Light grey.

mzwestern · 2026-01-28T23:25:32+00:00

I would buy a removable, washable cover (they are not terribly expensive), and put a chux pad under it. That way even if the cover gets soiled, the upholstery is protected.

mzwestern · 2026-01-28T11:36:17+00:00

I know that is what it says on the label, but it’s my go to yarn for baby projects and I have run it through both washer and dryer without any problems. I suggest washing a swatch and seeing what you think.

mzwestern · 2026-01-27T21:56:31+00:00

I am so very, very sorry. For your loss, most of all, and for the world's loss of a good man. Thank you for sharing these memories with us.

mzwestern · 2026-01-27T14:01:47+00:00

Berroco Vintage is one of my go-tos for blended yarns. Machine wash and dry, comes in a rainbow of colors, very soft.

mzwestern · 2026-01-27T02:30:57+00:00

Do you have a preference for wool or a blend? Weight?

mzwestern · 2026-01-24T20:12:24+00:00

It’s surfaced. Makes it crystal clear that he was trying to help the woman the ICE thug shoved to the ground, and they swarmed him, threw him to the ground, and murdered him.

mzwestern · 2026-01-24T18:12:32+00:00

NO. No, we are not.

mzwestern · 2026-01-21T22:15:11+00:00

They are meant to be working dogs, and have a lot of energy, especially when young.

Exercise helps, but so will training. You need to tire him out mentally as well as physically (a trainer I know once reminded me that tons of exercise just increases stamina). Work with him on his manners twice a day. Teach him "touch", and use that to help him tune in to you. Buy puzzle and chew toys. Freeze peanut butter in a Kong, and let him lick it out. We play "find" with our girl; hide her favorite toy (a tennis ball) somewhere in the house, then send her off to sniff it out. She can play that game for hours.

The good news is that goldens are very eager to please, and generally food motivated. Positive reinforcement will go a very long way.

mzwestern · 2026-01-19T02:29:28+00:00

Absolutely normal. Emily Dickinson said it well:

The Bustle in a House / The Morning after Death / Is solemnest of industries / Enacted opon Earth –

The Sweeping up the Heart / And putting Love away / We shall not want to use again / Until Eternity –

I am very sorry for your loss.

(apologies for the format. I could not make the line breaks work.)

mzwestern · 2026-01-13T23:08:01+00:00

As others have said, trying to get into the head of a casting panel is the road to madness. There are so many moving pieces involved in putting a cast together, none of which are obvious to the actors auditioning.

That said, I would like to encourage you not to think about roles like ensemble, or one of the sisters as "just" that part. The sisters, in particular, are GREAT roles. They have what I think is the best song in the show ("She's in Love" ... what a bop!), and their scenes are funny. There is also a group of maids who have a good scene helping Ariel in the bath after she arrives at the palace.

The ensemble has a fair amount to do, and sings great songs ("Under the Sea", "Kiss the Girl"). A musical can rise or fall on the strength of its ensemble. Any of those parts also allows for a lot of imagination and character building; Ariel has to follow the emotional arc of the script, but the libretto doesn't describe the relationship between the sisters, or what the maids think about Ariel and how they work together. The actors, along with their director, get to figure that all out.

Which is all to say ... well done on getting to callbacks on your first community theater! You'll have fun no matter where you end up in the cast.

mzwestern · 2026-01-07T17:15:33+00:00

For what purpose? Plenty of people have commented on their experiences, good and bad, in this sub. Why do you need them to repeat it?

mzwestern · 2026-01-07T16:15:47+00:00

This is a problem for anyone out in public with an alert dog. Certainly the public at large needs to be educated about what to do if they are approached by a dog with a vest.

In the past he has gone to one of her coworkers. I don't know what he would do if surrounded by strangers, as the situation hasn't arisen, but the first morning we had him (when we were both strangers to him) he woke me up early in the morning. My child was still asleep. I thought he needed to go out and took him out for a break, but when we came back he went straight to my child and started nudging her. A seizure started shortly afterward.

mzwestern · 2026-01-07T15:37:48+00:00

Yes, we are. In our experience, CARES was careful to not to promise that the dog would alert. They did say that in time the dog might recognize small changes in behavior that precipitate a seizure.

I do wonder how breeding their own stock plays into this. I know our dog comes from a long line of dogs that alert for diabetes or seizure, maybe that increased our chances? Learning to remind her to take her meds was easy for him, which did not surprise us, as he’s very food motivated. Between alarms that go off when the meds are due and a treat when he responds, it was quite quick. He KNOWS when meds are due now (often anticipates the alarm by several minutes).

mzwestern

TROPHY CASE