Authentic reenactments are only part of the fun at this one-of-a-kind festival. Photo courtesy of Colorado Medieval Festival.

Listen up Colorado! This weekend the knights, ladies, and bar maids will be out in force in Evans, Colorado.

It’s the 6th Annual Colorado Medieval Festival, and everyone is welcome to join in the fun! 

Read all about the festival by clicking here.

Courtesy Photo

Are you craving murder and mayhem? Have you ever wanted a secret identity? Are you the one who can always figure out who-done-it? Are you simply looking for a unique dining experience? If you answered yes to any of these questions, an evening with the Dinner Detective might be the perfect outing for you.

The Dinner Detective is an interactive murder mystery dinner show, and with four Colorado locations, there’s one playing near you. My husband and I attended the show in Denver at the Embassy Suites on East Hampden Avenue.

It’s a rather old Embassy Suites, but very well maintained. In fact, the lobby reminded me of the Mirage casino, with a vast array of plants and even a waterfall. We were early and found the check in area wasn’t open, so we bought a drink from the cash bar cart that was set up next to the registration area. There’s also a real bar in the lobby serving free appetizers.

From the moment the hostess arrived on the scene the energy level spiked. She quickly informed us that everyone here was not who he or she seemed to be. Nervous giggles rippled throughout the waiting crowd as we looked suspiciously at our fellow patrons.

At registration we each received nametags, but we were not to use our real names. Our hostess said we all needed to have a cover; a secret identify. That is when I really got excited, because I already have a secret identity, which will no longer be secret after I post this review.

Once registered my husband and I, now Thor and The Scottish Assassin, milled about meeting people and snacking on appetizers of mini-quiches and Asian spring rolls. We had been given a list of questions to ask our fellow diners in order to sniff out who may be a potential suspect later on in the evening. We could also make up our own questions.

You may think this all sounds a bit silly and it is, but it’s also a lot of fun. Once you’ve got a cover, you can be anyone you want to be. It’s actually quite liberating. And you never know when someone is actually telling the truth or feeding you a line of bull.

After our hors d’oeuvres and amusing conversation, we were ushered into the banquet room and sat at tables of eight. We dined with Princess Anastasia, Captain Blythe, Mel Brooks, Jessie James, Purple Delight and Summer Breeze.

Courtesy Photo

This is when the real action starts, and I won’t give away the details, but I will tell you there’s murder and mayhem and you should trust no one. I was worried that we wouldn’t have time to eat with the hullabaloo, but the Dinner Detective does a good job of allowing for breaks in the action so the patrons can eat, chat and laugh. This is an evening filled with laughter, fuddy-duddies need not apply.

The banquet hall has cash bar, so you don’t have to run out to the lobby for a drink. However, be prepared, as all bars associated with this event are cash only, and drinks are pricey.

Patrons must pre-pick a dinner entrée when purchasing their tickets to The Dinner Detective. Dinner starts with a water, ice tea, rolls and a salad, followed by the entrees. I had the ginger salmon with wild pecan rice and sautéed vegetables. Thor dined on the London broil with roasted garlic mashed potatoes and vegetables. We were both quite pleased with our meals. Dessert was New York cheesecake with strawberry sauce. Served with coffee, it was the perfect way to end a very entertaining evening.

The Dinner Detective is a full three-hour event, with each location producing a different show, and featuring a different menu. Children over ten are allowed.

I had my list of suspects, but despite the many clues we were given, I wasn’t able to pin point the murderer. Perhaps you are a better detective. To find out book your tickets at www.thedinnerdetective.com.

The cast of "Clue" at Candlelight Dinner Playhouse. Courtesy photo provided by Arns Photography of Fort Collins, Colorado.

Being a true fan of dinner theater, I’ve been anxious to visit this relatively new playhouse located just off I25 near the famous Johnson’s Corner in Johnstown, Colorado. I’d heard the 6 million dollar facility is fantastic inside and I was not disappointed; the place is outstanding. I felt like I’d just walked out of Northern Colorado and into a Broadway playhouse. 

Dinner seating begins at 6 p.m. and being an overly prompt person, I arrived at 5:45 p.m. I waited in the large lobby, watching as the crowds rolled in. Some people were dressed up, some in nicely pressed jeans and a collared shirt, while one group actually showed up dressed in 1920s vintage outfits.

At 6:00 p.m. I was directed into the theater, a large, dazzling space, complete with tiered seating. The atmosphere inspired me to order… CLICK HIT TO FINISH READING THIS REVIEW.

Photo by H.M. Kerr-Schlaefer

It is theater season folks, and you don’t have to go far because there’s lots of good theater happening right here in Northern Colorado. This past weekend I saw “Native,” in its first week at Nonesuch Theater in Fort Collins. Haven’t been there? Nonesuch is located at 216 Pine Street, just off College Avenue between Walnut and Jefferson.

It was my first trip to Nonesuch, and this 49-seat theater is a real gem. The small lobby has a concession stand serving snacks, beer and wine. Three arches lead into the theater where the seating is arranged on an incline so there’s not a bad seat in the house.

I am a true fan of small theaters. Live theater is naturally intimate, and to watch it in a small theater adds to the overall atmosphere and makes me truly feel a part of the show.

In dialogue and song, “Native” comically explores what it means to be a Coloradoan. I attended the play with three girlfriends. Two of our group members are natives of Colorado, and two of us are transplants from the West Coast. After ordering snacks and glasses of wine, we found seats and settled in for the show.

The play was written by Nick Turner and Troy Schuh, neither are Colorado natives, but both have a good sense of humor. Turner is CEO of the Candlelight Dinner Theater in Johnstown and owner of Nonesuch. His wife, Gina Shuh-Turner is one of the stars of “Native.” The other three cast members are Mark Johnson, Camilla Johnson and Shane Curtiss Miller.

The play is a series of individual sketches performed by the four actors. Most of the sketches poke fun at Colorado stereotypes, those we embrace and those we dispute. There are sketches about Bronco obsession, our love/hate relationship with the great outdoors, the differences between natives and non-native, our predisposition to run red lights and so on and so forth. And of course, there’s mention of Rocky Mountain Oysters.

There were lots of laughs and nodding of heads throughout the play. Not every sketch was a homerun, but much of the script resonated with the audience. I had several favorite songs, including “What’s the Matter with Greeley” and a melody dedicated to John Elway that brought me to tears.

Before the play started, Nick Turner had informed the audience they were still rewriting some parts of the script and were seeking audience feedback (because the play was still officially in “preview” week, tickets were discounted).

After “Native” I had the chance to talk to the writers and actors and shared with them some of our group’s thoughts on the play. It was fun to be able to comment, especially on a play of this nature, being based on such a subjective topic. I’m not sure if they will implement any of our ideas, which included adding more difficult trivia to the “Are you Smarter than a Colorado Native” sketch, but it was still fun to chat with them.

“Native” is a great play to see with a group of friends or family, although the subject matter will probably go right over the heads of most children. For more information or to purchase tickets visit www.nonesuchtheater.com.

HeidiTown Tips:

The Nonesuch is running a special deal with Rustic Oven, which includes a ticket to the show and dinner for $29.95 on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. Tickets at Nonesuch are normally $20 to $29.50. 

Don’t underestimate the fun of giving gift cards for live theater as Christmas presents. It’s the gift that keeps on giving, especially if you get to tag along to the play.

Northern Colorado’s only independent theater, Lyric Cinema Cafe is now serving LaMar’s Donuts.

Lyric Cinema Cafe is located at 300 E. Mountain in Fort Collins, Colorado. The Cafe is open Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sundays 12 p.m. to 11 p.m. 

In addition to delicious donuts the cafe serves up coffee, beer, wine and tapas-style snacks including an artisan cheese plate, empanadas, humus plate and more.

Lyric Cinema Cafe is currently playing five movies on their two screens, including Moon.

“Spamalot” opened to a full house last night at Denver’s Buell Theater. It’s the shows second run in Denver. Written by the Monty Python alum Eric Idol as a spoof of the movie “Monty Python’s and the Holy Grail,” this play is even more ridiculous than the movie. Thankfully, I’m a fan of ridiculous and it seemed most of the crowd at last night’s show were also fans of ridiculous.

The first act of the play follows the original movie with the addition of several silly songs. The second act, following intermission, has a fairly nonsensical storyline, but the crowd didn’t seem to care. The songs are still hilarious, even as the plot gets more and more absurd.

John O’Hurley of Seinfeild fame, plays King Arthur, a deep-voiced, rather self-absorbed character. He is the straight guy to all the outlandish characters around him. Veteran Broadway actress Merle Dandridge plays the Lady of the Lake with a set of lungs that will knock your socks off. The rest of the mostly male ensemble are veterans of the stage.

Just as irreverent as all Monty Python productions, this play has more dancing nuns than the “Sound of Music.” “Spamalot” can be summed up as jokes about bodily functions, jokes about bodily appendages being mangled or cut off, and scantily clad girls running around the stage.  If you are a fuddy-duddy, you probably won’t like it. However, if you always look on the bright side of life, I think you’ll like this one.

I mean, come on, dancing nuns are really, really, really funny.

NOTE:  We sat in the far corner of the balcony. The acoustics for this particular show weren’t the best.  Because this show features songs with a ton of words being sung at mind-blowing speeds, it’s very difficult to pick up all the word of the songs from this vantage point.

The mayor of HeidiTown is headed out to see Monty Python’s ”Spamalot” tonight.

It’s going to be laughing, smiling, dancing and singing, and tomorrow there will be a review, so stay tuned.

Cheers! And remember, always look on the bright side of life.

Rated PG

Directed by John Patrick Shanley

Starring Meryl Streep, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams

Heidi’s Illustrious Rating: 3

Word of Warning: Dialogue driven film, adapted from a play; may bore the young or those who prefer a faster paced movie.

I have no doubt Meryl Streep will win the Best Actress for her portrayal of Sister Aloysius Beauvier at the Golden Globes and Oscars this year. “Doubt” is a showcase of her impressive talent. However, though the performances by Streep, Adams and Hoffman are outstanding, the movie leaves the audience feeling somewhat uncertain, perhaps that is the intent, but for me it was slightly irritating.

Read the rest of this review HERE.

Photo by H.M. Kerr-Schlaefer

By Heidi Kerr-Schlaefer to the Berthoud Weekly Surveyor

Originally published in June 25, 2008

I have long loved the concept of an independent movie theater; a place featuring movies with subtitles, shorts and other unique, unconventional films. As a fanatical French student in high school, I often visited an independent theater called The Lincoln to watch French films. This theater introduced me not only to French film, but also to indie films and I developed a fondness for these quirky off the wall and often thought provoking movies.

While living in the Denver area, my husband and I frequented several independent movie theaters, but upon moving to Northern Colorado we were disappointed by the lack of such an establishment. In April 2007, The Lyric Cinema Café opened on Mountain Avenue in Fort Collins and at long last, Northern Coloradoans had a different kind of theater to visit.

The Lyric Cinema Café has been a longtime dream of Fort Collin native, Ben Mozer. When he was fourteen, Mozer’s family vacationed in Spain where he remembers watching “Pulp Fiction” in what he recalls as the coolest movie theater ever. “I remember it being huge,” he said. “Though it probably isn’t as big as I remember. It had a bar in the back and couches.” The image of this theater stayed with Mozer. He eventually attended film school in Bozeman, Montana and then moved to Los Angeles after graduation. He ultimately moved back to Fort Collins where he and wife Elizabeth started a family and Mozer began looking for ways to make his dream of opening an independent movie theater come true.

The Lyric Cinema Café is the culmination of a dream and perseverance. The building at 300 Mountains was home to an auto body shop in the 40’s, it has been a dry cleaner, a thrift store and probably a variety of other forgotten businesses. The highly visible location worked perfectly for Mozer’s vision, but obtaining the building was only half the battle. Mozer and lifelong friend Josh Glossi, toiled to turn the old building into a working theater. 

The results is a sunny café, adorned with movie posters, a corner television, a pile of games such as Scrabble and Memory, a cluster of tables and a counter serving up beer, wine, desserts and a selection of tapas-style dishes. Tapas is the name given to a wide variety of appetizers and it is on the menu as result of Mozer’s inspirational trip to Spain. Mozer fondly remembers long evenings in Spain spent dining on small plates of delicious food at various tapas bars. The café also features ceviche (citrus marinated seafood) and sangrias.

This Friday night we stopped in for sangria and a cheese platter on the patio. Served with crackers, this good-sized platter comes with a wide assortment of soft and hard cheeses, including my two favorite, smoked gouda and mozzarella wrapped with prosciutto (a salty Italian ham). The place was packed with a variety of patrons, including college students, retirees and several parents with their adult children. The audience is often a reflection of what is playing. Currently, The Lyric is running a French comedy called “Priceless,” Helen Hunt’s directorial debut “Then She Found Me,” and a British comedy, “Son of Rambow.”

The Lyric sells all the usual theater fare, such as candy and fresh popcorn. We decided on “Son of Rambow” and paired it with gummy bears and couple Coronas. The two theaters are long and narrow, equipped with regular seats and in fulfillment of Mozer’s childhood dream, couches.

Though the film stars two children “Son of Rambow” drew a crowd of mostly adults. It is the story of two very different boys: one from a strict religious family and one with no parental influence at all. The two come together to make a film they call “Son of Rambow.” Rambo is spelled wrong because they don’t know how to spell it. It is funny, sweet and British.

Films such as this often never make it to the big theaters and places such as The Lyric provide a venue for these films to be seen. Without independent theater, many good films wouldn’t be able to find an audience and it is likely these films would eventually stop being produced. The Lyric has featured some blockbusters in its short existence; films like “Juno” have been shown and their most popular show to date was “Into the Wild.” But they often feature obscure, yet brilliant films that other theaters overlook.

The Lyric is located at 300 E. Mountain Avenue, just a few blocks east of College Avenue. Prices are $8 for adults, $6 for matinees and students are always $6.50. For show times and café menu, visit www.lyriccinemacafe.com or call (970) 493-0893.