Ft. Atkinson, WI – Traveling always creates challenges for celebrating Shabbat. First, one doesn’t know if it is possible to have the props of Shabbat, and in this case, I wasn’t sure if Erin or members of the Beauty and Beast from the Fireside Theater cast were interested or intrigued by the moment.  So I just let the day evolve.

First, it is important to note that plates of veggies or fruits are anomalies in the state of Wisconsin. It’s either beef, fish fry or fried food.  Second, it is fascinating who you meet along the path of life, and how they appear at different times during life. I discovered this when we met my dear friends, Mary and Tom Gilding from Burlington, WI at Paddy Culligan’s. We originally met 23 years ago at Sarasota’s Hyatt. They were reps for the company Write Source, and soon after, I was hired on as an consultant to train teachers how to use the materials. Write Source curriculum has remained my top choice for English. Tom owns Mark Twain Entertainment. Years ago, I brought him to our community in for a live author study. We have always stayed in touch. And while I was visiting Erin for the opening of Beauty and the Beast, I didn’t want to miss the opportunity of meeting up with them. The food was unappealing, but the company was superior.

As the day progressed, Erin (Silly Girl #1 and Napkin), Ruthie (my 14 year old cousin), myself, Jacob Axelson (Lumiere) and Michael Valvo (Lafou) made our way to Madison, Wi where we landed at St. Vinny’s Dig and Save Outlet Store where we were pretty horrified to see clothes strewn

in green buckets. I am a big thrift clothes shopper, but prefer my experience with much more dignity. The sign was true to itself – you dig. Clothes were $1/pound, but all I could muster was to stand in front of one of the four foot wide buckets and fold clothes.

Just seemed like the decent thing to do. All of us were overstimulated by the sight of it all. As we were leaving, I held the door open for a woman with an arm crutch. She said, “Thank you.” I responded, “Your welcome.” Then she stopped me and asked if we had met before. I politely stated, “No.” She persisted that she knew me, and asked what I did. I randomly replied, “I sing.” Now I was with a bunch of actors, dancers, and singers, so it is all I could come up with. They went ahead of me as they were in tears from laughter. The lady continued, “I work at the local radio station, and I am sure that I have recorded you.” I quickly retorted, “I don’t think so. I quickly bid adieu and caught up with my fan club. We were hysterically laughing. My daughter, Erin, could not believe that I lied. It was a moment.

We scurried along and found the University of Wisconsin, my dad’s alma mater and wandered in and out of clothing stores and speciality shops. We grabbed a coffee to relieve us from the frigid temperatures, and finally encountered a Whole Foods. I was thrilled to smell and touch fruits and vegetables. We added a challah, a new wine, and enticing foods to the cart, and felt excited about the possibilities of celebrating the Sabbath.

We drove back to the cast house in Ft. Atkinson, and Erin did the meal prep and cooking. Some of the cast (Erin Weinberger, Betty Weinberger – no relation, Molly Dunn (Babette), Jacob, Michael, and Brian Elliot (Cogsworth) joined us at the long table. We sang prayers, enjoyed the delicious Whole Foods challah, chugged Boya wine together, popped green olives and engaged in meaningful conversation while feasting on oranges, roasted potatoes and brussel sprouts, and steak. It was just right and the perfect pause. For Molly, it was the first time she had celebrated the Shabbat in over a year. It was sweet. For Ruthie, well, I think she was stunned by the acting world. This was definitely an impressionable moment in the eyes of a 14 year old.

Ruthie and I wound up spending the rest of Shabbat on Saturday watching two more shows and culminated with the five course meal at the Fireside. There were limited vegetables and fruits, but the steak filled the plate. We were honored to have seen it four times. Each was delightful and magical, especially opening night. The Fireside Theater is Broadway in Wisconsin. There are even road signs directing you to the location. It is a dinner theater, and according to Erin, our daughter, the director, Ed Flesh, knows of the Golden Apple Dinner Theater in Sarasota, Fl – six degrees!

Thank you to my husband, Steve, for coordinating this experience. Thank you to our daughter for continuing to celebrate opening nights together, to cousin Ruthie who made the trek to Wisconsin to see her cousin perform, and thank you Fireside Theater for professional theater. SHABBAT SHALOM.