Myk and Sue and his family and I were at the beach in September and I happened to look at the Surflight Theater's brochure listing the plays for the year. I was shocked at the current scope. They have continuous plays from March to, well, practically December, a full schedule of children productions, a concert series, and a couple of mystery lovers' nights. The huge expansion in activity certainly belies the financial crisis…or, perhaps, reflects it. They need a good accountant.
Oh thank god, "customers are required to stand up and sing verses from popular songs before they get served". I hated that place so much as a kid/now, the ice cream part. Either it was my hatred of the "I am a little tea cup" song or it may have been my crippling social anxiety disorder. Still have nightmares about that place.
I went there only once with grandma and pop - still remember it. traumatizing and awful (the ice cream part). Play was good though - West Side Story I think.
Just as certain books should be read at certain ages, the same must be true for ice cream parlors. I'm not sure I can speak for my whole family, but these are my memories of the parlor.
When it first opened in 1975, it was a revelation—an interactive ice cream parlor. We just wanted to show off with an emphasis on being funnier and more outrageous than the summer stock. This may be wrong—I can't remember specifics—but I think we may have been asked to leave once.
However, one year it morphed into just a show case for the summer players and the clientele just watched. We not only lost interest, but turned against the place. Wait in line for an hour, have some mediocre, over priced ice cream during your 15 minutes of allotted in-store time, and watch a saccharine performance if you were lucky (or unlucky).
From all of your accounts that "watch only" period was short lived, and it went back to audience participation or rather audience intimidation. But some things have remained the same—long lines and high prices.
This place is home to one of my best beach memories. Before it was the showplace it was Margot's Ice Cream parlor and they had a juke box and they had Layla on it. I remember one of my older brothers playing that song and to my absolute delight I discovered that the first and second parts to that great composition were all part of THE SAME SONG!!!
I didn't realize people hated it so much. I loved the ice cream and loved the performances. The trick was to get the Ruby Red slippers and all you had to do was say "There's no place like show place" while you clicked your heels together. Man I could go for the experience again.
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Myk and Sue and his family and I were at the beach in September and I happened to look at the Surflight Theater's brochure listing the plays for the year. I was shocked at the current scope. They have continuous plays from March to, well, practically December, a full schedule of children productions, a concert series, and a couple of mystery lovers' nights. The huge expansion in activity certainly belies the financial crisis…or, perhaps, reflects it. They need a good accountant.
Oh thank god, "customers are required to stand up and sing verses from popular songs before they get served". I hated that place so much as a kid/now, the ice cream part. Either it was my hatred of the "I am a little tea cup" song or it may have been my crippling social anxiety disorder. Still have nightmares about that place.
I went there only once with grandma and pop - still remember it. traumatizing and awful (the ice cream part). Play was good though - West Side Story I think.
I vividly remember praying that the waitresses wouldn't make me stand up and sing for my dessert. It was an hour of constant anxiety.
Guess it was the first indication I was more on the introverted side.
Just as certain books should be read at certain ages, the same must be true for ice cream parlors. I'm not sure I can speak for my whole family, but these are my memories of the parlor.
When it first opened in 1975, it was a revelation—an interactive ice cream parlor. We just wanted to show off with an emphasis on being funnier and more outrageous than the summer stock. This may be wrong—I can't remember specifics—but I think we may have been asked to leave once.
However, one year it morphed into just a show case for the summer players and the clientele just watched. We not only lost interest, but turned against the place. Wait in line for an hour, have some mediocre, over priced ice cream during your 15 minutes of allotted in-store time, and watch a saccharine performance if you were lucky (or unlucky).
From all of your accounts that "watch only" period was short lived, and it went back to audience participation or rather audience intimidation. But some things have remained the same—long lines and high prices.
This place is home to one of my best beach memories. Before it was the showplace it was Margot's Ice Cream parlor and they had a juke box and they had Layla on it. I remember one of my older brothers playing that song and to my absolute delight I discovered that the first and second parts to that great composition were all part of THE SAME SONG!!!
I didn't realize people hated it so much. I loved the ice cream and loved the performances. The trick was to get the Ruby Red slippers and all you had to do was say "There's no place like show place" while you clicked your heels together. Man I could go for the experience again.
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