Tanglewood Hollow offers classes, products and time with nature
Growing up, Allyson Speake developed a fascination with and appreciation for the natural world, something that she wanted to bring to others in the community. In March of last year Speake established Tanglewood Hollow, an educational supply store offering classes on a variety of nature-oriented topics for kids, toys and more on Storrs Street in Concord, to do just that.
“My grandfather was a naturalist and he grew wild cottage gardens for attracting wildlife and so I spent … many years alongside him as he taught me more about wonder and curiosity and seeing nature through that lens,” Speake said. “He just opened my eyes to what an amazing world we live in, and his home was called Tanglewood Hollow, so that’s … where the name came from.”
As a former teacher, Speake noticed that kids were struggling with what she called nature deficit disorder, and she wanted to find a way to foster natural curiosity and help them find connection to the natural world. Prior to opening Tanglewood Hollow, Speake would teach groups of homeschooled students from her home. She wanted to find a way to reach more of the community.
“I think it’s absolutely vital for us to build that relationship with nature,” she said. “If kids aren’t given that opportunity or are uncomfortable getting outside, how can we expect for them to really be the next stewards of our Earth and care for it and love it in that same way? Right now, it’s of utmost importance to care for our Earth and to do things to help it, so really I would say that’s probably the overall mission for us [is] helping to build the next stewards of our Earth.”
At Tanglewood Hollow, kids get hands-on experience during classes in the Nature Lab on topics like microscopes, dissecting owl pellets, raptors, making slime as well as nature crafts and activities. In one class, children were able to build a rotting log community where they could hold creatures like beetles, millipedes and pill bugs before adding them to the community to observe the breakdown. They will also have the opportunity to see the leopard gecko, Berry, and the jumping spider, as well as Clementine the corn snake, who sometimes comes out for interaction.
“I’m a big proponent of teaching kids to love the unloved things, and these creatures are things that are very often misunderstood, and people are scared and fearful of them,” Speake said.
“We try as often as we can to get [Clementine] out with the kids so they can have a good, positive experience.”
Many items are available in the shop, such as stuffed animals, life cycle kits, rocks, minerals, foraging tools, bug catching nets, butterfly kits, and curiosities, which are monthly mystery boxes that contain four different items from nature, previously including North American porcupine quills and fossils, that come with a newspaper written by Speake that gives information about the items.
“We would love to do some special things for the solar eclipse that’s happening in April, some star viewing at night … [and] more off-site classes for children and families,” Speake said. “We’ve got lots of plans for things. … You never know what you’re going to find here.”
Tanglewood Hollow Where: 93 Storrs St., Concord When: Open Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m to 5 p.m.
Looking for an activity with your friends or a way to make new ones?
Weekly trivia nights abound at area restaurants, breweries and even a movie theater. We talked to two experts about how to put together a team and how the games are crafted and we give you a listing of some of the spots to find trivia. (Know of a trivia night not mentioned here? Let us know at [email protected] to get added to our weekly trivia listings that run in the Nite section.)
Ready for some white hot competition? Sharpen those pencils…
Game maker
Heather Abernathy, a Manchester-based trivia host, runs general knowledge pub trivia at The Farm every Wednesday and themed trivia at Chunky’s every Thursday. In this Q&A, she discusses her transition from player to host, her process for crafting trivia questions, strategies for keeping the atmosphere lively, and how she deals with answer disputes. Additionally, Heather provides advice for aspiring trivia hosts. Her experience spans various themes and formats, catering to a wide range of trivia enthusiasts.
How did you get started with hosting trivia nights?
Heather Abernathy. Courtesy photo.
I have such a wealth of random trivia knowledge, probably from watching Jeopardy! with my grandfather every night as a kid. … I was always that person you wouldn’t want to play against in Trivial Pursuit. … I got started at The Farm in Manchester, because I was a player there. I played pretty consistently for about four years. And when the guy who was hosting before me decided he was done, the owners told him, ‘If you can find somebody you think would make a good host, we’ll hire them.’ He reached out to me and said, ‘You’re smarter than I am … and you’re here every week anyway, so why not get a guaranteed paycheck for it?’ So after a bit of hesitation, I decided, ‘What the heck,’ hung up my playing time, and switched over to hosting. That was in January of 2019.
What do you enjoy most about hosting trivia?
For my real job, I work in health insurance, and I work from home. So, it’s boring, and I don’t see a lot of people. Trivia is my way to get out, to be sociable. I’ve also made some good friends along the way. I really enjoy the interaction with the people that come out and play every week.
Can you describe the type of trivia you host?
At The Farm I mostly stick to general pub trivia, because that’s what my players like. I have thrown in themes once in a while, and my regulars tend to skip those because they prefer coming in and knowing they could be asked anything. Whereas at Chunky’s I do a different theme every single week. For example, tomorrow night, in honor of the new Mean Girls movie, I’ll be doing trivia on the original Mean Girls movie. But once a month I do something more music-themed. This month my music theme is The Beatles, but in the past I’ve done ’80s and ’90s music, which always sell out. Taylor Swift was another big one. And then once a month at Chunky’s on Sundays — because my Thursdays at Chunky’s are a 21-plus event — I do a family-friendly trivia where all ages are welcome. You can bring your kids, and I tend to do more family-oriented themes. So this month, for example, I’m doing Disney music as my family-friendly theme.
How do you create questions for your trivia nights?
For themed trivia, it’s easy. If it’s a movie, I will watch the movie and throw on my subtitles so I can make sure I’m getting quotes or spelling correctly. As I’m watching I’ll think, ‘Oh, that would be a good thing to ask.’ So I jot down what I’m thinking. For the general knowledge trivia, I do a lot of scouring the internet for what strikes me as a good question. One unique thing about my trivia, which I can’t take credit for because I took the format from the guy hosting before me — if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it — is when I ask a question, I follow it up with a song. The song serves two purposes: it gives time for players to hand in their answers and it also acts as a hint for the question. Some weeks I really want an excuse to play a certain song, so I’ll work backward and figure out a question that matches with the song. So for example, last week I asked a question … ‘Who was named Time Magazine’s Person of the Year for the very first time in 1927?’ The hint song that I played for that was REO Speedwagon’s ‘Time for me to Fly.’ … Charles Lindbergh was the answer to the question.
How do you maintain a good balance of topics and difficulty levels in your trivia questions?
I have a kind of mental checklist. For example, if I’ve already asked a geography question I’ll move on to science, then maybe something pop culture-related. Generally, as the game progresses, at least for the bar trivia, Round 1 questions are easier than Round 3 questions. Also, my music hints might become less obvious as the game goes on. … My rule of thumb is if I wouldn’t have known the answer, odds are I won’t ask it.
What strategies do you use to keep participants engaged and ensure a fun atmosphere?
The music is a big part of keeping participants engaged. Sometimes I’ll play a hit song and, without realizing it, strike a nerve, and next thing you know half the bar is singing along. I do my best to engage with people. Anyone who knows me knows that I speak fluent sarcasm. I try to let my own personality come through, like engaging in banter with the players. … I just try to keep it light and breezy.
How do you handle disputes or disagreements over answers during trivia nights?
It does come up, because I’m human. There’s a real chance that I might come up with a question and not be right, or there could be an alternate answer. If someone comes up to me with a dispute, I respect that, because when I played I was that person who challenged the host. I’ll do a spot check with my phone or laptop right there while hosting. I’m always open to being corrected. If it’s determined that an alternate answer was acceptable, I’ll admit it, award the points, and eat crow if I have to. On the flip side, if someone’s answer is close but not accurate, I might say, ‘Close enough isn’t good enough,’ and not give points, or I might give half points for being close. I try to be flexible, because the goal at the end of the day is to get people to come back.
What advice would you give to someone interested in becoming a trivia host?
My biggest piece of advice is to have fun with it. … You’ve got to have the confidence to go with it. Just get out there, have fun, and get to know your players. That has been key for me, because after hosting for so long these people are not just random attendees; many of them are now my friends. Establishing that rapport with players is crucial for retention. If people are having fun, they’re going to come back. So try to relax, have fun, and when you see people returning that’s always a good sign.
Game player
Amy Leal (third left) and her trivia team. Courtesy photo.
Amy Leal, 51, from Salem, participates regularly in themed trivia nights at Chunky’s in Manchester. She talked about her involvement in trivia since August 2020, her methods for forming and preparing her trivia team, the competitiveness of the games, challenges faced by the team, and some memorable experiences from the trivia nights.
Can you share a bit about yourself and how you got involved in trivia?
I just like collecting random information about various things. I’ve always enjoyed trivia-type games. For this particular weekly event, I got involved during Covid in August of 2020. Chunky’s couldn’t show movies, so they were hosting a Disney Pixar trivia event. My sister, knowing my interest in trivia and my love for Disney Pixar, saw it and thought I would be interested, so I went with my cousin Trish, who’s the same age as me. We thought, ‘Let’s check this out.’ We loved the format. It was a way to have a night out, kind of low-key during Covid, and do something fun. … Three and a half years later we’re still going just about every week.
How do you go about forming your trivia team?
For this trivia, you can have from one to eight people. Initially it was just my cousin Trish and I regularly. Then, when she couldn’t attend, I invited another friend, who has been going with me ever since. She brought a friend from high school. I also asked a few more cousins, and we all joined based on the themes Heather announced. We base our participation on our interests and strengths. Even if some of us don’t know the specific show or movie, we go just to have a night out. Our team can range from two to eight players weekly, depending on the theme and what’s happening in our lives. We have a diverse team, with people into music, movies, TV series and different genres. Everyone knows a little about everything, and some are experts in certain areas. So, for building a trivia team, the key is finding people interested in a wide knowledge base and looking for a night out, who can commit to more than once or twice a month. It’s about sharing interests, being competitive, and a commitment to winning and being together.
What’s your strategy, and how do you prepare?
Our approach for themed nights, especially if it’s something we’re not familiar with, is to watch the movie or TV show. We’re lucky to know the theme a couple of weeks in advance, so we can plan to watch a movie or brush up on it. If it’s a movie we haven’t seen in 20 years, we rewatch it. For a TV series with multiple seasons, like The Office with eight seasons, different team members will watch different seasons. It’s all just for fun; you can’t remember everything. Our strategy is to watch the content and then have a group chat where we throw out questions to each other for practice, just to keep it top of mind.
How competitive do things get?
Our group is pretty laid back, and we enjoy being together and having something to look forward to every week. But there are times when we get competitive, especially if we disagree with how a question was phrased. We’ll challenge the answer. Ultimately, Heather, who hosts the trivia, has the final say. Sometimes we feel that an answer wasn’t accurate or was a bit twisted, but it’s all in the context of the content. There’s some competitiveness, especially since there are repeat teams. Since August 2020 about six teams have been regulars, and we’ve all gotten to know each other, often on a first-name basis. We congratulate other teams when they win, but we also feel like it should have been us, especially if it was our game to lose. Sometimes we go in overconfident, and depending on the questions we might blow it or win. But at the end of the day it’s a game. We all want to win, but not everybody can.
What kind of hurdles do you run into with trivia and how do you handle them?
A challenge for us is that we don’t always have the same people available every week because life happens. When we’re missing someone we really feel it, especially if it’s a question they would have known. We had a phase where we won almost every week for six to eight months, placing first, second or third each time. It felt great, especially since we won gift cards for Chunky’s, which we used for meals. But not winning can be a downer, and we’re in a bit of a slump right now due to inconsistent team availability during the holidays. We need to get back up and overcome this slump.
Do you have any memorable moments or stories from trivia nights?
Around February 2021, it was my cousin Jamie’s birthday, and we had become friendly with Heather, the host. I sent her a childhood picture of Jamie, the classic school photo with the laser background, and asked her to put it up on the big screen in the theater to wish him a happy birthday. It was hilarious, and she even showed it a few times after just for fun. There was also this funny moment during a music round. We couldn’t remember the artist of a song, so all I pictured was a white guy wearing a vest with chest hair sticking out. That’s what we wrote as our answer. When Heather was reading the answers, she read ours out loud and it got a big laugh in the theater. Now, when we can’t remember something, that’s become our signature answer. And it turns out the artist for that song wasn’t even close to what I was picturing.
Trivia nights
Liven up your weeknights with some fun and games. Know of a trivia night not listed here? Let us know at [email protected].
Monday
Pub Quiz at Shaskeen (909 Elm St., Manchester, 625-0246, shaskeenirishpub.com) at 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday
Able Ebenezer Brewing (31 Columbia Circle, Merrimack, 844-223-2253) at 6 p.m.
Sea Dog Brewing (5 Water St., Exeter, 793-5116) from 6 to 8 p.m.
Second Brook Bar & Grill (1100 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, secondbrook.com) at 7 p.m.
Earth Eagle North (Barclay Square, 350 Route 108, Somersworth, 841-5421, eartheaglebrewings.com) at 6 p.m.
Popovers (11 Brickyard Sq., Epping, 734-4724, popoversonthesquare.com) from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
The Greatest Trivia in the World at Revolution Taproom and Grill (61 N. Main St., Rochester, 244-3042, revolutiontaproomandgrill.com/upcoming-events) at 6:30 p.m.
Don Ramon (6 Whitney St., Merrimack, 420-8468) from 7 to 9 p.m.
KC’s Rib Shack (837 Second St., Manchester, 627-7427, ribshack.net), sponsored by Mi Campo in Manchester, 7 to 9 p.m..
The New England Trivia Co. at City Hall Pub (8 Hanover St.,Manchester, 232-3751, snhhg.com) 7 to 9 p.m.
World Tavern Trivia at Fody’s Tavern (9 Clinton St. in Nashua, fodystavern.com, 577-9015) at 8 p.m.
Thursday
Reed’s North (2 E. Main St. in Warner, 456-2143, reedsnorth.com) from 6 to 8 p.m.
Mitchell BBQ (50 N. Main St., Rochester, 332-2537, mitchellhillbbq.com) at 6 p.m.
Station 101 (193 Union Sq., Milford, 249-5416) at 6:30 p.m.
Music trivia at Day of the Dead Taqueria (454 Charles Bancroft Hwy. in Litchfield, 377-7664) at 6:30 p.m.
Geeks Who Drink trivia at The Barley House (132 N. Main St., Concord, 228-6363), from 7 to 9 p.m.
Themed trivia at Cheers Bar & Grille (17 Depot St., Concord, 228-0563) at 7 p.m.
Hart’s Turkey Farm (223 Daniel Webster Hwy., Meredith, 279-6212, hartsturkeyfarm.com) from 7 to 9:30 p.m.
Opinionation by Sporcle trivia at Uno Pizzeria & Grill (15 Fort Eddy Road in Concord; 226-8667) at 7 p.m.
Hop Knot (1000 Elm St., Manchester, 232-3731, hopknotnh.com) at 7 p.m.
Liquid Therapy (14 Court St., Nashua, 402-9391) at 7:30 p.m.
Game Changer Sports Bar (4 Orchard View Dr., Londonderry; 216-1396, gamechangersportsbar.com) from 8 to 10 p.m.
Strange Brew (88 Market St., Manchester, 666-4292) at 8 p.m.
Friday
The Biergarten Anheuser-Busch (221 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 595-1202) from 6 to 8 p.m.
Sunday
Mountain Base Brewery (553 Mast Road, No. 111, Goffstown, 315-8382) at 4 p.m.
Other trivia nights
Chunky’s Cinema Pub in Manchester (707 Huse Road in Manchester; chunkys.com) holds regular 21+ trivia nights on Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. with varying themes: The Beatles on Thursday, Jan. 11. General Knowledge on Thursday, Jan. 18. Barbie on Thursday, Jan. 25. Chunky’s also hosts family-friendly trivia nights. Next up is Disney Songs on Sunday, Jan. 14, at 6 p.m.
Take part in Schitt’s Creek trivia night on Tuesday, Jan. 16, at 6:30 p.m. at Vine Thirty Two (25 S. River Road in Bedford; vinethirtytwo.com).
Trivia at Fody’s (9 Clinton St., Nashua; fodystavern.com) the first Thursday of each month at 8 p.m.
Trivia on the first and third Thursday of every month trivia at To Share Brewing (720 Union St., Manchester, tosharebrewing.com) at 6:30 p.m.
Trivia at Park Theatre (19 Main St., Jaffrey; 532-9300, theparktheatre.org) on the second Wednesday of each month at 7:30 p.m.
On Jan. 8, the New Hampshire Attorney General, John M. Formella, issued a cease-and-desist order to the Democratic National Committee’s Rules & Bylaws Committee for instructing the New Hampshire Democratic Party to inform the public that the Jan. 23 New Hampshire Democratic presidential primary election is “meaningless.” According to a press release, this statement has been declared false and misleading by the Attorney General, constituting a violation of RSA 659:40, III, against voter suppression. The Attorney General has ordered the cessation of any conduct that undermines the state election law, emphasizing the primary election’s legal significance and its role in the democratic process, despite the DNC’s stance on delegate allocation. The situation is under continued review by the Attorney General’s Office.
Paid leave
The New Hampshire Insurance Department, along with the Department of Employment Security and the Department of Administrative Services, is mobilizing community advocates to increase awareness of and participation in the state’s Paid Family Medical Leave (PFML) program. According to a press release, despite a strong enrollment in its first year, there is a recognized need to further inform the public, particularly those who could benefit but remain uninformed or uncertain about how to enroll. The state agencies are urging advocacy organizations to help disseminate information and facilitate enrollment by appointing liaisons to work with the PFML team. The initiative focuses on the urgency of promoting the 2024 PFML open enrollment, which concludes on Jan. 29.
Mocktails
The New Hampshire Liquor Commission (NHLC), in collaboration with Brown-Forman, has initiated the fourth annual New Hampshire Mocktail Month, with nearly 70 local restaurants participating. According to a press release, the event is part of the ongoing “Live Free & Host Responsibly” campaign, started in 2016, to encourage responsible alcohol service and consumption. This year’s mocktail month, which highlights several Brown-Forman brands, is designed to provide alcohol-free beverage options, enhancing a safe drinking environment for patrons. An online guide with mocktail recipes is available for those who prefer to create these drinks at home. The NHLC aims to leverage this initiative to foster responsible drinking habits and is encouraging social media engagement with the campaign. Visit liquorandwineoutlets.com/responsibility.
Cultural grants
The New Hampshire State Council on the Arts is offering Cultural Facilities grants to arts and cultural organizations for facility improvements to enhance their venues for cultural programming, according to a press release. With a focus on projects that promote accessibility and long-term venue enhancements, organizations can apply for grants ranging from $2,000 to $25,000 for use between April 1, 2024, and Jan. 31, 2025. Eligible applicants must be ADA-compliant, have a history of public arts programming, and hold a 501(c)(3) status, with the application deadline set for Feb. 9. Further details and application guidelines are available at nh.gov/nharts.
Keep the money here
A new economic study released by the New Hampshire Bankers Association has underscored the potential economic benefits of retaining taxpayer funds within the state, according to a press release. Conducted by Polecon Research, the study indicates that by investing public funds locally through the New Hampshire Public Deposit Investment Pool (NH PDIP), the state could experience a surge in economic growth, with an estimated increase of nearly $200 million in state GDP. Key findings suggest substantial boosts in available credit for small businesses, increased tax revenues, job growth and a significant rise in personal income for residents. Sen. Cindy Rosenwald has introduced the GLOW Act to capitalize on these findings, aiming to keep public funds invested within New Hampshire to maximize the economic impact. The study advocates for local investment as a strategic move to bolster the state’s economy and support community needs like affordable housing. The full report detailing these benefits is available on the NH Bankers website, nhbankers.com/PDIP, as they work with legislators to pass this initiative in the upcoming legislative session.
Dixville Notch is set to host the state’s only midnight vote for the 2024 first-in-the-nation presidential primary. Continuing a tradition that began in 1960, Dixville voters will cast their ballots at midnight as Jan. 22 turns into Jan. 23. This year, due to renovations at the Balsams’ Dix House, the vote will occur in the Living Room at the Tillotson House. The event will be overseen by Dixville Town Moderator Tom Tillotson, son of Neil Tillotson, who initiated this unique voting tradition. The Balsams’ principal owner, Les Otten, and the community’s voters will be present, along with a special appearance by Cory “C Pez” Pesaturo, a renowned accordion champion.
Ken Perkins, a retired United Airlines pilot, will present “Lindbergh’s Last Flight” at the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire in Londonderry on Thursday, Jan. 25, at 7 p.m. The event will feature Perkins’ firsthand account of the 1974 flight that transported a seriously ill Charles Lindbergh to Hawaii shortly before the legendary aviator’s death. Part of the museum’s speaker series, the presentation will offer unique insights into this historic flight and Perkins’ experiences during the Golden Age of Aviation. Admission is $10, with free entry for museum members. Visit aviationmuseumofnh.org.
The Be BRAVE Gala, presented by Safe Haven Ballet, is set to take place at the Nashua Center for the Arts on Jan. 28 at 6 p.m. This event, known for diverse artistic performances including ballet, contemporary dance, martial arts and music, aims to support survivors of sexual violence and trauma. Tickets are priced at $35 for adults and $30 for children and seniors. The Gala, which has been successful in raising funds for crisis centers in the past, will contribute a portion of its proceeds to HAVEN NH for building a larger shelter. Tickets can be purchased at NashuaCenterfortheArts.com or by calling 1-800-657-8774.
The curious lockdown revival of a 600-year-old folk tradition was the catalyst for an inventive pairing that has, among other things, produced a recasting of “Free Bird” for violin and bagpipes. In late 2020 a Scottish singer posted a pair of sea shanties — collective songs from the maritime trades — to TikTok. Another vocalist added a bass harmony layer, and soon more began stitching in parts.
It caught the attention of electric violinist Mia Asano, who dueted on a subsequent batch of videos. Bagpiper Ally Crowley-Duncan was also taken by “musicians adding their parts and creating this massive session-style experience with all this instrumentation.” She collaborated on a few with a mutual musician friend.
Out of this digital milieu the two became mutual fans and eventually collaborators. The world of rock music has never seen anything like Mia x Ally, but the duo’s unique approach to their instruments has won kudos from some of the genre’s best, including Metallica. It’s also amassed that most coveted of modern currencies, internet virality.
Before joining up, both were building big audiences on TikTok, Ally on her traditional bagpipes with a custom key-extending chanter (the note-producing tube at the bottom of the bag) that she helped design, and Mia with her seven-string Flying V electric violin. In a recent Zoom interview, the two discussed how they came to see their instruments in a different light.
Mia was classically trained from age 5.
“I had a deep love for classical music, but a deeper love for alternative styles,” she said. “In middle school I discovered electric violins; after that I knew what I was going to do for the rest of my life.”
The violin, she added, “is a really gate-kept instrument, and the classical community is really intense. Both Ally and I have a lot of similarities in those ways with our upbringing and our experience with our instruments, so we both have a deep love for showcasing everything they are capable of.”
Also the product of a musical household, Ally played multiple instruments growing up, taking up bagpipes at age 12 as a way to bond with her Scottish stepfather after he legally adopted her. “I’ve been able to see the saxophone, piano and flute transcend their more traditional and classical roots,” she said, “but there aren’t a lot of avenues where the bagpipes have been able to do that.”
In high school she transcribed Ozzy Osborne’s “Crazy Train” to bagpipes and played it with a rock band she’d formed.
“The reaction kind of flipped my brain around into wanting to see the bagpipes in that light more often,” she said. “I love that style of music, always have, and it was really cool to be able to offer it to people on an instrument that I love, but in a way that they weren’t expecting.”
After an extended TikTok friendship, the two performed together for the first time in Boston, on St. Patrick’s Day. Mia was attending Berklee, and Ally had a show sponsored by Barstool Sports. “She messaged me and said, ‘Would you like to meet up and record some collaborations together?’ and of course I said yes,” Mia recalled.
Their version of “Shipping Up to Boston” was a viral smash, and they soon hit the road for a run named after the Dropkick Murphys song, their first release as a duo.
“We like to say it sold out our first tour — that’s how a lot of people found out about us, and the first time we realized how many people love us,” Mia said. An accompanying video, shot across the city at Fenway Park, City Hall and other landmarks, was “essentially a love letter to Boston.”
The current tour, which stops in Derry on Jan. 6 and includes shows in Boston and Vermont, comes in the wake of their debut, Mia x Ally: The Viral Hits. The EP includes their distinctive reimagining of the Lynyrd Skynyrd hit that’s arguably the most requested song in rock history. Both released it solo before recording it together.
“We realized there was actually an appreciation for hearing ‘Free Bird’ in that way,” Ally said. “We knew that we wanted to make it something bigger.”
Playing live, the duo is about more than classic rock covers, even playing some original songs. “Our shows have every kind of music from pop, rock and Celtic,” Mia said. “We have jazzy moments; I play a classical piece at one poin t… we throw everything in there. It’s to showcase our diversity. Music is the most important thing to us; it’s not just about the showmanship, but that’s also important. We have a lot of musical integrity.”
A scaredy duck overcomes his fears of the unknown to take his family on an adventure in Migration, a totally acceptable, completely fine 97 minutes of kid-friendly entertainment.
Mack (voice of Kumail Nanjiani) tells his ducklings Dax (voice of Casper Jennings) and Gwen (voice of Tresi Gazal) cautionary bedtime tales about little ducks who venture out on their own only to be killed horribly by assorted predators. Mom Pam (voice of Elizabeth Banks) doesn’t appreciate these nightmare-inducers and she wishes Mack could just cool it with the constant anxiety. When a flock of migrating ducks visits the family pond, Pam is enchanted by tales of the glowing waters of Jamaica and Dax is enchanted by the girl duck in the flock who’s about his age. The family tells Mack it wants to migrate but Mack is dead set against it — until the agreement of an even more homebodied Uncle Dan (voice of Danny DeVito) has Mack rethinking his determination to never leave the pond.
Thus the next morning the whole family, including Uncle Dan, sets out on their trip to Jamaica — though, this being their first migration, they get a little lost and wind up flying into first a storm and then New York City.
In New York the family befriends a pigeon named Chump (voice of Awkwafina) and a tropical bird who is himself from Jamaica named Delroy (voice of Keegan-Michael Key). There is also a side trip to a somewhat too perfect duck paradise and the occasional menacing by a chef who is really dedicated to fresh duck a l’orange.
There are some slow moments but there are also pratfalls, bird goofiness and at least one poo joke. This wasn’t a laugh riot for my kids like the recent Leo but nor was the audience loudly fidgeting as during parts of Wish. The animation, without being particularly revolutionary, is very good and the flight of the birds and the brilliance of their feathers is very eye-catching. The message, such as it is, hits some very general ideas about trying new things and not getting stuck in fear but we don’t get traumatic backstories or disturbing psychology. It’s all very, well, fine. B-
Rated PG for action/peril and mild rude humor, according to the MPA on filmratings.com. Directed by Benjamin Renner and Guylo Homsy with a screenplay by Mike White (yes, that one), Migration is an hour and 37 minutes long and distributed in theaters by Universal Pictures.
Maestro (R)
Bradley Cooper presents his Leonard Bernstein for your consideration in Maestro, a biopic focused on Bernstein’s relationship with his wife Felicia.
The movie bookends itself with an elderly Bernstein (Cooper) giving a television interview — with the movie starting with him playing the piano and talking about seeing the ghost of Felicia (Carey Mulligan) and ending with him saying “any questions?” and I was exhausted before we even jumped to the black and white 1940s flashback.
There we see Lenny, as he’s mostly called, meet Felicia at a party that seems to be filled with theater and literary luminaries as well as friends and family, such as Lenny’s sister Shirley (Sarah Silverman). The movie gives Lenny and Felicia’s relationship the feel of a whirlwind romance (even though Wikipedia and other sources suggest a more “it’s complicated” state of things for some four or five years before getting married); Felicia ultimately seems to propose marriage with a charming “let’s give it a whirl.” The gist seems to be that they are genuinely deeply in love and that Felicia is well aware that Lenny has had relationships with men and will likely want to continue having relationships with men into their marriage.
They live a very chic life, with a lovely mid-century modern apartment in the city and preppy country house in Connecticut and it’s all very fashionable with cigarettes and erudite conversation about art. Over time, though, Felicia, who takes care of the couple’s three children and tries to balance her own career with family and Lenny’s fame, starts to feel pushed aside by and resentful of Lenny’s affairs (and of his fame? The movie doesn’t address Felicia’s relationship with Lenny’s career as much as it feels like it should) leading to relationship turmoil that never seems quite resolved, but then she gets cancer and Lenny stays by her side until the end.
I don’t have a lot of firsthand experience with Leonard Bernstein but I do get the sense that Cooper is doing a very good Bernstein. There’s a voice, mannerisms, facial expressions, the mid-Atlantic whatever — it all has the feel of something exquisitely crafted. But all that production design of Cooper’s Bernstein really gets in the way of a view of Lenny as a person with an interior life who has this deep connection to music and at least one serious romance that he feels compelled to give up because even in his relatively more accepting world of the arts, he just couldn’t love who he wanted and still reach the heights in his career he wanted to reach. I found myself marveling at Cooper’s whole Bernstein creation without feeling much of a connection to the actual person.
In some ways we are seeing Lenny as Felicia saw him, but we also aren’t really getting much interiority of Felicia either. This movie feels oddly all on the surface — I feel like most of Lenny’s personality is delivered via recreations of interviews and Felicia has a few scenes where she sort of monologues her personality, like “here are all my current emotions.” The result is that, while these two people and their relationship are relatively interesting, I didn’t really feel like I was getting to know either of them.
Dream Scenario (R)
Nicolas Cage is the man of many people’s dreams in Dream Scenario, a fun little horror movie about going viral.
Paul Matthews (Cage) is at one point described as a “nobody man,” which feels accurate. A college animal-biology professor with a wife, Janet (Juliet Nicholson), and two daughters, Hannah (Jessica Clement) and Greta (Star Slade), Paul nevertheless has an aura of disappointment and neediness about him. He meets up with someone he knew years ago to confront her about using his research in her upcoming paper and the conversation quickly devolves into him basically begging to be credited. When his daughter dreams of him, he stands by passively as she is sucked into the sky; later he tries to convince her of his real-life (very minor) heroism years earlier.
It turns out a passive Paul has been getting around. An old girlfriend runs into Paul and Janet and tells Paul that she has also had dreams about him, where he is just sort of walking through a scene. Later he overhears two students talking about his appearance in their dreams. An acquaintance tells him about a conversation he had where two women realize they’d been seeing Paul walk through their dreams. When the ex-girlfriend publishes a piece about her Paul dreams, he receives messages from countless other people who say he has also appeared in their dreams. At an ordinary lecture, he suddenly faces a packed auditorium with college students eager to ask him questions, tell him their dreams and later take selfies with him. He does an interview with a TV news show; he is told by a marketing firm that there may be an opportunity for him to do a sponsorship with Sprite. Yes, a man also shows up at his house and tries to kill him, but overall Paul seems to be enjoying his weird fame as a sort of quirky cameo in people’s dreams.
Then something happens. Does it have to do with his groupie-like encounter with a young woman from the marketing firm? Or is it just the inevitable arc of this kind of random fame? Whatever happens, the Paul in people’s dreams goes from benign to violent and Paul the real person finds himself receiving the vitriol earned by his dream doppelganger.
So maybe Sprite is out but how would he feel about going on Tucker Carlson to talk about cancel culture?
The movie touches on issues of social media and the commodification of everything, even infamy, but I feel like it’s the performances, specifically Cage’s, that really makes it work. Cage is great as the always slightly sad, figuratively sweaty Paul. You almost feel sympathy for him but Paul’s response to everything, from being briefly “cool” to suddenly being shunned, is just the right mix of entitlement, desperation and helplessness. It’s a performance that manages to be unflattering and somewhat mean to Paul but also give us glimpses of relatable humanity. The movie is also packed with very good smaller parts: Tim Meadows as a college dean, Dylan Baker as the friend whose dinner parties Paul deeply wants to attend but is never invited to, Michael Cera as the wonderfully insincere marketing guy. B
Rated R for language, violence and some sexual content, according to the MPA on filmratings.com. Written and directed by Kristoffer Borgli, Dream Scenario is an hour and 42 minutes long and is distributed by A24 and available for rent or purchase.
American Symphony (PG-13)
Jon Batiste holds an armful of Grammys and later visits his wife in the cancer ward in the heartbreaking and lovely documentary American Symphony.
Suleika Jaouad has a book on the New York Times bestseller list at the same time her health is failing, Jon Batiste explains. She had leukemia about a decade ago, the subject of her memoir Between Two Kingdoms, and in 2021 she learns she’s had a recurrence. Batiste wins Grammys, works on a symphony he will play at Carnegie Hall and spends his days in hospitals as his wife attempts to regain her health after chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant. The whiplash of these different worlds is acute but Batiste hangs on, sometimes curling up in bed and talking through the suck of his situation to his therapist but then getting up and going to work. He also balances what must be the weirdness of the photoshoots and the fashion and the talking to Anna Wintour of it all with the work of pulling together a symphony that draws from a wide swath of American musical traditions. We see snippets of the finished work here, enough to make the performance seem deeply cool and I spent a good amount of time looking for that PBS American Masters-like presentation of it (couldn’t find it, yet).
For those who just enjoy watching someone make something, this documentary is thoroughly engrossing. Batiste clearly has ideas about what he wants but also gives his symphony space to develop as the many musicians dip into it. It’s fascinating to watch the process. Equally engrossing is Jon and Suleika’s relationship. They both have their work but Suleika’s is sort of pushed out of reach by the effects of her medications and she has to find other outlets (she turns to painting, and just the idea that she has to find some way to create while medicine sort of happens to her is interesting to contemplate). In the middle of these new troubles this longtime couple decides to get married, and the movie gives you a window into what that means for them, with all the difficulties and optimism.
American Symphony manages to be honest but hopeful, occasionally sad but not maudlin. And it’s a great little window into an artist I think I only really knew on a surface level. A
Rated PG-13 for some strong language, according to the MPA on filmlistings.com. Directed by Matthew Heineman, American Symphony is an hour and 44 minutes long and distributed by Netflix, where it is streaming.
Gourmet takeout market and culinary school opens in Nashua
On Wednesday, Dec. 20, Hollis resident Karen Calabro opened the doors to Live Free and Dine, a gourmet takeout market in Nashua offering meals made with locally sourced ingredients and cooking classes for all ages.
Calabro knows first-hand how transformative healthy eating can be, having started her own journey to a healthier lifestyle 15 years ago by making healthier food choices and creating meals from scratch, resulting in a 152-pound weight loss. As a professional chef, she aims to bring healthy options to those in her community.
“During Covid I was watching how restaurant after restaurant was going under, how quality was going down … [due to] the product shortages and the fact that there’s less and less variety now to some extent ….’’ she said. “I make things from scratch and I live very close to the earth and I wanted to make [that] kind of food for other people as well. … I just felt like somebody who has a background in culinary as long as me who has so many friends who are just fabulous, fabulous chefs and all these really great farms around me, I thought, ‘Gosh, this is really a no-brainer for me.”
Working with local farms and stores, Calabro offers ever-changing seasonal breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert menus with vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free options that can be ordered a la carte in store or online for pickup. Items include Italian sausage, Korean candy pork belly, blueberry poppyseed pancakes, valhalla rose turkey, ginger molasses cookies, tiramisu, fruits of the forest pie and more.
Calabro’s professional journey in the food industry started when she was 13 years old, but her cooking experience dates back before that when she would help her mother cook in the kitchen for parties she would host.
“I [remember] as a child being the one in the kitchen doing the food and production with her by her side. … We would host parties for upward of 80 to 100 people. This was just the two of us and this is as a young child I learned knife skills.”
Knife skills are among the things Calabro will teach in her classes, beginning with rudimentary skills and tricks of the trade.
“I almost feel like people want to learn to cook a different dish and meal and everything, and that sounds romantic, but really it would be better for you to learn basic skills and [for me to show] you how to do those things and then [you can take] those skills back to the kitchen ,” she said. “It’s a professional culinary education, and you’re going to be working in a commercial kitchen that has commercial equipment.”
With safety in mind, classes for young children won’t have them working with anything hot or sharp, but will instead teach them how to measure, mix and combine ingredients while introducing them to the idea of making their own food.
With decades of experience, even working her way up to sous chef at the Torrey Pines Sheraton Grand in San Diego, Calabro says the creating Live Free and Dine has been a learning curve.
“The problem has been nobody has ever done this before, so we’re kind of trying to figure out how we can service people in the best way we can and what kind of food we can produce,” she said.
Live Free and Dine Where: 650 Amherst St., Suite 6, Nashua Hours: Wednesday through Friday, noon to 7 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
