Eclectic Edge Ensemble

Thank you to everyone who came out to the Ritz this weekend and helped to make Snowbound! such a wonderful success!  We appreciate your support and enthusiasm and can't wait to see you again at our next performance in July, Send In the Jazz.  Until then, may the magic of winter help you through the icy storm and see you through to another beautiful spring!

We all have are little quirks about us; it’s what makes us unique. Well my little quirk is that I tend to be a little superstitious, but only when it comes to performing. You see, it has always been my superstition that if any of my family members come to the opening show I will forget the dance and freeze on stage! Seriously, freeze... like not moving, standing there with my jaw down, and just staring straight into the audience with a dumbfounded look that screams HELP ME! Okay, so I know that seems extremely over-dramatic and it probably will never happen, but who knows? If I say it will never happen, it will.

..Oh no, I think I need to knock on wood... Anyway, in light of Snowbound's opening night being over and the show going beautifully, I am dedicating this blog to some funny, yet outrageous superstitions in not only the theatre, but in sports and life as well. Please enjoy and have a good laugh.

1. To start, never wish someone good luck, or break a leg. It has been a theatre superstition for years.

2. In baseball, it’s bad luck to step on the chalk lines when coming on to or leaving the field.

3. Musicians say it is bad luck to practice the day before or the day of a show.

4. Many hotels find it to be bad luck to have a floor 13. Most will skip the floor, and they often don’t have an elevator button to the 13th floor.

5. Some people say it is bad luck to step on the sidewalk crack or you’ll break your mother’s back--I just had to add that one.

6. Peacock feathers on stage or in parts of the theatre are to be feared.

7. Perfect rehearsals are said to be omens of ill fortune or a short run

8. A dog eating grass brings rain

9. It is said to be unlucky to sit cross-legged when playing cards.

10. It is said that a light should always be left on in an empty theatre to ward off ghosts.

11. It is bad luck to whistle in or near a dressing room.

12. It is said good luck to make a circle with the cast of a show before any performance.

13. It is bad luck to end a blog on the 13th bullet point. Ha ha, just kidding. I couldn’t resist.

-Megan

Hot off the Press....Literally!

Eclectic Edge Ensemble will be selling our new fantastic EEE T-Shirts in the lobby of the Ritz during our run of Snowbound! Feb 17-20th. We have two fun designs and they can be your's now! Only $15!

I always find it difficult to come up with good ways to eat fruit in the winter, but here is a recipe that combines great winter fruits into one tasty salad!

Winter Fruit Salad

Prep Time: 30 min

Level: Easy

Serves: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1-inch piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped out
• 1 lemon
• 5 large navel or blood oranges
• 2 mangoes, peeled and diced
• 2 firm bananas, peeled and diced
• 5 kiwis, peeled and diced
• 12 kumquats, very thinly sliced crosswise, seeds removed
• 1 cup pomegranate seeds (from 1 pomegranate)

Directions

Combine the sugar, 2 cups water, the ginger and vanilla seeds and pod in a saucepan. Use a vegetable peeler to remove wide strips of zest from the lemon and 1 orange, add to the saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer 5 minutes. Refrigerate until cold.

Meanwhile, peel the remaining oranges with a paring knife, cutting along the natural curve of the fruit. Hold an orange over a large bowl and cut along both sides of each membrane to free the segments, letting them fall into the bowl. Squeeze each empty membrane to release the juices. Repeat with the remaining oranges. Add the mangoes, bananas, kiwis, kumquats and pomegranate seeds and gently toss. Pour the syrup over the fruit and chill overnight.

Before serving, remove the citrus zest, ginger and vanilla pod. Spoon the fruit and syrup into bowls.

To remove pomegranate seeds, cut the fruit into quarters, then break apart in a bowl of water. Skim off the pith that floats to the top and drain the seeds.

Recipe courtesy Food Network Magazine

Photograph by Con Poulos   

-Heather