More entertaining than a movie for about the same price

This weekend Aaron and I had the pleasure of attending a show at the Topeka Civic Theatre.  Neither of us had been there before (shame on us).  Topeka Civic Theatre was founded in 1936 and is the oldest continuously running community dinner theatre in the country. In July of 1999, it moved to its current location on 8th street inside the former Gage Elementary School.

We went to the show called Laughing Matters.  This show is a “fast-paced improvisational comedy” that reminded me of the TV show Whose Line Is It Anyway starring Drew Carey.  The host of the show leads the sketches (sometimes participating).  The audience assigns roles to some of the actors which results in a very hilarious show.  From the Newlywed Game, where the audience assigned roles to the men and the women had to guess what roles their “spouse” was playing to the game Hitchhiker, where the audience assigned roles to 5 actors and the driver had to guess what role their “hitchhiker” was playing, the troupe keeps the audiences attention and keeps them laughing.  My favorite was the game of gibberish telephone that was played.  The audience had to assign a situation (similar to the game of Clue): who was killed, where they were killed, and how they were killed.  Only 1 actor was aware of what the audience had assigned.  He had to communicate it to the next actor in 1 minute with charades and gibberish.  The 2nd actor had to communicate what the first actor communicated to him/her to the next actor in 45 seconds.  The 3rd actor communicates it to the 4th actor in 30 seconds, and the 4th actor communicates to the 5th actor in 15 seconds.  At the end of it, the message was very messed up and the results had the audience laughing.  I laughed throughout the entire show and hadn’t laughed this hard since watching the movie, The Hangover.

The show lasts approximately two hours.  The cost of each ticket is $10 (movies are around $9) and then you pay for your drinks, dessert, and tip.  It was a very entertaining evening and we will definitely be returning.

Kanza Bowl

So often I hear, as I stroll about Topeka, that there is nothing to do in this city.  I am disappointed when I hear this, because there are so many organizations working very hard to bring events and activities to Topeka.  The hard work of one of these organizations has paid off in 2009. 

On December 5, 2009 Topeka, KS will host a bowl game.  It is a Division 2 bowl game, but a bowl game nonetheless.  At 1pm, the first annual Kanza Bowl kicks off with Nebraska at Omaha playing West Texas A&M University at Hummer Sports Park, 501 Sports Park Drive, Topeka, KS. 

Not only do visitors and locals get to watch a great football game on Saturday afternoon, but they can also purchase tickets to attend a banquet on Friday December 4 at the Ramada Inn in downtown Topeka.  Read the rest of this entry »

Weekend Spotlight: The Arty Party

Are you looking for something to do this weekend?  Why not support the arts?  Arts Connect is hosting The Arty Party on Saturday, October 17, 2009 from 7pm to 11pm at College Hill Apartments, 1425 SW Lane.  For as little as $35 you can enjoy cocktails, desserts, art and live music.  What more could you want?  If you have some time please check this out.  Say hi to Travis, Ryan, Alissa, and Brandon while you are there.

Local Attractions: Topeka Zoo

Topeka is fortunate to have a local attraction such as the Topeka Zoo.  This past weekend, I was reacquainted with it after at least 15 years.  My company had a picnic at the zoo, and Aaron and I were able to take in the zoo for 3 hours on Saturday.

I have been to three other zoo’s in my lifetime: Kansas City, St. Louis, and San Diego.  For the price of admission at  the Topeka Zoo (while much smaller) it is a very attractive and a great value.  Read the rest of this entry »

Thank You Kansas Festival

This past weekend there was a festival in the parking lots of Discovery Furniture and RoomMakers (just off Huntoon and Wanamaker) called Thank You Kansas.  It was Thursday and Friday evening (4/9/09 and 4/10/09) and all day Saturday (4/11/09).  The festival had two purposes: (1) Connect those who are willing to lend a helping hand to those that need a helping hand… whether you are an individual, group, business, or charity. (2) To Provide an opportunity for Kansans to say “Thank You Kansas!” in their own way.  No idea or contribution is too small or grand. Read the rest of this entry »

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