Shanghaied in Astoria

We saw a very funny musical last night in nearby Astoria.  It is called "Shanghaied in Astoria" and features a young (and not so young) cast with a lot of exuberance.  The premise is that a young man (a very sweet and innocent young man) is kidnapped to a local ship in Astoria harbor.  Apparently this actually happened in the days of the sailing ships.  There is an appropriate villain and he is pure evil.
We have heard stories about Fells Point in Baltimore, Maryland where the sailors were kidnapped off the streets (due to their drunken stupor) and were forced to work on various sailing vessels. Apparently, it wasn't very unusual.

The host of the show is a character and they serve lots and lots of popcorn including throwing a lot of it on the stage.  This is the 32nd anniversary of "Shanghaied in Astoria" and who knows how many years it will continue to run?  It was written by T.E. Phillips and "the entire production is performed and created by the Histrionic Citizens of the Lower Columbia River Community."  The host claims it is the longest running show in America.  Not sure about that.  Between the 2nd and 3rd act, they have "Raffle Goddesses", Judith Niland and Ashley Mundel, who raffle off several gift baskets to help support the Astor Street Opry Company.

There's a ton of ads in the program which is part of the fun.  The sponsor is "Music First 94.9 FM  The Bridge".  Not sure what that means, it is sounds nice. Finally, the program note: "Shanghaied in Astoria is probably the only show of its kind in the U.S.  It is the living image of Astoria's cultural heritage (lots of references to the Scandinavians) and its colorful history presented in the theatrical styles of its time....  It has been awarded the decreed "Treasure of the State of Oregon by the Governor's office."

July 4th in Seaside and Gearhart

Seaside, Oregon takes great pride in their civic events.  Gearhart, the sister town immediately to the north, also takes pride in their activities.  That's why it is a big deal when Seaside throws a July 4th celebration.  The Seaside Police started the parade and the Boy Scouts shortly followed.  Then came a bevy of beauties ranging from Miss Clatsop County to Miss Oregon.  They were all there.

There were marching bands and floats of all description.  There was even a character that looked like Sasquatch riding a tricycle.  Some of the more interesting groups were a group of young unicyclists including a couple of young (I mean really young) ladies who were sitting atop some very tall unicycles.  Their fathers helped them to get up, but after that, they were on their own.

There was a theatrical group from Astoria (about 11 miles to the north) who were promoting their current production called "Shanghaied".  Looks like fun and we want to go to it.








Meantime, on the beach, thousands of people had gathered to play volleyball (eight courts!) and some had dragged their propane grills to do their cooking.  There was a separation from the family-friendly no-fireworks zone and the less restriction zone that allowed fireworks.


In the evening, we went to a park in Gearhart and discovered an astonishing amount of fireworks already going on.  These people know how to throw a party.  To the south, we also saw the Seaside fireworks underway.  Next year, we have resolved to go down to the beach to get the full experience.