Archive for March, 2010

Phillip Seymour Hoffman is Coming to Orlando

March 7, 2010

Phillip Seymour Hoffman

One of my all time favorite, Academy Award winning actors is coming to Orlando on April 10, 2010 at 7:30pm.  Phillip Seymour Hoffman will have an “Inside the Actor’s Studio” type interview with Artistic Director Jim Helsinger at the Orlando Shakespeare Theater in Partnership with UCF.

Tickets for this event are $50, $75 or $100 and according to my friends at Orlando Shakes, half of them are already sold.  For more information or to order tickets call 407.447.1700 or click on this link.

Phillip became well known for his early films such as “Scent of a Woman” and “Twister” then gained international acclaim and an Oscar for his portrayal of Truman Capote in “Capote.” 

Not many people are aware of his theatre work or his work in new play development as a member of the Board of Directors for LAByrinth Theatre Company in New York.

The Orlando Shakes is located in the Loch Haven Cultural Park complex in downtown, Orlando, just a half mile east of I-4 off the Princeton Street Exit

Orlando Shakespeare Theater in Partnership with UCF, 812 E. Rollins Street, Orlando, FL  32803
www.OrlandoShakes.org

Turn the Tables on ‘Em

March 4, 2010

Confused Disney Photographer had the Tables Turned on Him

 There’s never a dull moment with the LanceAround family.    

"You Want What???"

Take last weekend. Number One Daughter invited three of her friends to join the LanceAround family on an exploratory adventure to see if there was anything new or exciting at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. After entering the theme park, our group was soon accosted by one of the plethora of Disney photographers wanting to take our picture.    

So we decided to turn the tables on ’em.    

He's Thinking, "Yes, I am Used to Being Photographed"

 I pulled out my digital camera, asked the photographer to say cheese and snapped a photo. He was a little surprised.    

Then I thought about how many photos they take at Disney every day and how much they charge for these photos. Seems to me that Disney makes a lot of money with this gig.    

I decided I wanted a piece of that action.    

"Well This is Different"

 So I offered to sell my photo to the photographer for only $20. Realizing that guests at Disney have to go to a photo booth to pick up their photos, I told the photographer that he could pay me now and swing by my home after work to pick up the photo.    

hmmm, that seemed to give him pause.    

Well, after doing this once or twice Number One Daughter and her friends decided that they wanted to get in on the action. The next time we encountered a photographer, we all gathered together to pretend that we were getting ready to pose for a photo. Then, I loudly stated the agreed upon cue words, “Okay, everyone, let’s pose.” As soon as I said that, all four teenage girls leapt to the side of the photographer and shoved close to pose for a photo. I whipped out my digital camera and said, “Everybody say Mickey Mouse Loves Cheese!” and then snapped a photo.    

"Heeyyy, That's My Job!"

At this point, all four of the girls surrounded the photographer while I held my hand out and asked him for $20 for the photo that he could pick up at my house after work. The four teenagers and I stood there expectantly until the photographer responded.    

During the day, we would take photos of all the photographers we encountered in Animal Kingdom.  Here are some of our favorite responses we got from the different photographers…    

When asked to pay $20 for the photo, one photographer responded:    

“I’m a professional model, so it would be the other way around.”    

Some Photographers Really Got Into It

Another said:    

“Oh, I’m the person behind the camera…so…no!”    

One hispanic lady seemed to be a little confused and disoriented as she attempted to sort out exactly what was happening. She said the following in a very cute, hispanic accent:    

“This is part of a TV show???…This is a joke???…You crazy!…I like you already…I see you later.”    

This Guy Didn't Have a Camera

 When asked to pay for a photo, one photographer stated, “Mickey doesn’t let me.” Another one simply said, “NO!”    

But our favorite response came from a Disney Cast Member who begged us to not give away their identity. Their response:    

“Sorry, Disney does not pay me enough to allow me to buy the picture!”    

And we won’t reveal whether or not we posted their photo on this blog!

Ye Olde English Tearoom

March 2, 2010

Grammy LanceAround and Number One Daughter Enjoy Their Tea

I thought our reviews of tearooms had come to an end.  But when Grammy LanceAround came for a visit, we decided to treat her to Ye Olde English Tearoom located just an hour north of Disney on Lake Mary Blvd. just a half mile east of the I-4 exit.

Although not perfect, the LanceAround Family consensus was a solid “thumbs up.” www.Teamap.com currently ranks it #8 in the state of Florida.

The best part of the tearoom is the food.  Number One Son remarked that if the soup they served was priced at $100 a bowl, it would still be worth the cost–it was that good!  He especially loved the butternut squash.  I tried the cream of mushroom and found it to be delicious and loaded with chunks of mushroom.  Yummm!

When I asked Neil O’Halloran–the polite, soft-spoken owner of the tearoom–what I should say about it in my blog, he was quick to mention the quality of the food.  He revealed to me the fresh ingredients for his homemade scones and showed the small oven where he bakes the small, round scones in fresh batches every few minutes.  Despite serving whipped cream instead of Devonshire or clotted cream, the scones were so moist and delicious we managed to enjoy them with only strawberry jam!

Neil Provides His Own Artwork

Neil also referenced the Dickisonian paintings on the wall of the tearoom and revealed that the signature NOH were his initials. “You’re an artist!” I exclaimed. “Well, I wouldn’t call myself that,” he replied with modesty.

I thought the paintings were a nice complement to the beautiful lace tablecloths and delicate tea sets.  The atmosphere was pleasant, although the original design of the entire shop provided seating in only about 40% of the room leaving 60% for the kitchen and serving area.  This unfortunate design made for a cramped, slightly uncomfortable seating area when filled to capacity.

Our family felt that the number of available teas was limited, but the Earl Grey we tried was wonderful.  Number One Daughter summed it up by saying, “the tea selection was small, but what they had was choice.  It was quality not quantity.”  The sandwiches were fresh made, the fruit and vegetables with ranch dip were tasty and the various cakes and pastries were delectable.  As mentioned, the scones were out of this world.

Since it is only open three or four days a week for just a few hours a day, and since they often close for parties or large groups, you definitely want to call ahead.  On busy weekends, reservations are recommended.

A worthwhile addition to the family of tearooms in the Central Florida area just waiting to be discovered by the lucky readers of my blog!

Ye Olde English Tearoom
3801 W. Lake Mary Blvd
Lake Mary, FL 32746
407.323.0670
Website was not working at the time of this review, but it is:
www.YeOldeEnglishTearoom.com