May 2, 2022 | By The Active Age
Early on in the pandemic, three veteran Wichita musicians decided there was no need to sit home playing tunes alone. “We just decided we could probably socially distance in Doug’s spacious basement,” Dan Monnat said of Doug Webb’s home. Phil Snow rounds out the trio – called, appropriately, the House Band – which will have […]
| By Ted Blankenship
Because my wife is recovering from a medical problem, and I’m not seeing as well as I once did, neither of us drives. So our car stays in the garage while we bum rides to the grocery store from our “kids” (who are all in their 60s). That leaves us with a lot of time […]
| By Ted Ayers
“The Old Philosopher” by Bob Walterscheid (Walterscheid Productions, 2021, 55 pages, $12.00). Available at Watermark Books and theoldphilosopher.com. Bob Walterscheid enjoyed a career in sales and advertising in Wichita that spanned over 50 years. During that time, he made the first TV commercial for Pizza Hut, training films, infomercials and a full-length feature motion picture. He was […]
| By Nancy Wheeler
The answers to all of these questions contain the word “May” in some form. The answers appear below. 1. What was the common name for the Agreement Between the Settlers of New Plymouth that was the first document, written in 1620, to govern the settlers of the Plymouth colony? 2. What term is used as […]
| By Diana Morton
Crown Uptown Theatre, 3207 E. Douglas. Rent. Set in the East Village of New York City, Rent won the Tony Award for Best Musical and the Pulitzer Prize for drama with songs and a story that resonate with audiences of all ages. 8 pm Fri, Sat; 2 pm Sun, April 29-May 22. Tickets, dinner & […]
November 1, 2021 | By The Active Age
When the Heartland Jazz Band played back-to-back shows in Wichita last month, one member flew in from Florida and another did the same from Texas to take part. Considering that members don’t get paid, that’s a pretty good indication of how much they love the music. “This group likes to play fun music,” said Dennis […]
September 30, 2021 | By Ted Blankenship
I don’t know who said it first, but the painter Andy Warhol usually gets credit for the phrase “15 minutes of fame.” I remember thinking mine had arrived in 1945 (long before Warhol became famous, incidentally). I was a senior at Eureka High School and a trumpet player in the marching band and orchestra. I […]
| By Diana Morton
Crown Uptown Theatre, 3702 E. Douglas Ave. Next to Normal. Winner of the 2010 Pulitzer Prize in Drama and 3 Tony Awards, this contemporary and defiant pop/rock musical follows the story of a housewife with bipolar disorder. 8 pm Fri-Sat, 2 pm Sun, now-Oct 3. Tickets $20-30; seniors $18-28; students $10. 316-612-7696 The Rocky Horror […]
| By Nancy Wheeler
Many broadcasters and celebrities develop catchphrases to conclude their programs. See if you can match the phrase to the person who closed with it. The answers appear below. “And so it goes.” “And that’s the way it is.” “Courage.” “Go home.” “Good night, and good luck.” “Good night, and may God bless.” “Good night, Mrs. […]
August 31, 2021 | By Bob Rives
By Bob Rives When Major League Baseball staged a game in the Iowa cornfield where “Field of Dreams” was filmed, it became one of the most-talked-about regular season contests in decades. Something similar plays out in Wichita when the city’s two vintage baseball teams square off at Old Cowtown Museum. Baseball is now rivaled in […]
July 14, 2021 | By The Active Age
Kansans can take their grandchildren to many attractions for free this summer thanks to a program called Sunflower Summer. Participating attractions include the Cosmosphere, Botanica, Exploration Place, Eisenhower Presidential Museum, Boot Hill Museum and dozens of other museums, state parks, historical sites, theaters and more. The program, sponsored by the Kansas Department of Education, provides […]
July 1, 2021 | By Joe Stumpe
“Laughing at Myself: My Education in Congress, on the Farm, and at the Movies” by Dan Glickman (University of Kansas Press, $34.95) Dan Glickman believes the lack of humor in the current political environment is no laughing matter. “I do think there’s a toxic partisanship — an excessively partisan atmosphere in politics […]
| By Joe Stumpe
Here’s a two-pronged headscratcher: Why do Kansans have a hard time spelling “multiplication,” and why are we trying to in the first place? Researchers affiliated with AT&T looked into what words residents across the United States have been asking Google for help spelling. (No, they’re not spying on your laptop or phone. A website called […]
| By Nancy Wheeler
Imagine you are plopped down in an unfamiliar Kansas town and shown only one or two of its features. Can you identify it? Use the clues below to identify 13 different towns across the state. The answers appear on page 17. 1. You pass the Holly Frontier Oil Refinery on your way to the Coutts […]
| By Diana Morton
Forum Theatre at the Wilke Center, 1st United Methodist Church, 330 N. Broadway. Sh-Boom! Life Could be a Dream. A doo wop trip down memory lane, written and created by Roger Bean. At Springfield High, the Crooning Crabcakes prepare to enter the Big Whopper Radio contest. Trouble comes in the form of Lois who arrives […]
| By The Active Age
Derby library book sale The Friends of the Derby Public Library will host their annual book sale from 9 am – 4 pm on Saturday, July 24 and Sunday, July 25 from 1-4 pm in the Community Room at the Derby Public Library located at 1600 E. Walnut, Derby, KS. Kansas oil painters exhibit opens […]
| By The Active Age
Daniel Fisher of Wichita is the winner of our drawing for a family membership to Botanica. His name was drawn from a pool of 52 supporters who donated $50 or more to The Active Age last month. We will hold five more monthly drawings from among our “Honor Roll” donors. The Active Age wishes to […]
June 1, 2021 | By Ted Blankenship
Kansas is the source of some of the best music to be heard anywhere and has been for some time. Wichita, for example is home to Chamber Music at the Barn, now in its 25th season at Bob Scott’s Prairie Pines venue on north Maize Road, and the Wichita Jazz Festival now nearing its 50th […]
| By Joe Stumpe
NORTH NEWTON — It’s not every day someone comes up with a new genre of art, but then Glen Ediger is an inventor. Among other things. Ediger thought up the genre — which he calls environmental exposure — a few years before retiring as director of design for Vornado Air. He noticed that a piece […]
April 29, 2021 | By Bob Rives
History and memories and records are the stuff of baseball. And so it seems appropriate to introduce Wichita’s new Riverfront Stadium with a bit of each. In April 1914, Chicago’s iconic Wrigley Field opened with a former Shocker pitching for the home team. He was Claude Hendrix, who had pitched for Fairmount College — precursor […]
| By Joe Stumpe
When Bobby Thompson thinks back to his parents’ restaurant in Junction City, he remembers more than just filling the ice machine or standing on a chair to reach the cash register. “Ninth Street was notorious,” Thompson said of the street his parents’ café, the Thompson Inn, was located on. In 1999, a film called “Ninth […]
| By The Active Age
Helen Thomas is the winner of a $25 gift certificate donated by The Spice Merchant as the contributor of this month’s Recipe for You or Two. Thomas is a member of the “Aldi Nerds” group on Facebook, whose members frequently post recipes made with Aldi ingredients. “That’s where I found this,” she said. “I like […]
| By The Active Age
More people than ever are enjoying the hobby of photography thanks to smart phones. The Active Age is holding a photo contest with just one stipulation: the photo must have been taken outdoors using either a smart phone or traditional camera. Winners of the contest will receive gift certificates for $25 (first place), $15 (second) […]
March 31, 2021 | By Joe Stumpe
I know these days won’t last forever/So while we’re here let’s endeavor/To laugh more than we cry/To live more than we die “We Are One,” Kevin Herrington For years, Kevin Herrington worried that his best music was behind him. Not anymore. Herrington, a member of several successful Wichita bands in the 1970s […]
March 1, 2021 | By Bonnie Bing
About now you’re wondering why last September you changed out spring and summer clothes to fall and winter. We haven’t gone many places. Not many people are seeing us and if they are, it’s from the waist up on FaceTime or Zoom. That doesn’t mean, however, there aren’t good times ahead and there is a […]