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26 | March 21, 2019 | the mokena messenger life & arts mokenamessenger.com Mokena production of ‘Mary Poppins Jr.’ a spoonful of sugar Rochelle McAuliffe Freelance Reporter There’s a show that’s “practically perfect in every way.” All About Music Children’s Theater’s is preparing for its “supercallifragilisticexpialidocious” presentation of “Mary Poppins Jr.,” hitting the stage March 29-31 at the Lincoln-Way Central Fine Arts Center, located at 1801 Lincoln Highway in New Lenox. The “junior” in the title of the production indicates that the score is vocally friendly for younger voices; however, the show still features all the characters from the original version, just with some different twists and turns. Connie Johnson-Beebe has served as creative director at AAMCT for more than 20 years, and has directed more than 100 shows with the company. Throughout her years with the company, she said that one of her favorite things to witness with every production is the growth within each child throughout the production. “It’s amazing to watch the kids develop through the process,” Johnson- Beebe said. “They come in timid to the first rehearsal because they don’t really know their characters, but then we see them learn their role and who they should be onstage. It’s great to see how far they come beginning to end. They transform as actors.” Playing Robertson Ay, Ginny Frank of New Lenox is one of the many actors within the company VENDORS WANTED Join the LARGEST women's expo in the southwest suburbs! 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, April 27 Tinley Park Convention Center Deadline is April 10 (708) 326-9170 ext. 16 22ndcenturymedia.com/lady h.warthen@22ndcenturymedia.com who embraces the transformation into her role. At just 11 years old, Mary Poppins Jr. will be Frank’s 18th production within the company. “Ever since I was really little, I’ve really been into looking into another person’s world, and I’ve always really liked being onstage and singing,” Frank said. As an actor with a funny bone, Frank is naturally drawn to more comedic roles, and enjoys her character in Mary Poppins because “they’re really funny.” While past productions at AAMCT have featured large, choreographed dance numbers, this will be the first production incorporating tap dancing. For Jill Rechter, the choreographer at AAMCT since Elizabeth DeYoung (left), 14, of New Lenox, and Caroline Howey (right), 10, of Mokena, lead the other chimneysweeps in a dance number during a rehearsal for All About Music’s production of “Mary Poppins Jr.” Photos by Rochelle McAuliffe/22nd Century Media 2004, the addition of tap dancing was “an undertaking, but it’s turning out awesome.” “A lot of these kids aren’t dancers, so seeing them be able to learn all the steps and process it and putting it all together as a final product, it’s great,” Rechter said. “I can’t wait to see the looks on the kids’ faces at the end of the first show when they hear the applause.” “Many kids haven’t had dance experience, let alone tap, and it’s incredible to see them coming together and conquering this together,” Johnson-Beebe explained. Jillian Rice, an 18-yearold from Mokena, is a familiar face on the AAMCT stage. For the past 10 years, she’s been apart of numerous productions within the company, as well as at Chicago Christian High School, the Beverly Arts Center in Chicago and Curtain Call Theater in Mokena. After Stephanie White (center), 17, of Mokena, plays Burt alongside Edie Balester (right), 14, of New Lenox, who plays Mary Poppins. a long career with the children’s company, “Mary Poppins Jr.” marks her last show with AAMCT. “This is where it all started for me. It seems like I’ve been here for a million years,” said Rice. “It’s definitely sad, but I’m excited for what comes next, and I wouldn’t be where I am without All About Music.” Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. on March 29; 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. March 30; and 1 p.m. March 31. Advanced tickets are available at All About Music, located at 19108 Wolf Road in Mokena, for $14, or $15 at the door. For more information, call (708) 479-0440 or visit al laboutmusicmokena.com/ mary-poppins.
mokenamessenger.com dining out the mokena messenger | March 21, 2019 | 27 The Dish Kup A Joe Cafe prides itself on variety of breakfast, lunch selections Business puts its current emphasis on having healthy options Thomas Czaja Contributing Editor On most days, Jim Garofalo can be found sitting inside his business mingling with customers. The owner of Kup A Joe Cafe in Frankfort has been in the restaurant industry for more than 40 years, and since opening in 2012 the eatery has been his home away from home, as he continues to tweak the menu and give customers what they want. “I enjoy the people,” Garofalo said of his customers on a recent morning while sitting in a booth at Kup a Joe. “I’m always out here sitting with somebody, talking with somebody. You get to know the families, the kids, and get a lot of regulars.” To keep the existing patron base happy, as well as appeal to current trends, Garofalo will occasionally tweak the menu, as well as having an evolving menu of specials separate from the main one. To find new dishes, he will go online and do research. “We’ve put a lot more healthy items on the menu right now, which are really popular,” he said. “A lot of keto items — keto pancakes, keto ranchero Benedict, keto scramblers. We do a lot of gluten-free items, healthy-type breakfast items.” The aforementioned keto pancakes ($10.79) are made with gluten-free almond flour, fat-free cream cheese and eggs that are topped with one’s choice of fresh fruit, with options of either strawberries, blueberries or raspberries. “I think we have more variety of different food items than most breakfast places that just give breakfast and eggs,” Garofalo said. Another breakfast dish that Garofalo said is “super popular” is the bacon avocado scramble ($10.19), which is eggs scrambled with crisp bacon. It also includes fresh spinach, grilled onion, tomato, avocado and pepper Jack cheese. At Kup A Joe, whether talking about the egg specialities, omelettes, skillets, waffles, crepes or any of the lunch offerings, the owner said everything is prepped for that day, that they use fresh produce and that items are mostly all organic, including all salads. By May 1, the business is to unveil its summer salads. And, before long, the outdoor patio, a wellliked spot for customers, will reopen for the warmer months. “We just try to stay ahead of the times, look at what’s popular, and keep with the generation of people coming up and eating, just because it’s changing so much,” Garofalo said. “We just have to change the menu and follow that, as far as I’m concerned.” The business also used to do dinner but stopped several years ago, returning its focus to its and Garofalo’s roots of breakfast and lunch. Despite the change, a meatloaf dinner Kup A Joe Cafe 41 Old Frankfort Way in Frankfort Hours 7 a.m.-2 p.m. daily For more information Web: www. kupajoecafe.com Phone: (815) 464- 0909 ($10.99), which comes with sliced meatloaf with mashed potatoes and grilled vegetables, can still be had for lunchtime. Other signs of updates can be seen through Kup A Joe’s fare being available for purchase on DoorDash and Grubhub, as well as a special on Wednesdays with which anyone who comes in and spends $15 or more on their bill can take home a box of powdered sugar or glazed cinnamon sugar doughnut holes. While Kup A Joe is a dining spot first, both mimosas and Bloody Mary’s (each $6) are also big sellers, especially on the weekends. Given its namesake, coffee also is a beverage staple there, with Garofalo working with a company called Royal Cup Coffee to use one of their high-end blends, he said. “It’s good some good body to it; it’s not just watery,” he said of the java he sells. “Everyone compliments me on the coffee, so I guess it’s the right blend.” Though still some time away yet for 2019, a big event at Kup A Joe is the annual free turkey dinner held the week before Thanksgiving. Three onehour time slots are created The pearl sugar raspberry mini waffles ($10.99) at Kup A Joe Cafe in Frankfort are pearl sugar-infused waffles drizzled with sweet cream cheese, topped with fresh raspberries. Photos by Megan Schuller/22nd Century Media The chicken pot pie ($10.99) is full of chunks of chicken, in addition to peas, carrots and celery. for it, and reservations are taken. Diners eat for no charge and are simply asked to bring a donation for the local Frankfort Township Food Pantry. “[Guests] fill up the [donation] truck, come in eat for free and everybody is happy,” the owner said. Garofalo plans to continue to engage the community and stick with certain traditions while adjusting the regular and specials menus along the way. “I’ll be changing the menu as time goes on, using some different items, coming up with different ideas,” he said.
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