NICEVILLE — What's not to love about a spectacular stage musical in which only four of the 11 main characters make it to the final curtain?

Audiences have been flocking to "Les Misérables" since it burst onto the stage at a Parisian sports stadium in 1980. The spectacular production opening tonight at Northwest Florida State College is no less grand, no less stirring — and no less heartbreaking.

See the "Les Misérables" photo gallery here>>

The overnight Paris Uprising of 1832 doesn't register in American students' world history texts, but it inspired French author Victor Hugo. He spent the nights of the June 5-6 rebellion dodging bullets and wrote an epical novel centered on the event.

Book to stage

French composers Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg brought Hugo's story to the stage, and, last Christmas, to Hollywood. Their score has entered the pantheon of great stage musicals.

With beloved songs including "I Dreamed a Dream," "Master of the House," "A Heart Full of Love" and "Bring Him Home," the NWFSC production does each number full justice.

Much of that success is due to an exquisite cast of regional talent headed by Michael Dye, Niceville High School’s choral music director, as the tortured Jean Valjean.

Clint Mahle, the production's director, plays Jean’s nemesis, Police Inspector Javert, with delicious menace yet the inner struggle that comes when "just following orders" doesn't cut it anymore.

As Fantine, the noble single mother and victim of the worst hostile work environment ever portrayed on stage, Annie Melia performs a glorious "I Dreamed a Dream.”

Denis Milonas and Allison Everitt as "Master of the House" M. Thénardier and missus, provide delightful comedic relief in the often-dark tale of woe, as well as a significant plot link.

Doomed love triangle

Hannah Moore, Sivu Schlegel and Mallory Olds masterfully play the love triangle involving Cosette, Marius and Eponine, respectively, with rich, crisp vocals by each.

Schlegel stands out as the anguished sole survivor among his Republican classmates who led their neighborhood's ill-fated uprising against the Legitimists.

His performance of "Empty Chairs and Empty Tables," fraught with emotion and guilt, garnered more than a few moist eyes in the preview audience.

A young thespian I hope we see in many future productions is sixth-grader Nathan Burge, who perkily plays the eager street urchin Gavroche.

If I may level one criticism — and this is certainly not Nathan's fault — I must question the compulsion to make the French working classes speak with English Cockney accents. It was distracting to the extent I half-expected Nathan to start singing "Consider Yourself" from "Oliver!"

Impressive look

The production design is impressive. Mahlie's beautifully detailed, multi-level set — especially the Republicans' barricade — is used effectively.

Jennifer Boudette's nearly 200 original costumes provide period authenticity from peasant workers to aristocrats — and aristocrat wannabes.

Bob Whittaker's evocative light design punctuates each scene, spotlighting individuals at critical moments, washing the barricade in a blood-red glow, and finally, bathing the stage at last in a cheerful brilliance.

"Les Misérables" at Northwest Florida State College is certainly the best and best executed of the college's excellent summer musicals series I've seen.

Given its outstanding performances, sweeping score, beautiful design and grand spectacle, it's a must-see this summer.

Want to go?

WHAT: "Les Misérables," the Northwest Florida State College summer musical

WHEN: 7:30 p.m. July 17-20 and 25-27

WHERE: Mattie Kelly Performing Arts Center, Niceville

COST: $25 adult, $20 youth, and one free ticket for NWFSC students with valid ID.

ORDER TICKETS: 729-6000 or www.mattiekellyartscenter.org

Contact News Bulletin Arts & Entertainment Editor Brian Hughes at 850-682-6524 or brianh@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbBrian.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: REVIEW: Nothing miserable about 'Les Misérables' at NWFSC (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

CRESTVIEW — Segregated education produced the 1954 opening of Carver-Hill School, then a state-of-the art place of learning for black students.

Today, Carver-Hill Museum in Allen Park celebrates the spirit of community that the school engendered.

One Tuesday morning, Rae Roberson, a museum volunteer and member of the Carver-Hill Memorial and Historical Society, which operates the museum, showed a trio of visitors around the facility.

Rather than a Smithsonian in which artifacts are carefully curated, Carver- Hill Museum is a repository of Crestview pride.

As one visitor praised the collection and the museum for preserving it, Roberson said, “That’s what I tell you: we relay, relate and remember here.”

Carver-Hill School closed in 1969 when Okaloosa County integrated its schools. Many mementoes that migrated to the museum’s collection included a collection of 1960s school equipment.

“Welcome to the world of non-digital,” reads a sign near the devices.

Carver-Hill Panthers cheerleader megaphones mingle beside old filmstrip projectors and mimeograph machines. Diplomas and scrapbooks share shelf space with overhead projectors.

Typewriters, adding machines and Dictaphones are on display in the center of the room above bins of treasured documents and archives preserving the city’s black heritage.

Special artifacts The museum’s north side is devoted to local black residents’ service in the U.S. military. On another wall is a cracked and worn 1925 diploma from Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute. It was earned by Roberson’s uncle, Claiborne Payne “C.P.” Randolph.

He lived in campus housing down the hall from George Washington Carver, one of the school, museum and historical society’s namesakes.

“He was my uncle, he was my grandpa, he was everything to me,” Roberson said as she proudly gazed at the diploma. “You wouldn’t believe it, but he died in my arms.”

Some posters and photos that cover the walls hold special meaning for Roberson.

One shows the Carver- Hill Panthers band parading down Main Street on May 20, 1955. “That was the school’s first band,” Roberson said. “We walked downtown and we got all the attention. They opened up the street for us and we showed up and paraded.”

A collection of band uniforms, hall lockers and the school’s original bell remind Roberson of the lessons she and hundreds of other students learned in its classrooms.

The three R’s — reading,’riting and ’rithmetic — were just part of their education. There was also a P.

“I learned from Carver- Hill that you’ve got pride,” Roberson said.

Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes at 850-682-6524 or brianh@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbBrian.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Carver-Hill Museum celebrates Crestview’s black heritage

CRESTVIEW — With community, family and friends’ voting support, Dawn Onuffer will travel to Las Vegas in November to compete in Pillsbury’s Bake-Off competition.

Her Hot Pink Raspberry and Cream Cake earned enough votes on the Bake-Off website to be among the top 34 contenders in the “Simple Sweets and Starters” category.

Finalists have a chance to win a $1 million grand prize or second- or third-place prizes of $10,000 or $5,000, respectively. Each winner also can win GE products.

Onuffer expressed gratitude for those in the community and elsewhere who supported her entry.

“I’m super-excited,” the Crestview resident said. “I have never been west of the Mississippi River.” Her family plans to use the trip as a family vacation.

Onuffer, who has entered several baking contests in the last decade, participated in the Bake-Off four times before her Cappuccino Toppers earned her a semifinalist position in last year’s Orlando competition.It was a fun experience…I made a lot of friends,” she said.

Several contestants she met at last year’s competition will return for this year’s event.

“I don’t think it will be as nervewrecking as the first time,” she said. Onuffer’s dessert recipe was among 60 that judges selected for online voting.

“Simple Sweets and Starters” was among three categories in which contestants could submit their recipes. Other categories include “Amazing Doable Dinners” and “Quick Rise and Shine Breakfasts.”

Before leaving for the competition, Onuffer must create a video featuring how her dessert entry was created.

Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Matthew Brown at 850-682-6524 or matthewb@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbMatthew.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: For Crestview woman, bake-off qualification means Vegas trip

CRESTVIEW — Amiira Walker, 5, laughed as she eagerly splashed after a plastic bracelet her mom, Katie Wilson, tossed in Foxwood Country Club’s pool one recent afternoon.

“She loves the water,” Wilson said. “We’ve been here three hours, and she’s not ready to get out. She’s been going to the pool since she was a baby.”

Starting children swimming in their infancy is ideal, Crestview YMCA aquatics director Sarah Traver said.

“Getting your child in swimming lessons early on is the key,” she said. “We start ours at 6 months and get them used to the water.”

Swimming lessons are essential, especially in north Okaloosa County, where ponds, streams, rivers and lakes are prevalent, Traver said.

“The No. 1 thing for safety is to enroll in a swimming class,” she said.

SAFETY AROUND THE POOL

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission advises homeowners with pools to install a fence at least 4 feet high to prevent drowning.

“The best thing is to have a safety gate,” Traver said. “Not everybody does that, and it’s not required, but it’s a good safety precaution.”

Fences should have no foot or handholds, the commission stated. Gates should open away from the pool and be self-closing and latching.

Bars should be no farther than 4 inches apart, according to information provided by local Cox Pools representatives.

“Always swim with a partner,” Traver advises. “Never swim alone. Have a swimming buddy. That’s the No. 1 thing we always tell our kids.”

If another swimmer gets in trouble, don’t jump in to rescue them, she said.

“Never go in to save someone,” Traver said. “(Extend) something to them. No matter how well you think you can swim, a panicked person can pull you under. Throw, don’t go: That’s what we teach.” 

SWIMMING SAFELY

Crestview YMCA aquatics director Sarah Traver offers these swimming safety tips:

• Enroll children as early as 6 months old in swimming lessons

• Swim with a friend; never swim alone

• Have a responsible adult — preferably one trained in lifesaving — watch swimmers during a swimming party

• Read and follow pool or beach rules

• Never enter the water to help a swimmer in trouble; instead, throw or extend something — such as a stick, towel or oar — to the swimmer

Call 689-999, or visit 298 N. Wilson St. for information about swimming lessons at the Crestview YMCA.   

Contact News Bulletin Arts & Entertainment Editor Brian Hughes at 850-682-6524 or brianh@crestviewbulletin.com.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview YMCA: Swimming requires taking precautions

Teaching young people about money management is an important life skill.

The University of Florida/Okaloosa County Extension’s 4-H and Family and Consumer Sciences programs help youths between ages 12 and 18 learn how to earn, spend and save money.

At home, parents can teach their teens these skills: • How to write a check

• How to keep a check register • How to fill in a deposit slip

• Understanding the difference between a debit card and a credit card

• How to make a budget or spending plan

Although check use is waning, it is still valuable to know how to write a check if you ever need it.

It is important for youths to have a basic understanding of money management. Teaching these concepts early will prepare them to have their own bank accounts and monthly income.

The UF/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension’s 4-H Youth Development Program uses a learnby- doing approach to help youths gain the knowledge and skills they need to be responsible, productive citizens.

Creating safe, inclusive learning environments involving caring adults and using the University of Florida and the nationwide land grant university system’s expertise and resources help us do this.

Contact the Okaloosa County Extension Office, 689-5850, for more information on how to join 4-H.     

Haley Worley is an agent at the Okaloosa County Extension office in Crestview.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: EXTENSION CONNECTION: Teach children how to manage money

CRESTVIEW — Dad did several things well in the kitchen, including preparing the most important meal of the day.

Encouraging a pair of young boys to eat his scrambled eggs and home friesneeded some marketing. The eggs, a scrumptious mix of sautéed onions and sometimes green peppers, became “Indian eggs.”

Dad didn't go for any PC nonsense.

The home fries, which practically cook themselves with minimal outside interference, were naturally cowboy potatoes. I guess today they'd be cowperson potatoes.

Together the two met in peace on the Great Plains of our plates.

Dad's bacon didn't need a fancy name. What more can you do with bacon, after all?

As my brother, Evan, learned from neighbors in Tennessee, where he now lives, there's bacon crack, with brown sugar and mustard.

Appalachia meets the Wild West in this breakfast for a family of four.

Bacon Crack

Ingredients:

1 pound thick-cut bacon

Approximately 1/4 cup brown sugar

Approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon or spicy brown mustard

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Lay the bacon strips on a rack set in a shallow baking pan and cook in the oven about 10 minutes so some of the fat cooks out.

Mix the mustard and brown sugar in a small bowl to a sauce-like consistency. Spoon the sugar sauce over each slice of bacon.

Bake the bacon until floppy-crisp. Watch it so the sugar won't suddenly burn. When it's finished, immediately remove it and place on a serving platter. As the strips cool, they tend to glue themselves to the rack.

Cowboy Potatoes

Ingredients:

6-8 large red potatoes

1 large white onion

Montreal steak seasoning to taste

1 tablespoon bacon drippings or olive oil

Peel the potatoes and onion, and then slice thin using a grater or a V-slicer. (If you use your V-slicer, for heaven's sake, use the hand guard. A visit to the emergency room is not the way to start your Fourth of July!)

In a skillet, melt the bacon drippings over medium-high heat. Toss the sliced potatoes and onions in the fat or olive oil. Season to taste, cover and cook on medium-low heat.

Periodically toss the contents with a spatula, allowing some of the pieces to brown. Cook until everything is tender.

Indian Eggs

Ingredients:

6-8 large eggs

1 green pepper

1 medium or large onion

Approximately 1/3 cup whole milk, half-and-half or cream

Garlic powder to taste

Seasoned salt to taste

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 teaspoon bacon drippings

Check the bacon crack and the potatoes. They should be nearly ready.

Chop the onions and green peppers into quarter-inch bits. Put them in a microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup. Mix in the olive oil and coat all the bits. Microwave on high for 40 seconds and stir the veggies. If they are still too crisp, nuke 'em again for 20 seconds, but don't make them soggy. Set aside.

Break the eggs into a bowl, add the milk or cream, and beat with a fork until they are just combined. Don't make them frothy.

Melt bacon fat in a skillet. Sautée the veggies for about a minute and pour them into the egg-and-milk mixture. Mix well. Keep stirring to assure the eggs cook evenly.

When you detect the eggs are starting to cook — it usually takes a minute or so — dump in the grated cheddar cheese and seasonings and stir until the eggs are just cooked.

As your kitchen helpers put the bacon crack on a platter and the cowboy potatoes into a serving bowl, scoop the eggs into a bowl and serve immediately.

Ensure the oven and stove are off, and then dig in.

Contact News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes at 850-682-6524 or brianh@crestviewbulletin.com. Follow him on Twitter @cnbBrian.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: RECIPES: Family traditions yield down-home breakfast favorites