Just an old-fashioned love song

Admittedly, Valentine’s Day is not my favorite holiday. Having made that clear in the past, I did not expect a flurry of invitations to celebrate, yet they came my way regardless.

It’s not that I begrudge lovers having their own day, but I don’t necessarily look forward to it. Chocolate, however, is always welcome in my house and this past weekend provided several opportunities to soak up some culture and satisfy my sweet tooth all at the same time.

As promised, I stopped by the Catskill Artists Gallery ( catskillartistsgallery.com ) to sample its “Sweets for the Sweet” gathering, which gave attendees the opportunity to enjoy scrumptious Valentine treats, peruse the gallery and shop all at the same time. I like this place. Located at 38 South Main Street in Liberty, NY, the artists themselves are all hands-on in the day-to-day operation necessary to keep it all running smoothly and the space is filled with affordable, often useful, pieces of art that delight.

Adding chocolate into the mix was a bonus, and I started to feel the love as I sampled the various confections, while the sugar rush coursed through my veins. I decided there and then that I should continue to ride the chocolate wave and made a reservation for an afternoon of love songs (and dessert) being offered by the Sullivan County Dramatic Workshop (SCDW; www.scdw.net ).

Armed with inner peace regarding my own love life (or lack thereof), courtesy of the Kadampa Meditation Center ( kadampany.org ) in Glen Spey, NY, I wended my way through the mountains in search of more candy.

During the winter months, the SCDW is in residence at the Sullivan County Museum ( sullivancountyhistory.org ) located at 265 Main St., in Hurleyville, NY, where members prepare for their theatrical season, do a little baking and entertain along the way. This year’s Valentine Cabaret Dessert Theatre drew large crowds of music lovers and chocolate fans who (in my humble opinion) appeared quite satisfied with the never-ending parade of sweets and swayed to the music as the ensemble performed, all in the name of love.

Classics such as ‘My Funny Valentine,” “My Heart Belongs to Daddy,” “Somewhere,” “When I Fall In Love” and “People” were offset by some quirky, fun choices like “Mariah” and “Adelaide’s Lament” from Broadway’s’ “Guys And Dolls.”

Marissa Cohen, Christopher DiFazio, Sally Gladden, Terri Hall, Ellen Pavloff, Annmarie Paoli, Becca! Robinson, Kimberlee Schneeberger, Lori Schneider-Wendt, Heather Strauss, Harold Tighe and Tom Wasserman were on hand for the Sunday matinee, accompanied on the piano by Leon Hilfstein.

To be fair, there were songs for the “Lonely & Bitter” set as well (who, me?) as the gang performed “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered,” “Am I Blue?,” “I Dreamed a Dream” and “Mein Herr” among others.

Without chocolate on the horizon, I’m not sure that I would have been able to handle that much love. Suffice it to say that there was definitely something for everyone on the menu, be it music or dessert, and all were properly satiated as the last strains of “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” echoed throughout the theatre. Toes were tapped, tears were wiped away and grins of delight spread throughout the crowd as “edible emotion” was displayed in such variety that even Willy Wonka himself would have been amazed.

Always watching my weight (or lack thereof), I restrained myself and made mental note of the fact that I knew the words to virtually every song presented (with the exception of the Dresden Dolls’ “Coin-operated Boy’”—my newest favorite tune.)

Apparently, I am not completely devoid of feeling and found myself humming as I exited the theatre. “There’s always next year,” I mused to no one in particular, as I made my way to the parking lot, still single. It occurred to me that not every song is written to evoke a sense of sadness, since there was laughter mixed with pathos as all genres were covered in this particular pastiche.

“Am I Blue?...” not so much. I am, however, a sucker for an “old fashioned love song” and will look forward to attending a variety of Valentine events next year... with or without someone “special” on my arm. “When I Fall in Love” is yet to be determined, but I won’t let it get “Under My Skin,” for every great once in a while someone will send me a Valentine that says, “I get a kick out of you.”

Can’t ask for much more than that.