Dear diary: It’s been a pretty good week. And by that, I mean I’ve been to three very different, but equally engaging events. I could have titled this column “Two plays and a concert,” but it reminded me of the ‘80s flick “Three Men and a Baby,” and I didn’t want to confuse anyone. And by “anyone,” I mean me.

First of all, I took That Dog Named Gidget out to the Forestburgh Playhouse (FBP) for the first of seven main stage productions of the summer season, “Boeing Boeing,” a show I’ve never seen before. Written in 1962 by French playwright Marc Camoletti, the two-act farce is everything a farce should be: over-the-top physical comedy and larger-than-life characters that rely on well crafted caricature and multiple doors opening, closing and slamming shut, revealing sight gag after sight gag in a frenetic pace that had the audience rolling in the aisles. 

The comical and talented cast (Joshua Woodie, Jason Babinsky, Amy Griffin, Brittney Bertier, Dana Cullinane and Laura Karaman) cavorted and frolicked on Tim Gobebiewski’s slick and pretty set, dressed in Rylee Terry’s colorful period costumes and performed under Kevin Kress’s stylish lighting design. The show (which is by today’s standards insanely chauvinistic and sexist) could easily be a total flop, but under the direction of Scott Evans, and with that cast, those costumes and the lighting, the FBP production is presented as a love-letter to a decade preserved in a  time capsule. It plays pretty perfectly as a frothy concoction of sixties silliness. Even I had fun, and that’s saying a lot.

Secondly, I made my way to the Smallwood Porchfest, which featured 11 musical acts ranging from rock to pop to folk and everything in between, situated on lawns, docks and yes, even porches. According to the internet, “Porchfests are music events held across the United States (and in Canada) on [duh] front porches. Started in Ithaca, NY in 2007,  Porchfest events bring local musicians and neighborhoods together to celebrate and create a sense of community.”

Presented by the Smallwood Civic Association, this year’s block party was more than just festive; it exemplified (IMHO) the goal of bringing friends and neighbors together through music in an incredibly charming hamlet. Smallwood is situated around a beautiful lake nestled in the woods of Sullivan County—a true gem tucked into the Catskills, where the sense of community is strong. 

Even though my dog was in her stroller (don’t judge!), I was walking the route along with a small army of music enthusiasts and somehow logged six thousand steps on my phone’s pedometer. Although I only had time to make a few stops (there were 12 locations altogether) at cottages hugging the lake, I managed to catch The Wagner Project. It’s composed of mom Dorothy and dad Lance—the guitarists—and vocalist son Steven, all of whom are a great example of “the family that plays together, stays together.” 

I also joined a crowd enjoying Kali Seastrand and her dulcimer at the Shinn-Birmingham’s dockside party, and caught Paula Moss and family hosting Steve Mayonne on the guitar along the route. Then local musical power couple Caswyn Moon and Faith Kelly came to my rescue with their vehicle, offering to haul me, my pooch, her stroller (don’t judge!) and my camera back down to the point of origin, so that I could get in a power nap before my next destination. 

Honestly, it was a really good time; there was literally dancing in the streets and I can’t wait to do it again, but by the time they dropped me off, my dogs were barking, and I don’t mean Gidget. 

Rounding out the week’s trifecta of entertainment was the River Rep Theatre’s first show of the 2025 season, a live-on-stage production of Michael Ende’s “The Neverending Story.” It’s described as a tale about “a lonely young boy with a love for books [who] becomes drawn into a world of fabulous creatures that only he can save from certain destruction.” 

As directed with gusto by Christopher Peditto, the beloved children’s story is incredibly theatrical and a knock-your-socks-off over-the-top presentation of fantastical characters inhabiting a stunning storybook world. It’s vividly brought to life by 11 actors portraying more than 20 trolls, giants, dragons, princesses, animals and humans too. 

Honestly, I scribbled over a dozen pages of accolades in my notebook, extolling the talents and virtues of performers Lexee McEntee, Tibor Feldman, Hudson Williams-Eynon, James Sullivan, Arthur Aulisi, Malcolm Strother, Tiffany Esteb, Ellie J, Jess Beveridge and superb young newcomers Waverly Van Aalsburg and Cooper Quinn, while noting that the show is visually stunning.

Adapted for the stage by David S. Craig, the scenic design created by Neira Sinanbasic is nothing short of breathtaking. The (more than 30) costumes designed and built by Elin Agustsson, Beth DeVrieze and Liz Huntington are astounding, enhanced by Lillian Skuthan’s imaginative makeup design.

Elevated by Peditto’s penchant for intense sound and lighting design, the music of Klaus Doldinger and Giorgio Moroder combine with all of the other elements to strike just the right chord with the audience, who spontaneously burst into applause repeatedly as the show washed over them in waves of creativity not seen by yours truly in quite a while. 

“The Neverending Story” is an extremely ambitious magical treat not to be missed, and it’s destined to be a memorable hit with the younger set as well as adults. Unlike Porchfest and “Boeing Boeing,” which have come and gone, you still have time to take in a performance at the Delaware Valley Opera Center in Lake Huntington, NY on  June 28 and 29. Tickets are available at www.myrivertickets.com.

The FBP, Porchfest and River Rep all knocked it out of the park this week, which makes it (batter up!) three for three. Here comes summer. I already need a nap. 

Ask the Google: What the heck does “bucolic” mean?

A: It’s an adjective that means “relating to the pleasant aspects of countryside and country life.”