Showmanship and swingin’ music flourish in Lake City Playhouse’s “Pete ’n’ Keely.” Cabaret singer and local theater veteran Abbey Crawford directs and performs in this entertaining production of James Hindman, Patrick S. Brady and Mark Waldrop’s well-received off-Broadway musical. Crawford reunites with musical director Carolyn Jess; the two were also part of the Actors Repertory Theatre’s production of this show in Spokane in 2008. Set in a glitzy NBC studio in 1968, the show follows famous singing duet Pete Bartel and Keely Stevens – once “America’s swingin’ sweethearts,” now bitterly divorced – as they attempt to restore their showbiz careers and reunite for a live television special/Tracy Poindexter-Canton/SR. More here. (2008 SR file photo for illustrative purposes, of Spokane Falls Community College performance of “Pete 'n Keely)

Question: Which play did you last see at the Lake City Playhouse? How would you rate LCPlayhouse plays?

Facebook Friend Linda Ball also give “Breaking Dawn” big time thumbs up: OMG! I saw “Breaking Dawn Part 1” today, (the latest in the “Twilight” series if you're not a twi-hard)! Seriously, I know you're laughing at me right now, but this one is really good! I've read all the books, so I know what's going to happen, but I was still surprised a few times, and the whole birthing scene was sort of creepy yet tense. The ending is great; I wasn't sure how they'd break up the last book. Be sure to wait through the credits, because there's a scene involving the Volturi (the bad vampires) that sets up Part II and is also quite creepy. I thought it was fun!”

Question: Do you like the whole vampire/werewolf/zombie/Frankenstein movie genre?

In the comments section of a Yelp review that lists the Canton Restaurant as Coeur d'Alene's best Chinese eatery, OrangeTV writes: “The cosmetic improvements alone make the Canton that I reviewed back then seem like a dusty old dive stuck in the ruins of some old Chinatown. Changes have been gradual, but Alex and staff have managed to clear up the dinginess that once lingered with simply fresh paint, a bit of modern feeling décor and most likely a lot of elbow grease. The seemingly low turnover level of servers has created a sense of familiarity and friendliness, and I never have to worry about returning late from my break after stopping in for lunch. There's almost always enough time left over to relax and ponder the deep, hidden meaning of my fortune cookie. But really, the most impressive difference at Canton in the last few years has been the noticeable upgrade of the food itself.” More here (3 comment).

DFO: I'm glad to hear the Canton has upgraded. It's a special place for my family, once owned by a neighbor on my street. It was the place where my son told us about the young woman who's now his wife of 8 years, lovely Stephanie.

Question: Which INW eatery holds a special memory for you?

Let’s celebrate “Friday the 13th” with a little red meat, shall we? And hard numbers. There are 13 grisly deaths in this latest sequel: machete decapitations, an arrow through the head, somebody burned to death in a sleeping bag – you know the slasher drill. Three nubile young things take their tops off. Two of them have hot sex with not-nearly-as-naked guys in the same forest by the same Crystal Lake where all those camp counselors were butchered back in the 1980 original. This Michael Bay production is a graphic homage to the series that helped turn simple slasher pictures into a formula for success. It may have Bay’s big-budget sheen, and it’s every bit as efficient and heartless as the original Fridays. But for all its attempted jolts, it’s not all that scary/Orlando Sentinel. More here.

Question: Are you a fan of “Friday the 13th” type slasher movies? Or does the day itself make you nervous whenever it pops up on the calendar, like today?

Many businesses emerged anew this year and just as many went the way of the K-Mart Cafeteria and ceased to exist. Some of the more memorable new local haunts this year included Baja Bargarita, 315 Martinis & Tapas Bar, Fleur de Sel Bistro, Morgio’s Sandwich Shop, Babak Kebab, the Chicken Basket, and Wagner’s Hofbrau. The “Oh, Finally!” award goes to Thai Bamboo which we weren’t sure would ever finally open. We get a little choked up thinking about some of the landmark places that have passed on to the great Yellow Pages in the sky, including Senor Froggy (demolished), China Gate (fire), Taco Johns (general ickiness), and Rogers Ice cream (vacant, for sale). Also on the Restaurant Grim Reaper’s hit list this year were Joey’s Smokin’ BBQ in Riverstone and Scott-Ja-Mama’s BBQ downtown/OrangeTV, Get Out! North Idaho. More here.

Question: Which new North Idaho business do you enjoy the most? Which did you hate to see close shop in 2008?