Snow White

While an engaging work, Artistic Director Edward Stewart's "Snow White," wasn't always theatrically coherent. Several dramatic questions were left hanging in this new ballet, presented as the second act of Ballet Theatre of Annapolis' spring program, yet there were enough solid dancing and winsome performances by this personable company to offset any flawed logic or unique interpretation of the fairy tale.Mr. Stewart's enjoyable one-act ballet in six scenes with a lengthy prologue benefited from sophisticated staging, clever costuming (with more than a passing nod to Disney)

"Hi-ho! Hi-ho! You ought to see the show." That is the song that drama students at North Carroll High School are singing as they invite the public to their production of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs of the Black Forest."Directed by drama teacher Roberta Rooney, the play gives the students an opportunity to showcase the school's wealth of talent."We picked the play with a play-reading committee because it was fun and it offered more people the opportunity to act," Ms. Rooney said.This version of the children's story involves Queen Bella, played by 17-year-old senior Debbie Fleming, and her desire to be the most beautiful in the land.

If your children really loved "Aladdin" and if you're really tired of repeat trips to the neighborhood movie house, you might curb their appetites for the animated Arabian romance by buying toy figures of the characters.Don't be surprised, though, if the action figures aren't exact replicas of Princess Jasmine, Abu, Iago, Jafar and Aladdin -- the protagonist hailed by Newsweek as Disney's "first nonwhite human hero since Mowgli of the 'Jungle Book.' "Margaret Freeman of Dallas, who is white, makes a point of buying ethnically diverse books and toys for her nephew, Travis.

SNOWMAN construction:There is no real sense in trying unless you have genuine packing snow -- the kind that falls as silently as dandruff -- light, delicate flakes that drift to earth and lie together in a kind of fluffy mystical union. The snow must be slightly wet and clingy, not dry like the soap-powder snow spread on the plywood of Christmas gardens and creches.There are two basic techniques for making the snowman's round bottom layers.My wife is a packer -- decisive, fast-acting, making it up as she goes.

CHAIRMAN: Please state your name for the record.WITNESS: I just want to register to vote. I wasn't expecting a hearing.CHAIRMAN: Let the record reflect the witness refuses to answer. Guard, please lock the doors and let no one in or out during the questioning.WITNESS: But my husband is waiting in a no-parking zone!CHAIRMAN: The chair recognizes the totally vicious senator from Wyoming.SEN. SIMPSON: The witness has admitted she is party to a traffic offense. I move, therefore, she be beaten to death.

Bruce E. Williamson's successes in the business world certainly could fill that book he wants to write about what it takes to make it.But ask him for the key to success, and he'll boil it down to just one sentence."

Long before the Big Mac or the Whopper entered my life, there was the Big'un from the Snow White Drive-In in St. Joseph, Mo.It was my first double-decker hamburger, the burger of my youth.The meat in the Big'un was juicer, its three buns were toastier, and its sauce was saucier than any other hamburger I have eaten.Not only did I eat uncounted numbers of the sandwich, I also cooked a few of them.When I was 17 I got my first and, as it turned out, my only, job in the restaurant industry. I was soda jerk at Snow White.

TEACHER GEORGIANN Carlson has a valid literary criticism.She says that fairy tales such as Cinderella and Snow White are sexist because both young ladies don't find happiness until some macho prince comes along.They also lack independence and self-worth. Snow White, she points out, is content to cook and clean for a gang of dwarfs.There's much more that bothers Carlson: The emphasis on good looks, the idea that being old means being ugly and women being portrayed as competitive and jealous.

My daddy took my brother, Benjamin, and me to see "Snow White" at the Annapolis Dinner Theater the other day, and we really liked it a lot.When we got there, my brother, who's 4, told the lady, "Your reviewers are here," which was sort of embarrassing.I was really excited when "Prince Charming" took us to our table. I really liked him; he looked so much like a prince.And Shannon came to my table to bring me a drink and she was "Snow White." She really looked like Snow White. She had a red ribbon and red cheeks.