Kurt Bestor at his best...

What a way to begin the Holiday Season. On Saturday evening, November 27, 2010, Dean and I were treated to a top-notch Christmas Special by Kurt Bestor. In our minds, Kurt is among the top Christmas billings.

We last saw Kurt in Boise, Idaho at the beautiful Cathedral in the Rockies and were lifted to a new level of musical expertise by a gifted craftsman. We have been hoping he would come to Oregon and finally, he did. The venue was a wonderful little theater in Hillsboro called The Venetian Theater and Bistro. It isn't as grand as the Cathedral or as elegant as the Schnitzer in Portland, but it was a beautiful experience.


We came early, so we could enjoy the Bistro for an elegant Italian dinner before venturing upstairs to see the show. When we entered the building, who do you think was sitting at the bar, visiting with his co-star, Jenny Jordan Frogley, but Kurt Bestor himself. I smiled at him in recognition, and he returned the smile. I was too timid to walk up to him and start talking. That's just me!


We enjoyed a wonderful dinner and then headed up the stairs to be treated with dessert. Yes, it was a show worth skipping dessert for. Kurt arranges all of his own music and does an outstanding job with many of the standard Christmas favorites. His gift on the piano is something to behold. We learned that he hated piano lessons and hated practicing as a child. Then, one day his mother put away all of his music and told him to "play me a sunrise." And he did! His words, "It wasn't perfection, but that's where I began to love the piano."


We were also treated with an amazingly gifted singer, Jenny Jordan Frogley. We had never heard of her before, but she can really belt out a song. She was a joy to behold.


All in all, the entire evening was well worth the hour and a half drive to get there (and home). We were well fed both physically and spiritually. And so, the Holiday Season begins in earnest for us.