Jill Diver

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Blue Rises Anew: Plum Island Hotel opens again with help of Amesbury company

By Jill Diver

The quaint seaside towns that dot the Atlantic coastline speak to New Englanders as quintessential haves, offering welcome escapes from the rush of the everyday world.

That’s especially true alone the 11-mile stretch of Plum Island, where life naturally slows over the bridge from the mainland of Newburyport.

From there, an oasis in all seasons beckons. A quick right onto Sunset Drive, followed by a left onto a winding dirt road brings visitors to a seaside retreat known simply as Blue.

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Crazy For Cookies

By Jill Diver

Sweet treats from Cape Ann kitchens are great for entertaining, gifting or just plain eating.

Dining Out: Blue Marlin Grille

By Jill Diver

The Blue Marlin is the brainchild of owner Corey Matthews, who started cooking when he was 15 years old, opened his first restaurant at age 23, then opened the doors of the Blue Marlin Grille in 1998.

He named it the Blue Marlin because he thinks that’s a beautiful and powerful fish.

“We cater to families. People can come off the beach. You can come in here in flip-flops and sandals,” Matthews, 39, said of his restaurant.

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Even better than the real thing?

By Jill Diver

Head back to the 1970s and 1980s this Friday, as bands like Aerosmith, Guns N’ Roses, Journey and AC/DC all take the stage as part of the same bill.

OK, so they’re not quite the real bands, but they’re the next best thing.
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IN THE STUDIO WITH: Andrew Cardone—He’s got the art of purse making in the bag

By Jill Diver

With a panoramic view of Wingaersheek and Coffin beaches visible through a window over his left shoulder, Andrew Cardone is seated at the kitchen table of his childhood home, pointing to the very first handbag he ever created.

The image on the piece, drawn in needlepoint, depicts seagulls, ocean waves, lighthouses, an octopus and other seascapes. The bag’s handles are wooden, straight and worn. The project took hundreds of hours when he made it about four years ago.

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The Magic of Cirque: Traveling troupe transforms ‘Algeria’ from tent to arena performances

By Jill Diver

Cirque du Soleil built the show “Alegria” in 1994 on the concept of the conflict between the old and new.

The production, one of the oldest in Cirque’s cadre of traveling extravaganzas and traditionally performed under the big top, now is reinventing itself in new ways to accommodate arena performances.

That means when “Alegria” pulls into Manchester’s Verizon Wireless Arena for a five-day run, audiences will get to see the juxtaposition of the old and the new within the show itself.

A life in music: Doo-Wop star to perform in Haverhill

By Jill Diver

He has sung in 358 different singing groups, has been performing for 73 years, and at age 76, Billy Shelton is still going strong.

“I was singing when I was 3 years old,” Shelton said. “My mom was a choir director and my dad was a minister. I love music.”

Still the King: Broadway adaptation of Disney classic in Boston

By Jill Diver

Bringing a children’s movie with animated characters to life on stage is no easy feat. That’s what makes the theatrical version of Disney’s “The Lion King” — with its more than 200 puppets and masked actors — so impressive.

The six-time Tony Award winning musical is playing at the Boston Opera House through March 21. It tells the story of the lion prince Simba, who is tricked by his uncle into thinking that his actions led to his father’s death, causing him to flee in shame. Years later, he returns to take his rightful place as king.

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