It turns out that my father lied when he told me that hard work would help me reach my career goal. I probably shouldn't be too shocked by this news. He also lied that time I asked where babies come from.

So I admire Broadway Center Executive Director David Fischer's hard work steering the Tacoma arts organization into greatness.  Judging by next season's shows (see below), hard work pays off. 

Fischer prompted a community focus group through series of questions tonight: What would they like to see the Center host?  What would they pay?  What do they wish was in Tacoma rather than Seattle?  Who invented Liquid Soap and why? OK, they last one was mine.  Ha!

There was banter.  There were drinks.  There were light bulbs bursting above Fischer’s head.

Before sending us back out into the rain, Fischer busted out a few highlights of next season:

• “100 Years of Broadway” featuring former Broadway stars;
• “Birdhouse Factory” starring former “Cirque du Soleil” stars performing acrobats, theater, and other “Cirque”-like stuff;
• Dark Star Orchestra;
• The popular “Striking 12” pop-rock musical comedy;
• “Peter Pan”;
• Pink Floyd Experience;
• Spoken word events orchestrated by local poet Luke Smiraldo (Vanilla Soul) including poet Billy Collins;
• “Operation Homecoming”;
• Garrison Keillor;
• Bobby McFerrin;
• Shakespeare’s “The Tempest”;
• Orson Welles’ “Moby Dick”;
• “Rush Limbaugh in Night School”;
• “Not A Genuine Black Man”;
• “Defending The Caveman”;
• “The Wonder Bread Years”;
• Theater of Illusion â€" old school magic;
• comedians Josh Blue and Craig Ferguson
• And much more.

When my editor complains that my work stinks like yesterday's Gorgonzola, I can simply tell him it sucks because he doesn’t work hard enough editing it.  Ha! â€" Suzy Stump