Rest Easy

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March 27, 2013

One-third of our life should be spent asleep. We all know sleep is essential. But did you know you’ll die of sleep deprivation faster than food deprivation? According to the Better Sleep Council, it takes two weeks to starve, but 10 days without sleep can kill you.

“The science of sleep is just starting to be fully explored,” says Kerry Trammel, president of Lady Americana, an Oklahoma City-based mattress manufacturer. “The business of sleep aids is booming in America.”

If restful sleep eludes you, your mattress could be the culprit. The Better Sleep Council suggests answering the following questions: Is your mattress older than five years? Do you wake up with stiffness, numbness, aches and pains? Have you had a better night’s sleep somewhere other than your own bed? Does your mattress sag or have lumps?
Buying a new mattress might seem like an expensive investment. However, considering it’s likely the most-used product you own, it is one of the best cost-per-day values on the market. Additionally, given the impact the right mattress can have on your health and overall well being, it might be the best investment you can make.

With the variety of options available, the perfect mattress is out there. Although, that variety might make the perfect one hard to find.

“Mattresses are a lot like beauty,” explains Trammel. “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. There is no one size fits all.”

First, educate yourself on the options available. “The traditional spring mattress has been the tried and true technology for years,” says Trammel. “Customers now have more choices than ever before.”

Advances in technology and materials have given consumers more options to consider.

Solid foam mattresses and adjustable beds are growing in popularity, says Trammel.

“Adjustable beds were once just for the elderly,” explains Trammel. “It’s now becoming a lifestyle choice.

“When you are choosing a car, most dealers are offering the same products as everyone else,” he adds. “With a mattress, it’s more difficult.”

So to narrow down your options, experts suggest finding a trusted manufacturer and a reputable dealer with well-informed sales representatives.

“Go to a store with several different products on the floor that you can try out,” suggests Trammel.

Once you are in the store, don’t be shy about test-driving the mattresses. The Better Sleep Council recommends removing your shoes and lying down on several different models in various positions, especially the one you usually sleep in. The extra time spent helps ensure you are making the right investment.

“If you can, try to find a store that offers a return policy so you can get a feel of a real night’s sleep,” offers Trammel.

Budget is a major concern, but comfort, support and durability should be the most important factors you consider.

“Most manufacturers offer a variety of prices,” says Trammel. “You should be able to find a mattress that fits your needs and your budget.”

The best option is to shop for the best value, not always the lowest price, says the Better Sleep Council. Instead, buy the highest quality sleep set you can afford. You’ll have many restful night’s sleep in return.

Jazz on a Summer’s Night

By

John Wooley

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March 27, 2013

For a lot of years now, bassist Bill and vocalist Pam Van Dyke Crosby have exerted an incalculable influence on Tulsa-area jazz, and they continue to be among the busiest players on the scene. But if they never hit another lick, their legacy would be preserved forever in a couple of CDs recorded in the last year: Jazz on a Summer’s Night – Early, released in October 2012, and Jazz on a Summer’s Night – Late, which has just been released. (The discs also preserve the memory of Tulsa’s Ciao Baby, the Tulsa restaurant and jazz venue that expired a few months after the June 10th live show and recording.)

Taken together, the two albums not only provide a vibrant record of a great live show, but also an indication of how rich and rewarding “commercial” jazz can be, when performed by people who know what they’re doing and why they’re doing it.

Both CDs are packed full of Great American Songbook standards both well-known (“Skylark,” “How High the Moon,” “Long Ago and Far Away”) and a little less so (“Poinciana,” “Spring Can Really Hang You up the Most”), linked together by Pam’s spot-on vocals, improvisational roominess that allows members of the band to shine and a palpable desire on the part of all performers to keep the audience engaged and entertained, even as they indulge in some impressive musical explorations. As Pam says in her introduction to Harold Arlen’s “Out of This World,” the second cut on the first disc, “The guys are going to be playing solos in most of the tunes as long as they want to, because we’re going for the jazz.”

“That’s what jazz is,” explains Bill. “If you’ve got it in you to play a couple or three choruses, go for it. And when you’re through with what you’ve got to say, it’s the next guy’s turn.

“It’s jazz,” he says of the band’s repertoire and approach, “but it’s fairly commercial from the standpoint of what some people are doing in jazz. We kind of mix it up, and we want the audience to like it, you know.”

This sure-handed welding of jazz to standards can best be heard in a track from the first disc that combines “How High the Moon” and Charlie Parker’s hard-bop composition “Ornithology.” As Bill points out, the two are more connected than it might appear.

“Those (bop) guys, like Charlie Parker and Miles Davis, took standards and made jazz tunes out of them. ‘Ornithology’ was written on the basis of ‘How High the Moon,’ on its chord changes. They’re really the same thing. The other one (on the two-disc set), ‘Oleo,’ is based on ‘I Got Rhythm.’ It’s a tune (by Sonny Rollins) that a lot of the jazz bands have played over the years.”

In addition to Pam and Bill, the two albums feature Scott McQuade on keyboard and accordion, Tommy Poole on saxophones and clarinet, Tony Yohe on drums and Wade Robertson on percussion. All are top-drawer instrumentalists with hundreds of professional credits among them, ranging from a touring stint with western-swing legend Hank Thompson (Robertson) to gigs with Rosemary Clooney and Jack Jones (Poole). Yohe has drummed with a number of different area groups for years, and Canada native McQuade was recently profiled in the Billboard Books publication The New Face of Jazz.

“These musicians are just terrific,” says Pam. “They bring the level of what we do up.”

The Crosbys, who recently celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary, are no slouches themselves. A native Oklahoman, Pam got her first high-profile music job with the Sammy Kaye Orchestra, touring nationally as a featured vocalist with the band for four years. Upon her return to Oklahoma, she continued performing and touring and hasn’t stopped since. Bill learned to play bass while in the Navy, and, like Pam, has a massive list of credits that encompasses road work, recording, and backing nationally known headliners.

Both are founding members of the Tulsa Jazz Society, a group that promotes awareness of jazz and live music in the area. That, of course, is what the Jazz on a Summer’s Night CDs do as well.

The Crosbys also hope that the impact of the new discs goes well beyond Tulsa and its environs. Bill, the producer, has taken pains to make sure the mechanical rights for each song they recorded are paid for, something that doesn’t happen with a lot of local CDs. Because he secured the proper rights, the discs can be pitched to internet radio, satellite radio and other national and international outlets without any fear of recrimination from performing-rights organizations.

“Yeah, we’re legal enough to do it,” he says with a laugh. “I’m just not sure how to do it yet.”

Of course, acquiring rights takes money (which is one big reason why producers of small-run CDs often ignore the process), and money goes a long way toward explaining why the two Jazz on A Summer’s Night discs came out six months apart. Since the Crosbys were financing the project, they wanted to have enough in the kitty to do it right. And, as is the case with their approach to music, they had their audience in mind as well.

“We could’ve done a two-CD set, but it would’ve cost people more to buy, like 30 bucks or something,” says Bill. “So we thought, ‘Well, let’s just make one now and one later, and call them ‘early’ and ‘late,’ and put 15 bucks apiece on them.’”

The behind-the-scenes people on the discs are also an impressive group, ranging from Tulsa pianist-composer Ted Moses, who arranged several of the tunes (as did Scott McQuade), to noted photographer Gaylord Herron, whose striking photos grace both covers.

“Gaylord does what he calls ‘drive-by shooting,’” says Pam with a laugh. “He doesn’t use Photoshop or anything like that. He just drives down Riverside Drive and shoots as he goes by. That’s why there’s so much motion and color in the photographs we got to use.”

Vocalist Cindy Cain was also involved with the discs, both as a photographer and as an inspiration for the recording.

“We had kicked around the idea of doing it at the (Oklahoma) Jazz Hall of Fame, because they have a nice piano there, and we kicked around the idea of doing it in the studio,” Bill recalls. “But when I heard Cindy Cain’s CD she made (at Ciao), with Hank Charles’ recording, I thought it was great and decided to do it there with Hank – whose recording is one of the highlights of our whole deal, as far as I’m concerned.

“We always liked the way we sounded at Ciao, the energy of playing live. This is all one take. There are mistakes in it. Maybe you can’t hear them, but they’re there. I could’ve gone back into the studio and changed them, but I just didn’t want to do that.”

And so it stands, captured forever on two CDs, the authentic sound of one of Tulsa’s great jazz acts on an Oklahoma summer’s night.

“Part of the reason for doing this is to kind of have it as part of our heritage,” muses Pam, “something that we did that’s really us. For me, I think, it’s a way of saying who we are and what we like and what our kind of music is.”

She laughs. “We’d also like to sell some of them.”

Both Jazz on a Summer’s Night – Early and Jazz on a Summer’s Night – Late are available in Tulsa at Dwelling Spaces, G. Oscar Bicycle and the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame gift shop. Internet outlets include CD Baby and iTunes.

The Cell Hunter

By

Paul Fairchild

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March 27, 2013

Longtime OU professor, Dr. Richard Broyles, is a hunter. One of the world’s deadliest scourges, sickle cell anemia, sits squarely in his sights. He recently founded EpimedX, an Oklahoma City company that will enable him to pull the trigger. After 20 years in the blind, the geneticist and his colleagues are roughly 10 years away from firing the magic bullet that will put sickle cell anemia down once and for all.

Taking down sickle cell anemia is a lofty goal. Broyles’ goals for his cure are equally lofty and go beyond saving lives. “This will change the lives of individuals with sickle cell disease in third world countries. Children born in those countries with sickle cell anemia almost always die before they turn 5,” he says, “It’s a life or death thing for those people. In the U.S., where every baby born is tested for the disease, we’re able to identify them early. They don’t die as young, but they’ll still have serious health issues and painful lives. They’re always in crisis, in and out of emergency rooms. It’s hard for a person in that situation to get an education, much less hold a job. It’s not just a health issue.”

Broyles and his peers developed a new approach to the cure for sickle cell disease, a genetic process known as gene regulation therapy. Sickle cell anemia develops in humans with two key mutations in the genes of red blood cells. Previous attempts to cure the disease focused on changing these genes. A unique and fortuitous discovery inspired Broyles’ new technique.

In 1975, researchers discovered that certain people in Saudi Arabia had both gene mutations required for sickle cell anemia, but this population was perfectly normal. When these people were examined, researchers noticed they were still producing fetal red blood cells, the result of a second mutation in their red blood cells. Typically, as the body develops, fetal red blood cells diminish almost entirely. These people were walking around with their bloodstreams holding 35 to 45 percent of these, yet no sickle cell anemia.

It was obvious that with that many fetal red blood cells in the body, sickle cell anemia wouldn’t develop.

“That was a gold mine for scientists. We knew then that we might be able to cure sickle cell anemia without having to change its two genes. Instead, we started looking at ways to turn the genes responsible for (increased fetal blood cells) on and off and mimic nature. It turned out to be very hard to do,” he says.

Broyles and his partners are completely confident about their work, but they’re also quick to note that it will be some time before it hits the market. They still have a few hoops to jump through. Current animal trials won’t be completed for a couple of years. At the same time, they’ll be filing with the FDA for permission to begin the first human trials. That, they guess, is probably five years away. They feel good about the likely results of the human trials and expect to have their cure available within ten years.

By the time it’s implemented, Broyles’ cure for sickle cell disease will have been 30 years in the making. Twenty years ago, he and his colleagues started chasing the cure with excitement. They never lost their enthusiasm for the project.

“A lot of native curiosity helped,” he says. “It started with wondering how these genes are turned on and off in a frog and went from there. The clinical performance helped drive it even more. It’s good to have a lot of patience. In the beginning we thought this work might be useful and now there’s a high likelihood it’ll be very useful. The momentum built as we made more and more discoveries.”

Trendspotting April 2013

By

Staff

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March 27, 2013

Awe Springs

By

Lindsey Johnson

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March 27, 2013

In the northeast corner of Tulsa’s sprawling Mohawk Park, beyond the playgrounds, splash pads, polo field and golf course, is set aside an 804-acre plot of land never to be developed.

This was the place a young John Oxley brought the daughter of the photographer he worked for to ride horses on the winding equestrian trails. Oxley became an oilman, an avid polo player, and in 1935 he married that girl.

When the city set aside this spot of earth as a nature preserve, Oxley donated funds to help, and it was named for his bride Mary K. Oxley. Today it is an escape from four walls, video games and fluorescent lights, with miles of hiking trails through three distinct habitats and the accompanying flora and fauna.

“It’s fresh air. You are in the middle of all these trees, and they are putting out oxygen. You just have this feeling of freedom. It kind of relieves the stress,” says director and naturalist Eddie Reese.

The Tulsa Audubon Society sketched the original master plan after the idea of a preserve was pitched to the Tulsa Parks Department in 1972. A nonprofit group of citizens formed to raise money and oversee construction. Once complete, the nature center was turned over to the city to be enjoyed by the public with the rest of Mohawk Park.

“The mission of the center is ‘inspire the wonder,’” says Reese, who has been at the center for 25 of the nature center’s 30 years.

A testament to the success of this mission is the look of wonder he describes on the faces of the thousands of children he has led on hikes through the center.

“They are used to just seeing trees or just a patch of grass,” he says. “You get them out there and you start showing them things, and it just gets amazing. They really get into it.”

Reese had a short-lived career as science teacher in his younger years before he tossed his business-casual wardrobe and classroom to be outside. He is passionate that the Oxley Nature Center be a place that gets kids off the couch and computer and outside to appreciate nature and engage in conservation.

“We want to foster in new people an appreciation of wild places. If people appreciate our wild spaces, they will want to conserve them,” says Reese. “If we don’t teach people about conservation, as voters someday they won’t care to set aside green spaces.”

If people care about what is there, they will help protect it he says.

“It seems like we spent a lot more time outdoors when we were kids. That is why you need places like Oxley Nature Center. It will be an oasis someday surrounded by urban areas,” Reese says.

Need The Green

Those green spaces aren’t just pretty. We need them for survival.

“We can’t survive without our green spaces. A person can live in an apartment and never see a blade of grass or touch a tree, but still depends on wild places for survival – for oxygen, pollinators for pollinating food, clean water,” Reese says.

He adds that the long-term mission of the organization is to impress this upon people by intimately engaging them in the beauty.
Spring, he contends, may be the best time to do that.

At the nature center it is a new season of life. New flowers and redbuds are blooming. Reese says deer and raccoon are often spotted with their young.
Spring also brings back birds from their winter vacation in the south, and butterflies begin making appearances.

Oxley Nature Center contributes a North American census count of butterflies and ranks among the top 20 for butterfly diversity nearly every year.

Birding is also a very rewarding activity at the center. Due to the three distinct habitats – prairie, woodland and wetland – there is a great variety. Reese says they are particularly musical in the spring as they mark out territories.

Nearly every week the center has changed as the season goes on. For a unique way to see the nature center, full moon walks are offered.In a culture filled with chords, wires and outlets, the green land of Oxley Nature Center is a necessary escape.

The Wilds Of Oxley

For decades the center has given individuals the opportunity to glance at the land of Oklahoma in its purest form.

You can find most of the species of northeast Oklahoma in Oxley Nature Center’s 804 acres of wildlife sanctuary and 11 miles of hiking trails. The center has a number of different resources available to the public.

Inside the main facility there are hands-on exhibits, informational sites and wildlife viewing areas.

Individuals from all throughout Oklahoma also come to Mohawk Park to hike through Oxley’s various trails. The hiking trails are:
• Red Fox Trail (0.3 mile)
• Green Dragon Trail (0.5 mile)
• Blue Heron Trail (0.3 mile)
• Prairie Trail (0.4 mile)
• Blackbird Marsh (0.7 mile from building)
• Wildlife Study Area Trail (0.6 mile)
• Flowline Trail (0.45 mile)
• Beaver Lodge Trail (1.0 mile)
• North Woods Loop (1.3 mile)
• Sierra Club Trail (0.7 mile)

In addition to this, the Oxley Nature Center offers a slew of different fun environmental activities to the general public. Some of the programs include:
• Saturday Morning Bird Walk
• Family Adventures
• Butterfly Walks
• Earth Science Walks
• Botany Walks 10:30 a.m. on the 4th Saturday of each month
• Full Moon Walk Programs
• Night Walks
• Weekend Tours

The range of the nature center’s effectiveness has been limited due to some of the recent city of Tulsa budget cuts. Still, the center has been thriving and growing just as the plants, animals and organism in the environment that encompasses it do the same.

A-Marketing We Go

By

Jami Mattox

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March 27, 2013

The first day of spring may be March 20, but spring hasn’t really sprung until the first farmers’ markets of the season open. Tulsa’s largest and most popular, Cherry Street Farmers’ Market, will open April 6 with dozens of vendors selling everything from fresh vegetables and fruits and meats to baked goods and homemade wares. Melanie Hunter, program coordinator for the Market, says there will be around 75 vendors this year, and with the addition of a few new ones, there will be different products that haven’t been offered before. Though Oklahoma is still in the grips of a legendary drought, Hunter says the effects of that on the vendors at this year’s market are yet to be seen.

“As far as I know, (the drought) will not affect the variety of products offered at market, though it may affect how much of any given product a vendor may be able to bring to market,” she says.

The Oklahoma State University-Oklahoma City farmers’ market is open year-round, and according to coordinator Cheryl Camp, the spring market season will begin April 6, with the weekday market, which runs each Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., beginning on May 15. “At this time, 40 vendors are signed up for 2013,” says Camp. “This number will change from week to week, as certain local crops come in, finish, or a vendor is between crops. Throughout a calendar year, vendors with specialty crops, such as peaches or blueberries, may come and go, so we can have as many as 60 vendors in a year.” Cherry Street Farmers’ Market is located on 15th Street and Peoria; hours are 7 to 11 a.m. OSU-OKC Farmers’ Market is located at Fourth Street and Portland; hours are 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. For other farmers’ markets, visit www.okgrown.com

Laffa Little

By

Brian Schwartz

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March 27, 2013

Bezar from Arabia, zhoug from Yemen, baharat from the Levant. You’ve probably barely heard of these exotic, perfumed spices. Who would be creative enough to use them all wisely on a single menu?

Imagine Mary Poppins with an infectious laugh and an impish sense of humor, and you’ve got Miranda Kaiser. See her just before the dinner rush begins, darting from sous-chef to waiter to baker. “Be sure that dressing has all the spices, I don’t remember them, check the recipe,” she calls to one chef as she hurries by. “But you created the recipe!” Indeed, she did. She created the many recipes used at Laffa. “I never copy the traditional recipe,” she explains. “I always add something, make it modern, give it a twist.” The 14 years she spent in Israel give her the right to do so.

Growing up in Britain, she went to culinary school “so I could get out of England,” she says. Kaiser hit the road at 18, a common rite of passage for young Europeans. Hitching around Europe, six months living on a sunny beach by the Mediterranean, a quick detour to Israel. That’s what she planned. And then one starry December night on a kibbutz in northern Israel, a tall, handsome American walked into her life. Within five years, she and Phil Kaiser were married. They stayed in Israel.

But Phil has deep roots in Tulsa, and eventually the couple decided to come home. They had run restaurants in Jerusalem, and they ran Cosmo Café in south Tulsa, and later relocated it to Brookside. The career choice initially taken to make money had become a well-loved way of life. Now, with Laffa, Kaiser wants to bring the richness and beauty of life in Arabian lands back to Tulsa. This beauty is often entwined with eating. “Food is communal eating,” she explains. “In most of the world, people eat from a communal pot. They talk, they enjoy, everyone is more relaxed.” There won’t be communal pots in Laffa, but diners are encouraged to share the lavish spread of appetizers, called mezze.

“When you think of the Middle East,” says Kaiser, “you think of hospitality. I’ve visited Palestinian homes where I, a stranger, was treated like a queen. That’s how we want you to feel when you eat with us here.” She gestures toward one of the large dining spaces and the long wall that dominates it. It’s a long, tall wall built of square and roughly chiseled stones glowing with a muted but varied palette of a hundred hues of brown, the sort of wall you’d see on houses in an Arabian village that’s been lightly touched by the passing centuries. Little bronze hands stick out from the wall, carrying glowing sconces. Kaiser designed all that. In fact, she designed every detail of the quirky, whimsical decor. Above the dining area, the lamps are puffy, billowing balloons. “They’re made in England by a girl I know there. She uses recycled plastic soda bottles.” Behind the bar is a cozy, private area ideal for private dinners. It features a long, black wall speckled with niches glowing from concealed lamps. “That’s inspired by the cave dwellings of Cappadocia.” Nearby is a mysterious black iron door with a sign that reads, “Page and Pinkerton Detective Agency.” It leads to a parking lot.

You don’t need a detective to find good food. Vibrant entrees bring the sparkle of the Mediterranean to the table. There’s tagine from Morocco, beef simmered for hours in a clay pot with dates, honey, molasses, tomatoes and wine. Shakshuka, a hearty dish of eggs poached with tomatoes, peppers and cumin, hails from Tunisia. Kushary, which features layers of rice, lentils, macaroni and onions topped with a tomato harissa sauce, is Egypt’s most popular dish. Or you can get lamb kebabs, or large shrimp tossed with tomatoes, mint and cilantro, or even a simple burger. If you show up in the wee hours of the morning, there’s something for you: a take-out window selling falafel wrapped in bread. And whatever you do, sample the laffa bread. You can see it being baked in a taboon, a clay-lined barrel-shaped oven just to the left of the bar, and it’s a joy to watch the grace of the workers kneading the dough and slapping it into the oven’s red-hot maw. “I’m so proud of the taboon crew,” says Kaiser. “They never did this before, and now they’re experts.” 111 N. Main St., Tulsa. www.laffatulsa.com

Hear This

By

Lindsay Cuomo

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March 27, 2013

Earaches are often associated with children, yet many adults suffer frequently from ear pain, as well. So what causes earaches? Can they be avoided?

Dr. Betty Tsai, assistant professor of otorhinology at the University of Oklahoma Health Science Center and otolaryngologist with OU Physicians, says the first step to managing earaches comes directly from determining the source of the pain.

“It’s important to pay attention to what is causing the pain or making it worse,” explains Tsai.

Spencer Voth, otololaryngologist with the Warren Clinic at Saint Francis Health System, agrees, saying, “The best treatment for an earache is, of course, going to depend on the source of the pain.” He suggests answering the following questions.

“When did your earache start? Is the pain intermittent, or is it constant, dull and achy or sharp and stabbing?” asks Voth. “Are you having any ear drainage, hearing loss, ringing in the ears, balance issues, a sore throat, nasal congestion, facial pain, runny nose or post-nasal drainage? Do you grind your teeth at night, wake up with a sore jaw, chew gum frequently or find yourself clinching your jaw when stressed?”

Or, more seriously, “Do you have any voice changes, difficulty swallowing, difficulty breathing or weight changes?” adds Voth.

These answers will help you and the doctor determine the root cause of an earache and the best course of action to remedy the pain.

While some ear pain can be treated at home with anti-inflammatories, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, Voth offers other home remedies that may offer some relief from the discomfort. A warm washcloth, heating pad or even warm liquids in the ear canal can help relieve pain.

“Hot fluids or organic matter, such as garlic, should not be placed in the ear canal,” cautions Voth. “Any earache lasting beyond 24 hours should certainly be discussed with a physician.”

Dr. Austin Sibley, a family medicine physician with St. John Medical Center, takes this one step further.

“If the pain is something that is concerning to you, it’s always acceptable to have it evaluated by your doctor,” encourages Sibley.

Tsai says that most ear pain results from Eustachian tube dysfunction. The Eustachian tubes are small passageways that connect the most inner part of your throat, nose and ears. Eustachian tubes open, allowing air to flow in and out. These tubes usually get blocked by swelling or fluids and often cause pain.

“Allergies or colds are the most common causes of Eustachian tube dysfunction,” comments Tsai.

“Allergies or colds are the most common causes of Eustachian tube dysfunction.”

The positive side to this common dysfunction is that it can be easy to treat. Sibley says simple over-the-counter allergy medicine or a decongestant can work wonders. Voth suggests Afrin or oxymetazoline.

“Over-the-counter nasal decongestants can offer some immediate relief,” says Voth. “But, these should not be used for more than three days.”

Still no relief? Sidley suggested talking to your doctor about a nasal steroid.

Tsai agrees that nasal steroids are often very effective, but adds, “It may take some time to see results.”

“Improvement may not be seen for several days, possibly weeks,” confirms Voth.

“You’ve got stay up on (your doses),” adds Tsai. “It’s really the only way to prevent this kind of ear pain.”

Poorly controlled Eustachian tube dysfunction can lead to serious complications, like cholesteatomas, which are benign lesions in the ear.

Cholesteatomas are very serious and can lead to hearing loss, dizziness, facial paralysis and encephaloceles, a condition where the brain falls into the middle ear, says Tsai.

“Sometimes these can cause bad ear infections that can get into the neck, requiring emergency surgery,” warns Tsai. “The most common complication is hearing loss. The rest are far less common.”

Ear infections, another common cause of ear pain, can develop in the outer, middle or inner ear.

Outer ear infections, sometimes called Swimmer’s Ear, are classically very painful with any movement of the external ear and can be accompanied by drainage from the ear canal, says Voth. An outer ear infection is typically caused by two culprits: moisture or over-cleaning.

Consequently, proper ear care is extremely important in preventing an outer ear infection. Contrary to popular belief, cotton swabs aren’t necessary and can be harmful.
“Don’t ever stick anything into your ears,” advises Tsai.

Instead, simply use a washcloth to clean the wax that makes its way out, suggests Sidley.

Voth agrees, explaining that using cotton swabs can irritate the ear canal.

“Removing the protective earwax leaves the ear canal dry, which can lead to cracking, itching, and pain,” says Voth.

If your outer ear infection is caused by moisture in the ear, a simple at-home remedy can help.

Tsai recommends a few drops of a mixture of equal parts water and vinegar. Sidley, too, has his own recipe.

Voth says a severe outer ear infection might need to be treated with antibiotic eardrops.

Inner ear infections are more commonly found in children under the age of 7 due to the positioning of their still-developing Eustachian tubes.

“Their Eustachian tubes are more horizontal, so pressure and fluids build up easier,” explains Tsai. “If an adult has a one-sided inner ear infection, I would recommend seeing an ear, nose and throat specialist to see if something else is wrong.”

Typically, adults suffer from middle ear infections more often.

“(Middle ear infections are) typically associated with a dysfunctional Eustachian tube, which frequently happens after recent traveling, illness or allergies,” says Voth.

Both inner and middle ear infection are often treated with antibiotics. The concern with ear infections is the frequency they occur.

“If you have chronic ear infections, you need to see your primary care physician to ward off any complications,” recommends Sibley.

“When no obvious source is noted by your physician, evaluation by an otolaryngologist is generally recommended,” says Voth. “Though the chances of your earache being cancer or a tumor are low, this diagnosis cannot afford to be missed.”

“Chronic infections of the ear in adults can be a sign of diabetes or underlying low immune system,” adds Voth.

Ear pain can also be a result of other problems with the mouth, nose and throat.

“The nerve endings (in that area) are connected, so sometimes the brain confuses (other issues) as ear pain,” explains Tsai.

Medical professionals term this as referred otalgia.

“Referred otalgia is most commonly associated with temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ), tonsillitis, dental infections, sinusitis and ulcers of the mouth,” says Voth. “Many head and neck cancers may also present in this way.”

As Sibley said before, if the pain concerns to you, talk to your doctor.

The Buzz: Oklahoma Joe’s

By

Jami Mattox

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March 27, 2013

When Oklahoma Joe’s BBQ landed a Broken Arrow location in 2011, barbecue aficionados let out a collective whoop. The eatery, which had been such a boon in Kansas City, was finally coming home to its namesake. Now Oklahoma Joe’s is serving those who can’t quite make the trek to Broken Arrow for the lunch specials. Catering to the downtown crowd, Oklahoma Joe’s has set up a satellite location in what was formerly Cain’s Second Stage, nestled between the historic ballroom and the trendy Yeti bar. According to Joe Davidson, founder and CEO of Oklahoma Joe’s, the full menu offered at the Broken Arrow branch is also available at the Brady location. It does brisk business, especially on days that offer nice weather, he says. Oklahoma Joe’s also opens with a limited sandwich menu prior to most Cain’s Ballroom shows for concert-goers looking for good grub before they commence to dance. 423 N. Main St., Tulsa. www.okjoes.com

Rave Reviews

By

Tara Malone

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March 27, 2013

The lights of Broadway might be a long way from the Sooner State, but for two local stage producers, the stars are shining bright.

Oklahoma theater veterans Jay Krottinger and Ryan Tanner recently joined creative forces to form Square 1 Theatrics, a production company that, despite its small-time roots, is making big-time waves in the New York City theater world with its off-Broadway production of Flipside: The Patti Page Story and the upcoming, much-anticipated Broadway revival of Pippin.

Although both Tanner and Krottinger have shared a lifelong passion for the theater, the two began their partnership with a very different collaboration: IQ Surgical, a health care marketing firm. But with their mutual love of the stage and every aspect of a production, it wasn’t a big jump for them to leverage their marketing partnership into producing award-winning shows together.

According to the partners, Square 1’s mission is to offer “compelling, powerful entertainment for a vast audience” with thought-provoking works that inspire change, including works from and about their Oklahoma home.

“It’s important to Square 1 that we have a strong commitment to producing local and regional works with other folks that we believe share in our mission and philosophy,” Tanner says. “Nothing is more exciting than hearing from someone that has a great, out-of-the-box idea. Of course, we can’t exist without investors, so we are always looking for Square 1 believers.”

Both producers were drawn to drama and the arts from a young age. An active participant in band, choir and drama during his school years, Krottinger performed professionally across the globe for years before landing at Square 1.

“Since the moment I stepped on stage as a kid, I knew that for the rest of my life, I was supposed to be in entertainment,” he says. “Like everything we do in our careers, our life journey places us in our niche. I laugh now because here I am, 10 to 15 years later, discovering where I feel most comfortable in my shoes, in entertainment. You ask why I laugh? Well, for almost every professional job I contracted as an actor or performer, the artistic directors and producers of the theater or the college professors always said I would make a great producer. I didn’t believe them, or for that matter believe in myself to go for it …

“Without sounding idealistic, I am pretty sure life directs us where we are supposed to be,” he continues. “It’s interesting how life comes full circle. I should have listened to all those mentors telling me to be a producer. Now, here I am producing my first two major productions.”

For Tanner, stepping onto the stage was more intimidating, so he chose other ways to enter the theater world. “As a young kid, I dreamed of performing and yet was scared to death of it,” he says. “So I did the next best thing: I volunteered for local theater productions in my hometown. I initially started by selling ads for the show program, and that grew into volunteering as a stagehand. I did whatever was needed to get closer to the production. I distinctly remember having an unhealthy obsession with the making of Anything Goes. It was then that I fell in love with each of the layers involved with theater and the amount of work by all involved to bring stories from paper to stage.”

The duo’s journey to forming Square 1 Theatrics began in 2010, when Krottinger, a master’s student at the University of Central Oklahoma, paired with UCO professor Greg White to work on White’s new musical. Flipside is the story of the Claremore native and 1950s pop sensation Patti Page, known for such hits as “How Much is That Doggie in the Window?” and “Tennessee Waltz.” The musical premiered at UCO in the spring 2011 before going on to garner 17 awards at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival, including “Best Musical.” Flipside then took off on a streak of success that would do its main character proud, embarking on an eight-city tour across Oklahoma before making its off-Broadway premiere in New York City this past winter. In 2013, the show will begin its world tour.

“The theater only had a two-week slot open at the end of 2012,” Krottinger says of the off-Broadway run. “So we jumped on it, signed the contract and partnered with the University of Central Oklahoma to co-present/produce Flipside at 59E59 Theater.”

According to Krottinger, it was the support of native Oklahomans who made the New York success of Flipside possible. “I am so thankful to those donors here in Tulsa and Oklahoma City who believed in our project,” he says. “It all happened so quickly – overnight, or at least it felt that way.”

It was while scouting the venue for Flipside that Tanner and Krottinger caught wind of a thrilling production opportunity: the first-ever Broadway revival of Pippin, the picaresque – and popular – tale of King Charlemagne’s wandering son. The original 1972 production was directed by Broadway legend Bob Fosse and won five Tony Awards upon its premiere. Recently, the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Mass., revived the musical to wide critical and audience acclaim. The edgy new production – scheduled to officially open on Broadway in April – already has generated enormous media buzz and more than $1 million in ticket sales.

After Krottinger and Tanner were invited to co-produce Pippin, they went to scope out a rehearsal for the show and were stunned. ”We almost couldn’t believe our eyes, sitting here in this secret rehearsal space, watching this musical come together,” Krottinger says. “It was truly fascinating. As we are watching the rehearsal, the lead producer comes over to introduce himself. We start chatting about the show, the new concept of Cirque-like acrobatics, and the infusion of Bob Fosse’s original choreography by Chet Walker, the amazing new costumes and the direction by Tony-award-winner Diane Paulus … I was immediately sold.”

“Meeting the production team on Pippin, particularly producer Howard Kagan, and seeing the talent working together in real-time, sold me,” Tanner says. “I thought, ‘Okay, what’s this hesitation about? This is it. They probably aren’t going to ask twice.’”

In addition, Tanner was moved by the production itself. “I didn’t realize the magnitude of the invitation until I saw Pippin in rehearsal,” he says. “The experience was transcendent. Everyone, in every aspect of the show, is at the top of their game, even the costume design. It’s a masterpiece in its own right … so here we are.”

Of the chance to produce the Broadway revival, Krottinger says, “I feel like I won the lottery. Besides the production is already receiving so much pre-opening buzz, we are equally excited about our organization’s inaugural Broadway venture.”

“Needless to say, we could not find ourselves more excited and eager to be where we are,” Krottinger says.

“Jay says this fell into our laps,” Tanner says. “I say it’s a direct result of everything I’ve ever done and all that I have met. Clearly, we bring different ideologies to the table.”

But while the paths that led to the stage and New York success – and their philosophies on exactly how they arrived there – might be different, both Tanner and Krottinger agree on one thing: Oklahoma picked them.

Tickets for the production are available via www.telecharge.com/pippin.

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