The Harmonizer annual Holiday Dinner Theater shows played to cheering audiences who got to laugh and sing and join in the fun that the Harmonizers created. In addition the ticket holders got a great meal of salad, lasagna, green beans, bread, and tons of holiday cookies.
As has become our tradition, the chorus dug out their elf or toy costumes for this show weekend. And Jack-in-the-Box, Terry Reynolds, was the MC and audience friend. Jacque Frost, Scipio Garling, and his assistant mime, Tom Kraus, keep the gags going and the audience responded. There were some costume standouts among the 80-plus singers on stage such as Victor Hills’ toy soldier garb, Steve Murane’s “Super Mario” outfit, Steve Lingo’s cowboy gear, and Rob Korsan’s Christmas tree (he had the students in the class he teaches, help make it for him).
Word is that Scipio Garling and Josh Roots had a lot to do with the fun script for the show.
There were actually about 100 of the members around making sure all parts of the operation were handled well. The music team had the guys ready to sing and had added a new song this year, “Blue Christmas.” The production team also used various ensembles to sing some songs needed to carry the story line – two newly organized chapter quartets, THE BLANKS and FREE AGENTS; TBD a capella group; and CAMERON STATION group.
The soloists for the show were Will Daniel Mudd-Simomns, Phil Ferguson and Tony Colosimo for “Ave Maria”; Brian Miller, Jim Lake and Brad Jones for “Let All Mortal Flesh”; Frank Fedarko, Ken White and Drew Fuller for “Do You Hear What I Hear?”. The “Twelve Days of Christmas quartet was Bob Mattes, Alan Kousen, Bill Curtis and Dave Welter. The “five golden rings” quartet was Dan O’Brien, Tony Colosimo, Joe Cerutti and Mike Kelly.
Also need to thank Joe’s assistant directors for their work on the show – Mike Kelly, Will Cox and Tony Colosimo.
For the Saturday nite performance, Will Cox did his always popular, “’Twas the Night Before Christmas” routine and kept the audience in stitches.
Bob Mattes was producer and his organizational skills helped make things work. He was especially mindful in providing the singers with details as to their duties and schedule.
Roger Day coordinated decorations for the hall and a big crew of members and FRIENDS members worked much of Friday getting the church hall converted into a holiday scene – candy canes, lighted trees, snowflakes, wreaths, and a ton of wrapped gift boxes, which the chorus guys brought in. (For the third or fourth year, the Potomac Harmony Sweet Adeline Chorus hauled away the wrapped boxes and used them for their holiday show.
The chapter hired the church crew to cook the food, but our guys bought it from a supply firm and hauled a truck load of lasagnas and such in on Friday. Then Keith Jones and Ken Rub coordinated a million other details such as setting the tables, and then delivering the food to the tables by the singing elves. It worked great!!!!
Santa and Mrs. Claus, Bruce and Ginny Minnick, were on hand for the shows and picture taking which was coordinated by Scott Kahler.
Technical crew included Dennis Ritchey, Dixie Kennett, Scott Kahler and other helpers.
The FRIENDS group sold our CDs and Harmo mugs and White House Ornaments for us. They also sold a ton of holiday ornaments which the customers could have special messages added to. There were also some Harmo bears decorated in the elf costumes too.
Don Dillingham and his wife coordinated the silent auction at each show.
Ken White and a crew of new members like Adam Bradley and Chris Clark collected the pink signup slips collecting email addresses for folks who would want info about our Singing Valentine effort. We did a drawing at each show and awarded one free SV. Joe Wagovich is now working to get the emails posted and materials sent out.
This year we started the last set, which is sung as carolers wearing scarves and sweaters and such, by entering as we sang “Silent Night” and carrying candles. It was a highlight for some of our customers. Thanks to Alan Wile for helping get the candles from his wife’s Sweet Adeline chorus, Potomac Harmony.
There were six guys who had never sung with the chapter before in a show who appeared over the weekend. Many of them also volunteered to help with props and food delivery and Santa pictures. Dave Kohls helped Steve Murane, our terrific ticket chairman, with the box office operation.
Poor Director Joe was sick all weekend, but he mustered the courage and strength to be with us. He and the guys really made the audience laugh and enjoy themselves when we did the Twelve Days of Christmas sing along. Biggest laugh was when the group of audiences singers (coaxed by some of our guys) sang “Six Golden Rings” and beat the Five Golden Rings quartet at their own game of hamming it up and stealing the show.
Cindy Hansen and Geri Geis, our stage presence coaches, were both at the show on Saturday nite. There were a lot of Sweet Adelines in the audiences, especially on Friday nite. Top tickets salesmen were Dick Hall, Brad Jones and Alan Wile.
The actual show theme or story was “A Christmas Song Countdown” radio show.
The singing waiters cleared tables and reset for the shows and then Saturday nite, put it all away and hauled it back to storage.
Until next time – editorjack!
(This message is prepared for your review if you were there, for your information if you had to miss, and as a historical record of the great things going on each week at an Alexandria Harmonizer Chapter meeting. —Ye Ed.)
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