April 4, 2001
No joke: April Fools' Day concert serious night of fun
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
No foolin' about it, the show was a talent extravaganza.
The Second Annual April Fool's Concert played to a packed house Sunday evening at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation, one packed with laugh after laugh, that is.
Created by members of the congregation, led by the fellowship's music director Kevin Tarsa, the two-hour concert did not have a dull moment. Puns flew fast and furious, satire mocked and the recurring theme of mutated lyrics set to the tune "Yesterday" by the Beatles skewered everyone from Bill Gates to dieting to the most recent election. Other mutated songs included "What Chad is This?" set to the tune of 'What Child is This?' as well as "Somewhere (get) over the Rainbow."
"I'm hoarse from laughing," declared Rev. Emmy Lou Belcher. "We have an immensely talented congregation."
Belcher believes that the concert exemplifies the spirit of her congregation.
"This concert is about joy, fun that doesn't demean anyone and at the same time is good clean fun," she said. "You don't get the chance to see that very often in our culture."
Kevin Tarsa, the congregation's music director, came up with the idea for the concert last year just as a way to lighten everyone up after a long, dreary winter. When the program was such a huge success, he decided to try again and continue what may the congregation hopes is annual tradition.
"This night exemplifies the congregation, in its humor that is anchored in serious stuff," said Tarsa, who has been the fellowship's music director for 14 years. "It sort of is a talent show, we have such a wealth of talented people and they just bring their own ideas to me. I work with the choir on a few special projects."
Bill Cheney and his wife, Mary, performed a duet and Bill, also known as Cadillac Willie, brought the house down with a satirical blues song entitled, "Little Red Rooster." Members of the church for two years, the Cheneys thoroughly enjoyed the concert.
"We got our nerve up this year," Cheney said. "It is sort of a unique church. We're the only church that will admit we don't know what we're talking about so April Fools' Day is like a national holiday."
Members of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship performed all but four of the numbers. Musical guests included members of the Sweet Adelines, some of whom are church members, and local musician Karen Kay.
"I put the word out to members and they brought ideas to me," Tarsa noted. "Some of the pieces I hadn't even seen before, but I knew those people and what they could do."
Some ideas that came were leftovers from last year. Musician and educator Mary Anne Rivers composed her song, "Old Age is Not for Sissies" for the concert last April, but could not attend due to a family commitment. She saved her song for members this year, leading them in accompanying her in the lengthy chorus.
"I thought the concert was a riot, I slept really well that night," she said.