April 20, 2005
Very punny April Fool's
Unitarian Universalist Congregation presents annual light-hearted concert
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
Oh, the puns, the puns.
They ran thick and fast Saturday during the two performances of the Sixth Annual April Fool's Concert, an annual laughfest presented by members of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Grand Traverse.
Frog puns, sheep puns, music puns, cow puns -
"It's raining cats and dogs_how do I know? I stepped in a poodle."
and so on and so on, with all the jokes and puns and wordplays revolving around the event's theme of The Barnyard Follies.
The audience at the two events - which numbered about 85 at the matinee performance and more than 130 for the evening one - ate it all up. With Emmy Lou Cholak egging them on with her homemade "Laugh Now" or "Really Bad Pun Alert" signs, the audience was engaged - laughing or groaning at a brisk clip.
"I love the idea of people just having a good time and making fun of themselves and just not taking themselves seriously," said Bob Hicks, a member of the congregation who has attended a number of April Fool's Concerts. "It's all amateur. If I'm not doing something else, I go every year, but last year I was playing the trumpet somewhere."
Before even allowing the audience into their seats, organizers had each person run a gauntlet of examinations, where they were certified free of bird flu, mad cow disease and hoof in mouth disease. With an ear tag duly administered by a white-coated 'professional,' they took their seats in the sanctuary.
"My cat ate some cheese and then waited for a mouse with baited breath."
Host Kevin Tarsa, minister of music with the congregation, extended greetings, which were translated into numerous human and animal languages, and exhorted people to turn ON cell phones, pagers and to take flash photography. The bit wound up by encouraging the use of kitchen appliances and vacuums before launching into the opening number: nearly a dozen renditions of the Old MacDonald. Grouped as the Mighty Mac, the series included Old MacDonald in Gregorian Chant, featuring the Unitarian Universalist Vocal Ensemble singing in Pig Latin.
Tarsa, noting that the goal of the Follies every year is to provide a bit of escapism from the trials and tribulations of daily life, has worked to broaden the appeal of the event in the past few years. He writes much of the endless stream of jokes himself, with contributions from other congregants as well as finding others via the Internet. He is pleased to see, in addition to the core audience from the church, more community members attending.
"What we've tried to do over the years is broaden both the style of participation and the style of humor so both the young people and old people have enough to keep them engaged," he said, adding of his cast: "What I particularly enjoy is to watch people bring their creativity to their role, what they wear or what they bring their face or how they play with their part."
First person: "That won't work on a rooster, it's duct tape." Second person: "Ducks, roosters, the difference is poultry."
The April Fool's Concert, which began in 1999 as an antidote to early spring blahs, jumped to two performances last year. Tarsa said the event has also evolved to have a theme, instead of a variety show style collection of jokes and acts.
"The first couple of years we didn't have a theme but we found the concerts were sort of leading toward one, so we just decided on animals this year," he said. "Last year we added two performances and when you have a second chance to do something, it just smoothes things out and it is gratifying to get to do something again when you've worked so hard to prepare it."
"Duck feathers have skyrocketed, yes, down is up."