Rollicking and raucous, hilarious and biting, the 65th Annual Rotary Show promises to be another installment in a tradition of humor for a good cause.
Opening tonight at the Lars Hockstad Auditorium for a four-night run, the show features a 55-member chorus and a range of songs and skits that turn a comedic eye toward show tunes, life and local, state and national happenings. Various surprises are also sprinkled throughout the line up, including guest appearances by singers from Traverse City West Senior High School's recent production of "Les Miserables.”
"There's a little bit of everything,” said Bryan Crough, who coordinates the production team for the show and has been involved with the event for 17 years. "There's always plenty to work with in this community.”
Proceeds of the event benefit the Rotary Club's Good Works Fund, which annually grants between $40,000-60,000 to area organizations. Projects receiving funds in the last half of 2006 included proposals by the Grand Traverse Conservation District, Legal Services of Northwest Michigan and the Grand Traverse Hockey Association U-16 Girls, to the Grand Traverse Regional Health Care Coalition, Third Level and Northwest Michigan Human Services Agency.
Dave Millross has the bottom line responsibility for this year's show and also shares the music director position with Al Bonney. Planning since last July, the two sifted through 400-500 song suggestions, winnowing the list down to about 20. Rehearsing the chorus since February, they guided the singers-, dancers- and actors-for-a-week through their paces Monday night during a tech rehearsal.
"We are asking them to do things that for a lot of them are out of their comfort zone and they do it,” said Millross, who is the as director of music, worship and missions at the Faith Reformed Church. "We're working very hard to make it a PG-rated show and we're doing it for entertainment purposes but our end goal is to put that back into the community.”
These leaders in business and the professions who put on the show are willing to ham it up at their own expense to help their community. They throw themselves into the goofy lyrics, high-energy choreography and campy skits with typical dedication to success.
"I like making a fool of myself and being an embarrassment to my children,” said Randy Kamps, who has been a Rotary member and show participant for three years. "It's a lot of fun for a really great cause — and the sillier we can be the more people we will draw.”
"We're all keeping our day jobs,” he added.
From his perch as a junior at St. Francis High School, Rotary exchange student Isidoro Verdejo of Campeche, Mexico, has been enjoying the antics of the Rotarians.
"I think it's really fun to see old people dancing and having a good time,” said Verdejo, a chorus member who arrived in January for an 11-month stay and has been tapped to sing a solo.
Shortly after Dan Jonkhoff joined the Rotary Club in 1976 he jumped into the annual shows and has been a devoted participant for three decades.
"It's one way to get to know people more than just at lunch,” he said of the months of planning and rehearsals plus the intense production and performance week. "You make great friends with each other doing community service together and you see different sides of each other, too, good sides.”
The 65th Annual Rotary Show will be held every evening beginning Wednesday, April 18, through Saturday, April 21. Doors open 7 p.m. with pre-show at 7:30 p.m. and the show beginning at 8 p.m. Tickets are $8 and are available at the door or in advance from Rotary Club members, the Rotary office and at these locations: Fawcett Dopke Agency, Terrace Shopper, Holiday Shopper, American Spoon Foods and Petertyls. For more information, contact the Rotary office at 941-5421.