Ralph is a staple at every Lions Club Variety Show...and yes, he is hilarious!
Lights! Camera!
Action! Here we go again! You ask, “Now, what show are you talking about?” I am
glad you asked. This Saturday night the Pleasant Lake Lions are at it again
entertaining you. This show has been in existence for 70 years. That is
amazing. How many folks have come and gone singing and dancing and telling the
lovely corny jokes? The stage whispers of their long-ago voices as the ensemble
once again takes over at the Dale Hughes Auditorium.
I have been a
participant in this show for several years with characters like Lily Tomlin,
Minnie Pearl, or the Bride of Frankenstein! (The Frankenstein show was
hilarious!) Every show has a theme, and the songs reflect that theme. The
ensemble sings the songs and in between there are jokes and walk throughs! This
year the theme is the Game of Life. Under the direction of Tom Adamson and Mary
Ramsey, this year’s musical story goes through the stages of life with lots of
songs you will know!
Rehearsals for
the ensemble started a couple of months ago on Sunday afternoons. We gathered
in Pleasant Lake to learn the songs and sing together. We have invited Judah
and Sean from my Trine theatre, and they are joining us in song and in their
fun showstoppers!
After being in
the show for several years and knowing so many of the good folks in Pleasant
Lake, I decided to join the Lions Club. No, I don’t live in Pleasant Lake, but
I guess I have been forgiven by all of them. I knew it was something I wanted
to do, but I didn’t realize at the time how deeply committed folks were to this
long-going club and all the good they do in the community. I do say “they” as I
probably am not as good a club member as some of them. I go to meetings…sing in
the show…help a little with fund raisers, but I guess I leave the rest to them.
The Lions members take their roles very seriously from cleaning up the beach to
providing pickle ball courts to making sure the parks and areas are clean and
always ready for you to visit.
Our local
chapter is just one of 50,000 clubs with 1.4 million members. These chapters
help out all countries in the world including disaster relief and supporting
refugees in war-torn countries. They also provide children with eye exams and
glasses. All of the money earned by our fund-raisers and this show goes right
back into the community. I am sure those are the real reasons I joined. You can
even be a big part of this by attending our show on Saturday night! And, you
know what? If you cannot give a donation, that is okay too. We want you there.
When the
curtains open, we will be smiling and singing for you. Are we a perfect choir
and ensemble? No! I think that is what makes it wonderful. We are just regular
folks singing our hearts out to you…telling you jokes and hoping that for a
couple of hours we take you back in time. This year we take you back to dating
and courting, marriage, and past that. I am sure you will know the songs so
please sing along. There is 7th inning stretch in which you all get
to stand and stretch and sing with us. The words will be in your program,
although I doubt you will need them!
Tom is a fun
director. He goes from playing his guitar to the karaoke machine to his own
whistling. Adding to the fun Lee Saur pulls his harmonica out of his pocket when
we sing “Country Roads.” One night while we were rehearsing and watching the
monitor that is our lifeline thanks to Mike, we came to the song “On the Road
Again.” Tom likes to tell us little tidbits before each song, but when we got
to that one, he put down his guitar, looked at us and said, “I feel like I am
on the road again with my friends as we do this show.”
I feel like
that too. I think the Pleasant Lake Lions Club has enriched my life in so many
ways. I have made connections with lots of different folks and found ways to
serve our community. See you Saturday
night!
“The life I love is makin’ music with my
friends
And I can’t wait to get on the road
again.”
Willie Nelson
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