By MIKE CHAIKEN
EDITIONS EDITOR
The oldest variety show in the country is celebrating a milestone this year.
And as it looks forward to its future, it’s looking back at its past.
The curtain rises on the annual Bristol Boys and Girls Club Older Members Show on April 15 and 16. And this fund raiser for the OMs, which helps pay for programs at the Bristol Boys and Girls Club and Family Center each year, is celebrating its 75th anniversary.
With this landmark year, the 75th Annual OM Show is bringing back some musical numbers from previous years. They also are bringing back two venerated names in the OM creative annals as co-directors— Mary Lynn Gagnon and Ken Ferris.
The show this year is called, appropriately enough given the anniversary, “Encore.”
Gagnon in an email interview. said, “We are re-creating some of our favorite chorus numbers, small group numbers, solos and duets. Even the local dance studios (Dance Arts Centre and The Dance Experience) are coming back with their most popular routines, performed by a new crop of talent. The audiences can expect high energy, amazing voices, creative choreography, and some of the most talented performers in our area.”
Gagnon said, the theme was a no-brainer because of the anniversary. “Every show for the past 75 years has been unique, so it was fun to try and come up with a line-up that showcased some of the different numbers over the years.”
Choosing the numbers, however was a challenge. “Some of the decisions were made after auditions, once we saw who was in the cast, the mix of men and women and the ages of the performers,” said Gagnon.
In the end, said Gagnon, “We have four full chorus numbers, two mini chorus numbers, a few small group numbers and the rest solos, duets and dance studio performances. We will also have a few OM skits and of course the traditional OM songs at the end of the show.”
Although they have reached into the past for the numbers, Gagnon said the cast is a mix of OM show veterans and newcomers. “So many people have come back and it has been a fun reunion. And some who have come back weren’t in the original version of the numbers we selected, so it’s all new to them.”
The theme has easily won over the veterans, said Gagnon. “It is bringing back so many great memories for them too.” And for the newcomers, she said, it’s a brand new experience for them.
Although Gagnon and Ferris are the marquee veterans for the 75th anniversary show, Gagnon said, “We are also bringing back Jeff Warzecho to handle the music and sound the week of the show and I am so excited. Jeff and I have co-directed many shows in the past… Jeff is a huge part of the OM Show history and was responsible for taking the OM Show to a whole new level back in the early ‘90s with his musical talents and computerized techniques. He is a genius.”
“If someone has never seen an OM Show, this is the year to do it,” said Gagnon. “We truly have brought back the best of the best and the audience will get to experience a variety of music and dance, and an extremely talented cast.”
“The 75th Annual OM Show – Encore!” will be performed Friday and Saturday, April 15 and 16 at 7:30 p.m. There also is a Saturday matinee at 1:30 p.m. All performances are at St. Paul Catholic High School, 1001 Stafford Ave., Bristol. Tickets are available on-line at www.oldermembers.com/tickets. They can also be purchased at the Bristol Boys & Girls Club and Family Center, 105 Laurel St., Bristol.
Comments? Email mchaiken@BristolObserver.com
