It turns out rotarians aren’t people who collect and use vintage telephones, as originally suspected. They are actually people willing to thoroughly embarrass themselves on stage in order to raise money for a good cause.
The Rotary Club of Concord is presenting a variety show, “The Magic of Movies and Television: A Musical Tribute,” at the Concord City Auditorium in November to support its charitable foundation, showcasing many of its members in a collection of songs and skits gathered from film and television over the last 60 years or so. There will also be performances by children from the Concord Dance Academy.
Shows will be at the Audi Nov. 1 at 7:30 p.m., Nov. 2 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 3 at 2 p.m.
“It’s fun. It’s the type of thing where people will know the songs and we’re hoping they will sing along to them,” said Charles Willing, president of the Rotary Club and a performer in the show. “As president of the club, I know most of the members, but I get to know them on a different level when we’re all trying to figure out how we’re going to sing with each other. We’ve had a lot of fun with it.”
The performances are primarily musical, with solo acts sprinkled in among productions featuring a larger chorus. There are also a handful of skits, with most of the works being drawn from familiar movies and television programs. Willing said there are tunes from as far back as the ’50s, but also some selections from the last 10 years “and everything in between.” In all, about 20 numbers will be presented.
Willing will be a performer, taking part in as many as eight or nine numbers as a member of the chorus, he said, as will Warren Emley, a club member who is also acting as the producer of the show. He’s performing “The Gambler” on his own and will be part of several choruses and a performance of “Chim Chim Chir-ee.” An amateur performer, Emley is more than happy to inspire a few chuckles, as long as those chuckles help the cause (which happens to be a charitable foundation that gives money to local causes such as the Boys and Girls Club, the Friendly Kitchen and Boy Scout troops).
“That’s really what we are doing it for, so our neighbors and friends can get up and laugh at us, but still pay a price for it,” Emley said.
Plenty of work has gone into the production. Willing said they’ve been rehearsing since the spring, though what were once infrequent practices have gained more urgency as the show dates approach. It has given people who aren’t used to performing a chance to get acquainted with their roles and the fact that other people will be in similar positions.
“What’s fun about it from the perspective of not being a singer is doing something you’re not completely comfortable with, kind of pushing the envelope a little bit,” Willing said.
It’s not all fun and games for the rotarians, either. Willing and Emley have both been involved in coordinating the production, Emley most closely in the role of a producer. That has required him to finagle a lot of the logistics, such as renting the rehearsal space, securing sponsors and advertisers, “talking people into” performing in the show. Thankfully he had a membership of more than 80 to draw on, but that didn’t necessarily make the task any less stressful.
“It’s like a multi-headed monster, but it’s coming together well,” Emley said. “There were enough people that were willing participants, and we’re getting a lot of participation from our membership, but the onus of the producer is to make sure that happens. Somebody’s got to turn the lights on and turn them off, too.”
Once the lights are on, Emley is confident audience members will enjoy themselves. Most of the numbers will be familiar and may even bring people back to certain times in their past.
“The advantage to this is we are going to draw upon movies and Hollywood and favorite TV shows of the past. Like Archie Bunker, to name one; people will remember seeing that, so it’s going to appeal to that generation of people,” Emley said. “So it will have a lot of reminiscence to it. I think it really appeals to all audiences, all ages. And it will be familiar stuff. People will go to be entertained. It’s not going to be first-rate Broadway skill, but you can pay a lot of money and go to the Capitol Center for the Arts for that kind of show; the appeal here is the local appeal.”
Tickets for the show are $18 each and can be purchased at the Merrimack County Savings Bank on North Main Street, the Capitol Center for the Arts, Gibson’s Bookstore and the UPS Store. They are also available at the club’s website at clubrunner.ca/concordnh. Inpidual rotary members are also selling tickets.
