President Allison “The Awesome” Beers called the meeting to order with song and the pledge before introducing Nikki Sobkowski who shared the Invocation for the day. “The Fabulous” Vern Gauthier acknowledged the Chair-y Festival Drill Team and their upcoming Northport excursion and then had everyone clapping, stomping and shouting ‘Rotary!’ as he led the singing. Al Zelinski brought all of our guests to our attention with warm greetings.
Gil Bogley introduced our newest member Jamie Kidd. Please welcome her as you always do over the next few weeks as she becomes acclimated to the club.
President Allison Congratulated Art Bukowski on his new baby and Oz on his new grandbaby! And a shout out to John Hall on 20 years in his dental practice.
A new committee, not to be confused with, but in addition to the Social Committee, is the new ‘Fun Committee” headed up by Jamie Keillor. Touch base with Jamie if your interested in working with the committee or have ideas.
Mark Eckhoff gave a final assessment of the Rotary Show, which netted $63,000. Mark also recognized once more the many people who made the show work and handed the baton over to Vern Gauthier who heads up next year’s show and Ramona Pleva as Producer-in-training. Phil Murphy, Director; Al Bonney, Bob Stow, Chorus Directors; Randy Kamps, Announcer; The very secret Saturday morning Production Team ;-); Wendy Irvin, Volunteer Coordinator/Concessions; Trevor Tkatch, Ad Sales; John Noonan, Photographer; Kat Paye, Tickets/Marketing; Katy McCain, Public Relations; Andrew Coleman, Load-in/out; Mike Mindertsma, Stage Crew; Michael Caruso, 50/50…and everyone else he may have forgotten. And then, of course, there is the glue that holds it all together embodied in our own Kathy Bussell!
A special Paul Harris Fellowship was given to Mike Hunter from the club. Presented by Bob Stow in honor of Mike’s many years of service to our club and the Rotary show as Band Leader and Orchestrator. Though he is stepping away from that role, don’t be surprised to see him still playing in the pit on his trombone. Congrats to Mike. Well deserved!
Rotarian Ben Whiting introduced wife Erin Anderson Whiting, Executive Director of Parallel 45 as the lead-off speaker for the day’s program.
Whiting describes Parallel 45 (P45 - as it is commonly known around the city) as a Theatre that produces cutting-edge interpretations of classic plays, giving familiar stories new life – and fresh relevance – for the northwest Michigan audience. By producing a repertory of reinvented classics and imaginative adaptations, they seek to entertain, encourage critical thought, and inspire conversation in our community.
Over the eight years since their inaugural performance of Our Town, they have grown in stature and reputation throughout the region, state and country as an innovative professional theatre. Now they are on hiatus as they the reorganize in preparation to produce and present a 2019 summer repertory season in consort with the Grand Traverse County Parks and Recreation as they help to reconstitute and upgrade the outdoor Amphitheatre at the Civic Center. The rotating repertory will offer a number of shows performed in rotating repertory over a 4 week summer season offering numerous varied opportunities to experience the work this exciting theatre company continues to bring to our area.
Following is a link to a short video that expresses the vitality the company brings:https://vimeo.com/248020617
Following the short presentation, Whiting introduced Michael Norton, one of the many national and international artists who have appeared with the company over the past years, who had worked with a cast of three writer/performers who engaged us in comic sketches they prepared just for the Club appearance.
Featuring a series of hilarious sketches that put the unheralded, minor characters of our favorite stories in the limelight and in the most unusual of contemporary circumstances. “Stow your emotional baggage for the journey” our guide intoned, and imagine the tooth fairy defending herself for trying to pay parking tickets with teeth. Tickets received while picking up teeth in exchange for quarters…well, hopefully, you get the idea, ‘cause it was funnier than I could ever make it on paper! Then think of partners of adults who had life changing experiences as children. Think Wendy Darling (Peter Pan), Dorothy Gale (Wizard of Oz) or Alice Liddel’s (Adventures in Wonderland). Finally couples counseling with Santa and Carol Claus. Presented by Katherine Mangold, Mary Holland and Alex Coggin, three incredibly funny and talented performers. It was a tasty morsel of the kind of work that Parallel 45 does. Turning what we know on its head and asking us to see it with a new eye.
Can’t wait to see what they will bring us next summer in their new digs!
After 15 wonderful and rewarding years as Rotary Show Chorus Music Director, I have decided it is time to hang up my baton. A couple of weeks ago I announced that anyone interested in considering replacing me should contact me. Briefly, the Director works with other chorus leadership to:
Select the music with the arranger for next year’s show.
Create chorus scores with the arranger.
Produce the learning trax with the recording engineer.
Plan and undertake the 14 one-and-a-half hour chorus rehearsals in March and April.
Help singers be successful by assisting with music preparation and improving singing skills.
Coordinate with other show leadership, especially the Saturday morning production team, to insure smooth flow of the show’s entertainment content.
Manage the professional musicians hired to support the chorus.
Lead the chorus so everyone has fun and an enjoyable musical experience.
The chorus calendar begins in August and runs through the end of April. Total hours involved might be around 100 between August and February for music selection, score production and personal preparation. Another 50 in rehearsals and personal preparation in March and April will get the job done. Other than rehearsals, scheduling the time is pretty much up to you.
As for musical experience and skills required, some experience with music theory, choral directing, reading music and teaching singers to sing better and as a chorus would be the primary skills necessary. We have an assistant director so you don’t have to do all the work all the time. We also have a chorus manager who takes care of most of the chorus business and administrative issues.
Because the chorus calendar starts in August, the successful candidate will assume the director’s duties in August of 2019. Ideally, this person would be my wingman/woman as we put the 2019 show together. This would offer an opportunity to meet the chorus and understand their skill level and expectations of the director while seeing what needs to be done without the responsibility of having to deliver. Naturally, it would be helpful if the new director participated in some way with the chorus next year.
Please contact me if you would like to learn more about this exciting and rewarding job.
