Coronet Club Show – 8:30pm
CORONET CLUB SHOW - Friday night, Nov. 5, 1998
The first thing we heard other than the country band that’s been playing
from beside the pit, was
"Ladies and gentlemen, the 1999 Queens of Harmony, RUMORS!" They
made their way down the center aisle to the standing ovation of their “subjects”
The Coronet Club Chorus, under the direction of Renee Craig "Welcome
to the Coronet Club
show... thank goodness it’s Friday night!" Wearing mostly
variations of glamorous gowns
in black and white the front row of the enormous chorus did:
How many times have you heard "Welcome to Music City?" Well, ladies,
it seems that every place
we hold a convention becomes Music City!
1995 New Orleans - WEEKEND EDITION (Penny Mensik,
Susan Martin, Donna Kleinschmidt, Nancy Shumard)
They are wearing a black glittery straight dress topped with silver
sequins surrounding a mesh neckline and sleeves. "We won that year
because the moon was full, and because Jupiter was aligned with Tulsa!"
HELP! I’M TURNING INTO MY PARENTS
"I’m getting up in the mornin now the time I used to be going to bed.....
HELP! I’m turning into my parents!"
FEELS LIKE HOME TO ME - This is a lovely song about being
content with life.
WHY HAVEN'T I HEARD FROM YOU?
----
Liz returns saying that Weekend Edition had several songs to choose
from, like:
"You’re the reason our kids are ugly,"
"I’m so unhappy, it’s just like when you were here," etc.
1991 - San Antonio Swing Street (Sylvia Karpinsky, LeAnn
Hazlett, Sue Snow, Sharon Cassell)
"Remember the lights that came crashing down behind them on that stage?
They didn’t flinch!
Of course we found out later that they are deaf.... "
THE OLD SONGS done just a little bit differently! They do several
samples of the "old" songs, but the one that got the big reaction
was the RAP!
"Country has its LeAnn Rimes, and we have our own LeAnn, and we’d like
to feature her on a song called "Everything’s As If we Never Said Goodbye"
- Lovely song, powerfully done!
----
Liz: Well, I’m sure glad they did that third number, after I
told you they were the epitome of
BARBERSHOP.... You just can’t trust anyone!”
1983 - Detroit - Melo- Edge (Donna Bates, Maureen Brzinski,
Debra Peters, Janell Lynch)
"They’ve always been there for us, but in 1987 Honolulu, Donna let
us down.. she had a baby two weeks earlier and felt like she should stay
home... Go figure. I had five of them little puppies and I could hardly
wiat to go to
convention!!"
OVERTURE! Yes Melo-Edge is 20 years old, but we don’t think of
ourselves as an old quartet, but rather harmonically advanced!
They recognize Maureen and Donna’s parents, Ted and Kay who have been
a part of their entourage at every convention. Since they are celebrating
their anniversary they offer this song for them...
MY VALENTINE
ALABAMA JAZZ-BO BAND
Liz: "In 1989 we were in Miami Beach... and Growing Girls took
the title. I remember the first time I heard these girls compete.
They were these cute little darlings wearing these little yellow hotpants
and cutaway tuxedos, and I was this pudgy little housewife.... I was just
SO thrilled to see them! They began singing together at the age of
11!" (Malin Palmqvist, Suzanne Harrington, Anna Ohman, Naima Meyer)
Each of the girls sings her own verse of this song,
THANK YOU FOR THE MUSIC - "...for giving it to me." I haven't
heard this one before. Lovely song.
-------
Liz: "Oh.. and they sing good, too!"
"So we move on to Milwaukee. 1974 was exciting for me in Milwaukee, as this was my very first convention as a Sweet Adeline. I remember going to Milwaukee. Six of us piled into a 4 door vehicle and drove from Decatur to Milwaukee and we all roomed together, too. Our room was next to this competing quartet, and every morning they woke us making these stupid noises. and it happened every freaking morning we were there! I didn't see what possible good that stuff could do. They later became the 1980 Champions, the Penna-Fores. After that, I decided I probably needed to learn to vocalize if I wanted to get any where with this thing!"
"The second inspiration that came that weekend was when I stood in the
hallway listening to the Sounds of Music (1974), and the Velvet Hammer.
Jean Barford, tenor, and Gloria, who sang lead are here on stage with us
tonight. Edie couldn't make it tonight. Last February Judy St.John passed
away after battling cancer for a long time. She was a coach, she was a
judge. She was on the International Board for years. Now we
will take you back to 1983 on the Coronet Club Show, when they sang "I
Am Woman." (on the video screens) Here they are, and by the way, Judy,...
This one's for you."
(On the video they are wearing Royal... light blue, navy and white
gowns, looking rather stunning and sounding pretty incredible. )
Jean: "That was 24 years ago and we certainly can roar, can't we?!"
----
"Over 9000 of you witnessed the crowning of these champs. In 1994 we
were in Reno, when Chicago Fire won. Two of these ladies are sisters.
Of all the Queens of Harmony, eight quartets have two sisters in their
quartets. In their performance package Dani sang a wonderful song,
"Papa Can You Hear Me". Remember that one? Welcome the 1994 Champions,
Chicago Fire." (Amy Brinkman, Dani Avalos, Bon Pressley, Bonnie Fedyski)
BANJO'S BACK IN TOWN
"This is our last time to appear on the Coronet Club show, and since
it’s our last time... we can do whatever we want to! So we decided
to do some of our favorites."
DIDN'T WE
MAY ALL OUR ALLELUIAS
Liz: "People are always asking me how’s your love life. I decided to do something about it, and Alaska seemed like a good place to go trolling, so we asked a girl in Alaska about it. She said, "Well, the odds are good, but the goods are real odd!"
"So I’ve been dating this cowboy now, off and on for about eighteen years.. His name is Bob... and that’s with two O’s. I've decided love is like parking spaces. All the good ones are taken.. but I’m just going to keep circling until one of you fools pull out... and ain’t nobody can parallel park like I can!"
Then, without warning, she says, "Ladies and gentlemen.. my friends,
Diane, Sandy and Shelly!" ... and we are in for a treat!! She
moves over to join the other three at center stage and AMBIANCE comes alive.
WHEN WILL I BE LOVED - All right! (Standing O)
This was a BIG surprise. Since Ambiance retired about three years ago, I was pretty much resigned to never getting to hear them live. We were thrilled at this little surprise package!! Only one problem. They only sang ONE song!
INTERMISSION
Well, this is the most happening intermission I can recall. The Mark Barnett Band (not sure if I heard the name correctly. That's my best guess. The country band started playing immediately and the crowd started the usual milling about, but it wasn’t long before they had started filling the aisles and were line dancing! I tried to get a few pictures but in this crowd it was difficult to get far enough away to see much other than body parts.
The second half of the show started with the CC Chorus singing "Champion Strut."
Liz: Well, now we've come to 1993 and we are in.... ? (someone yells
out Baltimore). She was in Baltimore, the rest of us were in Indianapolis.
That could be why you missed us! I watched gleefully for 6 years,
as Showtime thrilled and amazed us. "Scores and Sheets Forever" was
a classic. "Flight of the Bumblebee", and of course the "Dick Tracy" bit
are still some of my favorites! The artistry of Showtime was just
beginning! (Donna Rose, Debbie Connelly, Cynthia LeMasters, Dana
Hitt)
YA GOTTA KNOW / I CAN’T GIVE YOU ANYTHING BUT LOVE
"You know, one of the quartet competitors today informed us that they've
had 11 husbands! That probably explains the bumper stickers we saw
driving through LA recently that said, 'Honk if you’ve been married to
Acapella Gold!' Boy, have we got a song for them!"
SINCE YOU’VE BEEN GONE ...
"I feel like I’m chewing on a mouthful of tinfoil!
Well, I feel as if I've stuck my head in a blender and turned it on!
Ever since the day you left me,
I feel almost as bad as I did when you were still here!"
"On a cold wintry night in the streets of Paris, a girl walks alone....."
ON MY OWN ...
"pretending he’s beside me, all alone I walk with
him 'til morning.
And I know it's only in my mind.
That I'm talking to myself and not to him...
I love him... I love him, but only on my own."
This is a solo by Debbie, and it is absolutely gorgeous.
Now, sweetheart, (to the person who got the wrong city previously...)
it's 1992 and we are in..... Baltimore and it's City Lights! (Nanci Fuhrman,
Jo Lund, Sharon Vitkovsky, and Jeannie Froelich)
HIT THAT JIVE JACK! Ain't got time to shake your hand!
The jazzman ... the horn is his soul...
OH MR. JAZZMAN, PLAY
"Today is Sharon’s birthday.. it was so nice of you to come!
For Sharon’s last birthday the family got together and bought her a very
expensive gift... an oven, ... that flushes!"
DAPPER DAN, THE CORNET MAN - "The lady ain’t been born that can take
the place of a horn with a cornet man."
Liz: "In 1997 we were in Ft. Lauderdale and 4 Star Collection won. Pat
had a dream that they won, but she didn’t get a crown, so when they got
to Ft. Lauderdale they went immediately to the crown display and, lo and
behold, there were only three! Later she found her dream did come
true, - except for the crown part. And now, here's 4-Star
Collection!" (Connie Miller, Patricia Rygg, Denise Baber, Marcia
Starnes)
MILLION DOLLAR BABY
"There are just a couple of things you need to know about this baritone..
Everything she touches turns to gold! Give her her first registered
quartet and this happens (motioning to their crowns). Give her a
sewing machine and this happens (their dresses). Give her a microphone
and look out!"
BOB TILL YOU DROP
WHERE DOES THE TIME GO?
Liz: - 1998 Classic Edition! (Jana Brown, Susan Ives, Sheila Martinez,
Donna Kready)
They were introduced by showing the winning announcement on the video
screen from last year in Salt Lake City
AFTER TODAY -
"Who would have thought that one little crown,
fit to my head by the hands of a lovely queen,
would change my life, but by my life, it did."
"One of the fun things about this hobby is that we get to sing all
types of music. This one comes from Broadway."
CAN’T HELP LOVIN THAT MAN OF MINE
WHO WILL BUY?
Renee and the others welcome Classic Edition into the Coronet Club as
official members. The the CCChorus sings: THE CORONET WALTZ
ROYAL GARDEN BLUES!
OVERTURE, Reprise
The show is over, but the band starts up almost immediately and a lot
of people linger to listen and mingle with the crowd.