Brunswick County Habitat “Senior Follies”
BY LAURA LEWIS
STAFF WRITER
Golden-age talent will take center stage as Senior Follies, a fundraiser for Brunswick County Habitat for Humanity, unfolds Saturday night, Nov. 8, and Sunday afternoon, Nov. 9, at Brunswick Community College’s Odell Williamson Auditorium.
A lineup of 30 acts involving singing, dancing and other talent will highlight the show in two separate performances.
“It’s a showcase of talent,” said Marlene Jackson, executive producer of the third annual event. “It’s not a talent show.”
It’s more like vaudeville, she said, or a Ted Mack variety show.
This year, proceeds will go toward building a special rehabilitation house for Henry and Robin Randolph of Bolivia. Henry Randolph is a quadriplegic and has been unable to work after being injured in a car wreck.
Performers in the fundraiser must go through an audition process.
Some of this year’s participants include:
Susan Scott—The Carolina Shores resident will play “Send In The Clowns” on violin.
Rich Hamilton—Now in his third year performing in the show, Hamilton will present his Louis Armstrong and Jimmy Durante renditions.
“If you close your eyes, you can think Louis Armstrong is alive and singing,” Jackson said.
Kitty Reedy—A solo tap-dancer from Wilmington.
Sarah Harrell—The comedienne will perform as “Minnie Opal,” explaining she’s “not as polished as a pearl.”
“We’ve got the most outstanding community,” said Gary Knapp, executive director of Brunswick County Habitat for Humanity, noting all proceeds will go toward a new home for the Randolphs.
Already, he said, sponsors including Supply and Union elementary schools, St. James Service Club and Coldwell Banker Sloane Realty have pitched in with the fundraising effort.
“It’s a special needs house, which is more costly and will require a lot more than the traditional Habitat house,” Knapp said. “That’s why this fundraiser is so important.”
The Habitat Revue dancers, consisting of Habitat volunteers, will perform a soft-shoe routine to “Take A Chance On Me” from “Mamma Mia!” just before the finale, when “everybody comes and takes their bow,” Jackson said.
The troupe, consisting this year of two women and seven men, is being directed by professional dance instructor Lindsay Collins Shaw of Raleigh, with assistance from Kristin Lloyd.
The 17-member Tappers Extraordinaire also will perform.
In addition to Jackson, volunteers helping with the annual show include co-producer Trish Collins, technical producer and show emcee Eben French Mastin and music producer Gary Short, who is making long-distance contributions after moving from Brunswick County to Hamlet a few months ago.
Short is orchestrating the show’s master tape, Jackson said.
“He’s done a lot of productions in his life,” she said. “We’re working through him. He still wanted to do [the show] from afar.”
Concessions featuring contributed baked goods and drinks will be sold in the auditorium lobby, including during intermission, as another part of the fundraiser.
A host of volunteers from Habitat’s re-stores and its board are assisting with the event.
Raffle tickets for a one-week timeshare stay in New Orleans also will be sold.
Show times are 7:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $15 for adults and $7 for children younger than 12.
Tickets are available at Odell Williamson Box Office, 755-7416 or Tickets@bccowa.com. Tickets can be charged to VISA or MasterCard.
Tickets also are available at the Habitat for Humanity office, 4255 Long Beach Road, Oak Island (454-0007); The Brunswick Beacon, 208 Smith Ave., Shallotte; Habitat Resale stores in Ocean Isle Beach and Southport; BB&T area branches and The State Port Pilot in Southport.
November 8th, 2008 | Tags: Brunswick County seniors, Coastal Carolina Lifestyle Realty, Habitat for Humanity, SRES | Category: SRES | 
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