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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 3, 2016)
6 A SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2016 H OLLY J OLLY F OLLIES TAKES ON ‘H O H O H OLLYWOOD ’ Review B Y B URNEY G ARELICK eck the halls with boughs of holly, disap- proval would be folly. There’s no disapproval in Florence this year because the Holly Jolly Follies is back this weekend, Dec. 3 and 4, at the Florence Events Center. It all started back in the 1990s when artful Florence res- idents put on community vari- ety shows call the Follies. In the new millennium, local entrepre- neur Pat Sapp decided to revive the good times by producing and directing the Holly Jolly Follies, recruiting Follies’ stars of yesteryear and newcomers alike. Sapp’s Holly Jolly Follies became a beloved tradition. Now, Florence’s Ziegfeld has handed the reins of the Follies to Melanie Heard, falconer of Florence’s mighty CROWs, that is, Children’s Repertory of Oregon Workshops. Director Heard enlisted her accom- plished mother, (Rose) Ellen Jacobson, eminent playwright and equestrian, to write the script. Perhaps the deal was sealed by the onstage appear- ance of Luna, a very well- behaved miniature horse mas- querading as a reindeer. The 2016 Holly Jolly Follies is, true to the tradition, packed with song, dance, and laughter, D including such luminaries as Mayor Joe H e n r y , Siuslaw News Editor Ned Hickson, the ever-popular FloTones vocal (and comic) ensem- ble, Florence first lady of dance Angela Palmer, long- time Florence trumpeter John Stone, the Siuslaw High School Choir, the Buck & A Quarter Band, the Encore Dancers as six Shirley Temples — what would a Follies be without tap dancers! — a couple of CATs from Florence’s newest theater Class Act Theatre reprising the Bunkers, animated CROW kids, movie scholar Jared Anderson as a hyperactive and hilarious movie director, elegant vocal soloists (Denise Dee, Melanie Heard, Wendy Krause, Bill Olson, Brynne Sapp), and many more. You’ll know them when you see them. Or maybe not. You may have to blink twice to recognize Hickson as Elfis, the tall elf in the white sparkly suit who swivels his hips, causes girl elves to swoon, and joins in on “Blue Christmas” with Elvis, played by Doug Bushwar, member of the Buck & A Quarter Band. As for those Buck & A Quarter hombres, they turn into cowboys to herd cattle in the chilly San Fernando Valley, sit- ting around a campfire, eating beans, from which eructations and other sounds ensue. There are other special effects and wonderful sets to mirror ball is hanging from the ceiling. Did I mention T- Rex? Anything can happen in “Ho Ho Hollywood!,” the title of this year’s Holly Jolly Follies, which takes us back to the script and the story that accompanies the madcap variety show. Jacobson has writ- ten scripts for comic Poison Pen Players murder mystery spoofs, including the infamous “Dead In COURTESY PHOTOS The Sled.” But “Ho Ho Holly- Community actors of all ages fill the roles of wood!” sports no dead bodies. Holly Jolly Follies “Ho It is only as macabre as Ho Hollywood.” Left, the frustrated wannabe movie Doug Bushwar as Elvis maker exploiting Santa for sings “Blue Christmas” money to make his movie. This with Ned Hickson as Scrooge or Grinch character, the villain, if you will, is Jack Elfis. Frost who is gray turning blue over yuletide with no cash. put the audience into a winter Played by the inestimable Mike wonderland of holiday celebra- Jacobson, Jack Frost nips at tion, as when the FEC sparkles everyone’s wallet. He kidnaps with points of light like a giant Santa from the North Pole, Deadwood holiday bazaar tomorrow Deadwood Community Services will host its Holiday Market and Baazar at the Deadwood Community Center, milemarker 4.2 on Deadwood Creek Road, on Sunday, Dec. 4, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m The public is invited to come up river to see the works of talented area arti- sans making pottery, jewelry, fabric arts, beauty and health concoctions, baked goods, holiday candies and a multi- tude of arts and crafts. leaves a ransom note for the elves, hustles the fat man to shopping malls all the way to Hollywood, and encourages shoppers to fill Santa’s red bucket with money. Santa’s elves don’t take this lying down; they band together in delightful elfish costumes to pursue all leads to Santa’s whereabouts, ending up in Hollywood that glitters with Christmas magic and exotic dancers with colorful veils straight out of Aladdin — and poof! Everyone’s wishes come true. Even Jack Frost’s com- plexion turns from blue to rosy red, and all’s well that ends well. The Holly Jolly Follies has returned to Florence, where the river meets the sea. So deck the halls, stuff the stockings, and jingle those bells for a happy Christmas. And this is the year, for sure, that we need a little Christmas, as Heard suggests in the program’s director notes. May all of your days be merry and bright and all of your follies be jolly and joyful. 1255 Bay Street Sttre et (541) 9 991-3322 9 1- 3 32 3 22 It’s that time of year when artists, cooks and creative folks of Deadwood together at the Deadwood Community Center for an exchange of art and holiday cheer. There will be food and drink on hand to purchase for A , e, e é ,A q e Hot Cider & Goodies all December lon f Handbell Choir to play during Advent COURTESY PHOTO The Handbell Choir will perform with the Florence Community Chorus on Dec. 10 and 11. The Handbell Choir will play every Sunday during Advent at the Presbyterian Church of the Siuslaw. The group will also play with the Florence Community Chorus at its performance on Saturday, Dec. 10, at 7 p.m. and again on Sunday, Dec. 11, at 2 p.m. at the Presbyterian Church. Anyone who is interested in participating in the handbell choir can attend rehearsals on Mondays at 4:15 p.m. at the church, at 3996 Highway 101. For more information, call the church office at 541-997- 7136. 240 A Jazz Kings Christmas 2016 Happy Holiday Wed, Dec 14, 7:30 pm Florence Events Center Tickets 541.997.1994 theshedd.org Siuslaw News Photo of the Week: By Robert Langenfield HOURS Is your family prepared? If an emergency happens in your community, it may take emergency workers some time to reach you. You should be prepared to take care of yourself and your family for a minimum of 240 hours. Get your emergency sanitation kit started with these essentials: ❑ Plastic bucket with tightly fi tting lid ❑ Plastic bags and ties ❑ Disinfectant, soap Improvised toilet seat (5-gallon bucket or a coffee can) ❑ Paper cups and plates ❑ Plastic utensils ❑ Personal toiletries & hygienic needs ❑ Toilet paper ❑ Aluminum foil ❑ Paper towels Sunset at Cleawox This message brought to you by the West Lane Emergency Operations Group. www.wleog.org SUBMIT PHOTOS (JPEGS) BY EMAIL TO E DITOR @T HE S IUSLAW N EWS . COM VOICE YOUR OPINION! Write a Letter to the Editor: E DITOR @T HE S IUSLAW N EWS . COM Est. 1936 IDENTIFY • PREPARE • SURVIVE BY NOON ON T HURSDAYS Breakfast •Lunch • Dinner “Growlers Filled Here” GIFT CARDS Full Service Lottery • Full Bar • 20 Beers on Tap Open 7 days a week beachcomberpub.com 541-997-6357 1355 Bay St. • Old Town
