For those of you unable to attend the Follies – which, statistically speaking, is most of you – here’s what you’re “missing” in 2014.
There are some predictable topics – legal weed, legal plastic bags and the habits of Durangoans in general dominate this year’s scripts. Some hit fabulously, others missed horribly, but I’m not here to harp on the shortcomings of volunteer performers who put on about seven full shows for no more compensation than a few free beers.
I like to keep things positive, and if there’s one thing the Follies are, it’s positive. It’s fun, silly, at times offensive and a bit uncomfortable.
If you are fortunate enough to have a ticket for this weekend’s live shows or Animas City Theatre simulcasts, some of the standouts this year include:
The cast of “Less Miserable” – Lisa Govreau, Rebecca Gilbert, Jason Govreau and Steve Govreau – with a witty medley of parodies from the “Les Miz” soundtrack.
A slew of Follies vets – Dave Culver, Lori Coughlan, John Thomas, Chuck Fredrick and Roc E. Simmons – put an entertaining twist on a pint-sized version of The Temptations.
Ellen Lancaster, a consistently funny stalwart in the Follies family, also gets big laughs with her solo version of “Pigeons in the Park.”
And Steve and Mary Jill DeBelina and Fredrick and Penney Stahl score lots of laughs with bottles of cider in “How ‘Bout Them Apples?!?”
Also, check your programs: In the B Cast, Dawn Kast replaces Taylor Vincent as co-emcee with Dan Brown.
At this point, everyone who’s going to see the Follies has their tickets, and the rest will be on the outside looking in. A few tickets remain for the 10 p.m. Saturday night simulcast at the Animas City Theatre, but by the time you finish reading this, they might be gone, too. Better luck next year.
ted@durangoherald.com
Finding music amid the madness
Lost among the jungle of costumed parade-goers, outhouse-stuffers and bar-golfers this weekend will be more or less a full schedule of local musicians trying to get a few notes in above the clamor.
“I actually asked them not to play this week because of the crowds,” said Rick Carney, owner of Moe’s on Main Avenue, of his regular Friday act.
Each week, the bar hosts an open funk jam. But Carney said because of the huge crowd swell brought by tonight’s Snowdown Parade of Lights, having a band on such a night is an unnecessary expense. The staunch businessman also has a soft spot for his performers, so the jam will go on tonight as planned.
“The guys in the band said ‘come on, this is the biggest crowd we’ll play to this year,’ so I gave in,” Carney said.
Likewise, at the Strater Hotel, solo artists Greg Ryder and Robby Overfield will be surrounded by shoulder-to-shoulder post-parade crowds at the Diamond Belle and Office, respectively. Some may notice the man off to the side with a guitar, others, maybe not.
In some places, the music is the event. By the time the High Rollers take the stage at the Wild Horse Saloon, contests such as hot-dog eating and arm wrestling will have long been decided, and the event will be the band and the dance floor.
That’s not so at Main Avenue venues like the Derailed Pour House. First, the duo of Dustin Burley and Kevin Blaum will play before and after the parade to likely a full house. Then, in a twist, the night’s second act, the band Mr. Black, will orchestrate a new Snowdown event.
For the inaugural Jungle Jam Music Trivia, the band is the game-show host. Contestants will write down the title, artist and year of each song played – the band has a repertoire of classic rock and alternative-era covers – and whoever has the most items correct will be the winner.
On Saturday, the Derailed will be the only “hole” on the Outlaw Josie Pete bar golf course to have live music, with Neil Nelson and the Saloonatics entertaining the golfers. Like Carney, Gibson’s decision to offer live music during Snowdown is voluntary.
“We have live music every night,” Gibson said. “We don’t need to have live music during Snowdown, but we still do it because that’s what we do.”
ted@durangoherald.com
