Fun at the Frantic Follies in Whitehorse
Last week during a chat on Facebook with a woman I’ve been talking to online for years, she asked if Cathy and I would like to join her and her husband at the Frantic Follies vaudeville show. The answer was definitely “yes”! This is the 42nd season for the Frantic Follies in Whitehorse – I’ve been to well over 30 shows as I used to go 3 or 4 times a year when I was guiding full-time, and I’ve always enjoyed it. Cathy has only been 3 times.
The cover of the show’s program has a slight hint about the silliness to come – “Regular price $2.95 – Tonight Only $1.00”. The jokes on stage are just as corny 🙂
Grant Simpson is one of the show’s anchors. He’s been with them for 32 years, and as well as being MC, he’s co-producer, musical director, pianist, banjo picker, etc, etc!
A teacher at Whitehorse’ excellent MAD program (Music, Art and Drama), Dale Cooper is the leading lady for the Follies as well as the choreographer. Over the years I’ve met many of her MAD students and I’ve always been impressed, and she does a great job on the stage as well.
We had an exceptionally enthusiastic audience last night, and the can-can girls responded to all the noise!
Londoner Percy Brown, newly arrived in Dawson City, is enticed to try a special klondike drink in The Ballad of the Ice-Worm Cocktail: “Their bellies were a bilious blue, their eyes a bulbous red; Their back were grey, and gross were they, and hideous of head.” yuuumm! 🙂
Dale sure knows how to pick her “Pooky” of the night – this fellow from a large RV caravan group was a hoot!
Grant gets Ben Barrett-Forrest started in the saw orchestra.
Conrad Funk-Robitaille was obviously as deeply moved by this classical piece as the audience 🙂
Ashlyne Bigg wasn’t as thrilled by having to accompany the saws!
Jerome Stueart, more known to locals for his science fiction writing, is a talented all-round artist. Here he explains that he couldn’t be as think as we drunk he is because he’s only had 1 drink!
The entire cast always gets in on the banjo picking.
Cabin fever, an insidious affliction with queer manifestations!
“There are strange things done in the midnight sun” said Robert Service – and the Follies’ interpretation of one of those strange things, The Cremation of Sam McGee, is always a big hit.
Into the boiler of the steamboat Alice May goes Sam McGee after freezing to death on the trail…
From “the heart of the furnace roar”, Since I left Plumtree, down in Tennessee, it’s the first time I’ve been warm, says Sam! 🙂
Back to the high-kicking can-can girls!
And finally, Grant awards “The Order of the Garter” to one lucky gentleman from the audience. He won’t really know about the huge red lipstick print on his forehead until he gets back to his seat 🙂
If you haven’t been to the Frantic Follies before, or haven’t been in a while, head down to the Westmark and have some fun. In every life, a little silliness is good medicine!
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