First Annual Multi-County Talent Show Is A Grand Hit!

The 2014 Multi-County Talent Show fills the Princess stage with once hidden talent, and sets the stage for a grander event next year!  

Roane County and Oakdale schools sent students with a wide variety of talents to the theater Friday evening.  The stage floor was filled with supporters and judges, and very proud parents and grandparents, who were all surprised and entertained by our area students.  It was a great show folks, and you should have been there!

Organizer Vera Scarbrough, who was fresh out of the hospital, predicts that next year's talent show will stretch into a two-night event.  Some of the area schools had not heard about the Princess Foundation's talent night, and held their own shows.  Upon hearing about Friday's affair, they all want to be a part of next year's event.  Maybe next year the schools can hold their own talent shows, and then send the best on to the Princess to compete with other artists!  What an idea!

Muse Watson and Gary Baker stepped in to help when Vera suddenly became ill.  Together they brought in the school's best talents, and everyone seemed to be thoroughly impressed with what they saw performed on the Princess Theatre stage.  

In all, there were 24 acts, plus John Condrone, of Oakdale, came to emcee and play some of his hit tunes for the audience.

Singer/song writer John Condrone is from Oakdale.

This kind of event is just what "The Dream" foresaw; talented children with a stage on which to display their individual talents.  A place to grow in the love of the arts!

It's such a shame that most of the county shows do not have a drama club.  It is the Foundation's hope that schools will put the arts back into the school budget, and let the children find themselves in the arts.  Then they all can come to the Princess, and then who knows where they will go!

Friday night's talent show started outside with "street art".  Here are a few examples of that display of talent.  Next year I hope all the sidewalks are filled with art!  It doesn't matter your age...just draw something!

Maurice "Gramps" Lowery is Harriman's resident "street artist".  He is shown with his "Dragon" entry.  Maurice also encouraged and helped other young artist awaken their inner talents!

Muse signed autographs, and enjoyed some popcorn outside, while the acts did sound checks and the stage was prepared inside.

Here Muse is actually cleaning up with one hand, while the other holds his popcorn.  Carol Farmer prepares to collect the admission...ONLY $5.

The show began with Mayor Chris Mason (with sidekick Kendal) introducing Muse Watson who introduced the show's coordinator, Vera Scarbrough, and they were off.  

Here are the acts (names withheld due to their ages), in order of appearance...

And, the overall winner was Emery Francis!  She performed "House Of The Rising Sun".

Even during the show, Muse sat backstage and encourage the young performers to put aside their stage fright and to do their best!

When the last contestant had performed, John Condrone entertained the audience as the judges conferred.  Then it was time to present the awards for each category or division.  The stage was full of expectant performers who cheered and applauded for each winner, as Muse announced them.

After the show, Muse was there again, offering congratulations to the performers, and encouraging them to come back next year.

Muse gave Vera a bouquet of flowers for all her hard work.  She was surprised by the gesture, and told the audience not to go away thinking it had been the "Vera Scarbrough Show"!

Truth be told, there would have been no show without her...so, it kind of was the Vera Show!  Thank you Ms. Vera, for again leading us to the arts!

"A Midsummer Night's Dream" Beautifully Performed On The Princess Stage

On Sunday afternoon, April 27th, I stopped at the Princess to see Michael Golebiewski's direction of William Shakespeare's comical play "A Midsummer Night's Dream".

A good sized crowd was in attendance, although not a full house, but if you added the three shows together, the turnout was great.  Everyone seemed to get into the characters and laugh at the appropriate moments. 

I don't have a list of the names of the students playing all the fourteen+ roles, but maybe you can leave comments identifying your friend, family member, or favorite character's real name.  Should I get a list, I will come back and ID the cast beneath the photos.

The main plot of Midsummer is a complex contraption that involves two sets of couples (Hermia and Lysander, and Helena and Demetrius) whose romantic cross-purposes are complicated still further by their entrance into the play's fairyland woods where the King and Queen of the Fairies (Oberon and Titania) preside and the impish folk character of Puck or Robin Goodfellow plies his trade. Less subplot than a brilliant satirical device, another set of characters—Bottom the weaver and his bumptious band of "rude mechanicals"—stumble into the main doings when they go into the same enchanted woods to rehearse a play that is very loosely based on the myth of Pyramus and Thisbe, their hilarious home-spun piece taking up Act V of Shakespeare's comedy.

Suffice it to say, the actors were prepared and delivered!  They didn't realize one thing, however, that they were fulfilling part of THE DREAM as they performed live on the Princess Stage; students sharing what they have learned of the arts on the stage for the entire community to enjoy. 

Here now are more photos from the evening I shared with the Roane State Playmakers, who are actively engaged in the Theatre Degree Program at Roane State Community College!

Puck (played by Abby Stevenson) is a clever, mischievous elf or sprite that personifies the trickster or the wise knave.

See what you missed!

T. Graham Brown To The Princess!

Here's another great one coming May 31st!

Show starts at 7:00 and tickets are $29.75. They can be purchased at Rocky Top General Store or www.musiccityknoxville.com.

2 Steel Girls Coming To The Princess June 21st

The bookings just keep coming for the Princess stage!   

Coming on June 21st is 2Steel Girls, a Country Music Duo from NBC’s, The Voice, team Blake Shelton.  Most think that Allison & Krystal Steel of 2Steel Girls are sisters, but they are really mother and daughter and the only mother, daughter duo to ever compete on the show.

Since their last performance on The Voice in Dec. 2012, they have recorded with Blake Shelton, released their debut CD on the Today Show, Hallmark’s Home & Family and more. 

Get you tickets now at 2steelgirls.brownpapertickets.com!  They will be available soon at the Rocky Top General Store and the Harriman Jewelry Exchange.  Call them before going by.

THE MONTH OF MAY AT THE PRINCESS IN HARRIMAN

Megan Anderson And Muse Watson Entertain The Rotary Club

Yes, they did exactly what they are supposed to do, entertain people!  Megan is the Manger of the Princess Theatre, and Muse, and actor of stage and screen for over 25 years.  They each amused and charmed the Harriman Rotary Club at today's meeting.

Muse Watson, Megan Anderson, and Dr. Julian Ahler

Filling in for ailing Vera Scarbrough, who was supposed to have addressed the club today, Muse and Megan volunteered to present this week's program in her absence.

Muse also has picked up the reins of coordinating the upcoming Multi-Talent Show until Vera is back in action!  The show will feature students from the Roane and Morgan area schools, grades K-12 coming up Friday, May 2 at 6 PM.

Muse told his "The Dream" story, but unlike he had given it before.  I was personally impressed with his strong commitment to children of this area; and how much he wanted every member of the group before him to believe in "the dream" just as much as he does.  He related about even more coming shows involving students for this area.  I will be posting a lineup of those shows in the next post.

Muse tells hopefuls that he never recommends anyone getting into the "acting" field.  It's a difficult road, but at the same time he stresses the importance of "the arts" in our lives.  

He told a story of how he longed to play the drums in high school, but his family circumstance did not permit that.  His family had bought a clarinet for his sister, therefore, it was handed down to him.  If he wanted to play a musical instrument, it had to be the clarinet!  The clarinet isn't a manly instrument, he quipped!

However, years later, while at Berea College in Kentucky, on a music scholarship, he realized that the "less than manly" clarinet was paying his way through college, and ultimately lead him to his career in acting.

So, the arts are important in our lives, even if all we ever do is play our clarinet for our girlfriends or wives!

The first thing cut out of school budgets is art!  So, we must strive to keep art in our schools, and in our communities.  The Princess needs everyone's help in maintaining a place where students, regardless of their backgrounds, can come and learn the arts.

"Please," Muse asked, "if you can help even a little, please help the Princess stay open for our children.  As the theater grows and we learn how to operate, we will do more and more to ensure "the dream" continues to come true for every child in our area." 

Meagan, armed with photos taken by yours truly, took the Rotary group through the 10 years of restoration; showing before and after photos of the Princess.  It's amazing, some whispered, when they saw the pre-restoration photos, that anything so beautiful could have come from that decaying mess!

As Megan stated, looking back at these photos, you wonder why we just didn't start from the ground up.  But good things happened and the Princess was reborn.

Megan explained her role in managing both RSCC theaters, and how she decides which performance plays on what stage.  Most of it is common sense, for example, a concert is naturally best for the Princess stage.

She then went through her upcoming line up, which I will post next.  Suffice it to say, there are entertaining things coming up for the children of the Roane and Morgan communities.  So, please come out and support, not only the children, but the Princess Theatre.

THE TAMS ARE COMING BACK!

Greg Johnson Brings Elvis Back To The Princess!

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM coming to the Princess!

RSCC Playmakers

Presents

Selected Scenes

From

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

By

William Shakespeare

April 26^th at 2 PM & 7PM

April 27^th at 2 PM

Donations will be accepted at the door.