Wayside Theatre’s annual Variety Show July 23
DEXTER — The Wayside Theatre’s annual Variety Show on Saturday, July 23 at 7 p.m. will feature local student and adult musicians along with comedy. Ukuleles, guitars and a banjo, mountain dulcimer, cello and harmonica will play old and new songs. Sprinkled in between sets will be the “Hee Haw” cornfield type of bantering between Tim Breen and Dave Pearson in “Gee Haw.”
Because the Dexter Regional High School ukulele group had so much fun, they decided to continue playing throughout the summer. Led by Susan Abel, recently retired school librarian, and assisted by Dave Pearson, the group will strum and sing several songs.
A special feature of their set will be a song written and composed by student Emily Albair called “Let Me Go.” Backing up Albair with their ukes are Mac Allan-King, Tatum Bailey-Sumers, Elise Beaudry, Regan King, Amber Knowlton, Will Leavitt and Lindsey Shaw.
Other students who will play several sets each are Kilee Lewis and Lena Downes. Lewis will be a senior and plays bass guitar in their band.
Downes has played her guitar and sung during many of Grange suppers. She will be a senior at Piscataquis Community High School. Among the several songs that Downes will do, one will be a duet with Pearson of Nellie Kennedy’s song “East-West Highway.”
John (JT) Curran of Dover-Foxcroft has an extensive career playing guitar that includes two appearances on “American Bandstand.” He started playing doo wop in high school and became a fan of early rock ‘n roll. The blues have also been a major influence for him.
Toby Hall of Sangerville and Mike Kagan of Sebec will play Appalachian and folk music. Hall plays his banjo with Woodsong (Mets√§laulu in Finnish) the “house orchestra” at the Finnish Farmers Hall in Monson during the monthly summer dances. Kagan will play his mountain dulcimer, a two-necked string instrument performed on the lap, which originated in the Appalachians in the mid 1800s.
Ruth Fogg of Dexter returns to the stage playing classical music and as many other styles that will fit in her cello case.
Dana Collins, Joe Kennedy and Wally Warren also return to the stage. Collins and Warren have been soloists during Grange suppers. They have also spent many years jamming together on their guitars.
Joining them with his harmonica is Joe Kennedy of Ripley, a Wayside Grange member and Warren’s neighbor. Kennedy returns to Wayside’s stage on Aug. 27 with Brooks and Kennedy and on Sept. 17 with the Evergreen reunion concert.
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. at 861 North Dexter Road (Route 23). Home baked desserts and pretty good coffee sold during intermission. For more information, please call Tim Breen at 355-5507 or Joe Kennedy at 277-3733 or see on Facebook “Wayside Grange and Theatre.”