I'm On Broadway!!

So I gave up most of the Division 1 NCAA Softball I was umpiring. The Paint and Powder Club found out about this. That's the club Geri and I belong to who sponser several events during the year for social as well as charitable reasons. The big fund-raiser is the Musical Review in May each year. The Paint & Powder Club has been doing this "Review" since the 1800's in Baltimore.

Someone told the club I had all this extra time on my hands, and since they had been pestering me for the last 5 years to get in the show, this year I gave in. After all the rehearsals and rearranging my schedules I think umpiring NCAA Softball was easier. However, I love to sing and "showboat" so this years' show, "Bud's Broadway" was right up my alley.

We've been rehearsing at Pickersgill, a retirement/assisted living facility in Towson, MD for a couple of months, at least tree time per week. They gave me a solo in "Lullaby of Broadway", some schtick in "You Gotta Have Heart" from Damn Yankees (I think I was type-cast for this part), and some songs with the entire group that everyone seemed to have a good time with.

We recently performed the full show in front of the residents of Pickersgill who jammed into the hall with their wheelchairs, oxygen tanks, and hearing aids. We weren't sure they'd get some of the high-level humor but they had a good time anyway. One of the solos was "Springtime For Hitler", from the Broadway show "The Producers" by Mel Brooks. My good buddy Rick was costumed as Adolf himself. I think I heard one male resident say "Irma, get me my rifle, the war's not over yet!". I kept hearing one resident in the front row saying, "What'd he say, What'd he say?" to the resident next to her (who was fast asleep).

Only SNAFU I can remember was that I had to make a fast change from my "Drag" number (that's right, "DRAG" with wig and dress) to get back into my tux for the last song before the Finale. I was sweating bullets (they keep the heat up for the residents who are always cold) and with my soaking wet tux shirt and pants I arrived in mid-song (as I deftly snuck into the back of the line).

We'll straighten all this out next week before we run the show in front of the paying public (OY!). Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (5/10, 5/11, 5/12) the show will be at Magooby's Joke House (the old Timonium Dinner Theatre) with dinner at 6:30 with the show to follow. I heard the Saturday night performance is sold out (OY,OY!).

So if you're a talent scout reading this, keep an eye on me and turn your hearing aid up because we're not sure if the audio technology will be functioning well. Forget signing me up for a stint on Broadway because umpiring NCAA Softball is easier!!