Have you ever noticed how much talent we have in our communities? It is wonderful! Maybe you were in a talent show or play in your community. I started attending talent shows in the 1960’s in Paradise Valley with my parents.
I remember one year my siblings and I sang “Ya’ll Come” the version made popular by the “Hee Haw” television show. I played the accordion, and we did our best to win a prize. Another year, I asked our neighbor, Roy Allin, to play guitar for me and a classmate. We had chosen “My Love is Warmer than the Warmest Sunshine” by Petula Clark. Roy had a guitar that looked like it came right out of the Grand Ole Opry with its round decorative web aluminum on the front! It was so beautiful, but he was “all country and old-time music” so we weren’t sure if he would want to play our modern Petula Clark song! He asked, “How does it go?” so we sang the verse and the chorus just once and he was already strumming the tune. That is the blessing of playing by ear.
What makes a good MC? Well, “Google”, says someone with clear diction and articulation. That described our neighbor, Don Purser who was our MC for many years. He not only was a good announcer, he also filled in those awkward “silent moments” with a bit of history or humor, knew how to introduce the next contestant, and he always had a word of encouragement. We had other likewise adept MC’s of course in the years to follow and I am reminded of one funny memory when John Brown was the MC. John introduced a neighbor, Gordon to play the harmonica. Before Gordon started, he took out his false teeth and set them aside. When he was done his performance, he was looking for them but couldn’t remember where he set them down, so John pulled his own false teeth out of his mouth and said “here, use these”. The place was roaring with laughter.
Participants were family bands, complete with piano, saxophone, drums, and others with guitars, mandolins, fiddles and accordions. There were singers, poets, characters performing recitations of all ages, both guys and gals, with every level of ability gaining momentum throughout the evening until every empty space in the hall clear to the rafters and in the hidden areas behind the stage were filled to capacity with melodious song or applause or laughter; sometimes all together. The obvious pleasure of the audience brought the energy level very high for each contestant. Kids would be fidgeting in the front rows of the audience waiting excitedly for the winners to be announced. Of course, in a small community, you almost always knew the person(s) who won.
The grandstand shows that accompanied our local fair were loaded with talented folks too. They brought with them much fun at rehearsals and performances. The years I participated, Gordon and Betty Beckett brought racks of colorful and beautiful costumes, Larraine Davidson was a creative professional who applied cosmetics to make us look great, and we had various local talented musicians to accompany our musical numbers. One year a very funny rendition of “The Mississippi Squirrel Revival” was performed; Ray Stevens step aside! Another year the Lloydminster Fair organizers contacted our group to come and join theirs for a musical performance with special guest, Al Cherney, (reported by some magazines as Canada’s favorite fiddler) and another year Ken Curtis (Festus, Gunsmoke). At the Climb Thru Time Museum, we have a few videos of the 1970’s and 80’s PV grandstand performances.
By 1987, dinner theatres became a wonderful date night or family night out. In Paradise Valley, we have more than one talented play writer and those entertaining theatre productions continued. They were so good, there was no shortage of volunteers to take the acting parts. You’d be surprised at “what” or “who” that quiet co-worker can transform themselves into. I am excited to hear there’s one in the works right now for a possible performance in the spring of 2025!
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