CARTHAGE, Mo. — “They,” whoever “they” are, keep telling us to cut out the stress, do it the easy way — and just enjoy the holidays. I’ve never quite discovered how to cook a special meal, or prepare for company, or shop for gifts “the easy way.”
I do subscribe to taking the edge off the inevitable stress by adding in a bit of fun along the way. With Thanksgiving dinner looming this week, I’m thankful that the Carthage Council on the Arts is offering residents a free performance of what is described as a “one-of-a-kind rock ’n’ roll party.”
At 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, the Sugar Free Allstars will present their unique sound, a blend of New Orleans funk, Memphis soul and quirky pop, in the Carthage R-9 auditorium. These two musician/performers play the Hammond keyboard and drums with a lot of verve, and throw in some comedy for good measure.
Their attitude is that music is not just for listening, but is primarily for dancing, laughing and having fun. And they like audience participation. Sounds like an opportunity to get out there and “shake your booty” if you are so inclined. You can get back to the stress the next day.
Earlier Tuesday, the duo will perform for the seventh and eighth grades at Carthage Middle School. The programs are funded with a Council on the Arts grant received from the Mid-America Arts Alliance, underwritten by the National Endowment for the Arts, the Missouri Arts Council, the Springfield Arts Council, the U.S. Department of Education, and various foundations, corporations and individuals in Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas .
After your company has departed, Thanksgiving stress eases, but Christmas stress builds. All those good intentions (and schedules) for getting presents bought, decorations up and cards mailed are buried beneath those rapidly disappearing calendar pages. You panic.
Never fear, Stone’s Throw is here — with “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever,” a story about a pageant that seems doomed from the start but develops into a funny, heartwarming Christmas story like no other. The play runs Dec. 3-6 and Dec. 10-13 at Stone’s Throw Dinner Theatre, 796 S. Stone Lane.
Author Barbara Robinson’s story line follows the Herdman kids, the “worst kids in school,” who, without benefit of any knowledge of the Christmas story, bully their way into the Christmas play, with hilarious results.
Directed by Betty Bell, with Betsy Fleischaker as assistant director and Judy Boyd as associate director, “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” has a huge cast: Kevin Provins, Adeline Souza, Emma Pound, Michael Rivera, Donovan Souza, Hadley Lyon, Zane Ambrosius, Broderick Coursey, Samantha Lindeman, Darcy Darnell, Anna Donnel, Judy Boyd, Whitney Dodson, Amber Norton, Raven Micale, Lindsay Lindeman, Michael Blades, Louis Trost, Jarett Rivera, Abby DeVrieze, Clint Dodson, Doug Donnel, Cambry Erdman, Kathryn Dodson, Allie Lambeth, Bill Welsh, Presley Probert, Raven Probert and Reese Stringer.
The play is produced by special arrangement with Samuel French Inc., with additional funding from the Missouri Arts Council and Schmidt and Associates.
For reservations, people may call 417-358-7268 or 417-358-9665. You may want to pick your dates carefully because additional entertainment will be offered on some nights. The bell choir from the First Baptist Church in Lamar will perform Dec. 3, and Rob Pommert, classical guitarist, will appear Dec. 12. Santa Claus will welcome children from noon to 2 p.m. on Dec. 6 and from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 11.
Regardless of what “they” say, I think of the holidays as a kind of roller-coaster ride. Like the uphill ride, the planning and preparation give you a kind of giddy, anticipatory thrill; actually implementing those plans brings all the terror and gut-wrenching stress of the downhill rush. I never was a particular fan of roller coasters, but I guess the stress part intensifies the fun part.
