Ed Treglia
Shakespeare once wrote “Brevity is the soul of wit.” The implication here is that a short program to some is subjectively more preferable. The SunBird Singers did it again; they have disproven Shakespeare’s logic which produced a perception that the people did not want the program to end. The old adage that more is not always better does not apply to Owen and Joyce Bae’s production Show Stoppers with the SunBird Singers. It seems that their programs keep getting better with their exciting talent and very favorable results. The two performances of overflow crowds is a testament to their affectionate popularity. The chorus sang nine songs, each of which was a huge past hit by notable artists. The atmosphere reeked with many pleasant memories of yore. The outstanding display by the Singers was augmented by six solo performances that were very professional and well delivered.
Pat Miller cloned Judy Garland’s Over the Rainbow to perfection; Jodie and BettiSue Perkins gave a nostalgic medley of legendary country singer Hank Williams. Elvis may have left the building but he left it in good hands with John Hornack singing one of his love songs; Kerry Schuster gave a hand clapping upbeat song by Linda Ronstadt; Jan Libby’s Streisand song was so impressive that it could make Barbara Streisand wish that she was Jan Libby; and finally, our California import, Gary Anderson, purposely tempered his powerful piercing voice to sing a mild song (Moon River) to honor his mother since it is her favorite. Gary is the son of Howard and Lois Anderson.
All in all, the entire program was a night of extraordinary and very satisfying entertainment. If you missed it, you missed a very pleasant and gratifying evening. The narration was written by Joyce Bae and delivered by Hank Miller. The pianists, Lois Anderson, Trisha Russell, Joyce Bae, Jo Ann Mattheis, Lynette Martins and Dave Valde, all contributed their fine talent to the overall program. During his introduction, Owen Bae commented about the good fortune of living in SunBird; I agree. We have all the amenities, good weather, friendly God fearing people and excellent entertainment led by producer and directors Owen and Joyce Bae. It is just natural in life to keep looking for something better; if you live in SunBird, stop looking; you have peaked; it doesn’t get any better than this.