The Winter Dinner & Variety Show was a huge success for Sun Lakes Community Theatre (SLCT), the performers, emcees, stagehands, sound, and light crews. Organizers Nancy Patterson and Kate King-Turner were thrilled with the results, as were audiences on both nights. From the first day sell-out of tickets to the final curtain call for performers, the atmosphere and energy were positive and professional.

SLCT President Greg Posniack and board member Kate King-Turner emceed the first evening and entertained the audience with bantering and intros for each act. On night two, Mark Wenz and Patricia Wolfe did the honors, also providing fun and laughs as they shepherded the performers through the show.

Brand-new SLCT members Carla Ross and Diane Jaber were incredible with their excellent management of piano moving, curtain control, set piece placement, and making everything flow smoothly for all the performers. They were ably assisted by Jess Alberts and Barbie Bergerson.

The sound crew, consisting of veterans Ron Fohlmeister, Dave Patterson, MaryAnn Stevens, and Wanda Johnson, did a fabulous job with a variety of soundtracks, several sorts of microphones, and myriad other technical challenges. The audience was noticeably impressed with how professional the entire show sounded. Stage lighting was very well managed by MJ Clement and Robin Murray. Every act was appropriately lit, and the audience enjoyed it all without a problem.

The acts themselves were terrific. SLCT welcomed non-members who live in the community to the stage, and it resulted in new faces on stage and in the audiences. Gene Cline and his Sun Lakes Instrumental Ensemble entertained in the lobby and sounded great; Jessica Klebanow sang “New York, New York”; The Timeless Tappers tapped their way through two great numbers; Ray Texeira did two amazing magic tricks that blew folks away; Diana Perez played piano and sang “Quando, Quando, Quando”; Mark Wenz recited a lively rendition of “Casey at the Bat”; Lew Crawford, Cari Scholes, and Kathy Miller did a fabulous job performing the one-act Cornbread & Beans, which was very well received by the audience; Joni Mattson sang and played “It’s a Wonderful World” on the piano and had the audience joining in; Lylla Alejandro did a great comedy routine; Nancy Patterson described how the Grand Canyon was formed in an energetic, fast-paced, original poem that had the audience in awe; Marily Holt sang a sultry version of “Break It to Me Gently” that nearly lit the stage on fire; and the final act brought the house down—Sally Holberg did a comedy/song act, singing “She’s Got You” while pulling every imaginable (no, unimaginable) thing out of her, uh, brassier: pictures, records, handcuffs, a ring, a tie, a golf club (yes, a golf club). It was hilarious, and the crowd loved it.

The curtain call was a free-for-all dance (audience joined in) to “Footloose,” and there wasn’t an unsmiling face in the whole place. What a fun couple of nights for Sun Lakes! Will it happen again next year? Stay tuned!