Get your tickets for the Cabaret, Variety Show

Enthusiast fans? Simcoe Lions’ Gene Walleyn, Rob Goold and Dave Abbey practice a baseball skit – with an unexpected twist.

Chris Abbott

Editor

The theme of this year’s Simcoe Lions Club Cabaret Night and Variety Show, Friday, April 17 and Saturday, April 18 at Simcoe Composite School, is ‘Simcoe Night Live.’

“It’s sort of a loose adaptation, theme of Saturday Night Live, SNL,” said Lion Bruce Robinson, co-director of the comedy skits, during a recent rehearsal at SCS.

“So we have a couple of sketches from SNL that we’ve adapted, but all the sketches are not from Saturday Night Live. There will be some familiar iconic characters that we plan to do. I think there’s maybe three or four skits that the material came from SNL.”

New this year, there will be a local comedian opening the show.

“Travis Lloyd has done some standup at one of the comedy club’s like Yuk Yuks – he is going to be the special entertainer to open up the show. Kind of like a Saturday Night Live opening, ‘Live from Simcoe it’s… Simcoe Night Live!’ Then on to the chorus opening with Saturday Night’s Alright, the Elton John song.”

“There’s lots of commitment here to the skits,” said Lion Terry Sheppard. “As I’ve said, there’s so many people involved in this show.”

“We have most of the same people every year,” Robinson nodded.  “It’s good to have some continuity, some people who enjoy being up there… some familiar faces that people are used to seeing.

“But it’s also good to get some new blood on the stage. Every year we have a couple of the new members doing skits.”

One of the skits might include two or three generations of Lions, he noted.

“At least two (generations) that I know of,” Robinson smiled.

“Three generations,” said Sheppard.

With a few weeks left before the April 17 and April 18 shows, Robinson said they were looking forward to two packed audiences – Friday for the Cabaret & Dinner, Saturday for the Variety Show. It’s the same Lions performance both nights, but the dinner adds to the Cabaret entertainment value. Capacity is 600-700 people.

“It will definitely be ready to go. How it works – we get together, share some ideas around the table for a couple weeks, do some table reads, then we make a decision on what the skits are going to be. That decision has been made and everybody has been cast in their roles. Then it’s up on stage, blocking the movement and starting to bring in props.”

“They are very organized,” said Sheppard.

“Yes, I would say we will be ready to go,” said Robinson, who also takes part in the skits. “Once you’re up there, you go with it…”

“It always seems to work out,” said Sheppard. “All of the people involved in it just makes it go.”

“There’s no fear we won’t be ready,” Robinson added with a laugh. “We will be ready and we are looking forward to it.”

The Lions have a different process from typical high school or community theatre shows, he said.

“Lynn and I sort of co-direct it, but it’s not ‘my way or the highway.’ Sometimes you have to keep things moving along, but it’s very much a collaborative effort. If there is something that somebody wants to change, to make it funnier, then by all means.

“Everybody’s here for the same… everybody’s here to do something for the community, to help raise some funds for the Lions and to get to know each other and to have a good time. It’s community building, right?” “That’s what it is,” Sheppard summed up. “Every dollar that we bring in goes back into our community. And everybody is a part of it.” Individual tickets are available online for the Saturday’s Variety show ($30) at simcoelions.com (show only). Tickets for Friday’s Cabaret Night & dinner can be purchased for tables of 10. Contact the club online for information.