Although this show was
live, it went off with very few hitches, namely the crew members (Muley's friends) that kept
interrupting the show's host (obviously Muley) about an unexpected late-arrival to the program.
That's another story for another post.
This is a story about
the behind the scenes of The Congo Cabaret: "That's Entertainment!"
On January 22,
2017, Muley
the Mule and Friends helped host The Congo Cabaret, a two-hour
dinner-and-a-show live program featuring many great talents before 100 guests
and raising nearly $2500 for the food ministries of First Congregational
Church which feeds lunch to nearly 400 people per week, helps
supplement around 300+ families with food, offers a chance to shop for more
supplemental food on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and a clothes closet on
Tuesday and Thursday. And this is weekly, folks! Oh, and you can
donate to the cause if you CLICK HERE.
In spring 2016, the idea
for expanding one of our own shows, Muley's Talent(less) Revue, into a
full-fledged two-hour talent program to support everything in the last
paragraph was taking slow form in the shape of an outline, but it just wasn't
right. Things were amiss. In August 2016, Joel Chapman gave a call
that he wanted to produce a Cabaret and wanted Muley and Friends to host.
His notes were in line with ours, more or less, and we of course said:
Yeah!
The talent came from
within the church itself featuring many who have traveled and toured with their
shows (including our fuzzy cast) and as they were all signing-up, with some
surprises thrown in, it became clear that this was destined to be a fantastic
night of entertainment unseen in those hallowed halls.
But, it all has to begin
with planning to work out a show for 13 human performers, volunteers, chefs,
and four willing critters which became a 31-page script for the hosts including
two performances not listed and two performers that were our secrets.
Don't you want to know yet? Keep on reading.
A meeting was held at
the Congo Cafe in "The Hub" where the show would be performed to
plot-out the lay of the land: stage, set, host-stand. Producer Joel
Chapman met with Kevin L. Williams and DaMarco Randle to discuss staging the
production, and Joel's stage experience found him setting the lights and
designing not only the stage, but also the title logo, poster, and program.
There would be a historical display of the "Muley-verse."
The Art Department would be in charge of enlarging the "That's
Entertainment" sign for the stage itself. It was determined that the
show itself would not be recorded or televised due to the content and that it
was a live show, we didn't want photography other than one official individual
doing such.
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Joel
Chapman and DaMarco Randle measure and plan the staging.
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The script was underway,
the performers were all getting rehearsed, and we met for the production
meeting where we would learn the line-up of the acts and what Muley the Mule
and Friends would be doing for the performers' intro's and outro's.
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Producer
Joel Chapman, Brennan Villines, Katy Musolino, David Winter, Chris Burgess,
Mark
Allen & Cheryl Cornish, Jonathan Devin, Janet Wade, Sonia Walker.
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All
of the above, now visible: Martheus Wade, Julia Hicks, and DaMarco Randle.
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A prophetic Fortune
Cookie during this time period stated:
Then, came time for
posters and ticket sales. Our very sweet, very helpful Caroline
Rubenstein was there to help make sure the ticket sales were taken care of.
Don't you just love
behind-the-scenes stuff? And, of course, there was some advertising
taking place:
Published on Dec 5, 2016
Joel promises two
hours of mirth and good cheer in the New Year from a Cabaret loaded with
Memphis and MidSouth talent: something for all the family!
Published on Dec 12, 2016
Kevin Williams'
charming, winsome, and bold "Muley" announces the First Congo Cabaret,
coming Sunday, January 22, 2017. Featuring Cheryl and Mark, Brennan Villines,
Joel Chapman among a delightful, family show of talented and engaging
entertainers. Dinner is included! Not to be missed, so be sure to mark your
calendar and save the date for "That's Entertainment" Cabaret!
It should be pointed out
that tickets completely sold out on January 16, 2017, for this spectacular
show!
And while all of this
was taking place, preparations continued with show construction. Here are
some stage views during Tech Rehearsals on January 21, 2017! We're one
night until showtime!
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DaMarco
Randle and Joel Chapman adding some finishing touches.
|
|
Muley
& Friends' stage in place, Chris Burgess on drums
and
Brennan Villines on piano, Joel on lights.
|
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The
crew is in place for the Tech Rehearsals.
|
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Tamar
Love arrived and took up her bass to complete the house band.
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More stage views:
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View
of the stage from the green room.
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View
of the green room from the stage.
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The
performers' view of the stage. You can see behind the scenes
of
Muley the Mule and Friends here...
|
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Look
at all those scripts, and sound equipment supplied by Brad Alsobrook.
|
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Another
view behind the stage. Hmmm...who's under those sheets napping?
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The show's programs and
tickets were printed and ready for the following night:
The script was completed
and signed by all the cast that night.
|
In
a U-shape, starting top-left: Joel Chapman, Sarah Dietsche, Sonia Walker,
Cheryl
Cornish, Julia Hicks and Catherine Dixon, Martheus Antone Wade,
Janet
Wade, DaMarco Randle, Mark Allen, Randall Rushing, Jonathan Devin,
Brennan
Villines, Zarabeth Davis, Tamar Love.
|
So, now Tech Rehearsal
is complete and everyone is ready for the show. The first thing to greet
the audience upon entry is, of course, the "History of the
Muley-verse" display which we'll look at next along with the full program
scans and list of cast and crew credits for the show!
After that: SHOWTIME!!
Photography by Kevin L.
Williams and Christopher Davis.
Video by Kevin L.
Williams and Roger Courts.
Muley the Mule and
Friends © Kevin L. Williams Productions.
Read below for parts 2 - 4 or 5 or whatever...
