Celebrating 10 years of performing for San Diego County, Christian Community Theater’s “San Diego Follies 10th Anniversary Celebration” was nothing short of spectacular. Sometimes dubbed the “Senior Follies” with all of the performers being 50 years plus young, it continues to show that great talent comes at any age. This large troupe of multi-talented artists showcased many of its favorite acts from the past nine years of performance and it was not a disappointment. With 32 acts, the variety of talent was astounding and most of all, entertaining.
Celebrating 10 years of performing for San Diego County, Christian Community Theater’s “San Diego Follies 10th Anniversary Celebration” was nothing short of spectacular. Sometimes dubbed the “Senior Follies” with all of the performers being 50 years plus young, it continues to show that great talent comes at any age. This large troupe of multi-talented artists showcased many of its favorite acts from the past nine years of performance and it was not a disappointment. With 32 acts, the variety of talent was astounding and most of all, entertaining. And of note, several of the performers have performed with CCT’s San Diego Follies since the very first performance.
Filled with comedy shticks that ranged from geriatric humor to society’s obsession with political correctness, the show had several belly laughing routines and then would catch you off guard with a beautiful performance of some of the greatest songs written. Not one act doesn’t deserve recognition, as the entire show, even with all of the acts, moved quickly, leaving the audience, and myself, wanting more.
But there were some amazing highlights that deserve special recognition. The showgirls were a showstopper with their burlesque feathered costumes, synchronicity, and absolute beauty. They featured early with the Men’s Ensemble with a colorful performance of “Broadway Baby,” also taking the time to introduce themselves and how long they have performed for the Follies. It brought a sense of dedication to the art in a personal way, but still kept the lively fun of the Follies alive.
Earl Chinn and Mistress of Ceremonies Cathie John’s politically correct version of “Ol’ Man River’ had everyone in stitches, and the complexity of changing the lyrics of this song with politically correct phrases was not only hysterical, but also a challenge that Chinn met head on, making the difficult seem easy.
It was amazing to watch the “Thriller” dance routine with the cast busting out some moves that would make the young ones envious. Throughout the show the crew showed its ability in set design and lighting, but this one was incredibly done and the dancers, well, let’s just say you would never have guessed their age if you didn’t know that they were all in their prime years of life.
Louis Perez was breathtakingly beautiful in his rendition of “Les Miserables’” “Bring Him Home.” He was so wonderful and his beautiful was fit for any stage in the world, and especially that song. Cheryl Moss was just as incredible with her rendition of “Summertime” and Walter Ritter’s “To Dream the Impossible Dream” brought Don Quixote back to life on stage with a powerful performance.
On the lighter side Louise Smith’s parody on “Annie’s” “Tomorrow” brought tears to my eyes with her geriatric lyrics and the same hysteria of laughter came with Chris Dunsmore’s satire of “I Will Survive” with lyrics that spoke about the magical results of cosmetic and orthopedic surgery.
Ensembles were another great part of the show from beginning (“Lullaby of Broadway”) to the end “Celebration” and every act in between. With dance and song, the vocal and dance ensembles added to many lead singer performances as well as large-scale melody productions. With more than 100 performers gracing the stage at the Lincoln Performing Arts Center, this is a show that I cannot wait to see again next year and a program that is worthy of recognition in our community. There was so much talent with everyone involved. The “San Diego Follies” gets a standing ovation for sharing 10 years of incredible performances. Encore!
