CHICKENS' BALL 2010
Celebrating 70 years of community fellowship
Proudly
sponsored
by the
San Carlos PTA since 1940
We're Having a Ball
IWe’re Having A Ball - - -
3/11/10 Connie Barton Barba
Things are coming together so fast now. It looks like we may have a show, kids! This weekend, the Central School Multi Use Room will be transformed into a representation of the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition. What I’ve seen so far is fabulous! And the work done by the crew to build the stage additions and the side walls is so much fun to watch. Dan Abrahamson is leading the building charge. And we love to see our dear friend, Herman Schultz, still giving us guidance as he has for so many years. The man just never slows down.
They do like to have help with getting all that material in to the MU room from the Coop and then get started with building the stage extension and other special things that the Production crew has designed. Everyone who can should get down there early on Saturday to see it all happen. It’s good to help but, if you’re not helping, stay out of the way and watch the magic happen.
Last weekend was the unique “Silent Auction for Sound” event that Production Chair Elaine Armstrong and Asst. Production Chair Beth Taylor put on was a very classy event. Their purpose was to be able to buy new supplies to update and improve the sound in the Central School MU room. Early reports are that they raised enough money to make a great start on that project. Lots of Chickens’ Ball folks and other friends contributed wonderful gifts for the auction and the bidding was brisk and generous. Angela’s Bistro in Redwood City was the place and they provided a delicious and generous brunch while The Johnny Cats Jazz Combo led by John DeLoach (johnnycats@earthlink.net) played such good music. Our own Alan Mueller was on keyboard and some others in that band join Alan for the Chickens’ Ball band. Thanks, ladies, for a very nice event and congratulations on achieving your goal.
Sewing is happening all over town and especially at the Palace – 40 El Camino Real – where set building and painting is also going on. Some of us were discussing this whole measurements thing which is so important in making those costumes fit well. We remembered that, according to the archives, there used to be a “smallest waist” contest amongst audience members in the earliest days of the Ball. Audience members were encouraged to attend the show in costume of the era of the Ball, i.e. 1890 – 1918. We’ve all seen pictures of the tiny waists on the ladies at that time and some of the contraptions they wore to achieve that goal. Most of us would not be willing to enter that contest today. But wouldn’t it be fun if our audience members and judges came in costume these days. Our sewing maven at the Palace has an antique dress form standing guard over all the sewing and her waist measures 23”. Whew!!
Have you heard about the big Gala Dinner and Show night being planned for the evening of April 24? Thanks to The Epiphany Episcopal Church for making their lovely space available for us for the evening. The dinner and drinks and the show will be yours for only $70. Everything begins at 5:30 and dinner service begins at 6:00 PM. Dinner is being provided by our wonderful local restaurants. Then our guests will be escorted over to Central School for the show at 7:30 PM by some lovely ladies and/or handsome gents to get you in the mood for the show. There will be a special 2010 Chickens’ Ball Cocktail to surprise you, a highly coveted Show Program autographed by this year’s General Chair, Sunny Kottmeier, Assist. General Chair Linda Townsend, Production Chair Elaine Armstrong and her Assist. Production Chair Beth Taylor as well as other dignitaries of the Ball. Now that is very special. Go online (or back to the home page here) to get your tickets. All of this is just more revenue for the Chickens’ Ball coffers to pass along to our kids in the classrooms. Thanks to everyone who is contributing and be sure to be there for the fun. There will be surprises. Tim King and Mike Coffaro of the 2010 Steering Committee are the Chairs for this event. You can’t predict what might come up with those two!!
Speaking of the Steering Committee, did you ever see harder workers than these people – well, maybe Sunny K., our General Chair!! The Steering Chair, Sonya Sigler and her group are really working at it. After selecting Sunny to be General Chair, they went to work on publicity for the start up of activities, put on the wonderful Kick-Off Party in January, are planning the Gala Dinner and Show Night, selected the skits to be presented this year and lots of other major things. They have been meeting monthly for more than a year already. Lucy Solberg is Secretary for the group as well as the Jill-of-all-trades and all around hard working support system for us all. Each PTA and the Charter School appoint 2 people to represent them on the Steering Committee and they select 3 experienced Ball people for members-at-large. The members-at-large are there to help the younger folks understand the long history and traditions of the Ball and how those ideas fit in to today’s Ball. I am one of those “experienced” people this year and am loving it. And, our young parents are also loving it and loving the Ball. I believe our Chickens’ Ball is in very good hands for the future.
Okay, time to go to rehearsal and get some more waist measurements so I can cut out some more costumes!! Time flies!!
