Musicals

The 62 Yearbook includes a page of photos for that year's musical, "Here Comes the Showboat!" It was an annual tradition when we were in school, prior years including "The Roaring 20's" and others that fail to come to mind.

One of the songs from the Showboat was "There is a Tavern in the Town" - which seems a surprising choice given the clean-living folks we were in those days. The performance of the song included "barmaid" Jan Burgess leaning over to quickly buss Gerry Pike while two other performers previously "served" discreetly covered the act with their top hats, appropriately positioned. What irony - openly "drinking" but covering up a kiss on the cheek?

The yearbook also shows a performance of "Old Man River" probably by Wayne Groe - who is in blackface. Blackface? Must have been in the olden days.

So here we are today with Christmas concerts that feature traditional Christian music, all politically corrected by saying "We endorse no religion but choose to share the depth and richness of broad musical diversity." There must be a lawyer in the room.

Net net from this experience we had a broad exposure to the music of our parents and grandparents, and today's choirs are singing the music of the Beatles. My how things change.