Singing Spectacular

By Denice Rovira Hazlett
March 6, 2013
351

Summary: The Amish Country Theater's Valentine Barbershop Spectacular gathered some of the world's top quartets under one (barn) roof for an evening of melody and merriment. What has 24 legs, a collection of brightly-colored ties and a killer set of pipes? If you guessed six well-dressed beagles at a yodeling contest, you'd be wrong. At least about the beagles. And the yodeling. Jeff Conn, co-owner of the Amish Country Theater in Walnut Creek says the idea for their recent show came about after the overwhelming success of the venue's Christmas in the Country, a sold-out event featuring country-gospel singer John Schmid taking the audience on a tour of old-fashioned Christmas traditions and beloved carols, plus tunes by local group Salt Creek Bluegrass and the Amish Country Theater Barbershop Quartet. The latter gave show-planners an idea. Barbershop is big, they thought, especially in the Tuscarawas area, home to The Schoenbrunn Valley Barbershop Chorus. What would happen if the theater planned an entire Barbershop Quartet Spectacular, featuring some of the best groups in the country, to bring music-lovers together for Valentine's Day? The result was just what you would expect, and then some--three polished groups of snappy dressers donning brightly-colored ties joining well-blended voices together in sweet harmony, interspersed with old-fashioned humor and audience participation, all to the delight of the fans who filled the seats in the barn-themed theater for the sold-out show. First to the stage was a local group with an unforgettable name, the In-Tone-Grow-Nails, headed up by Hiland High School's music director John Harris, joined by Hiland graduates Braden Conn, Andrew Yoder, and Austin Yoder who warmed up the audience with their lighthearted style. The In-Tone-Grow-Nails then made way for Premier Sound, made up of baritone Jeff Gehm, bass Bob Godot, lead David Johns, and tenor Larry White, who is, incidentally, an actual barber. The group competed in the Barbershop Harmony Society's 2012 district quartet contest against 320 other groups, finishing in the top 25% overall and 4th in the Johnny Appleseed District (JAD). They wooed the crowd with their version of the Beatles' "Can't Buy Me Love" and showed how low they could go with Godot showing off his bass during "Sixteen Tons." The second-place quartet in the 2012 JAD, the Jones Boys, finished out the Barbershop Specatular with a bang, as would be expected of one of the nation's most acclaimed barbershop quartets. The energetic group, founded in 2012, featured tenor Noah Campbell, lead Michael Harrison, bass Paul Hesson and baritone David Wallace. Wallace, founding member and former lead for the Rapscallions of Bowling Green State University, helped that group achieve the highest possible honor in 1984, the International Champion Quartet. The group treated Amish Country Theater audiences to fun crowd-participation songs like "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean" and "Let Me Call You Sweetheart," mesmerized listeners with Sinatra's "All the Way," and closed their set with a lighthearted, strong-voiced number, "Ma, They're Making Eyes at Me, the cute and quippy anti-valentine verse they performed at the JAD 2012 finals. Check it out at http://tinyurl.com/jonesboys. Conn says the show was well-received and he anticipates more like it to come. In fact, on Saturday, April 20, the Amish Country Theater is gearing up for Laughs and Gasps, two affordable, family-friendly shows in one. Lance Weirick, gravity-defying juggler, hurls heavy and hazardous objects high above his head, all while perched precariously atop a 15-foot ladder. Hilarious world-class ventriloquist Ken Groves charms audiences with his crazy cast of characters. Amish Country Theater will bring both of these amazing entertainers to their down-home stage on Saturday, April 20 at 7 p.m. The theater will begin its regular comedy show season, packed with even more shows than last year, starting Thursday, May 16th. To prepare, they're upgrading the venue by installing high definition screens and integrating video footage. Conn is thrilled the theater is doing well. So well, they're already seeing an increase in group and pre-sale tickets. "We're building a following of people who know we're putting on great shows at a great price," Conn says. As for this season's show, it will be all-new and packed with comedic wackiness. "The show's completely written," Conn says, "and while I can't give away the acts, I can tell you it's going to be very funny." Tickets are available online at amishcountrytheater.com or by phone at 1-888-988-SHOW.

Singing Spectacular

Lehman's

Berlin Grande Hotel