10 — THE CAPITAL TIMES, Saturday, May 31, 1980 Thus far, 77 want to meet Lawrence Welk ByWALTTROTT will receive two free tickets to the show and an au- and Canadian stations that desired to carry the Welk show Capital Times Staff Writer tographed picture of the entertainer. then being produced in syndication through the efforts of Don Fedderson (who produced such shows as "My Three When queried as to how he would like to be remem- Only one entry per person is acceptable. Winners will be Sons") and producer-director Jim Hobson. bered, entertainer Lawrence Welk responded: selected on the basis of originality. Decision of the judges In chapter eight of "This I Believe," Welk relates how will be final. "Music is and always will be, my life. I'm deeply, hum- he met Kathie Sullivan in Madison: "I found Kathie in the Serving as judges will be jazz performer Chuck Evans, back seat of a limousine! I was on a p.a. and book tour... bly proud of the place my orchestra and I have been able radio personality Clark Hogan and music reviewer Rob to create in the hearts of so many people across the nation. and Kathie was the local Miss Champagne Lady in Madi- Fixmer. (Employees of The Capital Times, the Dane son." It would be very nice to be remembered as a man who County Coliseum or their immediate families are not eligi- brought music to America." Welk's road manager Lon Varnell occasionally sets up ble.) contests in cities where the Welk show plays and the win- Welk — who will be bringing his music to Madison June • Send your entry to: The Lawrence Welk Contest, The ners get to perform at the local concert. Kathie Sullivan 12 — has evolved from a poor farmer's son in North Da- Capital Times, Box 8060, Madison 53708. had joined Varnell in meeting Welk's plane that day. kota into a living legend in the hearts and minds of many According to the maestro, his current show is an all-new Americans. production boasting some 40 of his TV family. Included "The three of us rode into Madison in a limousine which One of the Madison area fans will have an opportunity will be longtime "Champagne Lady" Norma Zimmer, Lon had rented for the occasion," continued Welk. "I to meet this show business phenomenon when he appears country music vocalist Ava Barber, the singing team of asked Kathie to sing a few bars of her favorite song. She at the Dane County Coliseum. sang 'My Bill' in a voice so pure and so lovely, I hired her Guy and Ralna, Latin songstress Anacani, baritones Ken before she finished the song. I don't think I've ever hired To qualify, all one need do is enter The Capital Times- Delo and Jim Turner, dance duo Bobby Burgess and anyone faster than Kathie. I just didn't want to lose that sponsored letter-writing contest and explain in 25 words or Elaine Niverson, singers Gail Farrell and Dick Dale, key- beautiful voice." less just why you would like to meet Lawrence Welk. A boardist Bob Ralston, "rhythm king" Paul Humphrey, The soprano accepted the offer, but later took time postcard or letter is acceptable. Deadline is a midnight singer Tom Netherton, and Wisconsin's 'own Kathie Sul- from the Welk show to return to the University of Wiscon- postmark of June 4. To date, we have receivea 77 letters. livan, a musical comedy favorite. sin and complete her studies, earning a Bachelor of Music In addition to the meeting, the contest winner will re- It's a special celebration to mark Welk's silver anniver- degree. Welk says, "I think Kathie has one of the loveliest ceive two front-row seat tickets to the concert, an au- sary of his video variety show, which kicked-bff nationally voices I've ever heard." tographed copy of Welk's newest book ("This I Believe" in 1955 on the ABC network, after five years on the local Tickets for the Lawrence Welk concert (7:30 p.m. June Prentice-Hall, 1979), and be photographed with the 77- KTLA-TV Los Angeles station. 12) are $9, $8 and $7 (obstructed view seats). There are year-old performer. When in the 1970s, the network dropped the show, still some good seats left for the show. For information, Maestro Welk: "Music is my life. There will also be two runners-up letters chosen. Each emcee Welk found his own "network" via some 252 U.S. call 257-5686. Strollers' play good, campy fun about these flaws in Herbert deftness by Lynda Kempken, herself part of the game and half the fun is By PAT TOBIAS Swayne's script would take away a nurse at St. Marys. She has some- knowing there's going to be a happy Jacque White at Act IV Lounge Capital Times Staff Writer from the enjoyment of the show. how mastered the art of appearing ending. The Larkfield's servants (Bob Madison songstress Jacque White will return to Wilson Street East Melodramas can either be loads of The cast is remarkably well innocent without adding to it the sin Playhouse's Act IV Lounge starting Thursday for a limited engagement. of being boring. And her entrances Brown and Darlene Stuber) Lona fun or painfully tedious. Strollers chosen. There is often a misplaced ' Larkfield, (played by Memorial High She will perform two shows of Broadway and pop standards beginning at Theatre's production of "Caught in tendency to consider good acting un- and exits are marvelously executed, 9:30 Tuesday through Saturday evenings, ending June 28. Last year, White the Villain's Web" fortunately falls never running or walking, but al- School student Mia Brown), Nella was the, premier performer in the new show lounge. important, even a detriment, in a ways tippy-toeing across the stage. Hargrave (Lynette Teppo) and Dr. into the first category. melodrama. A few flourishes and the Hugo Belch (Mike Bergenske) pro- Performed at 8 tonight and again audience is fooled. Fortunately di- As the hero's hard-hearted mother, June 5 through 7 at the Madison Mrs. Regina Larkfield (Betsy vide kind-hearted contrast to the vil- Showcase Arts Festival seeks aid rector Pat Thornton did not fall for lainry about them. Christian Community, this musical this old ploy. He has allowed his cast Knight) perceptively puts it, "Can it The annual Rock Prairie Showcase Arts Festival, sponsored by the Be-, melodrama combines a semi-humor- be that she is not as dumb as she Only one cast member remains, to use their imaginations as actors. looks?" and although she is on stage the loit and Janesville art leagues, Wright Art Center and the Rock Prairie His light touch has found a good bal- least, she provides more laughs than Arts Council, is seeking sponsors and contributors for the July 20 show ori On 9tmge ) ance between seriousness and Our villain is a delight. Cyril all the rest. As Mrs. Geraldine Har- the Beloit College Campus. Showcase Arts Festival Operates solely from • humor. Bothingwell (Mark Cooper, also re- grave ("Nella's mother, who 'en- financial contributions: no admission is charged. Donations of any amount' ous script with playful acting and di- Even the usual weak point in these sponsible for the set design) comes joys' bad health"), Donna Eaton has may be sent to the Rock Prairie Arts Council, Box 1494, Janesville 53545 • rection to produce more than its plays, the good-hearted hero and across as a mellifluous Groucho a voice and figure that have to be (telephone 752-5713). : share of laughs. heroine, are played with a fine comic Marx tinged with J.R. Ewing. His seen to be believed. The woman is in- As is always the case with these touch. Adam Korbitz, a senior at Mo- physical comedy, such as planting describable. She looks to be 6% feet Free dance concert June 3 at MCC things, the plot is complicated by de- nona Grove High School, plays Mal- his hat in the hat tree just as he en- tall with humorously ill-fitting tails that, if one paid close attention, vern Larkfield ("our manly-bos- ters the room, is well-timed. clothes and a hat perched high on Tara and the Kismet Dance Caravan will perform Middle Eastern omed hero, who raises stinkweeds") her head. Her voice and her inflec- dances at a free noon concert in the Crossroads of the Madison Civic Cen- wouldn't quite make sense. When with the earnestness of youth. Mrs. Larkfield is almost enough of two characters begin an involved a villain herself to have provided the tion are so funny in themselves that ter, on Tuesday, June 3. The concert is funded by the City of Madison Cul- • conversation on intimate terms, one His female counterpart, nurse necessary drama, and because of that audience continues to laugh long tural Affairs Committee with partial support from the National Endow- is suddenly struck by the fact that Felicity Fair ("our persecuted her- this, her conversion to the side of after she's left the stage. ment for the Arts. they have never met before — at oine, more sinned against than sinn- good at the end of the play is'some- The show is fun, complete with least not on the stage. But to nitpick ing") is played with delightful comic what unconvincing. But that's all popcorn to throw at the villain, and Rader art works exhibit in June the small seating space at Madison Christian Community (room for The art works of Robert Rader will be exhibited during June in the about 100) gives a pleasant intimacy.