The 6th Annual Edna Variety Show Circus was, by popular acclaim, "the best show ever!" The talent and commitment of the student performers and volunteers as well as parent volunteers accounts for the show's success -- from backstage to onstage to the concession stand. Special thanks go out to Jody Branham, variety show director extraordinaire, and to Cambria Hicks, the artist who painted the amazing circus panels. Click here for more photos taken by Lisa Gilmore, Justine Whitehead and Mike Bishop. We are excited to announce that the show DVD will be out shortly. And even more photos can be accessed on Shutterfly-- please email jodyvera@pacbell.net for site access info. Keep reading for a message from Jody Branham...

Message from Jody Branham, Variety Show Director

What a spectacular show, and what lot of fun!!!  The 6th Annual Edna Maguire Variety Show Circus was, by popular acclaim, "the best show ever"! 

Again, I am touched by how many comments I received from parents after the show. I have included some excerpts here as I think these provide the best testimonial to what the Variety Show is about. I took great pleasure in the amusement and toil of playing director, producer, graphics designer, set designer, popcorn machine cleaner, among other as sundry jobs. But the most fun I had was working with our talented Edna kids!

My enthusiastic thank you goes out to:

Kathy Sonderby for assisting at many rehearsals, organizing the show line up, and assistant back stage managment.

Rob Thomure for being our sound and light person for the show.  He handled all of the music editing and sequencing, brought in his own pro audio equipment, and provided guitar accompaniment for acts.

Dan Kelly for back stage management.

Deb Luster for front stage management, organizing the parent show assistants, and assisting at many rehearsals.

Barbara Bleckman for assisting and coaching at many rehearsals, show announcer's coach, and just lending a hand wherever needed.

Cambria Hicks for painting the most amazing "Circus Panels" a show could have!!!

Blanca Florida for her wonderful direction in the kindergarten act "The Circus Song".

Kristen Treais for helping on the production team.

Rebecca Heitz, Jessia Jones and and their families for assisting on production of the proscenium sign.

Max Perkoff for piano accompaniment in two acts.

Andrea Carol-Libman for musical accompaniment on drums.

Ken Campbell for videography. 

Lisa Gilmore and Justine Whitehead for taking still photos at the show. 

Martin Lizarraga for working the special effects back stage, and filling in for Rob at the sound board when he needed to play guitar.

Christina Taylor, Karen Olson, and the one and only Janet Fox for organizing the refreshment stand, and all their team of parent helpers.

Nancy Bernstein, Suzanne Alpert, Mikaela Breber: for organizing the flower stand and selling souvenirs. A special thank you to the Bernsteins for donating the flowers!

Leslie Myers, Lisa Batchelder and Judith Barry for creating all of the original and fun costumes for the kindergarten act.

Lynnann Lazzareschi and Meagan Thurman for organizing the assistants at the Kindergarten rehearsals.

The fantastic "strike crew" (clean up) headed by Joe Locke, Trina Rivera, Kathy Lucas, et al.

A special thanks to Lisa Zimmer and the PTA for your ongoing enthusiastic support of the show.

And big round of applause to all of the parents of the kids in the show; we had almost 100% parent participation in volunteering to help with the show's absolutely essential to the success of the show!  Besides what has been previously mentioned, these volunteers assisted at rehearsals and at the show, helped with stage prep, and clean up, provided food, products and baked goods for the concession stand, worked at the concession stand, and prepared and sold the flowers for the kids.

And if we forgot anyone in this impressive list please know it wasn't on purpose... and thank you!

Also, thank you to all of the Edna families that attended and supported the show.

And, especially a warm thank you to all of the AMAZING EDNA MAGUIRE CHILDREN who performed, announced, assisted as stage hands and show hosts in...

"The Greatest Little Show on Earth!!!"

Again, I am touched by how many comments I received from parents after the show. I have included some excerpts here as I think these provide the best testimonial to what the Variety Show is about:

"amazing job!!...bravo!!"   "...a FANTASTIC show!!"  "It WAS the best show yet!!!"

"This year's show was sensational.  From the kids to the decor, it was amazing." 

"Congratulations on yet another, amazing show!!!!"

"... great show...amazing job. I heard so many compliments throughout the evening... The back drops were beautiful-whoever painted those. Thanks you for all of your hard work."

"The Kindergarten show was adorable!"

"Thank you for all the AMAZING and intense work ... put into the show.  The quality of this years show was just off the charts.  (The) magical touch was evident everywhere!  Kids had great stage presence, knew how to handle themselves, bowed/curtsied, smiled, practiced....I could go on.   Thank you...thank you....Edna is so lucky ...!!" 

"(My daughter)... absolutely loves it (VS) and it is my favorite school event every year. It is so nice for the kids to have the opportunity to take a chance in such a positive and supportive environment."

"Thank you so much for all (that is done) for the Variety Show.  I can tell that it is a HIGHLIGHT of (my daughter's) year and she wants to be in the Variety Show every year!  This was really a spectacular event.  I brought my parents and they were floored at the performances and the whole show.  We really can't thank you enough." 

"Thanks again for all of the tireless work to give our kids a platform to express themselves"  

"Thank you for all the time and effort ... put into the kindergarteners act.

My daughter... was so happy and proud of herself for getting up there and I know they all had a lot of fun in the process.  It was a great experience and the result was wonderful." 

"Thanks for coming up with the idea (Kindergarten act), it allowed so many kindies to participate in the really fun event that the variety show is...(the management) of it all, is amazing!"

"(My son) had a blast and really loved the Variety Show..... thanks for giving him the opportunity ... and having faith in him."

 

 

Posted by jamccrady on June 4