September 9th and the show A Night at the Music Box is getting closer and closer. Some of us, including Ellie and Frank Batchelor and Liz and Jim West met early at Park Place United Methodist Church where we hold our regular rehearsals on Thursday, August 10th to set up a “mock” stage so that the ladies would get the feeling of how things will be arranged the night of the actual show.

Mock Rehearsal

We measured areas of the floor and marked them with masking tape to show the exact size of the platforms which we will be using; we then arranged the tables in a V formation. Two of the tables will be elevated on the platforms; a third will be placed on the floor. Then we arranged who would sit and stand in what position, paying close attention to balance of parts and making sure we seat the ladies who are unable to stand for sustained periods of time.

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Pat Yeager, graduate of Fort Hill High School (class of 1951), invited the Ladybirds Chorus to sing for their 55th Class Reunion, which was held on August 12th at the Shrine Club. The event was attended by at least 100 people, who enjoyed a wonderful meal, the Ladybirds performance, and a dance as the final activity of the evening.

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The Ladybirds flew into Betty’s house for a picnic and rehearsal on August 3rd. We had been invited there last year, too, so everyone was excited about good food, fun and relaxation. We accepted Betty’s invitation with the understanding that she would not overdo anything in the way of preparation; we brought covered dishes and set everything up for the meal. The food was delicious and plentiful, as usual. No one left hungry, that’s for sure!

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The Ladybirds spent the better part of the weekend of August 4th at a semi-retreat at the Road Kill Cabins & Campground. The purpose of this adventure was to give the ladies a chance to relax and enjoy themselves, and at the same time, put in some intensive rehearsal time. The Smouses, Ida and Bill, who live on Green Ridge Road fairly close to the Road Kill Restaurant, invited the Ladybirds to rehearse in their basement that Friday night, and the next day, Bill said he’d record the group’s show music. The group met at the Cabins and then at the restaurant for a wonderful meal; then they went to the Smouses’ house for a trial run with the recording equipment. That was not the best, actually, because they were very crowded, and the temperature was HOT; on top of that, the Smouses were having technical difficulties with their recording equipment. Nonetheless, the ladies ran through four or five songs, while the Smouses tried to figure out the problem of the 60-cycle hum that was most annoying.

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