Note: All the pictures in this article are clickable and will take you to their larger counterparts in the Ladybirds Gallery.

The Ladybirds wish to express their deep appreciation to the following people who helped in myriad ways to make the show, A Night at the Music Box, a fabulous success! We published an abbreviated “thank you” in the program, but space was limited and we decided to post a detailed “thank you” here on the Ladybirds website.

We want to reiterate our thanks to Victor Holler and Super Shoes for their generous contribution to the Ladybirds. Not only did the Marketing Department print our 11″ by 17″ posters and our show tickets for us, they also ran a half-page ad in the program and donated an additional amount of money to be used according to our needs. On top of all this, they printed our 52 page program booklet! Oh, boy, what a job! The Ladybirds were thrilled with their willingness to support us in so many ways. The printing they did for us was superior in every way. They heeded our every wish as regards size, design, number of copies, color printing. We can’t begin to thank them enough; we truly appreciate their thoughtfulness, generosity and expertise!

Ken Batchelor, though mentioned in the program “thank you” article, should also be thanked again here on the website, which he himself designed, formatted and put up on the Internet. Ken hosts the Ladybirds site, as well as at least six others. For A Night at the Music Box, Ken designed all of the printed materials which were used, including: flyers, posters, show tickets, afterglow tickets, 52-page program booklet, and preliminary documents used for advertisement sales and cover letters to accompany the advertisement applications. His work speaks for itself, really. He spent hours setting up exactly what we wanted, formatting the perfect design which displays our content and ads in an attractive manner. He carefully transferred all this data to Victor Holler of Super Shoes for printing. His work is technically and aesthetically precise and complete and accurate in every way. We also wish to thank him and Frank Batchelor, his father, for the photographic expertise, which resulted in our group photo shot that appeared in the program, as well as still photographs and a videotape of the actual show. It is appropriate here to mention the help Frank Batchelor gave the Ladybirds by helping set up the mock stage for practice purposes and by videotaping at least two of the rehearsals. Additionally, Frank Batchelor is heartily thanked for his work in helping in numerous ways including, photography, video taping, stage setup, input at show meetings, transporting props and people, and helping at the retreat the Ladybirds had at the Road Kill Café and Campground.

Thanks are in order to all of the advertisers who supported the program for A Night at the Music Box. Thanks also to Allegany College Theater and their staff for all their help prior to, during, and after the show.

Duckworth Insurance Service donated the insurance required by the college for the show and the dress rehearsal. We are deeply indebted to Dick Duckworth for his generosity and thoughtfulness!

Bill and Ida Smouse graciously opened their home to the Ladybirds during the above-mentioned retreat for rehearsals and recording of the show music. They have the musical knowledge and the equipment for such a project. We sincerely thank them for hosting this event for us.

Thanks to Road Kill Café personnel for providing accommodations for the Ladybirds who attended the retreat and for the delicious food they served for all our meals; we all enjoyed the ice cream from the Alley Cat Ice Cream store on the premises of the Road Kill Café property.

Alison Drake from San Luis Obispo, California, was very helpful to the Ladybirds remotely. She gave Ellie Batchelor, our Director, invaluable advice with regard to vocal and breathing exercises, stage presence, and advice regarding choreography, balance of parts, and much more. She and Ellie conversed online and on long-distance telephone. They also exchanged information through USPS. The group is better prepared because of Alison’s intense interest in our show. Thank you, Alison!

Jim West, the coach for the Ladybirds, offered much-needed assistance to the Ladybirds in the selection and preparation of the show music. He also was very helpful in carrying out the many and varied pre-show responsibilities. Most of all, we thank him for writing the script for A Night at the Music Box and for being on hand that evening to participate in the show by singing with the Totally Vocal quartet (see program booklet). Jim also co-produced the show with Shirley Carson. Jim’s wife, Liz West, is also thanked for her efforts to make the show wonderful: advertisement sales, make-up, planning meetings, staging, choreography, and for singing beautiful tenor during the Ladybirds performance.

Rosie McIntyre helped the ladies with their makeup the night of the show. She has had much experience with show business, having been a loyal member of the Never Too Late Girls and having performed on the stage of the Embassy Theater.

We appreciate so much the service of Andee Thompson of WCBC Radio who was the emcee for A Night at the Music Box. She very kindly volunteered to perform this role for the show; additionally, she attended meetings in advance of the show and rehearsals with the group so that the show numbers would be smoothly introduced as per the script. Thank you so much, Andee!

Thanks to Bill Edwards for lending the Ladybirds a music box and Nipper (His Master’s Voice) for the stage set.

The Ladybirds are so grateful to Dave Cowan for handling the sale of 50/50 tickets the night of the show. Thanks, Dave!

Our show chair-ladies, Shirley Chisholm and Sandy Daughton, were diligent in carrying out their leadership roles as regards the show and its many meetings, practices, agendas, ad sales, along with singing in the show itself! Additionally, we thank Shirley Chisholm, treasurer of the Ladybirds, for all the extra work involved in accepting money for advertisements and for disbursing money for expenses of the show. She handled the financial details and kept track of expenses and income (dues, advertisements, Allegany Arts Council application and grant). We thank each of these ladies for their dedication, and are very grateful to the Allegany Arts Council for the grant they awarded to us.

Shirley Carson and Jim West co-produced the show, and the group thanks them for all their assistance in advance of the show and during the evening of the show — their arrangements for the program, ad sales, guest quartets, theater rental, and much more.

Karen Emerick is, indeed, due many thanks for all her work in regard to ticket sales. She visited all the locations who agreed to handle our advance show ticket sales and delivered them the tickets and a poster. She kept meticulous records of who had what sequence of numbered tickets. Also, she handled the 50/50 ticket sales, which benefited the Western Maryland Food Bank. Last, but certainly not least, she is an employee of Super Shoes, whose Marketing Director, Victor Holler, offered to do so much for the group (see above).

Earlene Fradiska, Patty Lemmert, Kay Emert, and Harold Hoopengarner kindly volunteered to handle ticket sales at the door the night of the show. Our thanks to them for this very necessary service!

Betty Twigg did a bang-up job of publicity for the show. Notices promoting the show started appearing in the August edition of the newsletter of the Allegany Arts Council, and as early as August 17th in the Cumberland Times-News. Additional news items appeared from then until the show date. She also researched TV advertising on Channels 8, 20, and 62 and made sure the Ladybirds got advance coverage on that medium. Many thanks to Betty Twigg! At this point in our “thanks” article, we’d like to state that we appreciate those businesses and public places that allowed posting of advertising brochures, posters and flyers. We also thank WCBC, WFRB and WROG for the publicity they provided.

The businesses who contributed door prizes for A Night at the Music Box include: Super Shoes, Bob Evans, Daughton’s Nursery, Vocelli’s Pizza and Keyboard World.

Margie Mouse did a fine job of taking charge of the Afterglow arrangements, contacting the caterer (Kline’s Restaurant), researching the needs for that event, and scheduling it to be held at Grace Memorial Community Church immediately after the show. Margie did an excellent job of selling advertisements; she also handled the sales of the Afterglow tickets.

Jackie Gillis, chairman of the Costume Committee, is thanked for double-checking with each Ladybird to make sure she had a costume for A Night at the Music Box; she and Mary Schaver met with Irma Robertson, who also deserves a heart-felt thank you, to determine what accessories would look nice with the blue outfits to be worn for the show. Irma is the seamstress who made the sparkly collars to dress up the costumes.

The Western Maryland Food Bank and Diana L. Loar (Executive Director) gave the Ladybirds generous assistance by attending planning meetings, selling show tickets, advertising the show by displaying posters, and by featuring the group on their website. Additionally, Diana requested help from several of her volunteer workers at the Food Bank. We extend our thanks to Diana Loar, Buck Jacobs, and Dean Ullery, each of whom came to Allegany College on the night of the dress rehearsal and assisted in setting up the stage; they also returned Saturday night after the show (09/09) and helped strike the set and return the stage to normal for the next production. Also, we were happy to have the help of various members from the Chorus of the Potomac men’s group, including Bill Riley, Bill Edwards, Joe D’Giovanni, Jim West and Eric Livengood; these fine helpers were on hand for whatever help we needed, whether it be setting up the stage, taking tickets at the door, or striking the set after the show. Harold Hoopengarner and Dave Cowan helped with the sale of show tickets and 50/50 tickets.

Our thanks to each quartet who performed for A Night at the Music Box — Pizzazz, Totally Vocal, Afternoon Delight, Havin’ Fun and Sentimental Sound. These quartets accounted for more than fifty percent of the show, and each one added its own particular style of barbershop music for the enjoyment of the audience. We thank Jeff Avey for handling our sing-along during the intermission.

The Grace Memorial Community Church was very kind to let the Ladybirds hold the Afterglow in their social hall. Thanks are in order to the staff at the church and especially to Cory Houser and the young people who set up for the party and cleaned up in time for Sunday School the next morning.

Finally, the Ladybirds themselves each deserve thanks from Ellie (director), Shirley Carson and Jim West (producers), Shirley Chisholm and Sandy Daughton (show chair-ladies), and each other for producing such a fabulous show! Their dedication and love of barbershop was extremely evident in their willingness to participate in the production of this show. They all demonstrated their profound interest in the show by selling ads, show tickets, 50/50 tickets, posting advertisements, word of mouth advertisements, extended rehearsals and group meetings, concentrating on their notes and lyrics, and learning choreography.

Hopefully, this article includes all of the contributors to the success of A Night at the Music Box. This was obviously a team effort. No one person or even show committee could mount a production such as A Night at the Music Box by themselves.

In case any “thanks” were omitted, the Ladybirds wish to thank EVERYBODY who helped them in any way at all!

Note: There are literally hundreds more photographs from this event available to view in the Ladybirds Gallery and, as noted at the beginning of this article, all the pictures here in this article are clickable and will take you to their larger counterparts in the Gallery as well.