Two capacity audiences laughed, sang and cheered as “Sweet Caroline,” the fourth annual Red Light Saloon Show, was staged Oct. 3 at the Townsend Town Hall.
Written and directed by Kathleen Marsh and narrated by Marcia Wahoske, the musical comedy was set in 1905 Townsend. It paid tribute to the entrepreneurs who serviced the lumberjacks, railroaders and homesteaders as they carved out a home in northern Oconto County.
Record proceeds of over $3,000 will be used for maintenance at the Holt & Balcom Logging Camp Museum off County Road F in Lakewood.
“Sweet Caroline” starred Al Benson as Deacon, a ladies man turned preacher who lives at the saloon and watches over his brother Whiskey Jack, the (mostly) reformed town drunk played by Jon Marsh. A train mishap allowed Deacon to reconnect with Caroline Goodenough, the girl he left behind, portrayed by Mary Benson.
Deacon quickly proposed, but Caroline turned him down since he cannot provide a proper home for her. That leads local business owners to sponsor a Church-a-Thon to raise money for a parsonage and a church.
An all-volunteer cast sang and played out the story, including Kathleen Marsh as saloon madam Cathouse Cate, Shirley Ashbeck as silly dance hall girl LuLu, Beverly Gerndt as feisty saloon housekeeper Elvira, Lee Gerndt as her jokester husband and cook, Flapjack, Cindy Jonet as Elvira’s mother, Hannah, Bruce Karow as railroad tycoon Charles Townsend, and Marilyn Karow as Charles’s overly-generous wife, MaryLynn.
In his first speaking role as a member of the RLS troupe was Pat Lowery, cast opposite Annabel, Cate’s new hooker, played by Annette Neitzer. Bruce Resler made his debut as Bruno, a bashful saloon customer. Bruno had no lines but delighted the audience nevertheless with a humorous visit to his favorite saloon bartender Cindy Lou, portrayed by Cindy Resler.
A highlight of the show was an appearance by Gary and the Gloom and Doom Girls (Gary Baum, Shirley Ashbeck, Judi Fellows, Sandee Bodoh, Annette Neitzer, Cindy Resler, Cindy Jonet and Kathleen Marsh).
Don Franzen sang the show’s signature number, “The Red Light Saloon.” Musicians and singers Gary Baum, Al Benson, Jerry Bodoh, Lee Gerndt, Marilyn Karow, Pat Lowery, Kris Vandervest and Scott Wycherley starred in the Church-a-Thon, which ended with the comedy routine of Jon Marsh as a back-sliding Whiskey Jack. In the end, Deacon gets his parsonage, his church and his Sweet Caroline.
Jeff Mayer of Sound and Light Solutions provided the lights and sound.
Bartenders were Jean and Bruce Beno and Mary and Dick Fischer. Ticket sellers were Barb Ouellette, Judi Fellows, Jean Fietzer and Vicky Vandervest. Mary Stehula assisted with seating.
Next year’s show, already under construction, will be titled “Happy Endings.” The last in the RLS series, it will be presented Oct. 8 at the Townsend Town Hall.
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