LAKEPORT — You could say that time is inching toward that February date, when the best of the up-and-coming and the strongest of the long-lived locals get their time on stage under the bright lights of the Soper-Reese. No kidding, it”s an event.
Or you could say that time is racing forward, and the Winter Music Fest, Lake County”s 17th annual full-tilt vaudeville, is just around the corner. The performances will be on Feb. 27 and 28. This is presented by the Lake County Arts Council, and it”s a modest fundraiser for that venerable institution.
Even if time moves slowly for you, there isn”t that much of it left for you to get your act together and send in your audition information form, the first step to participating in this premium local music event. First, you download the form from www.lakecountyartscouncil.com or you pick it up at the Main Street Gallery, 325 N. Main St. in Lakeport, or you call to ask for one at 263-6658. The office needs to get that form in by Jan. 7, in order to schedule your audition.
Next, you will receive a date and time for your audition. The Lake County Arts Council will call you to set that up. Auditions will start at 10 a.m. on Jan. 16 at the Soper-Reese.
And what should you do at the audition? The arts council stands for ever-expanding horizons and beautiful sunrises so don”t hold back!
The producers are looking for soloists and groups playing all styles of music ? whether named, like blues, or country or jazz or classical, or invented by you and beyond the categories. Soloists must be from Lake County. For groups, at least one member must be from Lake County. Dance and juggling have been presented in the past, and are encouraged. Other performance types are also sought.
All ages are enthusiastically welcome. The youngest so far was a toddler, and the oldest 97 years old. Chances are you fall within those parameters.
In putting the show together, the emphasis will be on the broadest possible sampling of musical and performance styles. While the judges are open to everything, experience shows that pacing and energy pay off on the winter vaudeville stage. And practice, practice, practice is the key.
Over the years, the arts council has honed the audition process and encouraged the development of a lot of local talent. The Soper-Reese has been continually upgrading the lighting and the sound system; there is none better in Lake County. The seats are incredibly comfortable, and every one has a great view, and you can hear everything. When you perform there, you feel no hesitation about inviting your most critical relative.
This is the event, the place and the time. Call that bass player, polish up that vocal solo; pick a really nice tune to play on the marimba; finish sewing buttons on that costume. It”s the 17th Music Fest. There won”t be anything like it until the 18th Music Fest. Your applause is waiting for you.
