LASTING EVENTS & MEMORIES FROM
CAMPUS THUNDER
1957
"TENTH ANNIVERSARY REVIEW"
(10th edition)

Played three evening performances to S.R.Q. and an added demand for tickets brought a fourth evening performance.......

Well, here it was, the night we had been waiting for for a long ten years - the 10th anniversary edition, and the setting moved from the traditional Klein Memorial to the American Shakespeare Theatre to accommodate the world fabulous DANCING WATERS that appeared in the gala 57 edition; why the move, because the stage at the Klein was too small. We heard the "O's" and "AH's" when the curtain opened on this spectacular direct from the Radio City Music Hall. In addition our dates were moved from the week prior to Thanksgiving to the week after the holiday, thus giving us plenty of time for the show. The plot, why of course we took it from the place of showing, A Shakespearean theme, with Will Shakespeare's characters brought back to the modern 20th century. We saw Romeo, Juliet, Lady Macbeth, Hamlet, Petruchio and Katherina prance through modern U.S.A.

By the way, this was the first time "Dancing Waters" ever appeared at a college show. This was an experiment if it worked, they would tour other colleges.

It was still another first, for the past four years we have been playing to an S.R.O. for three nights; this year all three nights were sold out two weeks prior to the show and an additional night's performance was held, even with an increase in prices of the show.

When the curtain went up on the memories of past shows, we who have been with the shows in the past, applauded each of the many old tine songs that were reviewed. It was a real treat to hear the old songs from past reviews.

Plot of course was the bringing back of the characters into modern tines by this playwright, and when the Shakespear characters can't keep up with the modern pace and strike, the playwright releases them to go back to their own century.

With the tenth show came the tenth program, and when we say it was beautiful, we mean beautiful, with a cover picturing all the past programs; even the cast party drew well over 300 persons, and many old timers back to review the hits and pay tribute to Director Dickason.

As is customary with Thunder in the past, we had our troubles, too. The afternoon of the opening night, the lead role of "Hamlet" was taken over by our director when suddenly the student who was to play the part took sick. It took us ten years, but we finally saw Mr."D" perform and he did a top-notch job (why of course, he wrote the part, he should have). The regaining nights of the show, the regular member of the cast was back. We even had aninals in the cast, only this year it was a dog and a monkey.

Choreography was handled by Judy filair, a newcomer to Thunder who did a wonderful job, and lest we forget, the Thunderettes and their choreographer, star of past Thunder shows, Gerry Bennett. The Thunderettes almost stole the show, especially in the impersonation nunber.

Knights of Thunder came to the show in full formal, to see Al Dickason's latest hit.

Lest we forget, the stars of the '57 show were! Richard Ameis as the Genie dressed in a Shakespearean costume, Stan Lutay as the playwright, Bob Ruge as a character, Susan Portnoy, Arnold Frost, Debbie Pensak, Frank D'lsa, Bill Bevacqua, and Lucy Wisinski as Shakespearean charac-, ters, and of course, Fifi played by Steve Soracco and Milt Adao as a featured dancer.

Top costumes were executed by Marge Scott and exotic numbers were: "Progressive Education (a rock and roll Elvis Presley skit)", "Uptown Manhattan" and "The Eskimo" and of course, the hit "DANCING WATcRS". Tuneful songs again were sung as the audience left their seats: Songs of the past shows and new hits suh as "Dancing Waters Suite", "The Eskimo", "Hamlet Ballett", "Three Girls and a Dime", "Methinks Its Love", and "Tenth Anniversary Show" by Pill Pjura '54; "Fashionably Beautiful", "Greenwich Vill" by Steve Martin and Harry Ahlberg and "An Old Time Rally in Tin Pan Alley" by Sime Neary.

Gus Meyers, Jr. leader of the orchestra for the past ten years, was initiated into the Knights of Thunder. Ten year members who have been with the show since its inception, were saluted. They are:

ALBERT DICKASON, JOHN REED, GUS MEYERS, JR., SIME NEARY, ED MORRISON, BERT ARTHUR, MADGE NEARY, ADELINE MEATH, MARGE SCOTT, DON GARBELNICK

1957 ORIGINAL SONG HITS BY SIME NEARY, STEVE MARTIN, HARRY AHLBERG, WILLIAM PJURA, CONSTANCE W. CARNEY, SAMANDER50N;

"TENTH ANNIVERSARY SHOW"
"THAT'S HOW WE MADE THE THUNDER SHOW"
"MR. MINSKY'S QUEENS OF BURLESQUE"
"PROTECTION OF A TREE"
"FASHIONABLY BEAUTIFUL"
"PARDONNEZ"
"THREE DAMES AND A DIME"
"GREENWICH VILL"
"THEY MUST NOT BE INHIBITED"
"P.E. (PROGRESSIVE EDUCATION)"
"METHINGS IT'S LOVE"
"BITIN' MORE THAN YOU C'N CHEW"
"AN OLD TIME RALLY IN TIN PAN ALLEY"

1947 1948 1950 1951 1952 1953
1954 1955 1956 BLANK 1958 1959
1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 BLANK

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