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By Sue Moore

Tradition! After 61 years, it would seem that most of the people in South County would know about the Showboat, but that was found to be erroneous, according to an informal survey of local residents.

No matter, it will take place this year on February 28, March 1 at 7 p.m. and March 2 at 2 p.m., with a spaghetti dinner option in the Vicksburg High School cafeteria, sponsored by the Boy Scouts, Troop 251.

The Showboat what?  There is a whole new generation that has yet to experience the hilarity and pratfalls of the show’s comedy writers who largely direct their jokes to kids in elementary school.  The chorus however is the saving grace as they blend beautifully in four-part harmony, some of the loveliest tunes for man chorus in existence, according to Chris Garrett, the show’s music director.

What used to be a standing room only, a whacky three-night stretch in the old high school gymnasium, is now a much more polished and modern performance in the Performing Arts Center.  It has nice plush seats compared to the bleachers, great sound system, nuanced lighting and fewer people attending.

The Vicksburg Rotary Club has been working toward keeping the old time songs, skits and jokes that held forth while polishing the script so it has some continuity and direction under the guidance of Ken Franklin.  The chorus has members who read music, sing beautifully and are directed by eight-year veteran, Garrett. This year, the theme is aptly put, “Does Anybody Have the Time?”

The ticket prices have remained the same, $10, for many years, with advance purchase taking place at Hill’s Pharmacy on S. Main Street, up until the Friday of the show.  Combo tickets for the spaghetti dinner and the show are a bargain at $15 each, with the dinner price set at $8 individually.  All Vicksburg elementary students have been provided with a voucher for a free ticket to the show when accompanied by an adult.  These need to be turned in when purchasing tickets.

The show is in the making for over two months with rehearsal beginning the first Sunday in January.  The script writing team starts work in August, developing a theme and polishing the jokes.  The entire effort is sponsored by the Vicksburg Rotary Club.  It is the one and only fundraiser the club puts on, with all the proceeds going to fund the many non-profit activities in the Vicksburg community.  Over the past 60 years, nearly $600,000 has been raised with the entire amount going back into the community.

Mike Tichvon, general chairman and Ken Franklin, director of the show, invite new and old alike to sit back, enjoy the jokes and take in the great music, by taking a step back in time when stage entertainment was king.

The Boy Scouts of America was founded in 1910, and Vicksburg’s very own Boy Scout “Troop 251” was founded just a few short years later, in 1917.  Fast forward almost one hundred years, to 2014, and you’ll find boy scouting in Vicksburg continues to flourish.

Currently there are over 40 boys in the troop, sponsored by the Vicksburg United Methodist Church.  Troop Leaders oversee and guide the program; which is totally ran, planned and managed by the boys, ensuring that Troop 251 remains an integral part of Vicksburg community.

Scoutmaster Kevin Borden encourages the scouts to stay busy throughout the year with troop meetings, various activities & events, and campouts occurring literally every month.

It is not uncommon to see the Scouts out-n-about in Vicksburg; working at the Historic Village, participating in the communities various parades, helping Generous Hands stuff backpacks, or stocking the food pantry at South County Community Services…and of course serving up Spaghetti Dinners at this year’s 61^st annual Rotary Showboat on Friday, February 28 and Saturday, March 1 from 4:30 to 7:30 in the high school cafeteria.  Combo tickets may be purchased at Hill’s Pharmacy on South Main Street in Vicksburg.

In 2013, the scouts and leaders contributed well over 1,000 hours of dedicated community service to Vicksburg and our surrounding areas.

The Boy Scouts also include camping, the out-of-doors, and high-adventure within their program.  Last year,  Troop 251 participated in over 40 events and went on no less than 14 major trips; venturing to Ontario/Canada, Niagara Falls, Ohio, West Virginia, Mackinac Island, and other various points right here in Michigan.   Scouting has also kept pace with new and exciting “Extreme” scout activities, which many of our older scouts participate in.   How does Rappelling 14 stories down the outside of McCamly Tower, in Battle Creek sound?    Other activities include;  ATV and jet skiing, skeet and trap shooting,  or how about Zip-Lining down one of North America’s longest Zip Lines along 3,200’ of cable reaching speeds of 65mph?   Adding to a century of scouting values and history, the scouts have remained very relevant in the 21^st century.   New Merit Badges like;  robotics, graphic arts, composites, welding, game design, geocaching, digital technology, and sustainability (just to name a few)  have been added to those more traditional Merit Badges of camping, orienteering, and cooking.  If you’re a boy between the ages of 10 ½ and 18, this stuff is right up your alley.

Eagle Scout is the highest rank that can be earned by a boy scout, with less than 4 percent of all boy scouts ever achieving this top honor.  Troop 251 has produced 39 Eagles Scouts in their near 100 year old history.  Eagle Scout Deric Blanchet is the latest recipient of this award, having earned his Eagle in 2013.  Deric planned, managed and oversaw the building of several “Flag Retirement Drop Boxes”, which was sponsored in part, by the Vicksburg VFW. Deric then distributed them to various government buildings and local business.

Any boy (age 7-18) or an adult who can spare a couple hours a month…who might be interested in the Vicksburg Cub and Boy Scouts, please visit the website:  www.vicksburg-scouting.org .  Anyone outside of the immediate Vicksburg area can visit: www.beascout.org.

By David Schriemer, MD

As the son of a military man, then an army physician himself, Ken Franklin lived in 35 different locales before he came to Vicksburg in July 2002. Ken, wife Terri, sons Matt and Jeremy quickly became part of the fabric of the community. That, of course, meant singing in the Showboat chorus. Ken sang in the bass section. Director Lloyd Appell had admonished the cast not to ad lib. But Ken had an idea at dress rehearsal. Being the new guy, he tentatively approached director Lloyd Appell, “How about when the guys dressed as chickens are clucking to ‘In the Mood’ I come out with a big Colonel Sanders Chicken bucket?” Lloyd approved and Ken’s destiny in the Showboat was set.

Ken was first featured in Showboat as Teddy Roosevelt (see any resemblance?) singing of his hunting prowess, “I shot the maximum the game laws would allow! Two game wardens, seven hunters and a cow!”

Joining the script committee with Tim Moore, Warren Lawrence, Lloyd Appell and newer members Karl Kerchief, Jim Thompson, Bob Donelson and Chris Garrett cemented his Showboat fate.

In 2006, at Lloyd Appell’s request, he assisted in directing the Showboat but missed the performance as he presented at a medical conference. 2007 saw his directorial debut.

Ken’s favorite scenes are the old mainstays of Showboat; The doctor’s skit (How many ways can you make Karl Kerchief, MD look silly) and the Newspaper Jokes Scene (where jokes never die, they are reincarnated.)

Ken has made a real effort to get high school students more involved. Son Jeremy and friends started an all male chorus in the high school called “Simply Men.” Ken made his son an offer he couldn’t refuse and “Simply Men” sang in multiple Showboats. The “Green Man Group” (high school musicians Jacob Carr and Alex Chioda in green body suits) drummed lots of youthful interest!

“I love it when the cast makes it their own.” says Ken. Characters developed by the cast have a way of returning year after year. Simpering bureaucrat Mr. Tweedly, developed by Tom Miller, pops up periodically to promote proper grammar and political correctness. Somehow the Tweedly version “Elderly Man River” does not have the gravitas of “Old Man River”. Rev Buff Coe’s Wonder Whiner’s plaintive cries are unmistakable and unavoidable. (Ken says the Methodist church elders suggested he use that voice to preach a stewardship sermon. He might have to duck the wallets thrown at him.)

Showboat has been a family affair for the Franklins. Terri Franklin performed as a character on the “Just Good Friends Boat”, son Jeremy sang with Simply Men and post high school has been part of the cast. This year, son Matt joins the cast and wife Debi works diligently behind the scenes with costuming.

Ken especially enjoys the collaboration that makes Showboat so much fun. Mike Tichvon  and Rotarians building sets, Mike Hardy painting scenery, Karla Stubblefield pianist extraordinaire, Chris Garrett musical director, the pit orchestra, the cast and the many costumers- Margaret Kerchief, Holly Fryling, Tangileen Klein, Marci Roth and Debi Franklin- work together to make for a memorable Showboat. Ken reports the costumers are the highest paid members of the Showboat.  He has to pay them with chocolate macaroons!

Ken has lived in Vicksburg longer than anywhere else in his lifetime.  Like the Showboat directors before him, Ken’s love for this community is expressed in the joy and frivolity of each Showboat.