Macon Civic Club to set the stage on fire with annual show to benefit local charities
On a normal day, you might buy a loaf of bread, a pair of jeans or another day-to-day item from a member of the Macon Civic Club. Or maybe arrange for legal, banking or other professional services. But when January rolls around, these community-minded business folks are ready to dress up, sing a song, dance around and cut up a bit to put on a show — a show for good causes.
The Macon Civic Club’s annual stage review is Jan. 29-Feb. 1 at the Grand Opera House and this year is called “Light My Fire.” Again, money raised will go to area groups and charities — 60 or more of them — and club members hope that as in the past few years they can give close to $200,000.
The club has been putting on its charitable variety act since 1959.
“There are a few volunteers who work toward the show all year but for most of our 200 actors, singers, comedians, set, light and technical people and others involved, January is just the time we make sure evenings are free for practice — evenings and whatever other time it takes,” said Reeves Minton of Minton Lawn and Garden, who heads organizing this year’s presentation along with his wife, Julie Minton.
It was the Mintons who picked the show’s theme and songs and paired parts them with the club’s talented, or not-so-talented, members.
“We have 19 numbers and about five have fire in the title,” Minton said, “There’s a big production number with Billy Joel’s ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire’ and of course The Door’s ‘Light My Fire.’ The night has a lot of humor and comedy, too. A lot of it is local with some good-natured jabs at pretty well-known people.”
Will Minton be highlighted in a solo?
“No, no, no,” he said. “Not me. I’m one of those not-so-talented ones best picked for the background chorus line even though I can hardly put two dance steps together. We leave that to our very talented members and depend on our pros like Sylvia Haynie, Laura Voss and Jim Crisp to direct us and get us in shape.”
Haynie, Voss and Crisp are longtime Macon community theater and entertainment leaders, with Haynie and Voss being teachers and closely associated with Macon Little Theatre. Crisp is the now-retired founding artistic director of Theatre Macon and has been involved with the Macon Civic Club show for 32 years.
“It’s pretty exciting what the club does each year as far as entertainment but even more what they do to help the community,” he said. “It’s impressive to think almost $200,000 has gone to local charities and groups each of the last several years, but even more impressive to think more than $1 million total has been given in just five years or so. That’s truly amazing, isn’t it? I’ve watched what they do grow and can’t say enough good things about their effort and commitment.”
Crisp noted it was through efforts of the Macon Civic Club that the Grand Opera House was saved from destruction in decades past when a wrecking ball was parked outside its doors.
Crisp said he serves roughly as producing director for the show with Voss serving primarily as musical director and Haynie directing choreography
Minton, along with Crisp, emphasized that the production is a shared effort and expressed appreciation for audiences who come guaranteeing that there’s money to give.
“There’s such a wide variety of groups and charities old and new that we’re able to give to,” Minton said. “From the Museum of Arts and Sciences to Cross Roads Recovery to Macon Outreach to Navicent’s Crescent House and to Boys and Girls clubs — the list just goes on and on. That’s the reason the club was started in the first place and why we do the shows. It’s fun, but man, it is a lot of work.”
One way of giving that began last year will continue this year. Each evening, a seat will be picked and the person in it will get to name a favorite charity to receive $5,000.
Ticket costs vary over the show’s four nights with the first performance, Wednesday, Jan 29, geared to families at $12. Thursday and Saturday shows are $22 and Friday a gala event is added at 6:30 p.m. featuring drinks and heavy hors d’oeuvres for $42 with a grand tent in front of the opera house on Mulberry Street for mixing and mingling.
Light My Fire — a Macon Civic Club musical revue
Where: Grand Opera House, 651 Mulberry St.
When: 7:30 p.m. Jan. 29-Feb. 1
Cost: $12-$42
For imore nformation: maconcivicclub.com
Out and About
Here’s a sampling of other events coming in the next few days. For more, check www.macon365.com.
▪ Garden Brothers Circus – 4:30 & 7:30 p.m. Jan 24, three-ring circus presented at Macon Centreplex, 200 Coliseum Dr., www.maconcentreplex.org/events. $27 - $37, $10 parklng.
▪ An Evening with America – 7:30 p.m. Jan 25, America the band at Macon City Auditorium, 415 First St., www.maconcentreplex.org/auditorium. $46.75-$82.75
▪ Robert Earl Keen – 8 p.m. Jan. 25, playing at Hargray Capitol Theatre, 382 2nd St., www.hargraycapitoltheatre.com. $30+
▪ Still Life 2: Art inspired by The Wesleyan Osteology Collection – 6-7 p.m. Jan 25, closing of the show at Wesleyan Art Department, 4760 Forsyth Rd., (478) 477-1110.
▪ Tavernsong: Beer & Hymns – 7 p.m. Jan 26, sacred song and community gathering hosted by Highland Hills Baptist Church at The Creek Stage at The Rookery, 533 Cherry St., (478) 746-4846.
Contact writer Michael W. Pannell at mwpannell@gmail.com.
This story was originally published January 24, 2020 at 11:56 AM.