AFTER HOURS: January Pops was a 'Thriller'
Brent Havens had barely raised his baton when dancers jumped to their feet for the opening of Windborne's "Music of Michael Jackson" at the City Auditorium on Jan. 16. The impertinent sass of Jackson's music was brought back to Macon by popular demand for the Macon Symphony Orchestra's annual January Pops concert.
As Windborne's guest conductor for the MSO orchestra, Havens is well known for his versatile background in arranging scores for television, feature films, movies, sporting events, rock bands and symphonies. Comfortable in a contemporary milieu, his moves on stage were in sync with those of James Delisco, who rocked the lyrics and style of Jackson's music from his early years with the Jackson Five through later years as a solo artist, surrounded by a cast of hundreds in well choreographed productions, until his death in 2009.
Preparation for the pops concert began a year in advance when Laura Dannenberg, box office manager, and Connie Davis, personnel manager, teamed up with Sheryl Towers, CEO of MSO, to tackle every detail -- sponsors for the event; accommodations and travel arrangements for the guest artists; volunteers to decorate the auditorium and the logistics of seating more than 400 patrons.
This year, some parents and their children, who perform with the Macon Symphony Youth Orchestra, showed up early Saturday to decorate tables, haul away trash and distribute table numbers. Emerald White, violinist with the youth orchestra, brought her father, who didn't blink when asked to make foil flowers for the table centerpieces. Judd Smith and his son Nathan, horn player with the youth orchestra, helped drape the tables, a task that was completed before lunch.
SPIRITED RAFFLE
Volunteers and board members donate wine each year for the raffle of more than 50 bottles of a variety of red, rose and white spirits. Symphony board President Bob Veto and board members Nancy White and Lucy Harrison joined other volunteers to poll each table and dash through the aisles of the balcony to sell tickets for a chance to go home with a respectable supply of wine, for a mere $10.
The pre-concert selling frenzy, which lasts about 30 minutes, is a popular tradition that generates a significant contribution to program and administrative costs for the symphony.
FEAST FIT FOR THE KING OF POP
Patrons who purchased tables were encouraged to bring libations and food -- a tempting array of culinary treats from local delicatessens and from the kitchens of Macon's finest cooks. At Jean Bragg's table, Rita Danese's Italian pastries, fresh from the oven, confirmed that life is short, so one must eat dessert first!
Susan and Gene Dunwody's banquet, dangerously close to the dance floor, could be raided by any breathless dancer who needed a quick snack. Susan McDuffie, pianist and cook extraordinaire, and her husband, Bill, hosted their family including their daughter Marjorie Whatley, renowned classical pianist, whose family has moved from Montana to Birmingham, Alabama, where she has joined the faculty of Birmingham-Southern College Conservatory of Fine and Performing Arts.
Fortunately, there was no shortage of food and drink for Julie and Todd Suttles and other energetic dancers who packed the dance floor for another memorable January Pops.
SEEING STARS
Because the Grand Opera House was sold out all four nights for the Gregg Allman concerts, week before last, downtown restaurants were booked solid, hotel parking lots were full of out-of-town license plates and the Allman Brothers Band Museum at the Big House saw record crowds come through its doors.
The ripple effect was more like a tsunami for the H&H Restaurant, a favorite haunt for touring bands, and for Gallery West, the photographic repository of anyone related to the world of rock.
Nicole and Blake Johnson, from Fernandina Beach, Florida, recorded their three-day stay on social media to inform friends and family that Macon is a mecca of musical folklore.
As diehard ABB fans, the Johnsons had tickets for two nights and a long weekend to tour the city, only whetting their appetites to come back and see more. Before leaving on Sunday, they finally had the chance to dine at the Rookery, the heart and soul of downtown since 1976, for the classic brunch.
Before I close, a short note of correction from last week's column. The exhibition in the Macon Arts Alliance gallery, "Creating the Subconscious," features photographs by Mary Ann Bates and paintings by Beth Smith.
Katherine Walden is a freelance writer and interior designer in Macon. Contact her at 478-742-2224 or kwaldenint@aol.com.
This story was originally published January 23, 2016 at 3:49 PM with the headline "AFTER HOURS: January Pops was a 'Thriller' ."