Macon's stars of stage and screen
This the time of year Macon thinks pink! The Yoshino cherry trees take center stage as they canopy the main streets and bend, blossom laden, over the avenues and boulevards of every neighborhood.
It is a time celebrated with music of every genre from the Cox Capitol Theatre downtown to the picturesque Wesleyan College campus in north Macon. Bengal tigers entertain in Central City Park; participants stumble over their mattresses in the bed race; everyone wants a pink pancake. The list of entertainment is endless and the venues crowded at the annual Cherry Blossom Festival.
Without the vast number of volunteers, it could not function as the well-oiled machine that it is in this 34th year. Just ask Stacy Ingram, for the second year, the volunteer chair of the Cherry Blossom fashion show.
Enlisting the professional expertise of Tosha Walden, owner of the Empire Agency, to coordinate the show, to secure the models and their clothes from local stores, Ingram twisted arms and tapped into her list of talented friends to stage "Rhapsody in Pink." The theme of the show, which reflected the deeply entrenched musical heritage of Macon, was the cue for Kay King's floral decorations, pink tulips climbing through black metal netting in the shape of musical notes, and for the black and pink draped tables, a task that involved two days of work at the Anderson Conference Center at Goodwill headquarters.
On March 24, the volunteers in the lobby were ready for the enthusiastic throng at the door -- some of whom had reserved tables for 10, others needing some assistance in finding a seat -- for the savory lunch prepared by students at the Helms Institute, the culinary school that is training future chefs under the Goodwill Industries umbrella. Walden had her models ready to take the runway as soon as dessert was served, and had the audience's attention with the familiar strains of Macon music playing in the background while fashion show narrator Connie Carey entertained the guests from her podium.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND THE STARS
Walden's program for the fashion show previewed future performances, scheduled throughout the year, which will showcase the talent of local musicians and those who are returning favorites with ties to Macon.
The first previewed event was Second Sunday in the Park on Coleman Hill. The first concert in the series happens April 10 when Susto will perform. Dressed for the occasion by Dry Falls, the supplier of any outdoor clothing, Kerri Fickling strutted with her newest rescue pup before Macon-Bibb Commissioner Larry Schlesinger and Sam Hart Jr. showed off the latest duds for picnics in the park.
A circus-themed event in Cherry Street Plaza on July 30, part of the Bragg Jam Music Festival, is for children of all ages. With the perfect royal wave, 3-year old Hope Jones and her famous weather guru father, Ben Jones, modeled the ideal play wear for chalk painting on the sidewalk come July. Seven-year-old Bishop and his 6-year-old sister, Lilly Kate, kept their mother, Molly McWilliams, in tow as they skipped down the runway in casual fashions from Ginnie Marie boutique, comfortable enough for the bounce house at the Bragg Jam event.
Amyre Makeupson, news anchor for WGXA TV, joined the circus fun with 3-year-old Myles Brown, also dressed by Ginnie Marie boutique. Although this is the first year there have been so many little ones participating in the fashion show, their lack of inhibitions about facing a crowd of unfamiliar faces added a dash of levity to the show.
Forging their unique talents, Robert McDuffie and Mike Mills of R.E.M. fame will perform a concerto written by Mills for a tour that will bring them to Macon in October after crisscrossing the country and covering major cities on the east coast. To herald this collaboration, Susan McDuffie, mother of the violin virtuoso, modeled evening attire from Chico's, followed by Leah Fleming, radio journalist with Georgia Public Broadcasting, her statuesque frame draped with a Joseph Ribkoff design from Barney and Stella. Tori McGraw, sales representative for Cumulus Broadcasting, and co-owner of Twang Southern Tastes and Sounds in Payne City, was dressed for the McDuffie-Mills concert in a frothy peach chiffon dress from Sorella.
Internationally acclaimed pianist and Maconite Edward Eikner will perform this year at the Georgia Music Hall of Fame awards ceremony in Atlanta. This was his first year modeling for the fashion show, and a first time for House of Hines Formal Wear to be a part of the show. The last segment of the program, "The Wedding of Music and Fashion," was a grand finale of luxurious gowns and handsome tuxedos to end a well-choreographed and much anticipated Cherry Blossom Festival event. See you next year!
This story was originally published April 2, 2016 at 9:08 PM with the headline "Macon's stars of stage and screen ."