The Bromeley Family Theater at the University of Pittsburgh at
Bradford turned into the corner soda shop for the night on
Saturday. A time when the jukebox was full of songs people knew the
words to and the tune started everyone’s feet moving.
The new versions of the Platters, Beary Hobbs’ Drifters and
Cornell Gunter’s Coasters wowed a sold out audience and brought the
doo-wop sound of the ’50s to Bradford courtesy of the Bradford
Creative and Performing Arts Center.
The show was sold out for weeks for the legends of yesteryear,
according to BCPAC vice president Terry Palmer, and had the highest
waiting list for tickets in the history of BCPAC.
“You came here for a show. That’s your first mistake tonight,”
said one of the members of the Coasters, the first group to
perform. “This is a celebration of life.”
The group got things going with “The Twist” -ðthe song made
famous by Chubby Checker. They enticed the group to stand and
twist, no matter who was behind them. The audience was more than
happy to oblige.
“If they want to see so bad, they will get up, too.”
Everyone also jumped on board with such songs as “The
Locomotion,” “Dancin’ In the Street” and Twist and Shout.”
A woman named “Hootie” became Lucy Brown for the night – a
slight variation of “Charlie Brown” – providing the “why is
everybody always picking on me” lyric.
Her payment? CDs, something she referred to as “flat disk
thingys.”
The songs continued with such hits as “Poison Ivy,” “Dock of the
Bay,” “Yakety Yak” and even more recent songs as “Elvira” with the
audience waving their arms back and forth.
That momentum continued with the Platters – “America’s musical
gift to the world” -ðsinging “Only You.”
The trip back in time went on with a faster paced “Will You
Still Love Me Tomorrow,” “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” and “Unchained
Melody.”
They picked things up a little with “Your Love is Lifting Me
Higher.”
“My Prayer” garnered a standing ovation, along with “The Great
Pretender.”
The audience was then taken to New York City with the first song
from the Beary Hobbs’ Drifters – “On Broadway.”
The melodies continued with “Up on the Roof,” “This Magic
Moment” and “Stand By Me.”
“There Goes My Baby” was introduced as a unique song that was
recorded when the bass player didn’t show up and was replaced by
someone’s voice. The audience had a chance to sing along with
“Under the Boardwalk.”
All 12 performers from the three groups went on stage to sing
“Stand Up America” written after Sept. 11, 2001, and dedicated to
all the people who served in since World War II.
As they sang “There are three colors in America – red, white and
blue,” members of the audience from the back forward started to
stand.
Before Saturday’s concert, BCPAC President Emeritus Jim Guelfi
bestowed the 2007 Marilyn Horne Award for Excellence in the
Creative and Performing Arts to the Blaisdell Foundation.
Why was the Blaisdell Foundation worthy of the award?
“Look around you,” Guelfi said, adding Blaisdell Hall has
brought the arts to life at the University of Pittsburgh at
Bradford.
“Blaisdell Hall is the Carnegie Hall of McKean County,” Guelfi
said. “It’s a magnet for the arts.
“How very different this place would be without input from the
Blaisdell Foundation,” Guelfi said. “We honor the family, the
company and the foundation. This building is just the visible
manifestation of what has been called the ‘Blaisdell Effect.'”
George Duke, owner and chairman of the board at Zippo
Manufacturing Co., accepted the award on the foundation’s
behalf.
“It’s an honor to be here tonight to accept (this award),” Duke
said, adding the foundation was set up to “help the community and
the wonderful citizens of Bradford … it was mandated to solely look
after Bradford. Make sure things were taken care of.”
The foundation was set up by Duke’s grandfather, George G.
Blaisdell, in 1950.
“If grandpa was looking down on us tonight, like I know he is,
he has a tear in his eye and a smile from ear to ear.”
