Rafters ring as concert eases plight of pipes

Madison Johnson and Shelby Wilson, flanked by Shanna Johnson and Tim Wilson, gave performances that were well received by the crowd during a fund-raising concert at the Fox Playhouse in Nevada, Saturday night.

By Steve Moyer

Nevada Daily Mail

Two of the Community Council on the Performing Arts favorite singers, Tim Wilson and Shanna Johnson, gave a rousing performance Saturday night. Emcee Kim Bessey billed the event as the "Plight of the Pipes" -- it was a benefit performance meant to raise the money to repair the Fox Playhouse heating system, organized after the CCPA discovered that the back of the stage area wasn't receiving any heat from the furnaces and repairs were necessary.

A full slate of performances is scheduled for this winter and to assure they could go on, the fund-raiser was organized.

Described on the front of the program as an "Evening of Gospel and Country Music," the two stars delivered exactly that. Wilson started out with country standards "Forever and Ever, Amen" and "If Tomorrow Never Comes" before turning over the microphone to Johnson for her rendition of "Passenger Seat" and "Because You Love Me."

Wilson's daughter, Shelby, 10, wowed the crowd with her performance of "You Are My King." Johnson also had a musical progeny perform, Madison, 8, togged out in country attire, complete with red boots, entertained the crowd with "Let 'Er Rip."

The evenings most energetic performance came when Wilson was joined by Rick Baker and Randy Jones for "I'll Fly Away." The three performed well together leaving the audience wanting more.

The one incongruous note in the evenings performance seemed to be the listing of a piano duet of "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown" by Norma Mooneyhan and Janice Runyan to lead off the second act. Despite the apparent incongruity of the Jim Croce signature tune it actually fit in quite well with the pace and the mood of the evening.

Humor was an integral part of the performances with Tim Wilson turning sideways and pushing out his stomach when he came to the lyric "They say that time takes its toll on a body."

Humor also helped when the occasional miscue happened, which seemed to give the performers a chance to throw out a few quips to the audience as viewers waited for the music to come up.

The audience, which had given its enthusiastic applause during the performance, gave the performers a richly deserved standing ovation at the end of the evening.

Upcoming events at the Fox Playhouse include the Fall Fox Follies, a unique variety show sponsored by the Nevada Daily Mail and Sunday Herald Saturday, Nov. 13, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 14, at 2 p.m.; and Handel's Messiah sponsored by the Metz Banking Company Friday through Sunday, Dec. 3-5.