Singing cowboys and gals are dusting off the songs of the old west for a unique open mic night at the Rosenzweig Arts Center Saturday, June 27. The Columbus Arts Council has invited poetic cowpokes to join in, too, with spoken word.
The “chuck wagon” will open at 6 p.m. in the downstairs gallery with a trailside meal of “beans n” franks n” fixin”s.” Soft drinks will be provided; other frosty beverages will be available for purchase.
At 7:30 p.m., area performers including Margaret Mary Henry, Stanley Harpole, Shane Tubbs, Daniel Lawson, Tracy and Lisa Wright, Rhonda Richardson, Joe St. John, Larry Priest and Marquet McBride, of Columbus, plus Wayne Kelly, Terry Holder, Rob Harland and Ed Swan, all of Starkville, will perform in the Omnova Theater. Mark Ashby, of west Alabama, will ride over to entertain around the “campfire,” as well.
Songs like “Streets of Laredo,” “Poncho and Lefty,” and “Don”t Fence Me In” will take the audience on a summer trip through time, to the days of cattle drives, “howdy, ma”am,” and the OK Corral. A sing-along of old favorites will complete the spell.
“We think this is going to be a really fun night,” said Beverly Norris, who is helping organize the open mic. “We hope everybody will join us on our western adventure.”
Audience members are invited to join in the spirit, too. A prize will presented for the most creative outfit inspired by western or American Indian culture.
Tickets, available at the Rosenzweig Arts Center, 501 Main St., are $10 for meal and music, or $12 at the door, if available. Omnova Theater seating is limited; advance tickets are recommended. For tickets or more information, contact the RAC at 662-328-2787, or Norris at 662-549-1358.
Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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