26th annual Senior Variety Show in Ames includes 98-year-old songbird Alice Thompson
At age 98, Alice Thompson has performed in the Senior Variety Show for all of its 25 years. And she’s ready for show number 26.
The show, which features performers age 60 and older, will be staged at 7:30 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday at Ames City Auditorium, 520 Sixth St.
There are several things that have compelled Thompson to return to the show year after year for more than a quarter-century.
“We meet a lot of very interesting people, for one thing, who are not just kids. For a number of years, I guess I would say I'm the senior member of the people on stage,” Thompson said. “I’m a farm girl from southeast Iowa, but I’ve been in Ames since 1949, so I’ve been around here for quite a while.”
She said another senior member, Jim Okey, had also been involved in the show every year since the start, but he died Aug. 11 at the age of 97.
“Jim was a little bit younger than I, but he was a wonderful guy,” she said. “I’d known him since he was a graduate student, about 70 years ago.”
This year, Thompson is performing in two acts, as part of a duet and with a chorus.
She has sung with several choruses over the years, including the Green Hills Chorus at the retirement community where she resides. She is also a longtime member of the Songbirds, which was started by Heartland Senior Services in 1982.
“I was with them forever, but of course we all went on hiatus during the pandemic,” she said.
Starting up again this year, neither group had enough members to fill its own chorus, so Thompson had the idea to combine the two.
“I was the one common element between the two groups, so I suggested to our activity people the possibility of combining the two,” Thompson said. “We renamed it the Green Birds, combining the two groups’ names.”
Chorus members range in age from some in their 60s to Thompson, who will be 99 in December.
“Some of our members are new in Ames. It’s a cross section of a lot of different, very talented people who just enjoy singing,” she said. “The chorus has done a wide variety of different types of songs over the years.”
Thompson is also in a duet on the song “Funiculi, Funicula” this year with Leo Timms, who’s been a Songbird for several years.
“The show is just fun. And there’s such a variety of talent, it’s fun to see. There’s been tap dancers and roller skaters, ballroom dancers and all kinds of things,” Thompson said. “We’ve also had wonderful storytellers.”
Just being a part of that keeps her coming back to perform each year, she said. “Also, the backstage crew is great. They really look after us.”
Show has raised $220,000 for senior projects
It’s the Senior Variety Show’s 26th year and this is the first year back on stage since the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
“The show started in 1995 and went consecutively each year until 2020, when we couldn’t do it, and 2021, when we couldn’t do it,” said Marilyn Johnson, publicity chair for the Senior Variety Show committee. “We are really amped up. We’re so excited to be back, and we’re so determined to be back.”
When planning began in the spring, organizers took a leap of faith that performers would be ready to take the stage again.
“All kinds of performers turned up. We have as big a show as ever and as much talent as ever,” Johnson said.
With more than 30 acts of three minutes or less, Johnson expects the show to last a little more than two hours.
“Some of the acts are little snippets and some of them will be three minutes, but there’s a little bit of everything involved,” she said.
The Golden K Singers are one of the other vocal groups, she said, along with solos, duets and a quintet that’s been singing together for 20 years. There are line dancers, tap dancers, comedians and instrumentalists on piano, guitar, trombone, saxophone and ukulele.
Tickets are $10 and proceeds will go to senior projects, The Bridge Home, Ames Ecumenical Housing and the Ballard Community Performing Arts Association. The variety show involves seniors from all over Story County, and the funds also have supported groups countywide over the years.
So far, the Senior Variety Show has netted about $220,000.
“We’re nearing a quarter-million dollars that we’ve raised through the years, bit by bit, for senior projects. Not only is it just fun, there’s another bonus there too,” Johnson said.
The show is under the direction of Julie Minot, a longtime member of the show committee, although since she’s not yet 60, she’s not old enough to be a performer in it.
With the theme “Antics Roadshow,” there’s a thread that connects the acts throughout the show. The first and last acts will involve audience participation.
“I think the audience always likes to sing along to some songs,” Johnson said.
Tickets are available in Ames at Bizzy’s Boutique at North Grand Mall, Burgie’s Coffee North, 2701 Stange Road, and Worldly Goods, 223 Main St.; in Nevada at Ben Franklin, 1038 Sixth St.; and in Story City at the RSVP/Senior Center, 503 Elm Ave. Tickets will be $12 at the door.
Ronna Faaborg covers business and the arts for the Ames Tribune. Reach her at rlawless@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: At 98, Alice Thompson of Ames prepares for 26th Senior Variety Show
