Jokes, Dance, Wrench-o-phone At Annual Tunbridge Show

Jokes, Dance, Wrench-o-phone At Annual Tunbridge Show

Pete Jorgensen of Tunbridge will play his famous wrench-o-phone at the 56th annual Tunbridge Show this Friday and Saturday night. Photographer Tim Calabro swears it's in perfect tune.

Music, jokes and hilarious costumes will highlight the 56^th Annual Tunbridge Show this weekend, Friday and Saturday nights.

Originally started as the Tunbridge Minstrel Show back in 1952, one member of the original cast, retired dairy farmer Merle Howe, will sing in his 56^th consecutive appearance. Howe is president of the Tunbridge Civic Club, sponsor of the show.

Proceeds from the show, which this year will start at an earlier time of 7:30 p.m., support various local groups and community projects.

Butch Howe, music director, noted, "We’ve got a good group of soloists this year as well as a very strong chorus, so we’re all looking forward to a fun time."

Songs by Mary Beth Lang, Hazel Welch, Marion Simonds, and Jori Innes will be featured. Peter Klinck is back this year with his banjo music and Butch Howe will perform on his fiddle. Both are known for their show-stopping performances.

Jim Wick and Bob Landry will present new acts, as will Shelia Mitchinson. Jackie Higgins will team up with Linda Lazaroff on a musical number as well. The show will have some surprises, as well.

Dale Post, the show’s pianist for the past several years, will also give a solo performance.

Guitarist Paul Rivers will perform a special instrumental piece. Also with guitar and song will be Troy Arnold and his blues music.

A rousing clogging performance to fiddle and banjo music will feature Linda Lazaroff and Connie Coviello. The trio of Sue Barnaby, Elaine Cilley and Elaine Howe have readied a new skit and song.

Interspersed along the way will be a number of jokes and tall stories as well Pete Jørgensen playing his "Wrench-O-Phone."

The show has generally been a sell-out over the years and a full crowd is expected Friday and Saturday, at the handicapped-accessible Tunbridge Town Hall.

All proceeds from the show go to support community groups. The Tunbridge Little League benefits from selling the program ads and the Tunbridge School’s eighth-grade class sells refreshments in the Town Hall basement during intermission to raise money for a class project.