Mama Ginger Ok Following Stage Accident

Those of you who were at “The Nutcracker” on Dec. 8 at the Spokane Opera House will be pleased to know: Mama Ginger will be fine. She had no permanent injuries.

Mama Ginger (or to be more accurate, Maman Gignone) is the character who has a bunch of cute kids hiding under her big skirt. In theory, she’s supposed to move gracefully onto the stage, where the children come tumbling out of the skirt to the delighted cries of the audience.

In the Friday performance, the Alberta Ballet’s Aliza Ber, who played the character that night, never quite made it on to the stage.

The character sits on a high-wheeled stool, covered by the skirt, and is wheeled out by a helper. This time, however, the stool hit some kind of snag just as it was being wheeled on, and Mama Ginger took a header onto the floor.

The children underneath jumped out of the way, but Mama Ginger was badly shook up and in no condition to perform. So the kids were faced with the prospect of having no Mama Ginger to hide under. They proved themselves troupers by going out on stage by themselves and doing their dance as if nothing was wrong.

Ber was rushed to the emergency room, but her injuries were not serious. She was able to dance again the next day.

End of the KEZE-FM era

Last week marked the end of KEZE-FM, proud call letters in Spokane since 1970.

The station isn’t dead; only the call letters.

It happened because KEZE-FM switched to alternative rock in October and nicknamed itself The Peak. So last week the station was granted FCC approval to switch its call letters from KEZE-FM to KAEP-FM.

Get it? Here’s a clue. Read them backwards.

KEZE-FM began as an easy-listening station back in 1970, as the old call letters suggest. It switched to hard rock in 1981.

Candlelight Christmas Concert

We told you a few weeks ago about how Luciano Pavarotti himself has been raving about the voice of Spokane baritone Frank Hernandez, so we thought you might want to know where you could catch Hernandez in person this week.

He will be part of the Candlelight Christmas Concert on Tuesday at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. at St. John’s Cathedral.

Hernandez will sing “Ave Maria,” “What Child Is This?” “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire” and “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.”

The concert also features the Clarion Brass Choir, mezzo-soprano JoAnne Bouma, pianist Linda Siverts and organist Charles C. Bradley, Jr.

Ticket are $10 general admission, $8 for seniors and $5 for children under 12, available through G&B Select-a-Seat, 325-SEAT or 1-800-325-SEAT.

There are two performances this year because of high demand.

‘Nuttin’ for Christmas’

Speaking of Christmas events, I am hugely gratified to hear that the Spokane Falls Brass Band’s “Christmas in Old Spokane” concert will feature one of my favorite tacky Christmas songs, “Nuttin’ For Christmas.”

We can thrill to these immortal verses: “Broke a bat on Johnny’s head, hid a frog in sister’s bed, put a tack on teacher’s chair, tied a knit in Susie’s hair, did a dance on mommy’s plants, climbed a tree and tore his pants.”

You can catch it (and far more dignified stuff, too) on Dec. 21, 22 and 23 at The Met. Tickets through G&B Select-a-Seat.

Tacky song immortality

Speaking of tacky songs, I am feeling quite honored right now because I actually spoke to the man who played piano in the Terry Jacks schlock hit, “Seasons in the Sun” (1974).

This sing-songy little atrocity finished high in my “Most Annoying Song of All Time” poll last year.

The piano-player is a most unlikely suspect: New Age pianist David Lanz, who plays The Met on Wednesday.

It’s not his fault. He was sharing a studio with Terry Jacks in Vancouver, B.C. at the time, and one day Jacks came in and played this song for him.

“I never told him what I thought of the song, but I said I could put a piano part in there,” said Lanz.

Lanz ended up making more money than he’d ever made before for that piano contribution. The song was No. 1 for three weeks.

But what did Lanz really think of the song?

“I thought it was just complete bubble gum,” he said.

Radio charities

‘Tis the time of year when radio stations do a lot of good work in raising money for charity. I don’t have a complete list - virtually all 33 stations in Spokane are doing something.

But I can tell you about a few of the Toys For Tots drives at local stations: The KZZU-FM Breakfast Boys were broadcasting live from the downtown Bon Marche window for a week; the jocks at the new KAEP-FM (The Peak) did their annual billboard-sitting thing at Pacific and Browne; and the oldies jocks at KEYF-FM have been broadcasting for the last several days from the Zip Trip parking lot at 1712 N. Division.

In less than six hours on Wednesday alone, the KEYF-FM people raised more than $5,000 cash for Toys For Tots. They also will be there from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. today. Drop in and give what you can.

This just in: KAEP-FM (The Peak) is also sponsoring a Toys for Tots benefit concert with Shoveljerk and Mike’s Pleasure Thursday at 8 p.m. at Swackhammers. Bring a new unwrapped toy or a $5 donation.

KXLY-4 gets an Iris

KXLY-4 has won a national Iris Award for “The Rampage,” the first part of its documentary “From Rampage to Recovery: The Fairchild Shooting One Year Later.”

Kerry Tomlinson, Jim Bolser and Robin Briley were responsible for this show.

Iris Awards are presented by the National Association of Television Program Executives.

Free concert

KISS-FM is holding a free concert for listeners on Tuesday, 7:30 p.m., at the Masonic Temple’s main auditorium.

It will feature Windham Hill recording artist Jim Brickman. The concert is free, but concertgoers must have a ticket. Listen to the station for details on where to pick up tickets.

, DataTimes