Opening Acts Cariety Show Kicks Off Lilac Festival Tonight; Junior Lilac Parade Will Take Place Saturday

It’s Lilac Festival time again.

In addition to the Armed Forces Torchlight Parade, which is nine days down the road (at least that’s how it feels while you’re marching it), there are a couple of events not to be missed.

Tonight is the Lilac Variety Show, so if you prefer your entertainment indoors, skip to the second half of this article.

For you outdoors people, Saturday morning is the Junior Lilac Parade. Junior refers to the average age of the participants, however, not the size of the event. This is the largest youth parade in the nation.

This year, roughly 8,500 kids will pass along the streets of downtown Spokane in 80 different groups.

The theme for the parade is “Greased Lightning,” implying the idyllic ‘50s. Marching units will compete for best adherence to the theme as well as overall presentation.

The top group wins the honor of marching in the Lilac Armed Forces Torchlight Parade on May 17.

Jane Bateham, who has been on the parade committee for the last 11 years and is the band director at Chase Middle School, says, “It’s a big thing when you’re 14.”

Chase’s take on the ‘50s theme will include poodle skirts, black leather jackets, a math teacher dressed as Elvis and their principal as Marilyn Monroe. The band will play a medley of tunes including “Rock Around the Clock,” “Chantilly Lace” and “Splish Splash.”

Bateham says Chase does a lot of marching, but this parade is their ultimate performance of the year, other than concerts. She encourages people to turn out. “Lots of work, effort and heart go into the parade. It makes a big difference to the kids to have a supportive hometown audience,” she says.

The Lilac princesses will be there, as well as Mayor Jack Geraghty and other dignitaries.

This is the 46th year for the event, which has been sponsored since its inception by the Spokane Jaycees. Bob Austin has been involved four years, but this is his first year as parade chair.

Austin says 10 people work six months in advance of the event in planning and coordinating entries, acquiring permits to close off streets, arranging security and insurance and lining up guests and dignitaries. And on the day of the event, there are piles of volunteers helping out.

All of this comes together Saturday morning at 10, when the streets of Spokane will be taken over by 8,500 kids rocking and rolling.

Lilac Variety Show

The kickoff to the Lilac Festival is tonight’s Lilac Variety Show. This evening of entertainment features the best local amateur acts, determined by audition. Sixty groups and soloists performed before five judges on April 21 to try for the big time, but only the top 20 made the final cut.

Kathy Doyle, the director of the production this year, has one rehearsal with the participants after seeing their auditions. She says the acts all come to the audition very prepared, so directing the show mostly involves coordinating the flow and getting the technical stuff together at The Met.

Doyle has directed other staged productions, but this is her first time in charge of the Variety Show. She’s quite excited about the quality and, well, variety of the talent.

Doyle cites singers, a pianist, an accordion player and a magician among the winners, as well as plenty of dance: There will be tap, toe, clogging and jitterbugging at the show. Doyle says the performers are mostly youngsters, ranging from grade school through high school, but there are some adults as well.

I must confess that I had serious apprehensions about the standards for this event. I can’t help it if “variety show” has bad connotations in my lexicon. So, on behalf of the public’s right to know and to satisfy my own curiosity, I tracked down some of the wannabee stars. Having done so, I would like to dispel any doubts about the future of live entertainment in America right here and now.

I spoke first to Mr. Talent. Matt Ebel is a senior at Mead High School who has made the cut all five years the Variety Show has been running. His first year, he accompanied someone else at the piano. The second year he accompanied his own singing. Year three he sang and accompanied his own composition. Last year he sang another song he wrote. So what’s it going to be this year?

Magic. Magic? “You know, the usual card tricks, illusions, things appear out of nowhere, some witty repartee. Magic,” Ebel says.

Really, when does he find the time? “I’ve always been a fan of magic, and the last couple of years I’ve finally put some time, effort and money into it.” Ebel goes to Whitworth next year to major in voice, piano, composition and drama. No problem.

My next piece of research was supposed to be some beginner just starting out, so I picked the youngest performer. Alicia Woodard just turned 8 and she is going to do a tap routine. How cute. I assumed when I called her mother, Christine Woodard, that little Alicia was just learning to dance and should be able to make it on and off stage without tripping. Wrong.

Woodard has been dancing since she was 3 and has won awards all up and down the West Coast, including a title in Dance Magic in 1995, which travels to 13 states each year and draws 500 contestants per competition.

Her mother says, “People tell you there is such a thing as a natural, and I guess she’s it. She certainly didn’t get it from Mom and Dad. I have two left feet. The kids are home schooled, and I signed them up for a Saturday morning dance class thinking it would help their poise. Alicia was too young for the class, but she stood outside watching her sister dance and danced along. The teacher started seeing her for 15 minutes at a time and she just took off.”

Woodard says, “Outside of dance, she’s just a shy little girl. But she just loves to be onstage.”

Alicia Woodard will be dressed as a boy in bow tie and derby hat, dancing to “All I Need is a Girl.”

I’m convinced. Go see this. Really. America is still OK if talented kids want to be onstage.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo Graphic: Junior Lilac Parade route

MEMO: Two sidebars appeared with the story: 1. Lilac Festival events The Lilac Variety Show is at 7 tonight at The Met. Tickets are $7.50 for adults, $5 for seniors and $3.50 for those 12 and under, available at The Met, G&B Select-a-Seat outlets or call (800) 325-SEAT. The Junior Lilac Parade begins at 10 a.m. Saturday in downtown Spokane.

2. Spokane Lilac Festival highlights Today: Variety Show at The Met at 7 p.m. Tickets are $7.50 for adults, $5 for seniors, and $3.50 for children ages 5 to 12. Children under the age of 5 are free. Tickets are available at G&B Select-A-Seat outlets and at The Met. Friday: Lilac Festival Scramble at Indian Canyon Golf Course. Start time is 11:30 a.m. Fees are $49 per golfer or $245 for a team of five. Golfers must register by calling 326-3339. Space is limited. Saturday: Spokane Jaycees Junior Lilac Parade in downtown Spokane. Start time is 10 a.m. Thursday, May 15: All city Civic Military Luncheon at the Ridpath Hotel at noon. Tickets are $10.50 if purchased in advance by calling 326-3339, or $12 at the door. Friday, May 16: Lilac Festival Royalty Luncheon at the Ridpath at noon. Tickets are $15 and must be purchased in advance; send a self-addressed, stamped envelope along with payment to 2202 E. 50th, Spokane WA 99223. Saturday, May 17: Lilac Festival giant banana split surprise at Riverfront Park’s Clock Tower Meadow at noon. The ice cream is free. Saturday, May 17: Lilac Festival Jamborade, pre-parade entertainment along parade route beginning at 6:30 p.m. The 59th annual Lilac Festival Armed Forces Torchlight Parade begins at 7:45 p.m. Sunday, May 18: Aerospace Day and Open House at Fairchild Air Force Base from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will include displays of aircraft, an F-16 aerial demonstration team, and the Fairchild Heritage Museum will be open during show hours. Free.