Marie likes to arrive an hour before the starting time of their performance. While she and her pianist are setting up the sound system, props table and dressing room, they like to talk with the early birds, residents or club members and staff. (If this is a new venue for them, this chatting and joking around gives them a chance to, in essence, warm up some of the crowd ahead of time. It allows for a degree of comfort that might not exist between an audience and new entertainers. Once relationships have begun between the performers and the audience members, a comfort level starts to grow and the some of the audience members will be more likely to laugh and sing along and interact during the show.) They also do a sound check to assure that their music will never be too loud.
The show begins. The accompanist plays a theme tune for Marie's entrance and Marie will enter wearing a costume, usually a pretty vintage style dress, that is appropriate to the theme of the show they are presenting. They will perform approximately eight songs with some humour and dialogue interspersed, while Marie will often change her hat or make use of a prop or instrument that has been placed on the decorated table.
While Marie goes to the dressing room to change into a different outfit, her accompanist will continue to entertain the audience until Marie appears in her new outfit.
Marie returns, looking charming in another vintage style outfit and the two performers do another eight or so songs with dialogue and humour. They thank everyone and end the show. Marie takes her time packing up so that the two of them may chat with audience members who stick around to talk. Unless they have to dash off to another gig, the duo loves to continue to converse with the remaining audience members.
And that's about it. Another satisfied audience and two satisfied performers are left with smiles on their faces.
Why go to all that fuss? Dec. 16, 14 By Marie Gogo
One motto I believe in is "variety is the spice of life" therefore I present many different themes each year to keep my audiences interested and to entertain myself as well. We love the kinds of music seniors love!
Why bring a table cloth and decorate a table?
I bring props, hat boxes and/or hats, flowers etc. and I wear pretty dresses and do a costume change in every show. I like to have a colourful and entertaining life so I figure that my audiences will enjoy that as well.
This afternoon, after our Christmas show in a Long Term Care Home, my client told me that her residents love it that I bring two costumes to wear in each of my shows. She also said that there are two ladies who are totally deaf and they don’t necessarily go to all the musical performances because they can’t hear them. They like to come to mine because of my costumes. My client watched one of the ladies today and said that she was totally engaged in our show and that she watched me the whole time and she didn’t fall asleep!
