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Kiwanis Noon Club of Rolla
Photos By ~ Rhiannon Trask
December 12, 2009
5:00 p.m.
Leach Theatre, Castleman Hall
Missouri Science & Technology
(Former University of Missouri-Rolla)
10th Street
Rolla,
MO
Nestled downtown, Rolla, MO, right off Route 66, at
the edge of the Missouri Science and Technology campus on 10th Street, there is a well kept Christmas secret, that
has grown into a “Branson” type show, in the middle of the state. Getting ready to present the 9th Annual, Ozark
Christmas bluegrass and variety show, the Kiwanis Noon Club will once again guarentee Christmas spirit or your money
back.
The show is due in part to the memory of Don Castleman,
a member of the Kiwanis Club, who gave charitably to make Castleman Hall a tribute to the performing arts and a large portion
of the rental is waived, making it possible for Kiwanis to continue bringing local talent to the professional stage. “It’s
like the hillbillies get to take over Carnegie Hall for a night,” jokes Deborah DeWitt, producer of the show and Kiwanis
Club, Past President, “the musicians are top-notch bluegrass music entertainers and we work hard to design the show
that will bring to the audience a humble, country feeling of Christmas past."
~ FEATURING ~
The Ozark Christmas Band
For eight years the founding host band, "The Ozark Christmas
Band", have faithfully showed up come rain or usually, snow. Throughout the year, they perform around the area as Beverly's
Hillbillies. The band has currently released their first CD project.
Co-Founder of Ozark Christmas, Beverly Spencer, once
again will find the right blend of music in the line up as she hand picks the music for the OC Band and the guest band each
year. Bev plays the upright, doghouse style bass and does a beautiful job on lead and harmony vocals.
Jimmy Allison is no stranger to the area and is one of
our bluegrass celebrities that travels nationwide and even Canada this year with his band Midnight Flight. For
the show, Jimmy acts as "mistro" to the music sound as he listens with his keen ear to get it up to his very
high bluegrass standards. He does the majority of lead vocals for the band and by the end of the show
you'll want to hear more of his soft, sweet songs.
Allen Ousley brings a unique and innovative style
of playing on the mandolin that you don't hear everyday. Allen hosts the band practices in his basement beginning
around Halloween and he keeps the band entertained behind-the-scenes with his humorous antics.
Returning for his fifth appearance, Roger Mathews is one of
Missouri's best and award winning, banjo wizard. Along with Jimmy, Roger is the banjo picker for Midnight Flight
the rest of the year. He has won numerous banjo awards nationally and has the respect of every bluegrass musician and
fans who listens to his tastelful banjo pickin' style. He makes you really love the banjo again.
Special guest fiddle player, Joey Winneman, from Ozark, MO, will
be lending a hand to the band this year. Joey is a well-know, multi-talented, Missouri musician who has played with such bluegrass
greats as Rhonda Vincent and The Rage and Cedar Hill. Presently, Joey is fiddle player for Missouri's
First Lady of Bluegrass Music, Mona Jones and The Bluegrass Travelers. Quiet and humble, he can play a mean
fiddle, mandolin, guitar or anything required of a bluegrass musician. The Ozark Christmas Band is excited to have
him on board this year.
Together the Ozark Christmas Band gives Christmas music a
whole new sound. But, it is a sound that will bring you home for the holidays....in the Ozarks.
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!!!
~Special
Guest Band~
The Martins
Larita (17) - Dobro and Vocals
Janice (19) - Banjo and Vocals
Dale (20) - Guitar and Vocals
Jeana (21) - Fiddle and Vocals
Elvin (Dad) - Bass and Vocals
Ozark Christmas is AGAIN proud to present this young and talented group out of
our state capital, Jefferson City, MO. The Martins perform an exciting style of bluegrass music. They are all self-taught,
passionate musicians that have been improving incredibly since they first started in 1999. Now they all contribute to vocal
arrangements while providing strong instrumental performance as well. If you like hard driving bluegrass, you will enjoy their
show.
They make their home in Jefferson City, MO since April 2007, when they moved from
a small acreage in the Versailles, MO
area. They have played in many parts of the country, from California to Maine,
and they've even performed on a bluegrass cruise to the Bahamas.
They been averaging about 80 dates a year since 2005. They've performed in about 28 states since 2004.
~ About Kiwanis Noon Club ~
The Kiwanis International motto is "Serving the children of the world one child and
one community at a time" and The Kiwanis Noon Club is doing just that in our community for over 61 years.
Recent projects include the Rolla High School Kiwanis Soccer Field, fitness scholarships at the Centre, Project
Graduation, camp scholarships, academic scholarships and many other numerous projects throughout the year.
While Kiwanis Noon Club members make up the laborers of the
Ozark Christmas, it is the community of Rolla that have contributed the many donations to make this show possible.
The show is a fundraising effort of the club and in 2007 the sold out show raised $3800.00 after the expenses.
We believe in the motto "Together We Can" and we want to thank the many people who have made Ozark Christmas
a labor of community love.
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