Kicking it up in Porterville
Spectacular showcases Route 66 music
Porterville, California is not one of the cities located along the historic Route 66, but on Saturday night – the Frank “Buck” Shaffer Auditorium inside the Porterville Memorial Auditorium was one of the stops. A packed house could be seen and heard singing and dancing along to the music associated with the American route running from Chicago to Los Angeles during the city’s 55th annual City of Hope Spectacular.
It all began with Trickshot, which has opened for the Spectacular every year since the show’s inception, getting the preshow rolling with “I Got Spurs,” before kicking it up a few notches with a few other favorite numbers showcasing the vocals and electric guitars of the group.
Once the actual show began, Jim Kusserow of the Fabulous Studio Band, was delivered to the stage in style – on the back of a Harley Davison motorcycle. And just like that, the show was on the road with the Crack ‘O Dawn Dancers getting the rhythm going with their kicking and tapping to a Route 66 medley.
The fast-on, fast-off, variety-show format, which offers local talent the opportunity to shine in front of a live audience on a big stage, continued with spins and twirling by the Cencal Twirlers to the fastmoving Pitbull number, “Bailar,” before getting slowed down by a complicated piano number.
As Ryan Rusch played “Take 5”– a jazz number, which Emcee Eric Ball described as a number normally played with two instruments but accomplished by the young performer with only the piano – the audience appeared to be mesmerized.
Sweet Sensation, three young girls dressed in red-sequin tops, and black and white striped skirts, appeared to be one of many audience favorites as they twirled and spun their batons to Stevie Wonder’s “Sir Duke.”
While many performed with their dance or school group, a young Lee-lee Flores performed with her grandfather, Ray Flores, to “Me and You and a Dog Named Boo.”
Lee-lee, dressed in a red jingle Native American dress, sang and played drums, while her “grandpa” played a custom guitar he made himself.
The show continued to entertain, offering everything from vocal solos and duets to the Hillside Community Church Quartet singing “Just a Little Talk with Jesus.”
Baton and dance groups also continued to shine on stage with everyone, from young children to season twirlers and dancers, stealing portions of the show.
During the program, Kusserow was honored for his years of service and dedication to the program by show producer Dick Eckhoff.
“He’s the backbone of this show,” Eckhoff said. “In 55 years, we have only had two musical directors – Jim is the second one and he’s been wonderful.”
The grand finale included numerous performers from different acts, singing to “Get Your Kicks on Route 66,” prior to the show’s traditional ending – performers running out on stage one final time, one group at a time, before heading out to dance in the aisles.
One of Porterville’s most beloved events, the show is the local City of Hope Auxiliary’s fund raiser for the City of Hope National Medical Center and its Beckman Research Institute in Duarte, in Southern California.