The ageless artists of "Alive and Kickin"

When hearing about a group of 60-85 year old performers, one might think “Oh, that’s nice”, but after you see Alive and Kickin you will have a very different opinion. The talent in the group is enormous and I cannot imagine anyone could leave there without a huge smile on their faces. I mean, when the full chorus sings a Michael Jackson medley, Freddie Mercury’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” and Kurt Cobain’s “Come As You Are”, you are bound to clap, sing and dance along (which was highly encouraged). The performers were dressed to the nines in all red, black and white. They entertained the audience for two and a half hours with Flashback: A Musical Tribute To Memories & Unforgettable Artists. Oh, and don’t be mistaken, these retired men and women are vibrant and were called “kids” by the band many times. Good heavens, they performed two shows in one day, what a feat! Reading through the bios of everyone in the program was a treat but talking with the members after the show was even better. June Griffin (83) grew up singing. After studying voice and music at Kent State, she sang in a traveling quartet in rural parts of the country. Through the years she has sung with many choirs and orchestras. She explained how she never sang popular songs until she joined Alive and Kickin. I had the pleasure of hearing her sing Whitney Houston which was a joy. Diane Sowden (80) told me “At six months I played baby Jesus. I let out a big scream and stopped the show. I have been singing and acting ever since.” Diane and her husband traveled around the Twin Cities performing Fiddler on the Roof for thirty years! She also sang opera and her husband owned a costume shop where she got all of her outfits. Speaking of clothing, I noticed Mary Ponthan (68) did a costume change at intermission. When I asked her about it afterward she told me she designs all of her own clothes. She even said to me “Let me make you something to wear. You are just a hanger!” What a compliment! Mary acted with Dudley Riggs Satire Theater when she was 17 and went on to work in the corporate world. You could tell during the performance that she loved being on stage. Mary had an interesting connection to Catherine Antil (88). She was a hoot and sang “Rehab” by Amy Winehouse while wearing a black wig and holding a silver flask. Before her song, she told a story which included the explanation of her glass eye necklace and earrings. At a young age Catherine lost her eye and she now has a collection of false ones. She asked Mary to string them together for her and she now wears them. I couldn’t help but touch them after the show. Duane Koivisto (63) was so energetic; he was a blast to watch. He kept making faces and using his hands to emphasize the lyrics. Bruce Smith (60) sang a duet of “Country Roads” by John Denver and accompanied himself on the banjo. Needless to say, I could spend hours talking about these talented people. The six piece band was there to support the group and you could tell they enjoyed working with them. The Director and Founder, Michael Matthew Ferrell, seemed to be having a blast. He threw his entire body into each song he directed and sang-a-long with the group which gave them even more energy. He kept yelling “Get it!” and smiling which livened them up even more. Music Director Jason Hansen did a superb job of putting together a great team of musicians who could play well but keep the focus on the “kids”. Alive and Kickin is something you should take the time to see. People of all ages will know the majority, if not all the songs. It is inspiring to watch the cast live life to the fullest. I will leave you with lyrics by Cass Elliot that ended the show “But you’ve gotta make your own kind of music. Sing your own special song. Make your own kind of music, even if nobody else sings along.”