LAKEPORT – It seems like it has been forever.

It has felt at times as though nothing at all was being done, or that the wheels slowly turning in distant bureaucratic machines would never arrive at our number.

So now is the time to let a breath of fresh air into the Soper-Reese Community Theater, and we have that in the Winter Music Fest/Vaudeville 2008, which will take place at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 26, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 27.

It will be the lead program when the Soper-Reese opens its doors after completion of stage one of the reconstruction plan.

The Music Fest is returning to its home at Main and Martin streets. During the short period that the theater was kept open after the Arts Council purchased it, the Music Fest was presented there. Since then it has been held in the Little Theater in the Fairgrounds and last year at the Marge Alakszay Center at Clear Lake High School.

The Arts Council is delighted to get its Winter Music Fest back to its source.

Last year's presentation was a good show, one of the best in some time. This arose from a more varied fund of talent, skillful production staff, and the excellent facilities of the Alakszay Center.

Some of last year's talent is with us again, and there will be some new faces. At the time of writing this, the slate is not fully written, but you will be entertained.

Just a hint or two for you, though. Bill, for instance, will take a journey together with Connie, and Hope will fall in love, forever. Mrs. Flores will be the source of Adelaide's lament, Holland will just barely

contain the October rain, and a Zimmerman will become a sultan. Stranger things than these can happen, were Rod a rich man.

Nick Biondo assisted us last year, his last at the high school, and has agreed to come with us to the Soper-Reese. He has been setting up a sound system for the community Theater, and he will be manning it for the Music Fest performances.

Once again, this show will be done without karaoke. For singers who don't have any accompanying musician, David Neft will be on hand to accompany them.

Of course, some of the audience will be there just to see the reopened Soper-Reese Community Theater. There are those who can't believe even yet in any progress on that Lakeport landmark, and some of them will come just to see for themselves. I'm sure that they too will have a good time!

Tickets are now available at the Main Street Gallery, 325 N. Main St., Lakeport, and at Catfish Books, 1013 11^th St., Lakeport.

For more information, call the Arts Council, 707-263-6658.

{mos_sb_discuss:2}