New Old Time Chautauqua packed with fun

For more than 30 years, the New Old Time Chautauqua has delighted audiences throughout the Pacific Northwest with both locally and internationally acclaimed acts.

Ther variety show, set for 8 p.m. Saturday at the Panida Theater, is an evening of entertainment and delight for the whole family, and will include a selection of our touring talent:

n Broadway stars, The Flying Karamazov Brothers, will wow you with their hilarious juggling and cheap theatrics.

n The Grammy-nominated singer, lyricist, and composer Amy Englehardt will astound you musically, while having you rolling in the aisles with laughter.

n “Delusionist” Joey Pipia’s marvel-packed magic show will elevate your spirits.

n The tour also features crowd-pleasing hula-hooper, Vanessa Vortex; PepperJill and Jack, and their eclectic songs delivered with “oddball quirkiness;” tap dancer Toes Tiranoff; the multi-talented Pipia sisters, Sophie and Phina, and their whimsical songs on eccentric topics; the musical and comedic stylings of vaudevillian Clay Mazing; Drea Lusion’s mind-boggling object manipulations, The Trippsmith Family Singers, and their unique inter-generational musical journey; and many others, including acrobats, trapeze artists, dancers, poets, mimes, puppeteers, stilt-walkers, clowns, and musicians.

n Throughout, enjoy the rousing live music and zany wisecracks of the Fighting Instruments of Karma Marching Chamber Band/Orchestra, as they frame the show with music ranging from marches and sambas, to New Orleans Jazz.

In addition to Saturday’s show, there will be a picnic today at Lakeview Park at 6 p.m.

Everyone is invited. Bring food, instruments, a blanket, maybe folding chairs, especially the kids, and a good joke to tell. Listen to band music, strolling musicians and maybe see a few dancing ducks.

In addition, the Bonner County Historical Museum is featuring an exhibit that explains in words and photographs how the circuit chautauqua movement started, matured, disappeared, and was reborn in the New Old Time Chautauqua. The museum, 611 S. Ella, will be open from 6-8 p.m. and features a chautauqua exhibit.

The New Old Time Chautauqua will spend Friday going to where the group is most needed, which in the past has included prisons, detention centers, senior homes, hospitals, and Native American reservations. The NOTC puts on a show free of charge with many of its performers and a full marching band, with the purpose of entertaining and bringing joy to these communities. Depending on the venue, NOTC may also conduct workshops or provide a battalion of volunteers to clean up a park, plant trees, or conduct other projects as needed in the community.

On Saturday, chautauqua members will gather at Farmin Park at 12:30 p.m. for preview acts of the evening show, followed by a parade to City Beach at 1:30 p.m. There will be a variety of workshops, planned for 2-5 p.m. at Farmin Park. The workshops cover a vast spectrum of subjects, interests, and activities.

The workshops will provide opportunities to play, learn new skills, be creative, have fun, make connections, think, laugh, and grow. They are designed to provide fun for the whole family and to accommodate all levels of skill and experience.

Chautauquas were a cultural and social movement that started in the 1870s and flourished until the mid-1920s. During this time, hundreds of touring circuit chautauquas presented lectures, dance, music, drama, and other forms of “cultural enrichment.” This form of live entertainment faded during the Great Depression and as a consequence of the growing popularity of radio broadcasts and motion pictures.

The New Old Time Chautauqua was founded in 1981 by a group of adventurous performers, health care practitioners, and educators, including the Flying Karamazov Brothers and Dr. Patch Adams. The idea was to revive the inspiring chautauqua spirit and bring live entertainment and educational workshops to diverse rural communities.

The all-volunteer 50-plus person troupe has staged 2-6 week summer tours throughout California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Alaska and British Columbia.

Information: Jerry Luther, jerry@lutherworks.com