On the Town: Karaoke event proves to be a ‘harmonious’ fundraiser
On any given day, from the campus of Burbank’s Nickelodeon Animation Studios, the extraordinary talents of hundreds of individuals are intertwined and applied to make manifest characters and programming that entertains Americans from coast to coast.
This past Saturday evening, as members of the Burbank Noon Rotary took over the courtyard of the Olive Avenue entertainment complex to present their inaugural Karaoke Bash fundraiser, the talent on display was, well, let’s just say, a tad beneath that of the studio’s usual output.
As Rotarian Michael Thomas, decked out in a fedora and multi-colored feather boa, wailed out a rock ‘n’ roll classic, Barry Gussow rolled his eyes.
“Mike can do a lot of things very well,” Gussow quipped under his breath. “Singing, however, isn’t one of them.”
Later into the evening, Thomas refrained from weighing in with a retaliatory review of Gussow’s vocal styling of Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline.”
Alas, what fun would a karaoke night be without good-natured ribbing and performances in varying degrees beneath the quality of those of singer, actress and recording artist Lisa Donahey, who hosted the evening?
Conceptualized by Noon Rotary President Brian Volpei as an alternative to the more conventional fundraiser dinner that either reveres or roasts an honoree, last weekend’s event gave participants an opportunity to nominate any other attendee to do a song of their choosing for a $25 donation.
But, if the song foisted upon some innocent Rotarian to perform was believed to be beyond their vocal range, or level to which they wished to lower their dignity, they could counter by ponying up $40 to do a song of their own choosing, or $50 to remain, with dignity intact, in their seat.
“We thought this would be something different and fun, and we will defiantly plan on making it an annual event,” said Volpei, who added that every dollar raised at the event would find its way back to the community.
And why wouldn’t they make this a tradition? Where else could folks get to see a former Burbank police captain belting out Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” or a prominent local real estate manager vamping to Labelle’s “Lady Marmalade,” Volpei said, all while raising funds to be passed on to local nonprofits, charities and schools through the organization’s foundation.
Among those who made last week’s event a success by their support or attendance were Pete McGrath, Kevin Knapp, Keith Sanneman, Mady Yahia, Renee Johnson, Sunny Singer, Tom Kissinger, James Berner, Paul Herman, Jessa Freemyer, John Carrier, Barbara Howell, Terry Walker, Jamie Keyser Thomas, Patrick Flaherty, Dave and Pat Augustine, Ross Benson, and Nat and Alma Rubinfeld.
The Burbank Noon Rotary Club meets every Tuesday in DeBell Golf Club’s Canyon Grille.
For more information about membership, upcoming events and the group’s foundation, visit www.burbanknoonrotary.org.
DAVID LAURELL may be reached by email at dlaurell@aol.com or (818) 563-1007.
