Clogging shoes. Check! Team tee shirt. Check! Water bottle. Check! Speaker. Uh, oh.
Things got hectic at Fancy Free Cloggers’ nursing home performance on Memorial Day, but our IT crew “made it work” well enough to make Tim Gunn proud!
Despite the holiday, FFC’s fearless leader was scheduled to work before the show and knew she would be arriving with little time to spare. We set up the music playlist on my computer to make things easier. Evie would bring the speaker and fellow clogger Molly.
The team gathered at the appointed time, and a friendly staff member escorted us to the universal performance space of every nursing home: the facility dining room.
Cloggers donned shoes, found convenient places to stash water bottles, perused the set list, and greeted residents as they arrived.
Teammates Evan and Kayla remained cool, calm, and collected as they patiently awaited showtime.
Fancy Free was delighted to meet the aunt of one of our cloggers in the audience! We discovered a few former cloggers and square dancers, too.
At last, Evie and Molly walked in, carrying clogging bags and water bottles, and conspicuously NOT dragging a speaker. In the rush to get changed and get here, the speaker stayed behind at the studio!
What to do? The facility did not have a stereo system we could plug into, but the show must go on.
I don’t know who came up with the idea first, but Bob and Molly set to work to save the day.
In short order, they had my computer hooked up to the TV, and Fancy Free kicked off the show with a rousing version of “Cotton-Eyed Joe.”
Was the music volume ideal? Absolutely not, but at least there was music! Our audience was fantastic, and didn’t seem to mind when we occasionally sang along to boost the sound.
I would’ve never thought to use the TV! Bob and Molly impressed us all with their ability to think on their clogging feet. Way to pull together, Fancy Free!
We’ll be returning to Villa Georgetown later this month for another show. This time, Fancy Free is bringing TWO speakers!
Has YOUR team employed any creative fixes for sound system emergencies?