Show #3923

Jeff and I left home about 1 p.m. and arrived at Quincy about 5 p.m. It was a beautiful day for a drive. We found the school and didn't see their bus. We drove down to the park along the Mississippi and walked - what a beautiful park. We ate at KY Fried Chicken then went back to the school - still no bus, but Jeff sent me in to find out where the Morrison Theater was. I tried side/front doors and they were locked. So went around to a small side door by the parking lot and went in - wound up on the stage. I thought OK and yelled you who and no one came. So I walked all through the school and came out in the lobby of Morrison Theater and Nashville things from the MERC were sitting on the floor and table. I knew at least that RITS were in town. I went back and got Jeff and, as far as I still know, we were the only ones in the building. Finally one of the lady's in the chorus came through the auditorium and said they weren't opening the doors until 7 (it was about 6:30) but we could choose our seats and then wait out in the lobby. We were on the end center second row - very good seats, BUT THEY DIDN'T ALLOW PICTURES IN THE THEATER. The show started on 8 p.m. with the Quincy Symphony Chorus: How the West was Fun, Don't Fence me In, Cindy, Old West Melody, and Americana: Folk Song Suite.

Intermission: Then FINALLY, RITS came on with the Symphony Orchestra at 845. From the program:

Back on Those Texas Plains*
Ride Cowboy Ride
Tumbling Tumbleweeds
That's how the yodel was Born*
PALINDRONE
Rawhide
I'm Going to Leave Texas Now*
Arms of my Love
PHANTOM OF THE CHUCKWAGON
Hoop de Doo*
Cool Water
South of the Border
Homecoming Yodel
Roy Rogers Tribute*
Happy Trails

Encore: Red River Valley and Ghost Riders

*Riders performed without Symphony

They sneaked in Palindrome and Phantom. Jeff leaned over and said Watch the conductor's face when Slim was doing Phantom. I thought he was going to bust a gourd!! They had about 20/25 kids go up and do Leave Texas Now. Jeff got a bang out of that. One little girl, aged 3, named HANNAH, (slim informed her she had a palindrome name) was really cute, but wouldn't sing. There was a little boy, looked like 4 or 5, who jiggled his left leg - like Elvis and, of course, Slim picked up on that right away!!!

I got lots of pictures after the show and one of me with them for show # XX. Slim and Joey each made an X for 20. Brandon was selling at the MERC table. The guys were sort of lined up (Woody, of course, not with them) in the hall way and Brandon told Woody they were suppose to be at the table - so Woody rounded up the rest of them and got them where they were suppose to be!

I asked Brandon how they were going to make the California show. They were going to spend the night (what was left of it) in St. Louis and fly to California. We left about 10:30 and arrived home at 2:30 a.m. We were tired, but very pleased to have seen our cowboys play with the symphony!!!!!

Nancy