Henson-Conant Rescheduled To February—

Flagpole Radio Cafe ‘Best Of’ Show Will Be Saturday

By Shannon Hicks

Flagpole Radio Cafe was scheduled to host Deborah Henson-Conant during its next offering, but like many plans this week, those have been altered thanks to the unexpected storm that dropped up to a foot of snow on town October 29–30.

While Ms Henson-Conant will not be headlining at Edmond Town Hall on Saturday, November 5, Cafe Executive Producer Martin Blanco seems to be working under the mantra “the show must go on” this week.

 “We’re formulating a plan for Saturday night,” Mr Blanco said Tuesday, November 1. “We may not have our headliner, but we are going to have an open house of sorts.”

Residents are invited to attend an impromptu show at Edmond Town Hall’s theater Saturday night, he said. Mr Blanco and Barbara Gaines were in the process of contacting the regular Flagpole Radio Cafe performers at the beginning of the week to find out who would be available to perform on Saturday. Ms Gaines, along with Jim Allyn and Mr Blanco, was one of the creators of Flagpole Radio Cafe, a radio-style variety show performed at the town hall on a regular basis.

“We have already spoken with the Town Hall Board of Managers and they’re going to let us have the event, which will be open to the public free of charge,” Mr Blanco said. “Come out and enjoy some music, and some laughs...”

“And some heat,” Ms Gaines quickly added.

“We’re not sure who will be performing or what we’re going to do, but there will be something entertaining on that stage.”

For those who were looking forward to seeing the Grammy-nominated harpist, Ms Henson-Conant has already been invited for another evening in Newtown.

“Her appearance will be rescheduled for the February 4 show,” Mr Blanco and Ms Gaines announced via a November 2 press release.

“We are all in this together and hope that a couple of hours of relief can bring some much needed joy to our town and the greater Danbury area,” the announcement continued.

This weekend’s show will begin at 7 pm, the regular start time for Flagpole Radio Cafe shows. Details will be added here as they arrive, and will also be posted, said Mr Blanco and Ms Gaines, at www.FlagpoleProductions.org.

Flagpole Radio Cafe was created in conjunction with Newtown Cultural Arts Commission. Regular performances feature music by Mr Allyn and The Flagpole Radio Orchestra, an ensemble created for the show, and radio style comedy sketches by Flagpole Shakespeare Repertory Theatre, in addition to a featured guest performer. Ms Henson-Conant will be joining a growing list of guest performers that has already included The Yale Whiffenpoofs, Jonathan Edwards, Tom Chapin, Peter Yarrow, Ramblin’ Jack Elliot, Christine Lavin, Roger Ball, and Vanesse Thomas, among others.