Easter Ressurection

joanncastleandboblido, originally uploaded by Randuwa.

Easter is a time for families and Church and children, but when you're on your own, don't believe in Christianity, and have no progeny, how do you weather the Holiday?

Well, while folding my 5th load of laundry, I stumbled upon Lawrence Welk on PBS and became almost immediately transfixed. A staple of my childhood Saturday evenings, Lawrence Welk has been dead to me for many years now. And then there he was again. Stilted with his German-lilted English, flat effect, eyes glued to some invisible young man holding up the cue cards and introducing one after another of the performers in his unique, kitchy, campy circus of "Americana Plasticata": The world we were all told that we ought to believe in in the 1960's & 70's.

A world of hope, sunshine, tom-foolery, and silly-innocence. A world that no one living actually inhabited, and even those being used in his company to offer it's effect to the rest of us seemed at times quietly, efficiently, pained to portray.

Then enter into this Jo Ann Castle (nee Zering)!--and OMG!--she's like the embodiment of sunshine on crack! A big boned gal with all the power to play any tune on the piano ragtime with any other member of the cast for a "drop of the hat" reason. Here she bellows out a version of "Put on Your Gray Bonnet" with Bob Lido. You can watch it for yourself at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eiA4jqOPec

Jo Ann, many THANKS!