Blue Mountain Entertainment ends season with local talent

Blue Mountain Entertainment’s spectacular Golden Anniversary 2008-2009 season of programs draws to a close on Monday, April 20 with the popular Spring Gala featuring many of Monticello’s finest talented performers. The show begins at 7 p.m. in the Monticello High School Auditorium.

Chairman Laura Butler has assembled numerous dance, vocal, and instrumental performers who will be introduced by Master of Ceremonies Craig Maughan.

Included in the lineup are vocalist Lynda Boyle, Jody Fellmeth’s dancers, banjo player Paul Washburn, and Reid Chapman and Derryl Jack performing a vocal duet.

If you haven’t been introduced to Phil Lowe, San Juan County Hospital’s new Chief Executive Officer, now is the time to get acquainted with him and his classical piano-playing talent.

These are but a few of the talented folks who are sure to delight Monday’s audience.

Admission to this final program of the year will be by BME or Kigalia Fine Arts season memberships or tickets purchased at the door: Families, $22.50; adults, $9; and students $4.50.

In celebration of its 50th year of bringing the best in entertainment to Monticello, BME kicked off the concert season in September with Franc D-Ambrosio and his Broadway show, a fantastic program by the man who is best known for his 3,000 performances as the Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera.

In November the Bar D Wranglers of Durango, CO, thanks to financial assistance from Blue Mountain Foods, performed their famous stage show with songs of cowboys, gunfighters, and the Old West, along with lively instrumental pieces and comedy highlights.

The program was so popular that BME arranged an encore Christmas program from the talented and hilarious group.

February saw the Salzburger Echo group, who brought a taste of the Alps to the audience with Old World and contemporary folk songs and yodeling, along with alphorns, Swiss cowbells, and holzernes g’lachter instruments.

In March, former Monticello resident Alan Barber offered thanks to his hometown by presenting a program of beautiful piano music; he dedicated his own arrangement of The Blue Mountain Song to former Monticello High School teacher Harold Muhlestein.

With a beautiful array of ethnic costumes, the world-acclaimed International Folk Dancers from Brigham Young University thrilled the local audience in late March with dances from more than a dozen nations.

The group’s Mountain Strings ensemble provided accompaniment for the dancers and also performed show-stopping traditional music.

The Charles and Annaley Redd Foundation joined BME in sponsoring this exceptionally fine program in celebration of BME’s 50th anniversary.

Blue Mountain Entertainment thanks local businessmen, as well as the local citizens who buy memberships and tickets, thereby making it possible to bring quality entertainment to this area.

BME is currently working on assembling a roster of remarkable performers for the 2009-2010 season of programs.