By David Rogers. BLOWING ROCK, N.C. — Thirteen years ago, the Blowing Rock Community Foundation fashioned a timeless fundraiser event that never seems to grow old. With three performances on Aug. 18, Aug. 20 and Aug. 23, “Groovy Nights” has returned with laughs aplenty while raising money for BRCF’s college scholarship program.
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Once again staged in the main ballroom of Blowing Rock Country Club, the 2024 edition of Groovy Nights features some “fresh” acts — and we mean fresh in every sense of the word, from new and exciting to downright raunchy in the most fun way.
Showcasing the lip-synching and theatrical talents of local and seasonal residents and even a few civic leaders, new songs and new “acts” kept people entertained for roughly two hours on Aug. 20. There seems to be no end to Blowing Rock’s creativity.
Performing as Madonna, Blowing Rock Town Council member Cat Perry gets things started, geriatric style, with “Material Girl.” That is followed by Jenny Miller as Phil Collins singing, “Can’t Hurry Love.”
It only gets better with the B-52’s and “Love Shack.” Blowing Rock TDA Executive Director Tracy Brown just can’t help himself. Ever the performer, he and his cohorts Rhonda Taylor, Buddy Barker and Nicole Barker rock the stage as the 1970s new wave band originally formed in Athens, Georgia.
As the saying goes, you probably don’t want to mess with a scorned woman and BRCC’s Many Poplin as Carrie Underwood performing “Before He Cheats” is pretty convincing, not just in describing he key scraping against a former boyfriend’s car but also as she walks offstage with a baseball bat and a smile.
Be prepared for a triple dose of double entendre in a Saturday Night Live skit, “The Delicious Dish,” with Christy Kennedy, Nicole Barker and Melissa Tausche. By the end, you will know exactly what they mean by a “Dusty Muffin.”
Jenny Miller returns as Shania Twain, with a surprise guest in “Man, I Feel Like a Woman.”
Tracy Brown, Tom Shelley and yet another Blowing Rock Town Council member, Doug Matheson, look every bit the part of ZZ Top’s “Sharp Dressed Man/La Garage.”
Melissa Tausche’s turn as Broadway’s Debra Monk in “Everybody’s Girl” may not quite be X-rated, but parents probably shouldn’t bring the young ‘uns. And speaking of families, there is more naughty behavior implied by Mandy Poplin, Leigh Ann Byrd and Christy Kennedy performing as Hank Williams, Jr. and band in “Family Tradition.”
Prince is reincarnated with “I Would Die 4 U,” brought to life by Nicole Barker, Rhonda Taylor and Margie Hilton, just before Shellie Karaus relives the second longest-running show on Broadway, Chicago, with “All That Jazz.” Groovy Nights emcee George Wilcox, back for No. 13, informs the audience that Phantom of the Opera is the longest-running.
The show closes with Usher, Lil Jon and Ludacris in “Yeah,” performed by an energetic quintet of Christy Kennedy, Susan Shaw, Leigh Ann Byrd, Christy Pruess and Corinna Dietrich.
While the hoots, hollars, shouts and whistles coming from the audience was certainly evidence that the 2024 edition of Groovy Nights is entertaining, we would be remiss in not pointing out the real attraction of the event: the contributions of the community through entrance fees and sponsorships (like banner sponsor First Citizens Bank) going toward college scholarships and area non-profit support. As relayed by Wilcox in his introduction, the Blowing Rock Community Foundation has funded more than $1.5 million in college scholarships to deserving local high school graduates and well over $700,000 in various non-profit grants. Over 95 percent of the student recipients have leveraged BRCF’s largesse successfully by completing their college degrees.
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