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Who would have thought, when Everett Olson asked Eleanor Leight to put together a Bicentennial Show at the high school stadium, that 29 years later the Annual Snohomish Historical Society Variety Show would draw sell-out crowds for six shows? From those humble beginnings our little Vaudeville Show has become a Mother's Day tradition.
After that Bicentennial Show, a few ladies asked Eleanor (who is a former Radio City Music Hall Rockette) about tap-dancing lessons. That Monday night dance class became the genesis of the Leight Fantastics. If you're going to take dance lessons, you need to do a recital; if you're going to do a recital, you might as well add a couple vocalists and do a little show. Everett Olson suggested an Old-Time Vaudeville Show - Willis Tucker was recruited to be the Master of Ceremonies - the Snohomish Historical Society became our primary sponsor and beneficiary - and our first show here in the Snohomish High School Performing Arts Center was held on Saturday, April 28, 1979.
That first show was such a hit that a second show was added the next year. Although the idea of a vaudeville-style show remained, we went with a new theme, "The Showboat Revue" in 1982. The theme switched to "Broadway Memories" in 1984; that's the year a third show was added: a single show Friday, a double-header on Saturday and the name "Leight Fantastics was coined.
We found our permanent home on Mother's Day weekend in 1986 with “Bon Voyage" and a fourth show, Sunday afternoon, was added that year as well. We stayed the course through "T.V. Hits" and "Those Great Movies." In 1992, we outgrew four shows and a fifth was added with "Vaudeville to Video."
With our "Vacation" shows, more changes were in store in 1994 when we made the entire theater reserved seating and implemented mail-in ticket service. Our program went full-size with 1996's "A Holiday Revue" (the revenue from the advertising offsets our printing and newspaper advertising costs). The 1997 show was "Steppin' Out NY, NY," in 1998 we traveled "Route 66" and we looked at “Century: 100 Years of Entertainment" in 1999. We took "One Last Look" at the century in 2000 and added a 6th show to the line-up with "Back to Broadway" in 2001. We decided to "See the USA" in 2002, in '03 we went global with "entertainment@world.com" and in 2004 we presented "At Work & At Play." 2005 we went with "More Work & More Play", and last year had a great time with "It's a Grand Night for Singing & Dancing." In 2006 our show was "It's a Grand Night for Singing & Dancing." In 2007 we blended the old an the new with "Then & Now." And this year as celebration of 30 years of the Vaudeville show with "ShowTime30."
Along the way, the Snohomish Historical Society has always been our main support and benefactor. Over the years we've also been able to contribute to the Boys & Girls Clubs, the Historic Everett Theatre, the Snohomish Senior Center, the Snohomish Skate Park, as well as numerous other charities, including the purchase of Portable Defibrillators for schools and support for the victims of Hurricane Katrina through the Red Cross. We purchased the new, red curtain for the Snohomish Performing Arts Center in 2001.
Each year there are performers on the stage that are making their Variety Show debut; others have been there since the very beginning. Hundreds of people have been cast members, the dance classes now meet two nights a week, and planning for the next year's show begins on the Monday night following the last performance.
We thank all the cast members over the years, but above all, we thank you, our loyal audience; YOU are the reason we're here each year.
After all, it's a Mother's Day Tradition!
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