Front Page Follies Preview

UPDATE and Apology: A friend of mine pointed out that Jean Ash does not contain an e. I checked and he was correct. My apologies to Jean Ash. I guess with the lovefest for McElroy, I had a vision of the ring leader of the Knox Charter Petition, Victor Ashe. For those people that thought that Jean and Victor were brother and sister. It just ain’t true.

According to Jean Ash, this years Front Page Follies will portray Jack McElroy as good guy and the others as bad guys. This is not real surprising since the Front Page Follies is just an opportunity for the Chamber crowd to get together, have a few drinks, laugh at the “little”people that are having to pay for $3.75 a gallon gas at the local Pilot. While they all stand around afterwards, slapping one another on the back, feeling good about themselves. While the rest of us spend time with our kids, raising productive families.

Here is the preview written by Jean Ash for all to see the arrogance on parade.

The 2008 Front Page Follies will laud “The Sunshine Boys,” News Sentinel editor Jack McElroy and First Amendment attorney Richard Hollow, for their pursuit of justice after Knox County Commission plunged our area into darkness with backroom deals on January 31, 2007, dubbed “Black Wednesday.”

Maybe not as funny as George Burns and Walter Matthau in the acclaimed 1975 movie or earlier Neil Simon play, McElroy and Hollow made an even bigger impact on the lives of area citizens, who have a more open government as a result of the decision upholding the Sunshine Law.

What will be hilarious, however, are the performances of the Follies cast, led by director Carol Zinavage. Some examples of song parodies now being rehearsed are: “Sunshine in our meetings –makes us nervous….” (to the tune ‘Sunshine on My Shoulders’); City Council members singing “Thank God We’re Not County Boys” (to the tune of “Thank God I’m a Country Boy”); “The Ballad of Pat Head Summitt,” with apologies to Davy Crockett: “… learned how to stare when she was only three….;” and “Bubba Shot the Red Light….”

This year the Follies will also honor the Nine Citizens who joined the legal action, represented by Herb Moncier.