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GILBERT SUN NEWS | MARCH 6, 2022
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Ostrich Fest brings family fun, Grammy winners BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI GetOut Editor
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he Four Tops’ Duke Fakir is up for any musical adventure and, this March, that includes the Chandler Chamber Ostrich Festival. “We usually play Phoenix, but anywhere else in Arizona is a good, new adventure,” Fakir said with a laugh. “We should enjoy the festival. Anything that’s different than the normal scenery or even makes it a little more exciting for us.” The Four Tops are among the musical acts at this year’s Chandler Chamber Ostrich Festival, which features national and regional musicians, attractions, more than 50 carnival rides, food vendors. Ostriches will roam freely in a designated area at the festival. For the first time in 32 years, the festival will take place on two weekends: Friday, March 11, to Sunday, March 13, and Friday, March 17, to Sunday, March 20. “We are thrilled to bring two week-
The Four Tops are, from left, Lawrence Payton Jr. (son of original Four Top Lawrence Payton), Alex Morris, Ronnie McNeir and Abdul (Duke) Fakir. (Courtesy of The Four Tops)
ends of Ostrich Festival family fun to our community so guests will have the opportunity for double the fun,” said Terri Kimble, the Chandler Chamber of Commerce’s chief executive officer and president. “We have been working diligently with the city of Chandler and SLE to plan the safest event possible for what is expected to be the best Ostrich Festival ever with our most diverse musical talent lineup to date.” The Four Tops are co-headlining with fellow Motown legends The Temptations on March 20. Additional headliners include Grammy award-winning The Band Perry co-headlining with pop star Uncle Kracker (March 11), Grammy-nominated country act Walker Hayes (March 12), rapper Flo Rida (March 13), the ’80s cover band Spazmatics (March 17), the legendary The Beach Boys (March 18) and Grammy winning R&B star Nelly (March 19).
Puppets put a new spin on ‘Golden Girls’ BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI GetOut Editor
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etty White was beloved by many, but Samantha Lee Mason gets to share that adoration nightly. She plays White’s character, Rose, in “That Golden Girls Show!” a new “theater experience” that parodies classic “Golden Girls” moments – with puppets. Mason lists the reasons to see the show: cheesecake, laughter, Jazzercise, shoulder pads, sex and schemes. “It’s super fun,” Mason said. “The character of Rose is known for being
very sweet and, playfully, somewhat dim. She’s very earnest and naïve. “I love getting to bring her to life every day on the stage. Playing Betty White’s character – especially since her death – does bring a lot of weight to the world. It wasn’t there to begin with since I started. I now have the great pleasure to carry on Betty’s legacy the best way I can.” The 75-minute “That Golden Girls Show!” hits the Chandler Center for the Arts stage on Thursday, March 17, to Sunday, March 20. “Our story is told through three ep-
isodes of the ‘Golden Girls,’” she said. “They’re not episodes that were directly pulled from the actual show. It’s an amalgamation of different lines in the series with a new storyline within the world of the show. It’s very short, very sweet and you’ll laugh the whole time.” She confesses that even she has a hard time keeping cool during the performance. “I tend to be pretty good in terms of staying with it in the show,” she said. “But there have been a few moments when something crazy happens and you have to really focus. That’s the beauty of
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live theater.” A Chicago native, Mason is a trained musical theater performer who attended Indiana University. Now residing in New York City, she had puppeting experience, thanks to a run with “Reusable the Musical,” written and directed by John Tartaglia. “Most of my other performances are in musical theater,” she said. “I lived in Japan and worked for Tokyo Disney Resort for a year and a half. I wanted to travel the world, and that was the best
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