Fetched: December 24th, 2008, 1:00pm EST
First Night is really the last night and first morning but nonetheless Chatham’s annual celebration of the New Year violates no truth in advertising law when they proclaim a good time for all.
This Dec. 31 marks the 18th First Night celebration thrown by the town and the event will welcome 13 new performers to blend in with old standbys such as Monomoy Six, Ashley Wade & Chris Morris, Crab Grass, Cape Cod Fiddlers, Freddie and the Maybellines, The Clancy Tradition, The Dreamers and others.
“Freddy and the Maybellines have been with us all 18 years,” noted entertainment chairman Ginny Hamblett.
They’ll perform for three hours at the Community Center Gym.
Most events require a First Night button ($15) to enter but there are multiple freebies as well, especially for the children earlier in the day.
“We’re allowed to sell 7,500 buttons,” Hamblett said. “The fire chief limits us because of the room in each venue. You really can’t find a better deal for $15.”
The usual attendance is around 10,000 with many taking advantage of the free events. Buttons can be purchased at the headquarters at Chatham Tees, and at Marge’s Place, Puritan’s, D’Angelos, Chatham Hardware, Mark August and Where the Sidewalk Ends or by writing First Night Chatham, Box 80, 02633. For an extra $3 they’ll send you the button or you may pick it up at headquarters. The web site WWW.firstnightchatham.com has more information. This year’s website includes audio and video of the performers.
You can also call 508-945-1122 to order a button via phone.
This year’s button was designed by a local artist, Kassie Foss, and is a depiction of Chatham in the 1940s with the old Orpheum Theatre, which is a CVS now, and old ’40s cars,” Hamblett said. “We have a lot of people in town who are at an age where they can appreciate the ’40s.”
The children’s entertainment starts at 1 p.m. and includes music, face painting, magic, dancing, singing, ice carving, wood carving and more.
“We have 13 new performers,” Hamblett said. “We have a fantastic Rod Stewart impersonator named Rick Larrimore. He acts like him, dresses like him, looks like him and very much sounds like him. Last year we had an Elvis impersonator and we had to turn two hundred to three hundred people away.”
“Another one is Luigi Boccia from Italy and Brooklyn. He is an incredible tenor. It’s said he’s like a young Pavarotti. He’s 28 years old and has been performing all over the world,” Hamblett noted.
He will be at the Congregational Church while Larrimore will do three shows at the high school.
This year’s theme is the 1940s and there will be several ’40s oriented groups including the Bell Tones.
“They’re three gals, like the Andrews Sisters, singing all ’40s songs,” Hamblett noted.
First Night also invited 90 World War II veterans to a luncheon at Veterans of Foreign Wars at noon Dec. 29 and the Bell Tones will sing there as well.
The Sound Waves, an eight-member female a cappella group, will also include ’40s tunes in their set. Other new acts include the Toe Jam Puppet Band, the Noteables, Soprano Leslie Loosli, Maria the Magician, MGM (a bluegrass group), Three Cats and A Dog (jazz and folk), Andrew Prete, Judy and Richard Mulcahey and belly dancer Elena Griffin.
There are free shuttle buses between the venues.
There are special events like Dropping of the Cod at Oyster Pond before the fireworks at midnight.
“That’s on the idea of the ball in New York City,” Hamblett said. “We’ll have opera the night before at the Methodist Church. The noise parade at 6:30 leads to Oyster Pond for a bonfire. There is a kids’ art studio.
Even if the night is frigid it will be a hot time.
“It’s family oriented arts and entertainment with something for everyone,” Hamblett declared.
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