Gridiron show puts spoof on news

A group of old geezers generally has something to say during the Gridiron Show. This year’s topic is the iPads given to northern Arkansas readers by the state newspaper.
A group of old geezers generally has something to say during the Gridiron Show. This year’s topic is the iPads given to northern Arkansas readers by the state newspaper.

What do duck hunters, fishermen and ivory-billed woodpeckers have in common?

All have been spoofed in the Northwest Arkansas Gridiron Show, the comedy show of skits and songs we in the news business around here put on each year.

Gridiron isn't about football, though we do have some good-natured fun with a Razorbacks skit most years. The show is all about people and events in the local, state and national news of the day. It's a comedy show about people you know.

We've got another great show for you, set for Friday and Saturday at the Arkansas Public Theater in downtown Rogers. Tickets are $25. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. Doors open at 6:45 p.m. and seating is general admission. Buy tickets at nwagridiron.com or at the theater box office.

Gee, if only there was some stuff in the news for us to do skits about. Hardee har har. If we covered half of it, the show would last all night. We try to pack what we can into a fun, laughter-filled, two-hour show.

All that hilarity can bring on a powerful thirst, so beer, wine and soft drinks are available for purchase at intermission and before the show. Profits from the bar benefit the Arkansas Public Theater.

Your ticket fee doesn't fund our cast party, no siree. Profits go to scholarships for journalism students, and a good number of those students are cast members in the show. Reporters, editors, journalism professors and others in the field round out the cast.

I'm proud to say that the staff of the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette is well represented in the cast this year.

We do our best to act, dance and sing our way into your funny bone, and do pretty well for a bunch of amateurs. The exception is Rusty Turner, the editor of this newspaper. He is professional grade.

It's worth the ticket price just to hear Rusty sing. If he didn't have such a good day job, Rusty could make a nice living singing around the country.

Not only that, he's director of our show. Talk about herding cats. That's because most of us don't have any acting experience other than grade school or being in previous gridiron shows.

But Rusty will have us as polished as we can be by showtime. OK, maybe more of a semi-gloss. You'll want to see what fishy or fowl topics and news events get lampooned in a song or skit.

Our emcee keeps the show rolling. This year we're tickled to welcome Steve Clark, president and CEO of the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce, to the stage as emcee.

Gridiron is a great show, all right, but it's also a big social event. You're bound to see some of your friends there, with plenty of time to chit chat before the show and at intermission.

Here are some comments heard from audience members after past gridiron shows: "The show is timely and smartly written." "I had so much fun Friday night I came back Saturday and brought a different friend." "The wine really helps."

Regulars in the gridiron audience will be happy to know that some favorite characters will be back. Elmer and Leticia Mae Stufflebeam, the first couple of cornfield comedy, will come down from the farm for their annual appearance. Dr. Red Neck will keep his annual appointment.

A lot of the usual cast is back, and we're excited to have so many new people in the show this year -- young people -- who'll help keep the NWA Gridiron Show going.

We've been working hard since July to bring you a great show and we can't wait for you to see it. So please join us for a fun night and support a great cause.

See you at the theater.

Flip Putthoff can be reached at [email protected]

Sports on 10/09/2018

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