February 2003 - Nr. 2
Dick reports...
Variety Night at the Danube Swabians
The popular annular Variety Night – called "Bunter Abend" was staged – for the 15th time - at the Danube Swabian Club in Scarborough. It was "bunt" (colourful) all right.
The
- 44 strong – Senior Donauschwaben Singers and Dancers entertained with a
wonderful palette of folksy tunes and show-dances at the beginning of the
evening and after introductions by Adam Rendl and Toni Baumann.
A
special poem was presented by Magdalena Forstner, followed by Bartl Turi and
Adam Rendl in a number of duets that were gratefully applauded by the
audience. Needless to mention that it was a full house, but that is nothing
unusual at this venue. The club must be doing something right!
Franz
Bernhardt performed a stand-up type comedy routine, as an officer, with
Mario Dombeck, as a reluctant - and seemingly not very bright – soldier. The
repartee was hilarious and to many of the guests a bit reminiscent of the "Hauptmann
von Köpenik" with the late Heinz Rühmann. The two kept the audience in
stitches. Well done!
Mario is the "Kapellmeister", or bandleader of the Donauschwaben Brass Band - featuring many members of the original Harmonie Brass Show Band - and I had no idea that Mario could so successfully double as a stand-up comic. Live and learn!
The
raffle – or Tombola – at the end of the evening provided many useful and
colourful surprises for the winners. Admission was only $10.00 and the
buffet dinner $11.00, which together made it a wonderful bargain for an
evening of great entertainment and dancing.
"Fest in Blau-Gold" – the last "Hurrah"?
The
K.G. Treue Husaren, of Toronto, may have staged this annual event that the
whole carnival-world in Ontario is waiting for – from one year to the next –
for the last and 10th time. Sad, but true! The host-club doesn’t
have many members - with enough whim and vigour - to continue, and an
infusion of younger blood is not very likely. And the fact that the owners
of the venue increased the rent by $500.00 isn’t much of an incentive
either.
Although
with about 400 guests in attendance this evening, three dance-guards from
Brantford, Kitchener and Mississauga to entertain, the event was a huge
success.
Featured as a "Costume Ball", many wonderful masks and costumes were in evidence and admired all around, from "Little Mermaids" to medieval knights, back from the Crusades, and M & M’s.
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The Euro Connection – the only band this year – kept pace with the proceedings and made sure that a great variety of tunes and evergreens were played for dancing.
Visiting
"Royalty" from Kitchener – Prince Richard II. from Kitchener and Her
Loveliness, Princess Kirsten, from Berlin – plus Hofstaat, added the true
carnival or "Mardi Gras" spirit to this event. It is just not the same
without royalty in attendance.
Armin
Hellmann, the BDKK president opened the proceedings with Steve Haas, the
host’s president.
The
Narragonia dance guard (Brantford) entertained twice, the first time with an
inspired and accomplished "Can-Can" that had the audience in stitches. They
can be admired at the upcoming "Manöver Ball" - the Fred Wagner Dance
Competition - in Hamilton on the 21 – 23 of March.
The
THM guard from Mississauga received an equally thunderous applause for their
"Tribal Dance". (The Grass-skirts were a nice touch!)
It is probably needless to mention that the "Sekt Bar" was a favourite meeting place for many of the guests where they did their best to keep the conversations and the champagne flowing.
I
am not going to list all the carnival societies that had sent
representatives; they were almost all in attendance anyway, although we
missed the Narrhalla, Hamilton, this year.
The
three $100.00 door prizes were well received and Annie Hintz almost got one
of them. Better luck next time!
Since
this is one of the great carnival events in and around Toronto is seems a
shame to discontinue it. Maybe a K.G. that is young at heart and with more
pizzazz and younger members can take over in the future.
Husaren Ball...
…at
the Hansa Haus. The "Treue Husaren, Mississauga" hosted their annual costume
ball at the Hansa Haus, in Mississauga. It was almost a full house and some
of the costumes were fabulous and inventive.
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Many of the same people that attended the event mentioned above, had changed costumes to the point where I couldn’t even recognize them anymore.
Guests
had arrived from Kitchener, Brantford, Hamilton, Sarnia and Detroit. Sarnia
came with 20 "Garde" girls and their "Royals"; the K.G. Germania Downriver
Detroit had sent Prince Timothy and Princess Karen I.; Kitcheners reigning
couple, Richard II. and Kerstin I., plus "Hofstaat" as well as too many
others. Of course there was the obligatory distribution of medals to
deserving "fools", which is always one of the highlights at these events.
Let’s
face it, this is one of the very popular local carnival events and the
quality of the food from the Hansa Club’s kitchen and the variety of
beverages at the well-stocked Adler Bar may have something to do with it.
Wonderful
show- and guard dances by Sarnia, Hamilton and the THM Garde entertained the
guests throughout the evening and some of the many "Funky" solo dances were
absolutely great.
The "Virgin Sisters", concluded the evenings entertainment and were a real "surprise" deserving thunderous applause. No male "Ballet" anymore!!!
The Mississauga Express band did its best to keep the dance floor full and many of the guests gratefully acknowledged that they had toned down the volume of their performances a bit. It was almost possible to have a conversation while they were playing without having to shout into the ears of one’s neighbour.
But it is not the end of the season yet: 8 February: Narragonia, Brantford / 15 February: Narrhalla, Hamilton, plus Kindermaskenball the next day / 22 February: Ascendia, Hamilton / 1 March: Crazy Ladies Night, Kitchener / 2 March: Kindermaskenball at the Donauschwaben and another great event – and the last one for this season – the "Rosenmontagsball" with the Harmonie Brass Show Band, at the Donauschwaben Club on the 3rd of March. This is another event that has gotten bigger and better every year – despite the fact that most people have to go to work the next day.
City Hall takeovers are nothing new during the carnival season, but Kitchener is going them one better by taking over the whole "Region" on "Rose Monday" (March 3) at 7 p.m. So much for "One-upmanship"!
Please check out the ads in this issue for additional information on these events and don’t forget to go to the Internet for additional photos at: www.echoworld.com
Alaaf and Helau, as always
Dick Altermann
Comments to: dick@echoworld.com
