The Van Wert County Courthouse

Thursday, Mar. 28, 2024

Double-header at NPAC this weekend

After easing into our new Niswonger season, we hit it big this weekend with a double header on Saturday and Sunday.

Saturday, October 7, at 7:30 p.m., country music superstar Easton Corbin will take the stage.  But, before Corbin actually takes the stage, Nashville Crush, a very popular and up and coming country band out of Lima, is going to open the show.  We were fortunate that Nashville Crush could fit us in and they were very pleased to have the opportunity to open for Easton Corbin.

Known as a neo-traditionalist country singer, “American Songwriter” commented about Corbin, “He has one of those rare, glorious voices that was made — just made — for singing country music.  Rising to superstar status in 2010, his first two singles reached No. 1, making him the first country male artist in 17 years to do so.  Most recently in 2016, Corbin performed on one of country music’s biggest tours of all-time: Carrie Underwood’s “Story Teller Tour”.

Just released this summer, Corbin’s hit “A Girl Like You” has been rising to a top 20 hit on country radio.  Like many country artists, Corbin is a huge supporter of our veterans and soldiers and is also a big FFA supporter.  He even took a promo shot of himself wearing an FFA jacket, manufactured right here in Van Wert, Ohio!

A few tickets are still available for Easton Corbin’s Van Wert concert at the Niswonger this Saturday.  Belna Petroleum is the presenting sponsor of Saturday’s big country concert.  Mercer In-Sight Family Eye Care and Van Wert Family Eye Care, along with Betsey’s Boutique of Rockford and The Kenn-Feld Group, are supporting sponsors.  They all help make the tickets more affordable for everyone, to which we say a big thank you!

After a quick stage turnaround, we bring M*A*S*H* TV star Jamie Farr into town for “An Afternoon with Jamie Farr” on Sunday, October 8.  This is a 3 p.m. matinee show and replaces Tuesdays with Morrie, which was to star Jamie Farr. By now, many of you have read about how the producer of Tuesdays with Morrie failed to get work visas for the co-star and director of that show.  In today’s environment, unfortunately, one has to plan well in advance for such a thing!

Farr is filling in for himself by honoring his commitment to Toledo, his hometown, and Van Wert.  TV 13 of Toledo co-news anchor, Lee Conklin will join Farr on stage to talk about his career as an actor.  Most of us know Jamie Farr as that cross-dressing Max Klinger of M*A*S*H* TV stardom.  He was always trying to get out of the army by dressing as a woman; however, his hairy legs and cigar usually gave him away easily.  It was a farce that quickly caught on to the producers of the TV show and Klinger soon became a regular on the show. I’ve heard a number of you saying that you’ve been watching M*A*S*H* re-runs on cable TV and they have been featuring many episodes that featured Jamie Farr.

If you come to the show this Sunday at the Niswonger, however, you will be reminded or learn that Farr has also appeared with some of TV’s biggest legends on their TV shows. Legends such as Bob Hope, Dick Van Dyke, Milton Berle (I wonder if this is where he got the idea of dressing like a lady?) Red Skelton, Andy Griffith, Lucile Ball (Looo-ceeee!), Dean Martin, Burt Reynolds, and Bill Murray, just to name a few.  He also has numerous film screen and Broadway credits to his name.

It should be a very interesting and funny afternoon as we learn about who Maxwell Klinger was as well as Jamie Farr.  Farr has been married 50 years and has two children and one grandchild.  And as anyone who has ever watched a M*A*S*H* TV show knows, Farr grew up in Toledo and has long been a fan of the Toledo Mud Hens baseball team and Tony Packo’s, a Hungarian restaurant founded in the Hungarian neighborhood of Toledo.

“If you’re ever in Toledo, Ohio, on the Hungarian side of town, Tony Packo’s got the greatest Hungarian hot dogs” quipped Farr in a 1976 episode of M*A*S*H*.  The rest became history and put Tony Packo’s Restaurant on the map internationally.

We will get to hear all about his growing up in Toledo as well as his days in Hollywood and the many stars he has worked with over the years.  Have your questions ready as Farr promises to take some questions from the audience.  With a list of performers I mentioned earlier, I imagine Farr will have some stories he could tell.  Of course, the Q&A will come after we laugh and learn from his discussion, pictures and video clips.  Get your tickets now for this entertaining Sunday afternoon show.  It’s better than watching some football players take a knee during the playing of our “Star-Spangled Banner”!

FINÉ.

POSTED: 10/05/17 at 7:46 am. FILED UNDER: News