June 12, 2004 – The Cameo Club of St. Thomas-St. John presented the first stage show of the St. John festival season. The variety show gave a small, but appreciative audience, the gift of a light-hearted Saturday night.
It's the fourth year that seniors from the Club have offered an evening of comedy, music and fun. Instead of the traditional competition to pick the Cameo queen, organizers opted this year for a showcase, featuring a cast of performers who embodied the club's theme song, "Young at Heart." The queen was appointed in the middle of the show.
Emcee Irvin "Brownie" Brown had some concerns about the rowdy oldsters. He said, "I hope they behave. I ain't able with them." He had to retreat during one particular burst of exuberance. Three performers, modeling casual wear, stormed the stage, commandeered the Lover Boys Band from Tortola and proceeded to dance by themselves, with each other, Brown and the band.
The show also featured past Cameo Club queens performing in skits, dancing and rendering folk tales. Toya Andrews dressed the part of a Cherokee storyteller to relate the legend of a boastful rabbit.
It all took part on a stage decorated in 50th anniversary gold, emblazoned with this year's theme, "A Golden Extravaganza Galore for Festival 2004."
The crowd, which numbered around 50, warmed up to the stage show by bouncing in place around the concession stand as the Lover Boys pumped up the Quelbe music.
Backstage, producer Ida White marveled at this year's production. There were times, she said, when it didn't seem the show would get off the ground. Then there was the question of how to pick this year's Cameo queen. Organizers liked the idea of the pageant, but also saw that as a lot of hassle, so fell back upon just finding some one who would agree to be queen and then appointing her. "I came up with the idea," White said.
This year's queen, Betsy Beretta, modeled a black evening gown spangled with crystals and a plunging neckline. She spoke about the values she hoped to pass along to her grandchildren.
White said she was glad to have Beretta take on the role of queen for a year, and hoped next year more seniors would join the show.
One spectator, nutritionist Dino Joseph said she would think about it.
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