The Alley Cats entertain at the Grand

BY ANN MIRE

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Grand Opera House of the South wrapped up a successful season on Monday night with the
“doo wop” sounds of the 1950s and ’60s.

A large crowd was delightfully entertained by the a cappella harmonies of The Alley Cats, consisting of Mando Fonseca, John O’Campo, Frank Romeo and Grant Hendrickson.

Before beginning the concert, the group took the time to explain that “a cappella” means “without instrumental accompaniment,” and that all of the sounds in their songs would be made by their own voices.

From the opening song “Rama Lama Ding Dong” to the closing tune of “Goodnight Sweetheart,” it was obvious that the crowd was thrilled with the music. No doubt the wonderful harmonies of oldies stirred up many memories for the baby boomers in the audience.  Along with their tight harmonies, The Alley Cats’ enunciations were so crisp that every word could be clearly understood.

The group encouraged crowd participation for such tunes as “Book of Love” and “Barbara Ann.” Prior to doing their rendition of “Stand by Me,” the group recognized those couples that had been married for over 50 years, including one couple that had been married 62 years.  For several songs a group member ventured into the audience for a brief dance with a lady in the crowd.

Some humorous banter was sprinkled between such songs as “Runaround Sue,” “Under the Boardwalk,” “La Bamba,” “Only You,” and “Little Darling” as they were performed. Perhaps one of the most recognized doo wop songs, “Duke of Earl,” was a real crowd pleaser.

There was little doubt that The Alley Cats were enjoying themselves. 

Perhaps the member of the audience who had the most fun was Lee Lawrence. Brought on stage to sing the bass part during the performance of their version of “Blue Moon,” Lawrence exhibited a musical voice and such stage presence that he may be considering joining the group to complete the tour.

All members of the audience seemed to leave completely satisfied with the evening’s performance. However, most were also hoping the group make a return appearance before too long.

As per the custom at The Grand, the performers were available in the lobby to visit with members of the audience as well as take photos with them.