Kudos to all who made last month’s “Little Shop of Horrors” one of Woodrow’s most successful student musicals. “The crowds have really gotten larger the last few years,” says director Marca Lee Bircher.
Among the alumni gathering for a pre-musical Sunday brunch was Mary Catherine McDonald ’40, who starred in the senior play “Charley’s Aunt”.
“H. Bush Morgan was the director, and he was quite a character,” says McDonald, who keeps active by swimming daily. (She wants to know why Woodrow still doesn’t have a pool.)
Pianist and former PTA board member Jane Echols celebrated 20 years of musical accompaniment. Her children graduated years ago (She started three years before her oldest, Jim ’78, entered Woodrow.), but she keeps coming back.
So does husband Jim, who supplied the deep voice of Audrey II, the carnivorous star of “Little Shop”. Among the other parents of former students who volunteered are Ken Hansen, art director, and Richard Howell, accompanist.
Get Back
“Get back to where you once belonged” by the Beatles headlined the alumni newsletter section concerning reunions. Carol Parker Gray ’56 took it literally and is now living in the family homeplace on Reiger in Munger Place. Her family (including her five sisters) sold the house decades ago.
“I was just driving by and saw that it was for lease, so I took it,” Carol says. “I always wanted a room of my own when I lived there. Now I have one.”
Speaking of reunions, Sue Newton ’42 called to say the January and June class of ’42 is planning a big-band dance at Lakewood Country Club for its 50th anniversary. She also wants everyone to know about Marvin Runyon, a “Woodrow influence” from the class of ’42.
Marvin was head of Nissan USA until he was appointed by President Ronald Reagan to run the Tennessee Valley Authority. So it’s OK to drive a 300 ZX and say “dam”.
Others planning big reunions are the folks from ’52, who have rented Winfrey Point and will cook hamburgers and dance, just like the old days. The year 1967 is now a quarter-century ago, and those Cats are going to have a happy hour at Mangia Italia in Lakewood (next to the theater) and will travel to Dallas Cowboys Bill Bates’ ranch to horse around and dance.
A complete list of reunions and whom to contact appears below. If you are planning a reunion, contact the Alumni Association as soon as possible.
1932 – Call Alumni Association, (214) 601-2164
1942 – May 2; Sue Newton, (214) 381-0227
1952 – (Jan., June & Jan. 1951); June 12-13; Jackie Andrews, (214) 341-2659
1962 – July 25; Bob Hudspeth, (214) 750-6510
1967 – June 26-27; Robert Creel, (214) 630-7711
1972 – July 24-25; Mark Healy, (214) 275-8336
1977/1982 – Call Alumni Association, (214) 601-2164
