Lifelong Three Stooges fan eagerly anticipates Arcada show

The Arcada Theatre has brought so many great shows to St. Charles in the past decade, many residents can say they've seen at least a few memorable events there.

We certainly enjoyed Graham Nash, the B-52s, Dionne Warwick, Don Rickles, America and many others.

But it's safe to say I've not been more interested or excited to see a show than I am for The Three Stooges - a live Vegas production coming to the Arcada on Sunday, Oct. 21.

I've been a fan of the Stooges since I was old enough to stare at a black-and-white TV, and it's been a long love affair with these goofballs.

My elementary school teachers likely would have said I somehow took up most of these fellows' traits and probably shouldn't have been allowed to watch this sort of slapstick.

All of that aside, as a Stooges fanatic, I learned as much as possible about these comedians who made people laugh for 40-plus years through the Great Depression, World War II and beyond. They let people on hard times know they felt the same way; they poked fun at the rich and authority figures trying to take advantage of those less fortunate; and they always tried to save the damsel in distress.

As a fan in the late 1950s and early '60s, it meant watching them mostly on Andy Starr's "Odeon Theater" show after school. I don't need to worry about when they are on TV these days, as I have the full DVD set of all of their Columbia studio shorts.

As for the shows at 3 and 7 p.m. next Sunday that Arcada frontman Ron Onesti is bringing to his stage, it's a revival of Stooges' shows that filled the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in the mid 1990s.

It's promoted as the only show authorized and licensed from the family estates of Moe and Curly Howard, Larry Fine and Curly Joe DeRita.

Stooges fans are hard to please, but this show received solid reviews during its Vegas run. I look at it this way: I laugh when my friends and I exchange Stooges lines, so anyone else keeping that comedy alive is OK by me. Someone is making a major effort to keep the spirit and freewheeling fun of these guys in the forefront.

I owe it to them to show up at the Arcada next week. And it can maybe serve as a slight make-good on a mistake I made when on vacation in Los Angeles in 1974.

My friend and I were visiting his grandmother just outside of Hollywood, and we were watching the Stooges on TV one morning. She worked part-time at the Beverly Hills hospital and mentioned that Larry Fine was under care there and that maybe we should go visit.

We went to the hospital, pulled into the parking lot and just froze. For some reason, we talked ourselves into thinking we shouldn't go in because we'd be bothering Larry.

A few years later, when reading Moe Howard's book about the Stooges, Moe mentioned that he went to visit Larry in the hospital every day, and that Larry wished some fans would have visited more often. He died in January of 1975, not more than a few months after we were there.

To this day, I kick myself over that one.

That's really me:

For those who are stunned at my photo with all of my Stooges memorabilia, don't let the goofy expression fool you. That is indeed the same person you see in my column mug shot.

Newspaper columnist photos stay the same for a long time, in part because they aren't near as important as the words written by the person in that photo.

It's also our only chance to do a reverse Dorian Gray bit, with the photo staying ageless, while our true selves continue to age. For those not familiar with the tale - this Dorian Gray fellow never aged over decades, but his portrait hidden in his attic continued to age into a decrepit old man.

I haven't hit the decrepit stage yet, but at least my column photo carries on that more youthful appearance.

Dear Prudence …:

The Christmas of 1968 may very well have been one of my finest on record - and that pun is intended.

On that glorious Christmas morning, I received a General Electric turntable and speakers from my parents. But it was the record albums that also came gift-wrapped that made it memorable.

In no particular order of importance, I opened the Beatles White Album, Cream's Wheels of Fire and Jimi Hendrix's Electric Ladyland. All three were double albums and I spent an ungodly number of hours for the next several months stacking them all on the turntable and listening to some of the greatest music of our time.

Of the three, The White Album song list is the one that remains embedded in my mind. And it has done so to many others.

That's why the Geneva Library's schedule listing caught my attention. A program titled "The White Album … 50 facts for 50 years" is set for 7 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 1 at the library.

Presenter Gregory Alexander will share facts about the writing and recording of this double album, while also providing some audio and video examples.

Lots of fashion:

Of all of the fashion show fundraisers that unfold in the Tri-Cities area, it's probably not a stretch to say the Batavia Woman's Club "Fall into Fashion" event draws one of the biggest crowds.

The club will host this 10th annual luncheon and fashion show Saturday, Oct. 27, at the Q Center in St. Charles, with doors opening at 10 a.m.

Proceeds benefit the Mutual Ground domestic abuse shelter in Aurora.

My wife, who will model clothes from Flair on 3rd in Geneva at the event, confirms the center is generally filled up with ladies interested in helping the cause and checking out the latest fashions. Other models will show clothes from Special Occasions in Batavia and Directions in Clothing in St. Charles.

Tickets at $60 each are available at bataviawomansclub.org.

Chocolate 5K for a cause:

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital stands to benefit from those with a fondness for chocolate and running or walking.

The Ooh La La Chocolate 5K Run/Walk and half marathon event hosted by All Chocolate Kitchen will unfold at 7:30 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 4, through the streets of downtown Geneva.

Information about registering for what is touted as "Chicago's Sweetest Run" is available on the All Chocolate Kitchen website.

After the race, kitchen owner Chef Alain Roby has some chocolate treats and hot chocolate ready for participants.

dheun@sbcglobal.net