Want to see Lord Franzannian’s vaudeville show in Olympia? Get tickets now, they’re going fast

Lord Franzannian’s Royal Olympian Spectacular Vaudeville Show, opening Friday, Oct. 15, is well on its way to selling out.

That’s nothing new for the super-varied variety show, but the risk of missing out is particularly great this time around, with just three performances and no possibility of squeezing in extra audience members due to COVID-19 concerns.

“Tickets are selling briskly compared to previous years,” said Elizabeth Lord, who produces, curates and hosts the show as the red-coated and red-cheeked Franzannian. “The performance-going community is eager to enjoy live entertainment again.”

Saturday’s show is already sold out online (https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/5238375), in fact, but Lord holds back some tickets to sell at the door, so if you’re down for getting in line early, you can line up the Olympia Family Theater, 612 Fourth Ave. E. Olympia, for tickets.

The family theater is a new location for the show, which happened only via video in 2020 and is back with COVID-19 precautions firmly in place. Both performers and audience members must have proof of vaccination, and everyone must be masked except when on stage.

The size of the theater allows performers to keep more distance from the audience, Lord said, and it’s also opening up new possibilities for acts.

“For the first time ever on the Franzannian vaudeville stage, we have an aerial act,” she told the Olympian.

Also on the bill are comedy sketches, a whistling ukulele player, a clown band, a talking cicada and, of course, Hokumville, the old-time-music duo that serves as Franzannian’s “house band.”

The band, made up of Scuff Acuff on guitar and Alison “Al” Metheny on washtub bass, was created for the first vaudeville show and has played at every one since, appearing as toilet-paper-roll puppets in 2020.

“I saw a flyer for auditions,” Acuff told the Olympian. “I wrote this kind of terrible song and took my ukulele and I went down there.”

Though he has played in numerous bands, including Chickadee, the Tune Stranglers and the Mud Bay Stompers, he wasn’t accustomed to performing alone, so he wound up asking Metheny to join him onstage.

In the years since, the couple — who got together in the 20th century and married in 2018 — have created a new act each year as well as accompanying countless other performers. They’ve presented songs accompanied by crankies, rolls of fabric or paper with illustrations that move with the turn of a crank; donned red dresses to join a dance number; and led a sing-along of a naughty Asylum Street Spankers song about part of the male anatomy (https://youtu.be/VkfJbsTOtqg).

“They are an anchor for me and the show,” Lord said. “Our shared experience with the show is invaluable to me as a producer. Not only do they bring talent and creativity as musicians, they are my helpmeets in production. They are the glue that maintains the fast-paced nature of the vaudeville show.”

The duo, who started out as the Scuff and Al Show before switching to the name “Hokumville,” love being part of the collaboration, creativity and just plain wackiness that characterize the show.

“We get to watch the community come together and see the variety of stuff that people think of,” Metheny said. “There are a few people who keep coming back for it and have different acts every time, and then there’s always a smattering of people we’ve never met before who bring something new. It’s such a great and hilarious community builder.”

Lord Franzannian’s Royal Olympian Spectacular Vaudeville Show

What: The 15th annual vaudeville show, curated and hosted by theatrical impresario Elizabeth Lord, is happening live and in person once again. Proof of vaccination is required for performers and audience members alike.

When: 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 15-Sunday, Oct 17

Where: Olympia Family Theater, 612 Fourth Ave. E. Olympia

Tickets: $15-$25; available online (https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/5238375) and at the door

More information: http://www.professionaltalker.com/vaudeville-show.html

Also: The show is recommended for ages 16 and up.