Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
The stars are aligning (or it might be more accurate to say that seasoned ground beef and the Jolly Roger are colliding) this week to give us a rare opportunity to address this puzzler:
Do pirates eat chili?
More specifically, do pirates eat Kiwanis chili?
The pirates in question are, of course, “The Pirates of Penzance.” They have been on a quest of capturing hearts in eastern New Mexico since Eastern New Mexico University’s production of Gilbert and Sullivan’s comic opera opened last weekend at the University Theater Center.
The merry cast (mermaids and all) is scheduled to be romping (except for the mermaids, who do more flopping than romping) on the Main Stage four more times this week — 7 p.m. today, Friday, and Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday.
But it’s the two hours ahead of the Friday night performance that allow us to shine a spotlight on whether pirates would be willing to lay down their swords and black powder flintlocks long enough to devour bowls of chili for a good cause.
The Kiwanis Club of Portales hopes to be invaded by pirates (as well as hordes of us landlubbers) for its annual community fundraiser that is scheduled for 5-7 p.m. in the fellowship hall at First United Methodist Church, 200 South Avenue C, Portales.
Swashbucklers will be happy to know the Kiwanians use lean beef in their heart-healthy chili. For old salts who are avoiding meat, the vegetarian chili is excellent.
Seven is the lucky number for both of these happenings. Seven dollars will buy you a bowl of Kiwanis chili (including dessert and a beverage), and seven bucks (the official currency of buccaneers) secures you a seat in the University Theater Center for any of the four remaining performances of “The Pirates of Penzance.”
Kiwanians have a notoriously soft spot for kids, so youngsters under 12 can eat for only $4 on Friday. ENMU is also reaching out to children for this family friendly production, with $3 tickets for the 18 and under crowd.
While the Portales Kiwanians have been conjuring up vats of their delectable chili every year since 1964, it has been 11 years since Eastern has performed a full-blown musical production involving both the theater and music departments, according to Patrick McCreary, instructor of technical theater and design at ENMU. He’d like to see that change.
McCreary is a lifelong lover of musical theater. He vividly tells the story of seeing a live performance of “The Sound of Music” when he was a child and “never losing the wonder of that magic moment.”
He is actively recruiting fellow musical enthusiasts with the goal of making large musicals an annual event for the community. I hope he succeeds.
As a confirmed fan of food fundraisers and musical theater, I would love to see regular collaborations.
And will those pesky pirates partake of chili? My vote is: “Aye, aye, me hearties.”
Betty Williamson personally vouches for both the chili and the show. You may reach her at:
