Come to the LACB's cabaret

LIMA - Talking during a musical performance?

That's generally taboo. But this isn't your typical concert.

Not only is talking allowed and encouraged at Lima Area Concert Band's annual cabaret concert - happening Saturday at Veterans Memorial Civic Center - but the overall mood of the show is more relaxed, said band manager Carolyn Detrick.

"This is just a thank you to our audience that we put on every year," she said. "It's a little more intimate than when we're sitting up on the stage. It's a little more informal and the music is lighter fare."

The cabaret continues this year with its exhibit hall setting, opting for round tables instead of the folding rows of chairs in the performance hall. Guests bring friends and family or meet new ones, chatting each other up over snacks and drinks served by volunteers. Apart from the ticket price, the food and drink are provided free to the audience, Detrick said: the band picks up the tab for all the snacks.

As concert goers settle in for this year's cabaret show, they'll have a Mardi Gras theme to look forward to: Detrick said the music will feature deep South tunes like "Way Down Yonder in New Orleans" and "Dixieland Jam," and guests will receive complimentary beads. Shoring up the themed tunes will be several ensemble performances and musical medleys, including an Ohio State medley and a medley of local high school fight songs.

For LACB, the cabaret show follows a tried-and-true blueprint, Detrick said, a lighter program that both band members and audience members enjoy.

"I think our audience enjoys lighter music," she said. "They make it known they enjoy a lighter program, and we're glad to give them what they enjoy."

Lima Area Concert Band Presents "Welcome to the Cabaret"

WHEN: 8 p.m. Saturday

WHERE: Veterans Memorial Civic Center, 7 Town Square, Lima

COST: $15

FOR MORE INFO: Call 419-224-1552 or visit www.limaciviccenter.com or www.thelacb.org.