THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, June 21, 1996 TAG: 9606190143
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 11 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: BY ERIC FEBER, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 125 lines
The Sawyer Sisters, who hail from Chesapeake, have been performing their entertaining Andrews-Sisters-cabaret-Broadway-oldies act for a decade in front of thousands of enthusiastic fans.
Yet, unless you're a member of the armed services, a World War II or Korean War or Vietnam War vet, a member of a military reunion group or a delegate at a business or organizational convention, chances are you've never see them.
They want to do something about that on Sunday when they present a rare public concert at the Holiday Inn-Chesapeake.
``This is our 10th year performing and with our show at the Holiday Inn, it will give the public an opportunity to see us perform,'' said Marietta M. Ayers, the group's leader, founding member and third vocalist, who also operates with her husband the Montessori Laboratory School in Chesapeake. ``It frustrates me that a lot of people in the city haven't seen us.''
Ayers is the only original Sawyer Sister after local musician Bob Sawyer - a leader of many popular bands and combos and known for his vibraphone and piano work - started the trio as an Andrews Sisters tribute group.
``We started out singing with Bob in the Chesapeake Bay Bearcats, a group that also featured Ron Hallman,'' now Chesapeake's city attorney, Ayers said. ``The other two original sisters were Aimee Baker, a former Miss Portsmouth, and Valerie Cartos, who finally left the state to go to college. Since then we've had 12 girls in 10 years.''
Ayers brings to the group strong leadership qualities and enough talent and performing experience for an entire trio. She began her career in Southern California, where she received a degree in music while performing at Knotts' Berry Farm and Disneyland.
Other Sawyer Sisters came and went due to marriages, babies and career moves.
Ayers said the present Sawyer Sisters incarnation is the best yet.
The group now sports lead vocalist/choreographer Lynn C. Jordan, who joined the act in 1989. She's a well known area performer who won the Port Folio magazine award for best area actress in 1990. When not onstage, she works in cardiology at Chesapeake General Hospital.
Rounding out the trio is second vocalist and arranger Pamela J. McDermott of Stafford, who joined in 1993. She has degrees in music from East Carolina University and James Madison University and has worked with the Fred Waring Chorus and entertained Hampton Roads folks as a player/performer on the Spirit of Norfolk.
Ayers and Jordan consider McDermott such a valuable asset to the group that even a move last year to Boston to be with her husband - a nuclear physicist at Harvard - couldn't keep her out of the trio.
``She just flies in for our shows and performances,'' Ayers said. ``We just couldn't lose someone with that much value to the act. Besides, we've broken her in perfectly.''
``We've been together long enough and are professional enough to be able to get together and click right away. We make our sound check our rehearsal,'' Jordan said.
Both said that lighting technician Kevin Roby and audio engineer and technical adviser Shawn Brady also help make the Sawyers a performing success.
Through the years the Sawyers have performed at Harborfest, the Neptune Festival and the Seawall Festival. They've performed for business groups and organizations, including the Shriners, State Farm Insurance Co., the American Cancer Society and the Virginia Beach Tourism Bureau.
The Sawyers have appeared with the Tactical Air Command Jazz Ensemble, the Chesapeake Bay Bearcats, Don Case and the Satin Sound Orchestra, the Pat Curtis Big Band and The Happy Dutchmen.
They used to have a regular gig at Tom's Tiki Tai, a now defunct popular Beach night spot, and have made several local and national television appearances including the St. Jude's Telethon and the American Movie Classics cable channel's 50th anniversary salute to the USO.
But the group's bread and butter have been appearances for scores of military reunion groups and prestigious performances for the USO. Some memorable shows have included stints on the aircraft carrier George Washington with a crew and audience of 5,000, the Oceana Air Show with the Blue Angels and the USO Golf Classic with Pat Boone.
But don't call the Sawyer Sisters' act just a tribute to the Andrews Sisters. They're much more than that, said Ayers and Jordan.
``We have maintained an Andrews Sisters tribute in our act since we began,'' Ayers said. ``But we incorporate extensive costume changes, comedy and lots of audience interaction. We love our comedy as much as our songs.''
``We do everything from '40s swing to '90s pop,'' Jordan said. ``We also do what we call our `Gold Set,' where we wear glamorous dresses and do a comedy number from `Gypsy' and the song `You Gotta Have a Gimmick,' where we wear costumes that light up, for example. Besides our songs we also stress comedy. We all do lots of different voices, accents and routines, a lot of character stuff.''
Jordan and Ayers said that a lot of the group's comedy and routines happen because of ad libs, onstage flubs or performing accidents.
``Anything can happen on stage, and we just turn it around and make it part of our act,'' Jordan said. ``We're professional enough to handle anything. For example, if one of us sings a wrong line the other two simply jump in and sing the same wrong line.''
``Then we all come off laughing,'' Ayers said. ``We turn flubs into triumphs.''
The group's shows include a comical French cabaret act and a '50s set complete with poodle skirts and pony tails and lots of hit tunes from the 1950s hit parades including ``Mr. Sandman'' and ``Rock Around the Clock.''
Ayers said the Sawyers perform three kinds of material: originals composed by Sawyer, instrumental arrangements by Robert DeDominick and vocal arrangements by McDermott, drawing on her experience with Fred Waring.
``We can draw from 10 years worth of material,'' Ayers said. ``And during the holiday season we drag out our Christmas chestnuts.''
So why do these three keep at it, year after year, in spite of their own successful non-show business careers?
``Music is just part of our internal makeup,'' Jordan said. ``I love our friendship, the performing, the travel. There's no attitudes in this group.
``It's still exciting,'' Ayers said. ``Our audiences change, our songs change, and I love our costume changes. I'm challenged by change. Plus, we all love the camaraderie. We're good friends, and we enjoy each other. This is group participation on every level. We work as a real team.
``That's why we're so excited about this Holiday Inn show: We can show Chesapeake who we are.'' MEMO: [For a related story, see page 10 of The Clipper for this date.] ILLUSTRATION: The Sawyer Sisters will celebrate 10 years of
performing by singing Sunday at the Holiday Inn-Chesapeake.
AT A GLANCE
What: The Sawyer Sisters in concert, with master of ceremonies,
Franklin Chenman.
Where: Holiday Inn-Chesapeake, 725 Woodlake Drive.
When: Sunday. Heavy hors d'oeuvres and cash bar from 6-7 p.m.
Show is from 7-9 p.m.
Cost: Tickets are $20 per person or $35 per couple.
Call: For ticket or booking information, call 548-8762. by CNB