Father’s Role Is to Beam
NORWOOD — The Singing Sheas of Norwood, a mother, and six children, differ from most family singing groups in that they vocalize in four languages.
English, French, Italian, Jewish.
The mother, Mrs. Kate Shea:
“They seem to enjoy learning a foreign language,”
The children, three boys, and three girls range in age from 3 to 11.
“We try to inject a lot of comedy.”
And sketches.
They rehearse a couple of times weekly in the kitchen at 10 Nichols st., entertain (45 minutes) mostly at women’s clubs. Their accompaniment is an accordion, played by Dennis, 11. The Sheas have been at it about a year.
The husband, Edward, an electronics engineer at Boston Naval Shipyard, does not sing.
“His contribution is to beam, applaud, and drive us around in the station wagon.”
The youngest, Veronica, 3, made a smashing debut Just two months ago.
Others are Timothy, 8; Loretta, 7; Mary Kate, 8; Edward, 5.
“They all love to entertain, and eat up the applause “
All smartly dressed, and with a number of costume changes. They learn, in addition to the mother’s teaching, primarily from recordings, of which they have some of their own.
“I got them started after seeing ‘Sound of Music,’ with Mary Martin, in Boston. Then I worked three years getting a program together,”
One of their numbers is: “Go Tell Aunt Rodie.” To disclose what it is Aunt Rodie ought to know would be to expose a part of their program.
Same with “Step Up To the Tub.” although the hint here is more obvious. The type of humor employed by the young comedians is best described by revealing a couple of the gassers that rock an audience.
There is this anecdote about the three bears falling off the Empire State Building, for example. Mater and pater bear are reported painfully injured.
The younger bruin escaped without a scratch. The explanation sounds singularly reasonable, to wit:
“He was wearing safety pins.”