Emmy-award winning Ernie Manouse of HoustonPBS Channel 8 will join Always, Patsy Cline star Julia Laskowski, the swingin’ River Road Boys Band, and the Barbara King Dancers headlining entertainment for Bellaire Southwest Rotary’s Fabulous Bellaire Fish Fry on May 1 from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Bellaire Civic Center, 7008 S. Rice.
All-inclusive $25 event tickets can be purchased online through the club website, www.bellairesw.org. A limited number will be available at the door.
Ernie Manouse
The $25 ticket price includes a catfish dinner with all the trimmings, all entertainment, auctions, and contests, and entry in the door prize drawings for a large flat-screen television and other prizes. Separate lottery-only tickets are available for $20. All profits from the service club’s annual fundraiser underwrite the service club’s humanitarian and charitable works and grants.
“We’re excited to offer such a full evening of great entertainers for the price. This is our 53rd annual fundraiser, and all profits will fund next year’s grants and projects by our club,” Festival Chair Ralph Rieger said.
Called ‘King of Local Late-Night’ and the ‘Ultimate Interviewer’, Manouse said he looks forward to another down home Texas experience as the ‘man with the mike’ for the Rotary volunteers; this will be his second time to headline the community festival’s entertainment roster. Manouse is known for his witty commentary, and last year he walked away with three Emmy’s from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for best On-Camera Talent, best Special Events Coverage, and best Informational Program.
Julia Laskowski
Houston celebrity Julia Laskowski will belt out signature Patsy Cline songs and share her impeccable comedic talents for charity. Star of Houston’s longest-running musical, Always . . . Patsy Cline, songbird and playwright Laskowski most recently starred in the musical comedies Country Gravy & Other Obsessions and French Fries on the Floorboard. She has performed with every prominent Houston Theatre, including Theatre Under the Stars and the Alley, and also has a global following for her operatic work.
The well-known River Road Boys band will provide western swing music throughout the evening, and the Barbara King Dance Company will perform as part of Bellaire’s 4th Annual Dancing with the Stars contest. King, who holds championship titles in International Latin, Standard, American Rhythm, and Smooth divisions of competitive dance, owns and serves as artistic director of the King Dancing Centre where couples are trained and promoted for national and international competitions.
Y’all come! This is always a really fun event :-)