Menagerie alumni pool talents, reminisce

By FRITZ BUSCH

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- What a way to go out.

Well over 200 former Menagerie singers joined the 2000 edition for a final joint performance before about 1,000 people at a retirement celebration for the group's originator, Bob Wirtz, Saturday at Martin Luther College.

Wirtz said he was overwhelmed by all the kindness and love shown to his family over the weekend that carried the tagline "30 years of leadership, hundreds of kids, thousands of lives."

He said the group was created to be a positive experience for youth during the turbulent Vietnam era.

He still sings in a small country group called "Salty Dogs."

Wirtz was very humble about the celebration.

"The lucky person is really me because they've only gotten to know one person while I've gotten to know hundreds of fine young people," said Wirtz. "I think we've got 30 years of the best kids of New Ulm in The Menagerie. I feel lucky just to have been a part of this and I want them to know how much I love them and how honored I am to call them my friends."

Wirtz also thanked his wife Betty for allowing him to spend over 1,500 Wednesday nights with the group.

The enlarged group performed a wide variety of music, as it always did.

Selections included "There's a Meetin' Here Tonight," "Get Together," "Rum by Gum," "Preacher and the Bear," "The Greatest Song," "Rollin,' Ramblin,'" "Touch the Wind," "Will the Circle be Unbroken?" "Cleansing Power," "Dying Convict," "Love of the Common People," "The Fields of Athenrye," "Mighty Mississippi," "Montana Skies," "Last Thing on My Mind," "Crawl to the River," "Gift of Song," "Greenback Dollar," "Wade in the Water," "Brazos," "Amazing Grace," "City of New Orleans," "Where Will You Be?" and "Fare Thee Well."

The music included a solo by Cathedral High School graduate Steph Klaviter who is now a professional softball pitcher.

Alumni of The Menagerie fondly recalled their high school days with the group.

Jill Akre, a 1974 New Ulm High School graduate, who organized much of the weekend celebration along with classmate Janet Zahn, said being with the group was one of the best times of her life.

"It was great to be with friends, have fun and sing," said Akre, who is now works for a computer company in Minneapolis.

She said she sang in the high school choir but found The Menagerie to be a more "contrite" experience.

"With The Menagerie, we practiced at Flandrau State Park when the weather was nice," Akre said. "The atmosphere helped create an exciting experience to come together."

She said the group created its own harmony and never read from sheet music.

Singing at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. and for Minnesota Senator Hubert Humphrey in Washington, D.C. was a highlight for her.

"It was wonderful, we were so well received at the Naval Academy," she said. "The young men at the Naval Academy were very loud and boisterous at our concert. It was a good bonding experience."

She said her niece and nephew also joined The Menagerie, but only after some convincing.

"Now they are so glad they joined the group and learned to play the guitar and experience this," said Akre. "It was fun to watch them, too."

She found it easy to promote the celebration in New Ulm.

"I live in the Twin Cities, where nothing is easy," said Akre. "All we had to do was ask for help here and we got it. New Ulm is just a nice town. What a cool place."

Jim Melzer, an early member of the group, said he finds it nice that the 2000 Menagerie edition still performed the folk music so well, even though the era is long past.

He said he enjoyed singing with Tim and Jim Schuetzle, whom he competed with to see who could hit the highest tenor note.

"It was great fun, battling them because they were great singers," said Melzer.