Sharon, Lois, Bram Sing At The Shubert

By Maureen Fitzgerald, Special to The Inquirer
Posted: November 19, 1988

Canadian folk singers Sharon, Lois & Bram celebrated their 10th anniversary with enthusiastic, sold-out audiences of toddlers and parents at the Shubert Theater yesterday and a fresh batch of songs mixed in with their old favorites.

These superstars of children's music, made famous by their cable television program The Elephant Show, don't give a concert as much as lead a massive sing-along, complete with kiddie choreography, to the delight of parents and children alike.

"It's almost spiritual," said Joann Novak of South Philadelphia, who paid scalpers $5 over face value for tickets for her and her daughter Rebecca, 5. ''When they sing that 'Skinnamarink' (the group's theme song from the show) it's almost like 'The Star-Spangled Banner.' "

The group effectively introduced its new songs, such as "Fish and Chips and Vinegar," by dividing up the audience and assigning each section a part. Other new songs included "Boomps-A-Daisy," a lively number where the kids were asked to stand and "boomps" a partner, and "Hucklebuck," an old camp song jazzed-up in the Sharon, Lois & Bram style.

The children, dressed in their finest plaids and ribbons, bounced and clapped along, but they really came alive to old favorites, such as "Coming Round the Mountain," "One Elephant" and "La Bamba." Especially good was the band's version of "Eensy Weensy Spider," which included a "big, fat, spider" portrayed by a hip-swaying Lois in dark glasses.

The band apologized for being in Philadelphia for only one day, making it difficult to get tickets. (Both shows were sold out.) "It was poor planning," said Lois (Lilienstein) after the show. "We underestimated our popularity in Philadelphia."

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