My GM post, and reminiscences about my childhood, prompt me to ask if there's anyone out there who can help resurrect some childhood memories, and perhaps preserve them.

My father produced semi-annual concerts for AC Spark Plug, one in the spring, and one in the fall, back in the sixties, performed at the IMA auditorium in downtown Flint (a structure that was demolished several years ago as part of an expansion of the U of M campus, and to attempt to bury memories of the ill-fated and misbegotten Autoworld). They consisted of the AC Men's and Women's choirs, with auditions for others to perform in skits and musical numbers, and he'd always have some kind of headliner, like Edie Adams, or Florence Henderson (this was prior to The Brady Bunch), or Peter Palmer (who was at the time fresh off the Broadway lead of Li'l Abner) but of whom a Google search today reveals little else of note in his apparently unspectacular career. I even have fond memories of Anita Bryant, in her pre-gay-bashing days. I specifically have memories as a small child of going with these famous (at the time) celebrities to Luigi's Pizza over on Davison Road (still the best pizza, anywhere, in my humble opinion), just a couple blocks away from Angelo's Coney Island, in Flint. Some of their autographed pics remain on the wall there.

Google searches for anything relating to these concerts have proven fruitless. If anyone has any old concert programs, I'd much appreciate scans (or if you don't have a scanner, copies mailed to me). I'll probably actually set up a website for them.

By the way, in searching for a Luigi's website, I found this site that only Flint natives will appreciate. But they'll appreciate it a lot.

[Update on Sunday morning]

For all of you who can't get enough of Flint cuisine, here's a discussion of the relative merits between Flint and Detroit coney islands (including a discussion of Angelos, which has indeed gone downhill since they decided to franchise it).

As a collector of video ephimera, I just happen to possess a film copy of a stage musical produced by GM. Entitled "Chevrolet: The Musical", it features full-on OKLAHOMA!-style song 'n' dance productions in which the virtues of hard-selling, bushes-beating, money-focused Salesmanship are extolled by a cast of.... dozens... of men and women in costume. It is priceless.

Please tell me your father had something to do with this masterpiece. We are desparate for cast & production information. And any other data you have on the lighter side of the Flint Region's little-known musical theatre tradition will be welcome as well.

Thanks!

Sorry, Bruce, but it's unlikely. This sounds like something produced by GM's (or perhaps Chevy Division's) PR department. My father (as far as I know, and I think he was too busy to have a secret life) strictly did AC stuff, and primarily as a community outreach thing for Flint. And to indulge his artistic side (he used to play trombone as a youth in big bands).

You might try contacting Kettering University (used to be General Motors Institute). They have a couple of collections of automotive related stuff. I think the main holding is referred to as the 'Schwartzberg' (sp?) archive, or at least it was a few years back.