Surprise guests mark Big Show February 26, 2001 - Northampton Gazette by Corey Moss (NORTHAMPTON) - The Best of the Really Big Show balanced surprise with tradition at the Northampton Academy of Music Sunday when author Kurt Vonnegut appeared on stage with special guest Jon Fishman from the band Phish, backed by Vonnegut's grandson, Max Prior, and his band. Gasps of surprise came when members of audience discovered in their programs that Vonnegut would be appearing, a treat that had been kept secret until the day of the performance. Still, neither Vonnegut nor Fishman was ever announced on stage. Before a stunned audience, Vonnegut scatted, and Fishman made sounds through the sucking hose of a running vacuum cleaner while four young musicians held down a groove. The other musicians included Prior and members of his band, Special K and His Crew. The Really Big Show, an Ed Sullivan-style variety show, celebrated its 10th year Sunday. This year, featuring homegrown talent as well as homegrown Eds, the show filled to overflowing the definition of the word variety. It was the last of the Northampton Arts Council's Four Sundays in February series. The Fishman-Vonnegut appearance came about as a result of a friendship that grew after Fishman met Prior, a devoted Phish fan. As Fishman tells it, Prior, after learning from an Entertainment Weekly interview with Fishman that "Cat's Cradle" was his favorite book, offered him an autographed copy of Vonnegut's novel. Asked backstage why he loves this book, Fishman paused to gather his thoughts. "It has my favorite and most viable explanation of religion," he said. Fishman said the book is one he goes back to and enjoys over and over again. "It's a grounding kind of book," he said. After receiving the book, Fishman met and befriended Vonnegut and the rest of the Vonnegut-Prior clan. Prior's mother, Nanny Prior, actually invited Fishman to watch Vonnegut perform in the show. The rest is history. Before the scatting-vacuum cleaner routine, Kurt Vonnegut, who is teaching at Smith College this semester, performed "a prelude to Chaucer's Canterbury Tales" a rap-like talking solo done in old English. The rest of the Really Big Show lived up to, if not surpassed, the performances given by its secret guests. Audience members swooned and whistled over Aloha Steamtrain's Lord Russ, and laughed and applauded for acts as varied as Dave Robinson playing his saw and Steve Hartshorne getting his dog to sing, a 20-piece salsa team, belly dancers, clog dancers and juggling acts. "The energy of this show captures the essence of Northampton," said Katherine Sanderson, who as Alice R. Cooke, presented a series of "pictures," acted and animated by people. "It's an amalgam of the absurd and poignant and meaty, the funny next to something that will make you weep, all from the rich soil of Northampton." The tears in the eyes of audience member Donna Francis were from laughter as she watched Sanderson's act. BJ Goodwin and Steven Katz, the dancer and cellist duo named "Seen and Heard," entertained the audience with what they called their "signature piece," with Goodman performing dramatic dance while Katz played his cello, the same performance the couple gave two years ago, when they first moved to Northampton. "We were totally well-received. It was incredible," said Goodwin. "The reception sealed our feeling that this is home," said Goodwin. He said he enjoyed the way people stopped them in the street afterwards. Sunday's audience seem to enjoy being among friends as much as the performers did. "Its an opportunity to see just how many really talented people there are," said David Weidenfeld. "And then you'll see people down the street the next day buying the newspaper." "It's a homecoming, it's all the local folks," said Ray Sebold. "It's a great party for the audience to share the joy and reunite." Joe Blumenthal credits Northampton Arts Council co-coordinator Bob Cilman with an event that promotes connectedness in town. "This is one of the most special things about this community and what makes this place a good place to live," he said.