The Barrow's Applefest show is ready to rock.

Literally.
​
There are kids playing real instruments and rocking out in this production of "School of Rock."

The show opens Friday at 7:30 p.m. and runs Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m and the follow week they have a special Thursday night show October 5, Friday , Oct . 6 and Saturday, Oct. 7 at 7:30 p.m.

This is tech week so they have a lot to work out yet, but come Friday lights will go up and this group of folks will tell us a story about giving your kids an opportunity to be who they are and respect that they might know something we, as adults either don't know, or have forgotten.

"School of Rock," might be farcical, but it hammers home the idea that youth have something to say.

And talent lies in many forms.

And if we're not too full of our conventions and listen... we might realize there is something deep in every one of us that, given a chance, can shine. And the beauty of this message, in this show, is that the adults also can re-learn this lesson that they suppressed.

The folks in this show have been working for months, especially the lead role of Dewey, played by Randy Moorehead, and the young musicians who will be an actual band playing their own instruments.

And singers... there are more than 20 singers in this show and the kids are also knocking this out of the park with powerful choruses and solos.

Moorehead might not be Jack Black, but he is Dewey in this production as he works seamlessly with the kids and his own guitars to bring this character a unique breath. 

Moorhead said it was the role he always wanted to play and it shows. His kid bandmates will also likely blow you away realizing how young they are, yet still rocking out with a professional sound. And if we didn't emphasize this enough, - it is actually the kids playing the instruments and singing.

And the music is good too.

More photos: ​https://sayerrich.zenfolio.com/p871245906

And look at the whole picture.

Please see more photos at ​https://sayerrich.zenfolio.com/p250189774

"Ronnie did her best to change the part of the world that God put her in," said Jeff Corbett, the long-time sound technician who Ronnie Beith relied on heavily over the last decade and a half.

Ronnie Beith was the Franklin events coordinator, the person who put the community's stamp on everything she touched. She created a legacy of events and entertainment small towns the size of Franklin don't usually get. Thursday night through a tribute concert at Bandstand Park, the community thanked and remembered Ronnie for, not just everything she did, but how she made them feel.

Franklin lost its greatest champion this past winter when Ronnie just couldn't battle her failing body anymore. After a heart issue a few years back she continued to work tirelessly function on only about 30% of her heart. However 30% of Ronnie Beith's heart was still four times the size of most.

Hundreds of people turned out for a concert by performers from one of Ronnie's favorite events - the annual Taste of Talent vocal competition. (Disclaimer every event was one of Ronnie's favorites. They were all like her children.)

Along with a song, most performers shared something about how Ronnie had touched their lives through her words or her actions. Had Ronnie been there, she would've deflected humbly. Then she would have put her hands to her heart and just loved that people came to honor her by sharing their talents once again to a park full of community members that she likely knew most by name.  Likely helped in some way or another. 100s of them. 

There weren't too many people who loved music more Ronnie. And there likely wasn't anyone who championed local talent to reach beyond themselves to succeed as much as she did. She would do anything she could to help.

​That's why there were tears... lots of tears. All night long.
​
The show opened with a flashmob style performance of the Franklin All-star cheerleaders followed by the organizers Nathaniel Licht, Tammi Dahl-Matthews and Rachael Mellor singing "Amazing Grace," one of Ronnie's favorite gospel songs.

Hunter Cook just came out to play for Ronnie. He admitted he hadn't played in about two years, but wanted to sing a Ronnie favorite - John Denver's "Country Roads." He then got the whole crowd to sing along with him. Something that, if you had watched Ronnie over the years, you'd see her singing right along too.

Tyler Carson credited Ronnie for giving him the confidence to become an artist. He and Kaylene Dunkle performed a powerful duet of "All I Ask of You."

Then the tears really started flowing when Taste of Talent veteran Tim Craver took the stage.

Soon after Ronnie's death Craver took pen to paper to honor Ronnie by reworking the words of Elton John's "Candle in the Wind." He was encouraged to perform his version for the tribute concert crowd. "Goodbye Franklin's Rose" set the tone for the rest of the words, some Taupin/John, some Craver.
"...​You called out to our city
And you brought us together again... 
And your heartbeat will always live here, 
​Inside of us who love you still... 
All our words cannot express, 
The joy you brought us through the years... 
Goodbye, Franklin’s Rose
May you ever grow in our hearts... 
From a city lost without your soul, 
Who miss the wings of your compassion, 
More than you will ever know.... 
Your candle’s burned out long before, 
​Your legend ever will."

Probably no other words expressed the evening better than "And your heartbeat will always live here, inside of us."

Ashleigh Bennett performed an original song. First she told a story about Ronnie encouraging her to perform that would likely help her win the Taste of Talent and that original songs aren't familiar to the voting audience and often don't result in votes.
Bennett said she decided to perform her own composition, titled "Reflections," anyway. Ronnie approached her afterwards giving her a hug and thanking her for not listening to her prior advice. She was then one of Ashleigh's biggest fans. "Thanks for believing in me Ronnie," Bennett said.

Closing out the evening, the long-time sound guru Corbett strapped on his guitar and was joined by a band including his son Tony, lifelong friend Nelson Porter, and Licht.
Corbett talked about his 15 years working with Ronnie. "All of Ronnie’s ideas and dreams... It’s been a privilege." ​

They chose to sing an Eric Clapton tune called "If I Could Change the World." Corbett said the world is a big place and that the best we can hope to do is change the part of where we live, and that's something that was Ronnie.

At the end of the concert, all past performers from Taste of talent were invited up on stage for a "We are the World"-style rendition of "Lean on Me." 

Mellor said the last words of the night to cap the whole tribute off... "We love you Ronnie."