Carolina Contest Post-Game by Ethan

Contest founder and emcee Ethan Uslan shares his impressions of this weekend’s contest:

The Carolina Ragtime Contest was a big success. We did two shows, and the first show was so packed, the museum had to stop letting people in. The building was filled to capacity. I played duets with New Orleans trumpet master Kevin Clark, and vocalist Wayne Powers sang “I Love a Piano” to thank Steinway for lending us a glorious Steinway.  (Wayne Powers has had an illustrious career as an actor, radio host, and voice-over artist. He’s been on Murder She Wrote and Laverne and Shirley and he does the voices of the birds for those Windex commercials).

Anyway, the main part of the event was that Perf Bill, Russell, and Martin played a few songs each and brought the house down, and then did it again for the second show. There were a lot of kids there so Martin played a Mary Poppins medley and that went over very well. The audience voted by pulling out ballot-tabs in the programs, and then the ushers collected and counted.

Russell has a certain je ne sais quois, as he won the contest both shows (but it was close!). I ceremoniously crowned him twice. It was a hoot watching him play encores in a robe and crown. Not something I’ve ever seen before.

Here are a few pictures from the show: