13th Annual Variety Show Returns to Crossville, Raising Money For Seniors

Two Crossville residents were asked to put on a variety show 13 years ago, beginning the annual tradition of raising money for Cumberland County seniors.

The Lucas and Friends Christmas Variety Show returns Saturday with new performers and offerings for the audience. Event Producer Ruth Lucas said the feeling that comes from seeing the smiles on people’s faces while performing is hard to describe.

“People come through and they hug us and they shake our hand, and they’re like, ‘This is the best show that you’ve ever had and we were just so happy to come to it,'” Lucas said. “You know, we love to do that and to make people forget about their troubles and the cares of the world for a couple hours, so it is a labor of love.”

Lucas said the event is held each year for the benefit of the Fair Park Senior Center which offers a wide variety of services and activities to seniors in Cumberland County. She said there is a new dinner ticket available for the show this year that will get audience members a full meal alongside the show for only $20.

Lucas said the doors open for the event at 7:00 on Saturday. The show will take place at the Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in Crossville.

“Every year we’ve learned something new and we just feel like it’s got better and better,” Lucas said.

Lucas said the idea for the event came after the success of a variety show she and her husband Wayne Lucas put on for the senior center thirteen years ago.

“We were not really in the business of production, but we put one together because we’re singers and we’re entertainers on the side besides our regular jobs at the time,” Lucas said. “But we were asked by the director of Fair Park if we would do a show back in the summer. It went so well that she said, ‘Well, why don’t you put together a Christmas show?'”

The program will feature returning acts from previous years as well as new entertainers from the most recent Crossville’s Got Talent competition.
Lucas said around half of the audience will be using the new dinner tickets for the show.

“We’ve always told them: ‘If you don’t leave there happy and satisfied, we’ll give you a refund,'” Lucas said. “Thirteen years, we have never been asked for one.”

Lucas said her favorite part of the event is the extremely positive responses they receive from the community each year.