OFFBEAT: Audiences and critics applaud Glen Campbell's concerts in Joliet

I wasn't able to attend either of Glen Campbell's performances last month at The Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet.

But readers who did attend the sold out "farewell tour" weekend of concerts have helped me by sharing the details.

Bill Bero, of Crown Point, who was also one of my former editors when I first started in the features department at the newspaper, attended and here's his description of the experience:

"I have been a Glen Campbell fan since I was 16 and first saw him perform at the Amphitheatre in Chicago in about 1968. After learning of his Alzheimer's diagnosis and reading in Phil's column that Glen was bringing his farewell tour to the Rialto, I had to see him once more and my wife Sue got us tickets to the Jan. 27 show for our Christmas gift."

"Although he sometimes had trouble remembering lyrics and often times relied on a TelePrompter for them, there were no limitations to his singing and guitar-playing - and he performed all of his classics, as well as covers of other stars such as Ray Charles."

"Glen's voice was clearer and stronger than I could imagine for a 75-year-old guy who has been singing for 50 years, and his guitar-playing was flawless - prompting loud cheers and applause numerous times."

"He even joked about his affliction at one point when he forgot something and told the audience, 'Well, at least I have an excuse.' Having two sons and a daughter in his backup band also helped make the night. One had to admire the courage it took for him to go on this tour, knowing he was going to have the occasional flaws."

"The fans more than understood and he was rewarded time and again with standing ovations during the show - the largest, of course, taking place at the end."

Thank you Bill for sharing all the details with me and other readers, who would also have liked to have shared the same bittersweet close to a great life and career as Glen rides off into the sunset.

Ticket time

"Oliver" opens this week and continues until Feb. 19 at Memorial Opera House, 104 Indiana Ave. in Valparaiso. In addition to the regular performances priced at $21 adults, $18 students and seniors available at (219) 548-9137 or MOHLIVE.COM, there's also an added special option for a special preview charity performance at 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9, with The Memorial Opera House hosting it to benefit The Caring Place in Valparaiso. Tickets are $25 and 100 percent of ticket sales for the charity cause. For tickets to this performance only, call (219) 464-0840, Ext. 102.

The winner is

Thank you to all the readers who called in last Thursday for the Your Family section contest in my Kid Picks column. The correct answer to the trivia question about what a baby kangaroo is called is: "a joey." The winner was Darlene Pruzin of South Holland.

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer. He can be reached at philip.potempa@nwi.com or (219) 852-4327.