Denver, Travers Score in Brief

by Marilyn Nason, The Post-Star, June 26, 1971

Storms Shorten Program

Fate and Mother Nature combined to provide yet another first at Saratoga Performing Arts Center, as nearly 1,300 heard an abbreviated performance that whet the appetite for lots more.

The devastation of two terrific summer thunderstorms played havoc within a quarter of a mile of the SPAC amphitheatre, so the Mary Travers John Denver Show was shortened to “assure everyone a certain safe trip back home,” according to E. Craig Hankerson, SPAC general manager, in a rare onstage announcement.

This was a first in the six-year history of the center, a performance having never been cancelled or abbreviated before. Admittedly, there have been several previous rainstorms when cancellations might have been wise but last night was a first.

For those who did brave the storm, the tree-strewn roads of the Avenue of the Pines and other entrances to SPAC, they heard a fantastic more than half hour and were promised a return full performance by the two excellent entertainers Sept. 12. All tickets for last night will be honored at that time.

What made the half-hour even more unique was the fact that Mary Travers and John Denver had never sung together before on stage but what a team they made, as the standing ovation proved.

Mary Travers has retained all the stage magnetism, the fantastic voice and the quick body movements that made her a standout over the years with Peter, Paul and Mary.

Young Denver is a personable young guy, who sings well, plays good guitar and writes some pretty great tunes, so the unexpected pairing last night provided a rare experience, thanks to Mother Nature and Fate.

Mary even kidded at one point that “many will be whispering are they really going to become a team,” adding a quick shake of her long blonde hair to dispel any thoughts in that direction.

Blend Well

They combined their musical accompanists for the brief show, creating four guitars and a piano and this, too, was sensational, so who can truly say what may eventually develop from last night?

They sang “Country Roads” and “Leavin’ on a Jet Plane,” together and she offered “Follow Me” and Elton John’s “Indian Sunset,” with both coming back for an encore and promising to continue the wonderful show in September.

In a quick tour around the SPAC grounds, the area seemed to have been generally spared from the brunt of the twin storms of yesterday but less than a quarter-mile away, Rte. 50 was closed and the Avenue of Pines and Gideon Putnam grounds and golf courses were scenes of great devastation with trees uprooted, huge limbs down and bark blown right off the sides of giant trees.

Tonight it will be the Temptations in concert at 8:30.

For those who have been making a practice of climbing over and through SPAC fences to gain free admission consistently the past five years, SPAC officials reported last night that the first series of offenders were fined $25 each in court yesterday and more prosecutions will follow so long as the practice continues.