Last weekend my daughter and I ventured off to the lakeside auditorium to catch this year’s edition of the popular Lip Sync show.

I couldn’t have picked a better way to get my mind off chilly winter weather, political turmoil here and abroad, and the untimely demise of critical household plumbing.

The mastermind of this annual stage extravaganza is David McLaughlin, who plugs it as “the world’s largest and longest running lip sync production.” I’m not about to challenge the claim, nor question his self-appointed credits as producer, director, talent scout, key grip and stagehand. Putting it all together is certainly a daunting undertaking. He told the audience he does it for the satisfaction of giving something back to his adopted community and to exercise the virtue of patience. Hat’s off for that!

While my own taste in theater leans more towards serious drama than this sort of light fluff, Lip Sync Ajijic 2018 pushed a lot of pleasure buttons to relieve my troubled brain. The phenomenon was sparked from the get-go when Master of Ceremonies John Ward stepped through the curtain, tapped a big red WMD warning button and began introductions to the 26 acts, mixed in with rib-tickling jokes and audience interaction.

I’m not sure whether Ward’s easy patter was mostly scripted or purely off the cuff. But, blessed with natural talent, he excels as a showman, gluing together disparate musical numbers created as far back as the 18th century and into the contemporary era.

Watching with a critical eye, I have to say this year’s show wasn’t quite up to snuff compared some previous productions. I missed seeing more robust participation of Mexican performers. While the first half rolled along at a lively clip, the second act fell a bit flat with a couple of the acts missing obvious comic potential.

My biggest beef with McLaughlin was the absence of a program. It would have been great to single out the shiny stars who gave the show some memorable zing.

Still, there was much to applaud. Technical details have improved significantly over the years. Most in the cast nailed the mouthing their lyrics, as far as I could tell without actually singing out loud. The costumes and modest sets were great. And the fabulous, spot-on choreography was all worked out by the dancers, I’m told.

One of the main attributes of the lip sync model is that it allows amateur performers to try out treading the boards without being saddled with learning pages of dialogue, complicated blocking and the skills of projection.  They just go out there and have a good time, transmitting good vibes to their viewers.

And best of all, McLaughlin and his cast of 40 brought in hard cash to continue upgrading the auditorium, a state-operated facility that rarely gets funding beyond expenses for basic maintenance and staffing. According to John Keeling, president of the independent pro-auditorium support group, the proceeds will be applied to improve acoustics and sound proof the cooling system.   

Bravo…and encore!