An Evening at the Victoria Jamboree

A review of the Victoria Jamboree 

16 March 2024

Wheeling, WV  

Victoria Theater, Downtown Wheeling, on one of the streets that used to be closed but I guess now isn't 

On the eve of St. Patrick's Day 2024, the city of Wheeling was blessed with a rare and ill-publicized show at the Victoria Theater. We arrived to the bright lights of the neon theater sign and those fancy yellow lightbulbs, and the door being serviced by an older gentleman in a fancy little suit and hat. We crammed into the small lobby, about seven of us, and hastily tried to scrape together $15 a piece, in cash, for admission. After some digging in bags and passing of bills around, you never would've known we'd actually expected to be paying cash and had even come with some sort of organized plan. After that was settled, more cash was procured to acquire a bundle of Miller High Lifes, each ordered separately as more people realized there was beer for sale, but paid for together, because some of us (me) didn't have any more cash. Finally it was time to enter the theater, where we were greeted with looseleaf programs distributed by a woman in a bright green wig. More chaotic shuffling around and we finally found our seats and waited for the show to begin. 

Being there at all felt like a great stroke of luck (no St. Patrick's day pun intended fr), because just a few days prior a friend was telling me that I definitely should go to a show at the Victoria before I left Wheeling in just a matter of weeks. All he could tell me was to keep an eye out for a bunch of old ladies streaming into the theater and to follow them. He had been in there for some sort of 4th of July show previously. What kind of show? Unclear. Then, miraculously, someone got wind of show happening just this week! What we had to go off of was a low-tech graphic telling the time and place and hammering home the St Patricks Day theming. Of course we would go. 

We met up before the show to walk together, and the bits and pieces we had scraped together about what we might be about to experience offered exciting new details, but little clarity. The low-tech graphic had been unearthed by stalking some man's private facebook page, because the url to the theater website was a broken link. Who was the owner of this private facebook page? The owner of the theater (I believe) who is ALSO an Elvis impersonator and ALSO would be part of the show. This was confusing, because we were dressed more western than that and if I had any inkling of what the show might be, it was vaguely bluegrassy. Perhaps more confused than ever, we messily filled a flask and headed down the alley. 

The theater was beautiful inside in a way that I can't describe and also didn't take any pictures of. But the seats were springy and green corduroy, and there were mannequins of Abe Lincoln and Elvis himself in balconies opposite of each other. When the house lights dimmed (insider lingo I know because I heard them say it into the mic), we were greeted by our host: a charming gray haired man wearing black suit (tuxedo?) pants, a white jacket that seemed too big to me, and a bright green t shirt. Throughout the course of the evening he would regale us with stories about each performer, that every single time I thought would be a true story, and then would end in a punchline of varying comedic strata, but that definitely signaled it was not a true story. (For example, there was one story about a woman parachuting in Ireland and landing in a tree that I thought I remembered the punchline to, but am now realizing I don't. But a lot of the jokes were Irish themed.) When he had finished his introduction, the curtains pulled back and revealed a large band welcoming us to the show in song. The programs we had received called this group the Friendly City Band (and then listed the rest of the evening's performers with really informative names like "Dave" and "Dave M," just in case we ever wanted to find them later I guess). The band was lively and talented and probably averaged 65 years old, and each of the performers had their own moment in the spotlight, singing mainly old country songs, along with some wild cards like "Pretty Woman." The biggest twist came at the end of the first act: a man with the figure of Danny Devito took the stage in a silky bright green shirt, sunglasses, and a giant glittering pinky ring, who evidently was the Elvis impersonator I had heard about.  He sang a number of songs that I assume were by Elvis, but honestly I was more enamored by his pinky ring and the fact that his shirt was unbuttoned a little too far for my comfort. And with that, the curtains closed and Act I was over. 

During intermission, a number of folks came over to talk to our group, including the host and some of the performers, who seemed just pleased as punch that there was a cluster of people under the age of 50 at their show. The host spoke fondly of the musicians, saying how they had all played with the greats (ie, mostly people I'd never heard of-- likely before my time--except I think he also said Dolly Parton). He boasted about their talent and how impressed he was that they knew all the songs for the evening including all the beginnings and all the endings. Honestly... true. 

Act II began with more Irish jokes, and a shout out to anyone in the audience under the age of 50 (ie us). Act II also featured the bluegrass moment I felt I had been promised, with a nice long set on the mandolin and a banjo player in a great cowboy hat (also a 5 state banjo picking champion!). There were a number of solo songs by various members of the Honky Tonk Sweethearts aka who I want to be when I grow up, as well as a bunch of stuff I don't really remember, but it was all very good. It ended the same was as Act I, but this time the Elvis had on a silky gold shirt, and sang a no description necessary rendition of Danny Boy. Perhaps even bigger than the original Elvis twist was that there was a stagehand who looked even more like Elvis than the impersonator. So much so that I thought for sure he would come out and do a number, but no. He's just a guy who doesn't seem to be wearing a wig and has the exact hair and sideburns of Elvis. Really interesting. After Danny Boy, the band played us out, the curtains closed, and it was over. One older women told us on her way out that we made her night, and to that I say, oh how great it is to be young! 

My review of the program is this: I found it confusing, delightful, at times a little long, and completely unique to this great city of Wheeling. If you (or a friend) has $15 (cash only!), I definitely recommend attending.