1999

friends came to say good-bye 

Dad was inducted into the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame - May '99

after the final season I donated some archives to the Heritage because we all thought it would be built. I still hope it does - below is a letter which helps to inspire me to continue. Also, if possible support the Heritage Museum in the future......................
Larry,

  I was looking online to see if there was any news about your progress and I was thrilled to read on Cranstononline.com that you had a new website.  It looks great!  So glad to see you are pulling things together.  I know it must be a lot of time-consuming work, but what a resource!  We’re still hoping Heritage Harbor Museum and the Bonoff Foundation can collaborate and shine a spotlight on something that is such a big part of Rhode Island ’s memories.  As we move forward, we’ll be in touch.  At the same time, if there is any way we might help your project, don’t hesitate to contact me.

  Best wishes and warm regards,

  Shawn Parker
Manager for Education and Program
Heritage Harbor Museum
222 Richmond St. Suite 206
Providence , RI 02903 -4226
email: sparker@heritageharbor.org
tel: 401-751-7979
fax: 401-751-8822  
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Brian Jones was a long time employee at the theatre - Like his older and younger brother -
the following was done from the heart - The book makes me smile and cry -

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I got this via Email - David was a WMT fan and sang very well. He is a cross between Tony Orlando and Engelbert.
thanks for sending me this; I hope the public enjoys reading and remembering it as much as I do!
(A POEM BY DAVID ANTHONY)

Hues of yellow and green as I pass.

Who would of thought it was not gonna last

The sound of applause, the laughter arise.

The sparkle of joy

In everyone's eyes.

The aroma of ink

From the handbills brand new

With anticipation

As they were given to you

Red green and yellow

The seats o so bright

Sitting in awe

On a warm summer night

Stars in the sky

And a star on the stage

Whoever it was

Was all the rage

And when those lights went down

The excitement so rare

Not one thing in the world could ever compare.

The legend, the good times, the sweet memory.

Oh how I miss, the W.M.T.

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from artist and friend Frank Galasso - 
this picture hangs in my house - appeared in print when theatre closed

FINAL SEASON


an evening with BROOKS & DUNN - MICHAEL JOHNSON
June 10

 






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an evening with LORRIE MORGAN  
June 19




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an evening with DELBERT McCLINTON & NRBQ
June 26  



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an evening with WYNONNA & RADNEY FOSTER  
July 10 

Joking with a fan on stage - 

Wy stayed loyal and played for me downtown at PPAC

Charlie Hall was her opener for that show

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an evening with GEORGE CARLIN & DENNIS BLAIR  
July 16

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an evening with THE BEACH BOYS  
July 19
  

There’s no better combination celebrating America ’s Independence Day than with the music of America – The Beach Boys, of course. More than any other group that originated in the United States, the Beach Boys are synonymous with summertime and young American ideals of having good, clean, “Fun, Fun, Fun,” as one of their famous songs reminds us. From hits like, “Little Deuce Coupe,” to “Surfin’ Safari,” and many, many others, it’s no wonder that The Beach Boys are still being played by radio stations from coast to coast, year after year.  Hey, I’m older now, but I remember what The Beach Boys meant to guys from my generation – pretty women, fast cars, high surf and good All-American times. It doesn’t matter what your age, really, because The Beach Boys are timeless and their sound is as fresh and exciting today as it was over 40 years ago.  Some things will never go out of style, and when The Beach Boys played the Warwick Musical Theatre, it was great to see families who grew up listening to the group bringing their children who had also developed an appreciation for their truly original sound. Other groups tried to mimic The Beach Boys – but no one came close enough to the real thing. The Bonoff Family came to know each of the founding members personally. So, when Dennis Wilson died in a swimming accident in 1983 and brother, Carl Wilson passed away due to cancer in 1998, our family grieved, too. The Beach Boys have always been a favorite of Southern New Englanders, and I can’t tell you how thrilled I was when they accepted my invitation to play the final concert I will ever produce on December 8, 2006 at the Providence Performing Arts Center, just before I retired from show business. Frankly, I’d rather have it no other way.   
Mike Love - he is the American teenager for the last 50 years






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an evening with REBA McENTIRE
July 22  





 

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an evening with AL MARTINO & JERRY VALE
July 23  



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an evening with GALLAGHER  
July 24
story - sledge-o-matic was stolen at tent this night - only time it happened in Gallagher's career - fyi - no back-up!!!


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an evening with DONNA SUMMER  
June 25

an evening with HUEY LEWIS
July 29  

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an evening with KATHY MATTEA
July 30  

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an evening with HOWIE MANDEL  
July 31 

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an evening with WEIRD AL YANKOVICH  
August 5

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an evening with STATLER BROTHERS  
August 6 

The Statlers represent all that is good in Country and Gospel music - I totally respected them
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an evening with CARROT TOP  
August 13

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an evening with ROOMFUL OF BLUES 
& Asleep at the Wheel (w Ray Benson) 
August 14

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an evening with KENNY ROGERS  
August 20


Many people, believe it or not, have only heard of Kenny Rogers as the star of that movie, “The Gambler.” But, Kenny’s start in show business as an entertainer and budding music star goes way back, to at least  the 1960s when I can remember him performing on the  national TV show, “Shin Dig,” ala Dick Clark’s American Bandstand. The program filmed an episode in Warwick , when Kenny was lead singer of the rock group, “First Edition,” and they were performing at the ‘Tent’.  Of course, as the years went by, Kenny left that group and went solo, becoming ultimately more famous as an independent, crossover musician singing country and Top 40 hits like, “Through the Years,” and, “Islands in the Stream,” the latter as a duo with Dolly Parton. Rogers wasn’t just a star, he became a superstar – and he still is today. Kenny and my father, Buster Bonoff, loved each other’s company and they would enjoy casual banter whenever they had a few moments together inside the star’s trailer at the Warwick Musical Theatre. Kenny was a class act – both as a performer and as a human being. The Bonoff Family always relied heavily on the support of the media to help us promote our seasonal line ups, and that often meant that we imposed on visiting talent to conduct interviews with the press or otherwise engage in goodwill gestures in the community, when appropriate. When we asked Kenny to do any of this, he never flinched or grinned or guffawed. He understood the “business” behind show business and he was always happy to do his bit outside of scheduled shows. He was also happy spending time with fans and the general public, too. When the ‘Tent’ finally closed in 1999, I began producing concerts at the Providence Performing Arts Center . The move provided a year-round venue that was protected from the elements and also allowed me to bring a new variety of entertainment to Rhode Island that had not been part of the Bonoff‘s seasonal repertoire before. One of those bookings was the Kenny Roger Christmas Show - a huge hit with families. It was a major draw, and there’s nothing better for the soul than to hear Kenny Rogers sing holiday tunes young and old have enjoyed for decades. What Andy Williams was to Christmas 30 years ago (he was featured in our 2006 calendar), Kenny Rogers is today. He’s a living legend. When he is performing on your stage, you “don’t have to hold them, you don’t have to fold them,” because there’s no gamble at all with Kenny Rogers.  
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an evening with ENGELBERT  
August 22, 1999

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an evening with ALABAMA - BILLY GILMAN  
August 26 -

nice to be a part of Billy's career - signed a deal after concert


I was visiting Nashville when I first met this country group that, since then, has racked up just about every imaginable award for their music – including several Grammy’s.  When I initially heard them, Alabama was auditioning - if you will - for concert promoters from across America – each with dates to fill and I was there, too, to book acts for the Warwick Musical Theatre and the Phoenix Symphony Hall.. A lot of country music groups in years past used some sort of gimmick to get attention, to stand out from all the others. Not Alabama . They just had great music. It’s true what’s been written about them, that they made country music popular again with their crossover mix of pop and rock. I can remember listening to Alabama when they were still performing in clubs and then when they eventually broke out of that scene and established a national following through live performances and from a long list of highly popular albums.  You probably know many of their hits, like “ Tennessee River ,” or “Mountain Music.” Since the late 1970s, Alabama has been a staple on country music radio stations here and around the world. The four original members of the group haven’t changed – even though  carrying a few more pounds and have some gray hairs. When the ‘Tent’ finally closed in 1999, Alabama honored the Bonoff Family and agreed to play our final year.  And on my recommendation, they also allowed for the first appearance of a Rhode Islander as their opening act – Billy Gilman. The young Gilman received a standing ovation and has since become famous in his own right. That night, former Providence Mayor Vincent A. “Buddy” Cianci, Jr. also took to the stage, announcing that the Bonoff concerts I was producing would be moving to the Providence Performing Arts Center . Our run of popular family shows at PPAC finally ended on December 8, 2006 with a Cerrone Celebrity Series - Beach Boys holiday bash. But, some things you can never forget. Alabama and I go way back, and as a special honor they paused during their final concert at the Warwick Musical Theatre to present me with a very special gift. As a group, Alabama has recorded 41 Number One hits during their career. Inside the box frame they gave me that night was a copy of their platinum album, Alabama ’s way of saying ‘Thank You’ for believing in them. The biggest joy in knowing and listening to Alabama is, they’ll always play on.  



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an evening with JOHNNY MATHIS  
August 28
Johnny was there with Dad from the beginning - 
Really thrilled, proud and honored he preformed during the farewell season-


saw this picture and I thought of Beatle lyrics - "It was 20 years ago today.....the band to play"
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an evening with ANNE MURRAY
September 1 

Anne kept working for me after WMT closed -
With my sponsor and friend - BIG AL CERRONE - this was from a latter PPAC date

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an evening with VINCE GILL - SHERRIE AUSTIN  
September 4








VINCE STANDING ON CENTER STAGE -FINAL TIME!~

one last time!
HOW MANY GREATS STOOD ON THIS?????
center stage - now framed in my home



SPECIAL FRIENDS WERE THERE THAT NIGHT
BEAU SEGAL -  ran a theatre also               RICK EVERETT
his father opened OAKDALE THEATRE                         program director (WCTK now B101)
 
MISSY WITH VINNIE - I LIKED THIS SHOT A LOT




Vince Gill is perhaps one of the greatest musicians and country music vocalists performing today. Women, of course, adore him. When I first heard Vince sing, his road manager was the same man who represented the late Roy Orbison. I was actually surprised that this manager would even bother with what we in the business call a “baby act,” because Vince had no substantive credits up to that point, meaning that he had little marquee value, either. But, this guy said, just watch the show and we’ll talk later. So I did. And Vince Gill made one hell of an impression, now one of the most sought after country music stars in the world. My father, Buster Bonoff, got closer as a friend and confidant with Vince than I did. Both he and Vince would spend a lot of time playing golf together, usually at the Warwick Country Club. Vince, as it turned out, happened to adore white clam chowder. So, when my father took him to the country club one day he expected to fulfill Vince’s desire to have a bowl. Would you believe, the day they went to golf, the club’s dining room had no chowder – and it was a Friday no less! Dad was beside himself, and Vince – in a very kind hearted way – never let Buster live it down. No chowder! When the ‘Tent’ closed in 1999, Vince honored dad by agreeing to play one more time here, even adjusting his own tour schedule just to accommodate us.  But the night he was scheduled to perform, my dad was very ill and unable to come to the theatre. Vince made sure that his “set list” – a rundown of the order of songs he was going to sing – made it to Buster later that evening. It was signed, “Buster, I love you. Vince Gill. P.S.: No chowder tonight!” My father was so moved, he laughed, and he cried. It was Vince’s way to make sure my father smiled, at least one more time. Buster Bonoff passed away January 9, 2000 .  
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pictured below with myself and Jean is Terry Elam - Terry is part of Vince's management and actually he is the first one who introduced me to Vince. I first knew Terry when he was with Roy Orbison. 

my best man from my wedding joins us for the final show. Ira was part owner of 
Pro AM-FM/Lite when we met earlier in life - 

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WORLD WRESTLING FEDERATION  
 September 5, 1999  
  
THE STARS CAME FOR OUR FINAL NIGHT - GOVERNOR SUNDLUN with Christian-Edge

below is my dear friend Ed Cohen - Vice President of WWF


                        RITA  and  JERRY VALE with Kane

earlier that night I got to be a manager  of Hog & Piggie - below I am chocking Thrasher

My Final Walk

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this tour jacket was a farewell gift from a local motorcycle club - support your local 81
MEMORIES OF PAST STAFF