Because the 68th 12 months of YAMO concludes (the final present is Saturday night time), the RoundTable thought readers would have an interest within the elusive origins of ETHS’ student-written musical sketch comedy present.
A reader related the RoundTable to an 89-year-old ETHS alumnus who believed the expertise present he and a pal organized in 1954 impressed the YAMO present. May the RoundTable affirm?
The RoundTable spoke to the alumnus, Howard Rosenblate; talked to Tim Herbert, the longtime school adviser to YAMO; and checked out outdated ETHS yearbooks (The Key) and outdated problems with The Evanstonian, the college newspaper.
The primary use of the phrase “YAMO” the RoundTable discovered was within the Sept. 11, 1958, subject of The Evanstonian. The article begins with these two sentences: “After a trip of three years, the all-school expertise present will return to ETHS Oct. 10 within the new auditorium. ‘Yamo,’ the identify of the present which shall be defined at a later date, is a musical selection manufacturing through which any college member could take part.”
This timing matches data within the 1959 quantity of The Key.
Background particulars
Within the spring of 1954, just some months earlier than ETHS seniors would graduate, two seniors (and admitted theater geeks) had been impressed to develop a expertise present.
They wished a present that might compete with rival New Trier’s expertise present, Lagniappe-Potpourri, which started in 1939.
These two theater geeks, Rosenblate and Richard Rusnak (who died in April), promoted their concept to classmates. The 2 wrote a tough framework of a script that was not way more than “two guys fall in love with the identical woman,” in accordance with Rosenblate, now 89 years outdated and a retired hepatologist dwelling in Los Angeles. In 2003, he and his spouse, Kari Howard, relocated from Winnetka to be close to their kids and grandchildren.
Rosenblate theorized that the expertise present he and Rusnak initiated in 1954 morphed into the YAMO present at ETHS. No matter what the RoundTable uncovered, Rosenblate wished to resolve this subject for his personal peace of thoughts.
Scouring outdated yearbooks
The ETHS website describes YAMO underneath its performing arts tab as “our iconic, student-produced sketch comedy present. With a legacy spanning generations, YAMO is written, directed, choreographed, and carried out solely by college students — and it’s a treasured ETHS custom.” It sells out yearly.
The RoundTable turned to The Evanstoniana Assortment, on the second ground of the primary department of the Evanston Public Library the place there’s a stable trove of donated copies of outdated ETHS yearbooks. The RoundTable discovered photographic proof, proven under, of the expertise present within the yearbooks for 1954, 1955 and 1956.
The 1957 and 1958 editions of The Key didn’t embrace any point out of a expertise present or any comparable manufacturing. The 1959 version of The Key, summarizing the September, 1958, to Might, 1959, college 12 months, makes use of the phrase ‘”Yamo.” The yearbook states that Yamo means “little wildkit” in Chinese language. It doesn’t point out the identify of the present or the date it took the stage.
The RoundTable spoke to 2 native Chinese language audio system who mentioned the phrase “yamo” doesn’t imply “little wildkit” in Chinese language. A extra correct translation can be “wild package(ten),” which might be shut sufficient.
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Web page 29 of 1954 version of The Key, ETHS yearbook. Credit score: Wendi Kromash -
1955 version of The Key, ETHS yearbook. Credit score: Wendi Kromash -
1956 version of The Key, the ETHS yearbook. Credit score: Wendi Kromash -
The 1959 Key used the phrase ‘Yamo’ on its web page in regards to the expertise present. Credit score: Wendi Kromash
Previous problems with The Evanstonian add extra particulars
Nichole Boyd, director of alumni relations, allowed the RoundTable to evaluation outdated sure copies of The Evanstonian.
The Friday, Feb. 26, 1954, version of The Evanstonian reported the “student-directed” expertise present will take the stage at 8:40 a.m. on Wednesday [March 3] in Beardsley Gymnasium at an meeting in entrance of all the college. The paper talked about a contest to call the present. It continued, ” ‘Potpourri’ was the title chosen for the primary 4 ETHS expertise exhibits which came about from 1937 to 1941. ‘Let’s Have Enjoyable’ was chosen for final 12 months’s present, and as for this 12 months….Wednesday will inform the outcomes.” Dick Rusnak is listed as a co-chairman of the CC Meeting Committee, which sponsored the manufacturing.
Sadly, subsequent problems with The Evanstonian don’t discuss with or write in regards to the present. Nothing is talked about in regards to the eventual identify, the content material or the viewers response to the manufacturing, regardless of protection main as much as the manufacturing.
A number of months later within the fall of 1954, an article within the [Friday], Oct. 22 points reported a present, “Make Consider Insanity,” was offered in Beardsley Gymnasium on Oct. 14. It differed from the earlier 12 months’s present as a result of it had a plot as a substitute of “musical and specialty acts.” It confirmed the acoustics within the gymnasium had been horrible. This present was additionally captured within the 1955 version of The Key.
As said earlier, the RoundTable discovered the primary use of the phrase “Yamo” happens within the Sept. 11, 1958, subject of The Evanstonian.
YAMO finds its groove
In 1961, YAMO got here into its personal. The 1962 version of The Key mentioned,
“Shiny comedy, sleek dancing, and toe-tapping music blended on the auditorium stage for the opening of the 1961 season. For the primary time in its historical past, YAMO was an all-student manufacturing. After summer time planning of the expertise present, pupil technical crews assembled early within the fall to rearrange lighting and surroundings, pupil managers labored to stability the funds, and exhilarated starlets perfected their acts. Coordinating all sides of the revue was Julius Erlenbach, pupil director. From months of behind-the-scenes effort, YAMO 1961 emerged a smooth-running efficiency, showcasing pupil expertise in particular person acts alternated with elaborate manufacturing numbers. Surrealistic dance scenes, a homosexual, high-kicking cancan, and an exuberant finale depicting life in Dogpatch had been a number of the components which made YAMO a 4 star hit for 1961.”
The textual content within the 1963 version of The Key reads, “Bells had been ringing for YAMO 1962, which was produced on Oct. 5-6. This 12 months marked YAMO’s fourth birthday, and the primary fully student-produced present.”
We don’t know if The Key’s descriptions of “all-student manufacturing” in 1961 and “fully student-produced present” in 1962 are similar in which means or an editorial oversight.
By the point of the 1963 YAMO present, it seems the group behind the scenes lastly discovered its groove. They produced exhibits over three evenings, from Thursday, Oct. 10, to Saturday, Oct. 12, 1963. This manufacturing raised $5,000 for pupil actions.
Concluding ideas
What of Rosenblate’s principle about YAMO? There have been earlier expertise exhibits within the late Thirties and 1941. There have been two expertise exhibits in 1954, one in March (the Rosenblate-Rusnak present) and one in October. There was one other October present in 1955, then a three-year hiatus. The present in 1958 was the beginning of YAMO.
The RoundTable shared its findings with Tim Herbert, school adviser of YAMO. He, too, had spoken to Rosenblate. His first remark when knowledgeable of the sooner expertise exhibits and hiatus after 1956 was, “Oh, poor Howard.” After a pause, he mentioned, “This provides extra readability in regards to the origins of the YAMO present, nevertheless it doesn’t change something when it comes to the best way that I give it some thought. It’s only a 12 months youthful.”
