REGION – In 1966, Apple Blossom was still very new since its beginning in 1957; when asked why she participated, that year’s queen Kelly Flynn says, “I never considered not participating. All the girls I hung out with were going to participate. And in addition, my father really wanted me to.”
And so, it began. Kelly’s selection of her escort was Jim Gould, her best friend and boyfriend at the time. Interestingly, they broke up shortly after he agreed to be her escort, but he remained her escort. “He was fun and took the practices seriously,” says Kelly. “ I think he believed that being the queen was important to me, and how he behaved would reflect on me. I believe I would not have been the queen without him,” continues Kelly.
Kelly was a member of the debate team and drama club, so she had lots of experience in front of an audience. For many, Apple Blossom has been an opportunity for young people to strengthen self-confidence. Kelly thought it would be fun, and it was, according to her. She did not know all the participants and escorts, so it was a chance to meet new people, and “help to solidify my relationships with them as friends,” says Kelly.
In 1966, all the girls that wanted to be a part of Apple Blossom had an interview prior to being selected. Ultimately, 20 girls were chosen. Everyone wore white dresses, and they used their scarves as props. The escorts had top hats and canes, and, according to Kelly, “The escorts did a dance on their own. I remember they kept losing their top hats, which gave the audience a good laugh. They were somewhat of comic relief.” Mrs. deNeergaard was the choreographer, and during those early years, a live orchestra performed. Allan Kendall and Orchestra played from 8 p.m. to midnight.
Prior to the performance, there was a second interview, and the girls were all in their dresses ready for the show. Kelly remembers being in the boy’s locker room in her dress, looking to sit in the chair in front of the panel of judges. One of the judges said, “I think your bow will get in the way.” She replied, “Falling off the chair in my interview would probably ruin my chances as queen. I think it is better for me to remain standing.” Apparently, standing was the right thing to do.
The most cherished moment for Kelly can only be stated in her words. “The performance was on a Saturday night. The dress rehearsal was the previous Sunday afternoon. After the dress rehearsal, my father wanted to see Jimmy and me all dressed up. He said, ‘I know you’re going to win.’ I know he wanted to be at that performance, but he died that night in his sleep. My mother and little sister came to the performance. I brought my mother out to the floor after the announcement. She stood with me and Dr. Lovell. It was a representation of the relationship among my mother, father, and me,” says Kelly.
Kelly will be at the event this year as a past queen, and a member of this year’s Apple Blossom Committee. She encourages everyone to come out to see a great performance by local young people and, of course, to support Springfield Hospital.
Chloe Jerman-Brown, 2021 Apple Blossom Queen, sat down for a quick interview this past week to talk about her Apple Blossom experience. Chloe’s first memory of Apple Blossom was when she went to a performance and the senior girls were dancing to “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.” Chloe did not participate as a young girl, but these senior girls inspired her, and she did not forget that show. She wanted to dance and sing just like them.
Years later, she lived out her dream in the 2021 Apple Blossom. Under extremely strict Covid guidelines, the show was held at the Springfield Community Players’ Theater, with a limited audience, and all the participants had to wear facemasks. An unusual look for Apple Blossom, but the ten participants and escorts danced and performed to the theme, “Feeling Good.” Chloe recalls that she was excited to be with her girlfriends. “It was really fun for me. And I love to dance.” She continues to spend time with these girlfriends, and the other day, they were trying to remember the steps to some of the dances. “We did our best, but we struggled. No matter, we laughed it off as good friends do,” says Chloe.
Her escort for Apple Blossom was Harry Valentin, a good friend, with whom she is still in touch. The first day of rehearsals, Harry’s mom passed away. How he and Chloe were able to keep their thoughts on the show is remarkable. When it came time to select the color of Chloe’s dress, that was easy – light blue, Harry’s mom’s favorite color. It was one way to honor her and Chloe’s parents.
Since 2021, Chloe has been attending Southern New Hampshire University, studying psychology. She is living locally with her boyfriend of four years and their cat Jules, while taking classes online and working at the Fullerton Inn and Southern Pie Café. She will graduate in 2025, and has not totally decided on her next step. She will look for work in her field of study, and then consider graduate school later.
When asked why people should come out to see Apple Blossom, Chloe says, “There are three good reasons. One, we need to support this generation of youth. I was proud to be a part of Apple Blossom, and thankful for the opportunity. I suspect they hope the community will come out to see the show, and I suspect that they are thankful, too. Second, raising money for our Springfield Hospital is a good thing. You cannot go wrong with that. And third, we are a small community, committed to each other, and we rely on each other. We need to keep this sense of community alive. Apple Blossom and our other community events is where we show our pride and support for each other.”
Springfield Hospital is pleased to introduce our new director Ashlee White, and choreographers Ainsley Bertone, and Suzanne Stern. The John Sullivan Band will be playing for a community dance after the Saturday night performance. Opening night is Friday, May 3, and the Grand Performance is Saturday, May 4. Shows start at 7 p.m. each night. Tickets are on sale now at Tina’s Hallmark and Boccaccio’s Salon in Springfield, Vt. Tickets and sponsorship can also be purchased online at www.springfieldhospital.org/apple-blossom-sponsorship.
For more information, contact Sandy Peplau, marketing and development at 802-885-7686 or speplau@springfieldhospital.org.