We had a wonderful time.  We just can't get over the great talented people there.  That's all we talked about all the way home.  The 'wine guild' meets the 2nd Friday of each month at Bon Vivant Market in Smithfield.  We will be talking it up and trying to get another group together for the 7th!

Patti and I have just about become addicted to Saturday nights at Donk's!  Are there season tickets?  (I say with a big smile.)

Thanks and our Thanks to the entire cast for a wonderful evening.

Paul Hollander

We had such a great time.  The talent you have out there is incredible...you were pretty awesome yourself.  When Tracy sang the Captain and the Kid I got tears in my eyes, it was so touching to me.  We definitely will be out to see you all again.

Brenda

Several of us journeyed from Williamsburg to support a young lady in our church tryout in the talent show. I havn't been to Donks in some years, but the talent of your crew is still top-caliber! The singing keeps getting better and better. Thanks so much for what you do.

William Shockley, Williamsburg

It was the greatest show and what talent and thought went in to it.  I'm the member with Abingdon Ruritan Club.  We had about 6 members and spouses with us last nite.  As soon as we can get some more members we will be back.  Keep up the good work.  We all will be bragging about it..  LOVED LOVED ALL THE ELVIS'

ROSE SMITH

THE SHOW LAST NIGHT,AS "ALWAYS" WAS ONE OF THE BEST!!! I HAD 2 FRIENDS TO JOIN ME...THEY LOVED THE CLEAN FUN.....(THEY WILL BE BACK TOO)   KEEP ON KEEPING ON,,,,HAVE GREAT AND SAFE WEEK-END...SEE YA SOON...*NEXT SHOW*

Thank you for another amazing and incredible show.
Lots of great songs done really well and lots of fun enterainment.
If you like oldies and Elvis like I do, it was 2 1/2 hours of musical euphoria.
Looking forward to future shows this summer and fall.
Best regards,

Richard 

Name of sender: Don Hudson

Great Elvis show - Elvis costumes were a bonus to the fantastic music.  Elvista made sure the ladies were represented in costume and spirit.  Looking forward to next show.

Betsy,

The Tracy Hill show was great.....both halves.....great to see Raymond back!!!
See you on the 28th.
Best regards,
Richard

 

My wife and I just returned from the Halloween show tonight and I had to send you this message right away to tell you that we thought it was OUTSTANDING!
We have been to most of the shows this year and they have all been great but tonight was right up there as one of the best.  The Shades of Country are one of the most talented bands we've heard and we love live music.  They are all so versatile and talented it's amazing how well they play both individually and as a group, not to mention how well they musically support the new talent competitors.  Each member does their part to make the show as great as it is and tonight was no exception. 
And as for you regular singers/performers, tonight everyone was on.  You all have so much talent and have so much fun performing it is just a blast to sit back and enjoy your shows.  I will not name individual performers as it would take too long but suffice it to say that EVERYONE we heard on tonight's show was excellent and in most cases funny (I love humor as well).  The Halloween acts and costumes made tonight even more special.
Further, the talent tonight was exceptionally good.  My wife and I both were in awe at the talent Donk's attracts and glad that we did not have to be judges.  The competitors tonight were a real pleasant surprise and we enjoyed them a lot.
We truly appreciate the dedication and efforts that you ALL put into the shows.  I've spent a lot more for entertainment (musical and otherwise) that has not been of as high a quality as what we see and enjoy at Donk's.  A special thanks to Deena Mullins who I met at Bay FM about a year ago.   We were talking about country music and she reminded me about Donk's (we had moved back to the area and had not been for a long time).  That got us going to the shows and we've brought other family and friends who have enjoyed Donk's as well.  We also appreciate your e-mails.  Say hello to your "Man in Black"----I told my wife before the show the he would be doing Marie LeVeau (you were a good bad witch).  The flip side of that 45 is the Mermaid Song by Bobby Bare which is worth hearing as well.
BEST WISHES AND OUR THANKS TO ALL AT DONK'S
John and Eileen Tullner
Kilmarnock (Ditchley) VA

TERRIFIC SHOW

Please give my congratulations to Steve for a terrific show tonight. It was one of the best ever. Both halves were really good......great entertainment. Looking forward to Michelle's show in two weeks....tonight, her Patsy Cline song and her gospel jubilee-type song were a great ending to the first half.

Jack and I have not missed a show this season.  We have enjoyed every one of them.  The talent each of you possess is amazing and the comradeship you exhibit for each other is heart warming.       

As a YOUNG adult I sang solos at church and in all my school plays.  On one of my visits back to my girlhood home I had someone ask me if I had ever entertained the idea of pursuing a music career.  My answer was no because I realized it was too tough a market to get into.   (Much more difficult back then than it  is today.)  We as patrons of Donks and are blessed to have all of you.  Please pass on to your fellow stage mates that I also look at it as all of you being blessed to have an outlet for your talents. A place that promotes such a healthy, clean environment. 

Again thank you AND ALL your fellow Donk's stage mates.  Not only for your talent but for all the work you put into your shows and in keeping the theatre clean,open and available for us. PLEASE ALL OF YOU, KEEP IT GOING. 

Faye Jackson

Mon, 24 Aug 2009

Betsy - What a GREAT show Saturday night!!!!  Thanks for the surprise dedication!!!!  We got a kick out of it as did our friends.  They said, "Wow, you really do know the stars!" :)  Everybody just loved the show and agreed that you and Steve are fantastic together. Plus we were impressed by your pretty harmonizing on a lot of the numbers.  We are definitely planning on coming to Steve's show, which I think y'all announced was in October.  Anyway, we love Donk's!!!!!!!!!! 

Saturday night (8/8/09) was wonderful... the Mullins Sisters are one of our very favorite groups. Thanks for doing "Nights in a Northern Town" for me. Excellent job!!!

Yea, Clintwood! I'm from Haysi, ha!

MHB

Hey! It was my first time going to Donks, and i thought that the entertainment was amazing, something you don't see in Welcome,Maryland! I just wanted to ask if the Mullen sisters had a web site , and also if you could tell me the names and ages of the kids who performed on August 8th , they were very good. (:

Sincerely your new fan,

Rosie Wood.

The July 25th Jimmy Buffett Tribute Concert was my first visit to Donk's Theater. Thank you for a wonderful evening of entertainment! It was the most fun I've had in ages. My only regret is that it took me so long to visit. I will be back!

Tom Martin

Hello Betsy, (submitted online 4 May 09)

We came to the show with our neighbors and my sister and brother-in-law, also from Kilmarnock. What a great show, we truly enjoyed our evening.  My sister had never been to Donk's and she was totally impressed with the high quality of the show.  We all felt that as impressive as the talent was, the "Donk's family feeling" was a very important part of the entertainment.  We've all seen many entertainers over the years but rarely do you see such a talented group that works together so well and highlights others instead of themselves.  Any one of you could put on an evening show but the Shades of Country, "back-up singers" and other entertainers support each other so well and provided a great evening.  Jeff was great in the second half which was a bit of a surprise as he is usually so laid back in the band. 
Rest assured, we'll be back for another show, hopefully in a couple of weeks if nothing comes up.  Also, thanks to the birthday lady "Mother Smith" for the free popcorn on the way out.  

Best,
John & Eileen

Thank you and all the Donks performers for a wonderful Oldies Show.
Every performance was great....and many were "HOLY COW....WOW" great.
I really enjoyed the many  "pleasant surprises" like Steve's rendition
of Billy Swan's I Can Help, one of my all-time favorites.
The talent of all of the Donks performers is extraordinary.
I was glad to see the much-deserved full house.
Looking forward to the next show.

Richard Browder

Great Show!  Thanks for your help w/tickets!  We all enjoyed it!  Next
time, there will be even more of us!

  Barbara VanOver

Dear Betsy,

Kudos to you and the Donk's family for a beautiful show Saturday night.

The richness you all bring to the community extends beyond your incredible talents. Caring and dedication for family and community, the patriotism and expressions of gratitude for our military, and your devotion to God and to religious tenets makes going to Donk's a unique experience.

We have family members from northern Virginia (who've been living in California for the last forty years!) who make every effort to be here the weekends of the Donk's shows. They (as well as we!) marvel at the quality of the shows and the fact that the shows occur every two weeks! The quality of the shows must demand tremendous planning and practice from all the performers.

I couldn't believe my good fortune to win the 50-50 two weeks in a row. Has that ever happened before? When you announced at the start, that the house half would go to Hands Across Mathews, I thought that should I be so fortunate to win, I'd do the same. When we bought our tickets, I told my family that if I won, there'd be a surprise in it. If you believe in Divine intervention, I think there was a guiding force when the winning ticket was pulled. Someone above heard my silent promise.

Betsy, thank-you for all that you and the others give to us in this community; best wishes for a beautiful holiday and we're anxiously awaiting the next Donk's season.

Take care,
Jo Ann Mulvany

Hudgins, VA

Hampton, Virginia
December 7, 2008

Lynda,

I couldn't figure out how to leave a comment at the comments page, so I'm going this route:

What a delightful Christmas show last night! It was my first time at the Donks theater, but it won't be my last.

I've posted some notes and some photos which I took during the show - at my personal web site. I will likely add more photos within the next few days.

http://www.billweaver.net

Bill Weaver

Lynda and Betsy,

You folks continue to amaze me. The show last Saturday was great. Jim did a great job....many really good songs done really well...lots of great up-tempo, rocking stuff. I watched Nashville Star last night and I think all of the Donks musicians are better than the remaining contestants.
See you in two weeks.

Best regards,

Richard

What a fantastic and wonderful show.
I had sky-high expectations...and you all far exceeded them.
Everyone....the performers and the audience....had great fun.
For my preferences, the song selection was the stuff I love....could hardly have been better.
All of the performances were superb.
There was only one thing wrong.....while it was a large crowd, this show deserved a sold-out house.
Thank you again for another wonderful evening......and thanks to everyone involved for all the hard work required to prepare for this amazing show.
Can't wait for the next show.

Very best regards,

Richard

We enjoyed the show. What great talent you had. Of course I love the band.
Kathy Schultz

The small world of the Middle Peninsula is a very enjoyable place, and Uncle Jimmy's and Betsy's family and friends make living there extra special. Sometimes I wish more of our city brethren could experience the wholesome fun that takes place at that quaint and simple venue. Donk's is a communion that softens hearts, lifts spirits, and sparks friendly handshakes.

Jim Lucas

Enjoyed the show very much............

Fran, Hugh, Hank, Bea, Donna, Bud from Maryland.
We all camp in Virgina. Will be back next year.
Keep up the good work.

Might make it to the Christmas Show, will have to motel it for that one.

Fran

If Raymond and Kasey have e-mail, please send it, We have really
liked them since we first saw them - It's hard to believe their ages
- They are great! Kasey was a real trooper and we hope she wasn't
too upset because of voice problems-
if everyone could be that good at any time they would be grateful -
It's hard to believe that they are so good.

Hope you have a great week, tell Steve "hello" - he is another of our "favorites"

We really enjoy your shows and appreciate the hard work that goes
into each show.

Henry & Bernice Mills
Richmond, VA

Hi Betsy,

It was so good to see and hear all of you again. I cried my eyeballs out as it felt like coming home. Even though you have a lot of new voices, there's still the old, comfortable family feeling. Very professional show. Jimmy was right. The Meeks were phenomenal!

Thanks,
Rona

Rona Myers Sullivan
Bonnyclabber Country Cheese
1754 Mill Creek Road
Wake, VA 23176

http://www.bonnyclabbercheese.com
http://www.southerncheese.com

Comments from Neal Steel, Disc Jockey for WXM 99.1 FM.

I mentioned this morning in the 6am hour we were going to give away tickets to Donk's today and they wouldn't leave me alone until I did. "Have you given away Donks yet?.......What time is the DOnk's giveaway....etc." Phone rings off the hook . . .

THANKS

NEAL. WXGM 99-1 FM

SALUTE !!! Wow, what a show. A great time was had by all that attended. I must admit that I was a little skeptical about the "Hee Haw " format. But now I am a believer. We sure hope that you all will make it a regular annual show just like the " Oldies " We felt as though we were back in the 60's and 70' s watching on TV. Please give everyone a great big hug from all of us out in the audience.

Eddie Johnson

Henry & Bernice (Richmond)

GREAT SHOW LAUREN

Wow, what a show. It was great on both ends. The first half was great, but Lauren's half was spectacular. Such a variety of music! The way that she incorporates both her family and the rest of the cast in her music is outstanding. If there is anyone out there that sings Karen Carpenter's music any better, I sure would like to hear them. Cu do's to all. Anyone that missed this show, missed one of the best shows of this year! Please keep up all the great work.

Eddie Johnson

From Disc Jockey at WXGM, 99.1 FM: Winners for this week are PAM WATSON and JENNIFER WEST.

THANKS for letting me give tickets away.....the number of phone calls prove that people really want them.

NEAL

“My wife and I have been to Donk’s two times now. Both have been experiences to remember.

The second one was one of the talent searches. I competed and found it to be a truly exhilarating

Experience!! Although I did not win I will be back to compete again. We have found a HOME at Donk’s!!!”

Joel Bond, Langley AFB

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