Big Red Sam to give outside performance

Big Red Sam is coming to Fremont. 
 
BRS, also known as pianist Sam Ferguson, will perform at 7 Friday night in the Fremont Opera House parking lot, 541 N. Broad St. The performance is sponsored by First State Bank and Trust and the City of Fremont’s Keno Grant Program. 
 
“You can just bring your lawn chairs and sit anywhere that you want to,” said Fremont Opera House Executive Director Lee Meyer.  “You can sit as close or as far apart as you want to and you can wear masks if you like. I think it is really safe outside so you can just really enjoy yourself.”
 
Ferguson is part of the Fun Pianos dueling piano show. The Seward native tours the country performing. 
 
“He is really a lot of fun,” Meyer said. “He does every request you ever wanted. He gets the crowd going with his comedy and we sing along. We have a few drinks and it is just a whole lot of fun.”
 
Ferguson performed in the fall of 2019 — just months before the COVID-19 pandemic hit — at the opera house. Officials were eager to have him return due to his comedic timing and musical skills. 
 
“That’s what makes it so fun is that he gets to play things that really appeal to the crowd,” said board member Cyndi Lamprecht. “We are anxious to get back to live entertainment for the community and this is kind of our first step at that. It is going to be a great evening on Friday.” 
 
Tickets are $15. They are available at the door or in advance at www.fremontoperahouse.org or at Sampter’s in downtown Fremont. Cost for college students (with college ID) is $10. 
 
“We thought this would be a really fun thing for college students to come to,” Meyer said. “It is right down their alley.” 
 
Lamprecht said funds raised will be used to help with expenses at the opera house. 
 
“We always have ongoing expenses — utilities, insurance, those types of things,” she said. “It will help pay for that. We have plans kind of in the works to do some things down the road, but we’re not ready to announce anything yet.”