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With roasting temperatures making their typical summer onslaught, one could easily wish for winter’s biting digits. The Mummers Museum, 1100 S. Second St., meshed seasons June 28, hosting Go 4th & Learn About Mummers, the fourth of five interactive, pre-Independence Day educational opportunities for youngsters.
Nearly 400 children ventured to the 36-year-old Pennsport location as part of the 10-day Wawa Welcome America! festival, which culminated with last night’s Benjamin Franklin Parkway-situated Philly 4th of July Jam and Grand Finale Fireworks.
Representing 10 camps and day cares, the youths escaped the heat to gather information on the costumed figures who have led New Year’s Day celebrations since 1901. Though many see the Mummers as only one-day winter comforters, the City is hoping to promote them as a perpetual provider of pride.
“We are looking to give people more knowledge and draw more attention to the museum,” Randy Giancaterino, a City spokesman, said, citing the day and “Fancy Folks: Art and Mummery,” a December-through-February City Hall photo exhibit, as the biggest contributors to the local government’s advocacy.
The two-hour affair, which complemented the 12-year-old Go 4th & Learn series’ talks on animals, fitness, history and imagination, began with The Hardly Ables Retiree String Band, which played standards such as “Alabama Jubilee” and “When You’re Smiling” as the enthusiasts found seats. Once the group had finished its opening tunes and a Free Library of Philadelphia representative had ended a discussion of her employer’s Summer Reading program, Ed Kirlin took the stage.
“I’m going to need your participation,” the resident of the 200 block of Morris Street said as he opened “The Littlest Mummer: A Philadelphia Story,” his 2006 how-to manual for those eager to perfect the Mummers’ strut.
A 54-year Mummer, Kirlin belongs to Froggy Carr Comics, 1429 S. Second St., and yearned to combine decades of dancing with his writing pursuits, which include screenplays, short stories and historical pieces for the Franklin Institute and the Independence Seaport Museum. With signed copies featuring the inscription “Now you know how; pass it on!,” his listeners offered rapt attention to hear the tale of first-time Mummers Parade attendee Maxie, who vows not to be too little to enjoy the outing.
The boy, whom Kirlin named as a sign of gratitude to Max Raab, a producer whose work includes ’01’s Mummers documentary “STRUT!” comes to accept his diminutive form while attending the Broad Street spectacle. After a fun time with his mother and brother Steve, he falls asleep and dreams of meeting three Mummers. The first, Flapping Jack, encourages him to believe that “Every day is a holiday, but New Year’s Day is a very, very special holiday if you are a Mummer.” Kirlin instructed the audience to flap like Maxie after the latter received Jack’s tutelage, with the museum coming to resemble a mini flock of birds.
Meeting with Spin-Ya Virginia and Russell also teach Maxie to spin and shuffle and earn him the title “The Littlest Mummer.” Donning gold shoes, he caps the story by heeding their advice to “Flap and spin, shuffle and grin.” Kirlin, who pledges proceeds from sales to the Katie Kirlin Fund, named in honor of his niece, who, at only 12, lost her two-year battle against spinal cancer in 1989, received help from another Mummer in detailing Maxie’s moves.
Four-year-old Daniel Fundora, who, as Captain Jack, claimed first place juvenile distinction in this year’s parade, reprised his “Pirates of the Caribbean” role to execute steps for Kirlin. A member of the Hog Island Fancy Brigade, 2116 S. Third St., the Drexel Hill youngster beamed as he mimicked Maxie.
“A friend of mine helped him to get this chance,” grandfather Bill Harpin, of the Broomall-based Ferko String Band, said of Daniel, who enjoyed his time as a replica of his fictional contemporary.
“Maxie likes dancing and so do I,” the child said.
Kirlin fraternized with Daniel and the other participants to gain a sense of their appreciation for his work’s tenet that heart, not stature, makes a Mummer.
“It is so rewarding to see interest in what for me has been a major part of my identity,” the Pennsporter said of Go 4th & Learn’s initial creation of a Mummers event. “Today is a great example of what the museum can do to expand interest in the Mummers.”
After Kirlin’s reading, organizers divided the participants into two groups that alternated completing arts and crafts pieces and touring the museum, which opened in ’76 as a tribute to the New Year’s Day revelers. Through art classes, concert luncheons and lectures on the origins of mummery, the site strives to acknowledge the past while motivating new generations of crusaders.
Honoring their predecessors, the children commended one another as they created Mummers masks. Salt shakers filled with glitter let them honor the parade’s penchant for vibrant colors, with their imaginations handling the rest. Though Kirlin, who deemed himself “an amateur historian” has cloaked himself in Mummers raiment for more than five decades, he approached his tour as an awestruck newcomer to the pageantry.
His younger companions shared his sentiment as they headed upstairs to inspect the garb, read walls lined with text on the history of various groups and follow the feet of Annette Granato, whose family consists of three generations of Mummers.
The resident of Bellmawr, N.J., and a member of the Clevemore Fancy Brigade, 2119 S. 10th St., bedecked herself in a costume to dress the part of an accomplished strutter.
“Now you’re all Mummers,” the former inhabitant of 20th Street and Snyder Avenue said after some clever limb manipulation.
After instructing her would-be peers, she watched as they continued to practice imitating the winter well-wishers.
“I enjoyed the parade as a child, but it’s more fun being directly involved,” Granato said of participating. “Being a performer helps the vibes to stick with you.”
Olivia Andy McFadden might follow Granato in the limelight. The 4-year-old Center City resident joined Kirlin and Daniel for “The Littlest Mummer” reading and took in her surroundings with immense joy, especially when gazing at the wardrobe.
“I want to be a Mummer,” she said of the inspirational aspect of the day. “The dancing is exciting.”
Kirlin, whose interest likewise began when he was a child, claimed bias but added the Mummers promote a sense of carefree abandon.
“The Mummers help us to forget our troubles,” he said. “It’s like the song says, ‘When you’re smiling, the whole world smiles with you.’”
Contact Staff Writer Joseph Myers at jmyers@southphillyreview.com or ext. 124.
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