By BARBARA B. COVELL/for YachatsNews
YACHATS — Carl Miller lived a richly textured life, generous with his time, love and friendship and mastered the art of giving back to his community.
Whether it was music, theater, the preservation of history or public service, Miller was front and center with his fingers on the pulse of Yachats. He will remain a legend in Yachats because he lived by the golden rule.
Miller, who moved to Yachats in 1986 with his partner, Karl Christianson, died July 24, 2023 after a short illness. He was 83.
Now his friends want to honor his legacy by paying it forward.
Carlicious!!! The Revue will be Monday, Dec. 4 – Miller’s birthday – in the Yachats Commons multipurpose room. Doors open at 5 p.m. for a one-hour reception with hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. There is no admission charge, but donations will be accepted for the Friends of the Little Log Church Museum.
The variety show is 6-7:30 p.m. with a 15-minute intermission. Organizers ask that people planning to attend RSVP to the Facebook event page Carlicious!!! The Revue @carlicious.the.revue
The two-act variety show will combine music and skits, memories and humor and designed to be a light-hearted honor of the man who brought laughter and smiles to many.
“It was one of his last requests,” says Jo Crooks, a friend who got the ball rolling on the show and with six others began to orchestrate the evening.
Janey Cutshall is once again in the role of stage manager, a position she held for 15 years with the all-volunteer theater company One of Us Productions.
“This is a great lineup of actors and material,” Cutshall said. “The skits and music featured are from past plays dating back to the late ‘90s. Some of the performers are coming from outside the area or out of state. And there will be plenty of surprises in the evening’s programs.”
Comedian Del Shores is returning to Yachats as the revue’s master of ceremonies along with special guest Sherwood Heineman.
This will be the third appearance for Shores on the Commons stage – which the city is naming the “Carl Miller Memorial Stage.” An accomplished writer, playwright, actor, director and comedian, Shores is best known for his movies “Sordid Lives,” “A Very Sordid Wedding” and “Southern Baptist Sissies.” His stage plays and standup shows draw full house audiences nationwide.
“Carl brought me to Yachats for a fundraiser years ago,” Shores said in giving a bit of insight about his relationship with Miller. “I performed standup on a stage that was once a gym. I loved it since the stage in my high school was also in a gym. We laughed and ate and had so much fun.
“Carl had directed my play “Sordid Lives,” then he and his beautiful husband, Karl Christianson, invested in my film “A Very Sordid Wedding.” They attended the shoots, the premier, walking the red carpet, even appearing as wedding guest extras. We’ll have some fun with that, as well as stories that will make us remember that smile, that laugh, and that beautiful soul.
“How I love Carl Miller,” Shores said. “He exuded kindness and joy.”
Shores also reflected on the pride Miller had in the LGBTQ+ community and in Yachats’ very own theater company, One of Us Productions.
Miller and fellow thespian Robbie Schoonover joined forces in the mid 1980s to grow One of Us Productions from a community theater to a nonprofit organization. Along the way, One of Us donated its profits to build up other nonprofits and service organizations within Yachats and other Lincoln County communities.
Miller also left his mark with other endeavors.
He served as president of the Yachats Chamber of Commerce. He started the La de da parade after a 1995 One of Us Productions show featuring songs and music.
“It was a springboard and only seemed fitting for an annual July 4th parade,” Miller said in a 2022 interview. “People love dressing in a wild fashion to be outrageous and have fun.”
In 1998, Miller became drill master of the Umbrella Drill Team after founder Mike Strauss stepped down. Strauss was a former drill sergeant who taught the team actual Marine Corps maneuvers. When Strauss passed the baton to Miller, the team perfected new techniques and adopted colorful clothing, face paint, and polychromatic umbrellas.
After 20 years as drill sergeant, Miller asked William Webster to take on his duties. Webster continues to lead the team for the July 4th parade and other community celebrations.
Miller’s other passion was the Little Log Church Museum, the 93-year-old nondenominational church and museum that is the repository of Yachats history. The building has deteriorated due to the effects of coastal weather and is now deemed structurally unsafe due to dry rot, a lack of foundation and water damage.
Miller served over 10 years on the board of the nonprofit Friends of the Little Log Church Museum. Donations may be made in Miller’s memory to the Friends of the Little Log Church Museum, P.O. Box 712, Yachats, Ore. 97498.
- Barbara B. Covell is a Waldport-based freelance writer who can be reached at bbcovell@mac.com