The club was founded in 1893, an all-male group whose goal was to raise money for charity with an annual musical show. Except for World War I and World War II, which halted performances, the club still exists and still puts on an annual musical for charity.
The next show of The Paint & Powder Club is on May 28, 29 and 30, at Brown Memorial Church, 6200 North Charles Street. This year's show benefits The Maryland Conservatory of Music and The Children's Playhouse of Maryland.
There have been a few changes since The Paint & Powder Club was founded. For one, in the 1940s women were allowed to perform in the show. For another, in the 1980s women were allowed to become members of the club and, now, serve as officers.
In fact, the show, called "Judge Judy, The Musical," a spoof on the television program "Judge Judy," is named after Paint & Powder Club president Judy Kahl, a Timonium resident who is married to retired Circuit Court of Baltimore County Judge, Christian M. Kahl.
"I started in the chorus in 2005 when I joined the club. I had no idea I'd be doing something like this," Kahl, a former elementary and middle school teacher, said of running the historic club.
Kahl estimates the club has about 150 members who, besides the annual show, meet monthly for a variety of social activities. Many of them, and their friends, perform in the annual show, the club's biggest fundraiser. Over the last decade, the show has raised about $500,000. The money is distributed to different local causes, although USA Boy Scout Troop 730 is a perennial recipient.
"We have some people who've performed in the shows for 50 years. In this year's show, our oldest performer is in his 90s and our youngest performer is 24," Kahl said of the 70 almost-all volunteers who put on the show -- 50 cast members and 20 makeup, costume and scenery crew.
Each show is original and, for the last 18 years, has been written and directed by Bernie Cook, a Lutherville resident and widow of Sam Cook, an attorney. Cook, who as a child performed with the Big Bands of the era, bases each show on the club president at the time.
"We had a president named Rick so I did a take-off on 'Casablanca.' Another was a lawyer so I did 'Law and Disorder.' I get ideas from other shows I've written, and I tweak it as we go along," said Cook, a retired music teacher at St. Paul School for Girls who begins thinking of the next show as soon as the current one is over.
The show runs 90 minutes with no interruptions. "We're afraid the audience would leave," joked Kahl, noting that the evening includes a pre-show cabaret heavy on the hors d'oeuvres.
Paint & Powder Club has been rehearsing "Judge Judy: The Musical" for over two months in a room at Pickersgill Retirement Community. As a thank you, Pickersgill residents are invited to the dress rehearsal free.
The plot of "Judge Judy, The Musical" involves eight off-the-wall "cases" the judge has to decide on. There is a dancing chain gang, a 12-man drag line, a rousing mambo finale and bowdlerized tunes.
If past audiences are any predictor, Kahl is expecting up to 750 attendees and hopes to raise in the vicinity of $35,000 from tickets and ad book.
"In the past, we've given donations [from the show] to 25 to 30 different nonprofit groups," said Kahl, "mostly local in the Baltimore area."