You'll shoot your eye out.

As a board, we sit down and start talking about next season and what we wish to present to our audience for the first time usually in July.  So when we sat down in July of 2013 and began discussing what we were going to put on the season in 2014, A Christmas Story: The Musical was immediately on the short list…  

…though it almost didn’t make the final cut.  

Some thought the story was overdone, as the straight play has been produced numerous times in the area.

Some were concerned that the rights wouldn’t become available in time leaving us scrambling for a replacement during the holidays.  

As a whole though…the board, along with the selection committee, thought the story was well known, the music was great, and when the rights became available…we pulled the trigger on this NEPA PREMIER.

Luckily…we DIDN’T shoot our eye out.  

Response to this musical has been absolutely overwhelming!!!  We officially open tonight, and we are already SOLD OUT for all 11 performances!!!

I am so proud that so many people are going to have the opportunity to see all of these wonderful performers bring this touching story to life.  The kids have done such a wonderful job, particularly Landon Wolk and Zachary Schultz in the roles of Ralphie and Randy.  Both of these young actors are amazing talents and have a bright future in the thespianic arts.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the production crew as well.  

Debbie Zehner has done a miraculous job of…to utilize her own words…”make the chaos seem controlled”.  The amount of energy she has harnessed from her performers brings magnificent light to the stage.  

Michael Gallagher has once again astounded us with a set that beautifully and seamlessly transforms from interior to exterior and back again without stopping the action on stage. 

Musically, Kim Crofchick (who pulls double duty as Ralphie’s mother and Musical Director) has done an amazing job bringing this beautiful and touching score to life.  

And as Choreographer (and also pulling double duty as the teacher Ms. Shields), Cindy Brandreth has done an incredible job!  The dance sequence with the kiddos in the classroom is one of the show’s many highlights!

 I would be completely remiss if I neglected to thank Jimmy Williams and Ericka Law for their outstanding recreation of the infamous LEG LAMP!!  It was absolutely beautiful!!

Thank you all for your hard work!! 

And a gigantic thank you also to ALL of the performers.  Your diligence and dedication shines and is immensely appreciated.  

Speaking personally, you make me very proud to be a part of this organization!!

I had the opportunity to see the show in its entirety for the first time last night.  It was the first in our series of free performances for individuals with special needs.  

I was so happy to foster this brain child along with Michael Gallagher, and to have the support of the rest of the board in doing so.  It was so heart-warming to be able to give back to the community in this way.  We had approximately 40 people and their caretakers attend last night, and they all loved the show. 

If you happen to know someone with special needs who would like to attend our next free performance, please contact our box office at (570) 283-2195.

Our next performance of this nature will be…

“Fiddler on the Roof” January 29^th, 2015 @ 7:30PM  

Which brings me to my next point!!

AUDITIONS for our next mainstage show “Fiddler on the Roof” directed by Dana Feigenblatt will take place Monday and Tuesday of next week at 7PM.  Please see details on our website (www.musicbox.org) and our Facebook pages (Music Box Dinner Playhouse - Official Site or The Music Box Players).

Until next time…

See you at the theater…save me a seat.

I might have to sit in your lap…I understand they’re all sold out!!!

SCW

Back to basics

In recent weeks I have utilized this blog as part of an initiative to let everyone know what is going on at the theater, and keep as many people connected to us as possible.  I will do some more of that later on, but first I ask that you please indulge me a few moments of your time for some personal introspection, reflection, and soul maintenance.  

Sometimes, as an adult, it becomes too easy to get wrapped up in our daily minutiae.  We go to work, do our jobs, pay our bills, take care of our kids, and along the way we lose sight of the reason we do all of these things…quite simply…to live life to its fullest.  As good capitalists, we get so distracted by the process of daily living and earning that living wage, that we wake up one day realizing that we’ve been running in place for five years, or our kids are getting ready for college, or that we have forgotten to utilize the wealth we’ve acquired for its original purpose…to live.  

As in all things, art imitates life.  

Sometimes, once we get into the business of running a theater we can become so focused on the little things: the advertising, the equipment, the building, the season, plus the all-important finances, we sometimes forget that we truly love what we do.  We love bringing art to life on the stage.  We love all of the people with whom we do it, and more importantly we love the people FOR WHOM we do it.   

As a mature, formally trained actor, I am personally guilty of this.  I can become so absorbed with subtext, motivation, and character development, that I can easily forget the whole reason I chose to spend my life this way in the first place…to have fun, to make fun, and to bring that fun to others.  

 Tuesday evening, I had the pleasure of attending a rehearsal for our next production, A Christmas Story: The Musical.  Our choreographer, Cynthia Brandreth was holding a dance rehearsal.  All of the kids involved in the number, both chorus and principals, were having an absolute blast.  There was laughing, giggling, camaraderie, and legitimate learning going on as they watched Cindy and learned their choreography.  Their joyous, reckless abandon on stage and their lack of self-consciousness made me proud.  Their complete trust in themselves, each other, and in Cindy made my heart swell for the future of theatre in our area.  This is where the love of theatre is born.  

This is why we do what we do.  

As is the case with all things worth knowing in this world, it took the perspective of children to remind me of that.  

As we head into the Thanksgiving Holiday next week, I only ask that you distract yourself from the daily grind and remind yourself of what really matters.  Turn off the cell phone and tablet, and connect with another live human being for a while.  Be thankful for the opportunity not only to live, but to experience life…there is a significant distinction between the two.  

Thank you Cindy, and thank you to all of the kids of Christmas Story, for reminding me why I love theatre, and more specifically…THIS theater, so much.  Thank you for reminding me to stop and pay attention to the more important things once in a while. 

I am so very grateful, thankful, honored, and humbled to be a part of the storied history of The Music Box Dinner Playhouse.

...

Which now brings me to the less sappy, but just as joyous portion of this post…A Christmas Story: The Musical is selling fabulously!!!! 

As of noon yesterday, 2 DATES ARE ALREADY SOLD OUT… 4 OTHERS ARE NEARLY SOLD OUT (they may even be sold out by now) …and 6 others are nearing capacity!!!

If you intend on seeing this wonderful show, please make your reservations as soon as possible…right now, if you can.  Because, once these tickets are gone, they’re gone.  Unfortunately, we cannot extend this show due to its being pressed up against the holidays, and our cast and crew need to spend time with their families too.  (Please see previous statement, about paying attention to what’s important.) 

Thank you for your time and indulgence in these musings.  I hope each and every one of you find someone and give them a hug today!

Keep doing IMPORTANT things!

…and save me seat at the theater, (you might need to...I haven't made reservations for myself yet!)

~SCW

Big Goings On at The Box

               First and foremost, I want to thank each and every person who attended our wildly successful Night at the Races Friday night!  It is always an extremely lively event, and this was no exception.  I sincerely regret not being able to attend myself due to obligations elsewhere, as I always thoroughly enjoy myself.  However, it is my understanding that Steve Bartolomei did an outstanding job filling in for me, and was even assisted throughout the evening by our Players’ Representative Jimmy Williams as well as numerous other Music Box Players!  Thank you all for all that you continue to do for The Music Box.  YOU ALL are the reason that The Music Box is such a special place to be!  Thank you all for making our semi-annual Night at the Races such a success!!!  

We have MORE exciting news this week for you!!!

                As president, I have made it one of my key missions to reach out more to the other local theatre companies and do more joint projects.  I truly feel that if we fail to work together, we all fail the community at large.   There is so much talent and creativity in this area, and all of the local companies do such great work, it would be a crime not to do some cross-promotion and collaboration once in a while.  So it is my pleasure to officially announce that the first of, what I hope will be many, cross-promotional efforts will begin in 2015 with Cutting Edge Productions (based out of The Grove Theater in Nuangola) with their production of Hair to be presented at The Music Box for four performances Jan 2^nd through Jan 4^th 2015!!!

I believe that this musical, a symbol of a culture that embodied togetherness, peace, and creativity, is a perfect way to kick off this new era of teamwork and partnership with our fellow acolytes of the thespianic traditions!!!  Call the box office for reservations and details.

                However, before then we have our own Christmas theatrical event…the NEPA premier of A Christmas Story: The Musical!!  The show has been cast, and Debbie already has rehearsals underway.  I cannot wait to see the finished product, and you should not wait to make reservations to see this wonderfully charming adaptation of the hit film.  Several dates are already nearing sold-out status, so make your reservations today!!

But now….for the huge news!!!!  We have officially set our 2015 season, and I am announcing it HERE AND NOW!!!!!

           

                      You will notice a couple of changes since we last talked about the season.  I have already talked on this blog about the situation with Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and we have selected to replace that show with the ever popular and extremely funny Forum.  However, a more recent development was the loss of Grease.  In the interest of full disclosure, I will be very honest with all of you, and tell you openly that the licensing company that holds the rights to Grease simply wanted too much money for royalties…nearly twice what the typical show costs us.  I honestly do not know how any company outside of youth groups (where the rights are SIGNIFICANTLY cheaper) can put on this show.  Regardless, we believe to have found a suitable replacement for this dance heavy, teen oriented, homage to the 50s, in the dance heavy, teen oriented, homage to the 80s in Footloose.  We do hope that this substitution meets with your approval!  

                     Also note our season ticket prices for 2015!!!  Significant discounts through the end of this year, a show for free if you buy them before the beginning of Fiddler, and after that…though we will no longer be selling season tickets, however...we have 5 ticket packages of FLEX TICKETS available!! These packages come in a book of five dinner/show tickets that can be utilized however you wish.  You can use them all for one show, or spread them out however suits your needs.  I might add, both our season ticket packages and our flex ticket packages make excellent stocking stuffers!!! 

 

                     Finally, our new eason is already in full swing as the director has been chosen for our first show of the 2015 season, Fiddler on the Roof.  Dana Feigenblatt is coming home after making a tour directing at other theaters over the latter part of 2014, and she is wasting absolutely no time in getting started.  She has already announced auditions for this timeless classic.  Please utilize the link below to see the details.  

https://www.facebook.com/events/912966272064292/?notif_t=plan_user_invited

                     Again, a huge thank you to everyone who makes The Music Box Dinner Playhouse a wonderful place to live, work, and play!!! 

                     See you at the theater…save me a seat!!

Scott Colin Woolnough

President of the Music Box Board of Directors