Closing Weekend - WHITE CHRISTMAS

It's hard to believe that WHITE CHRISTMAS closes this weekend - we've had a great five weekend run of the show and audiences were very enthusiastic about the show. Initially, I had some concerns about a show with only one "kid" for the holiday season, but it's a family friendly show and the audiences have come each and every weekend. The cast has been thrilled with the audience response to the show, and I could not be more proud of the hard work of our cast. Audience members always comments on the tap dance number at the top of Act Two ("I Love a Piano") and I remind them that three of the women in the number had never tap danced ever before tapping for this number - it amazes them!

Although the show has not yet closed, I am already hard at work on our 2011 opening musical OKLAHOMA. After doing THE PRODUCERS (2008) and LES MISERABLES (2009), we've had two years of more traditional opening musicals - THE WIZARD OF OZ (2010) and OKLAHOMA (2011). The good news is that the last time we produced the show at MCT was 1978, and it's never been done in our current facility - the Cole Theatre. We've cast the show and had the first cast meeting, and we start full rehearsals on Sunday, January 2nd. Below is a photo of the model for Act One.

Finally, I will be dedicating my work on OKLAHOMA to the memory of Charles Dickey, our Musical Director for the opening musical since 2004 who passed away on Saturday, December 4, 2010. Charles always challenged our singers to work hard and do better, and he could be difficult to work with but he always produced great shows and was a true friend to me and the theatre. He will be missed!!

We are in the final stages of getting ready for our opening of WHITE CHRISTMAS on Friday night. The photo is from technical rehearsals (for the musical number "Snow") and we've added costumes and additional set, lighting, props and sound over the past week. Tonight is our final dress rehearsal, and we're ready for an audience to enjoy the show. 

When you see WHITE CHRISTMAS, I hope that you will appreciate the tremendous work and the amazing talents of Choreographer Judith Giebler and our volunteer dancers. Community theatre has lots of people who can act and sing, but finding dancers is much more difficult. Our cast has worked hard on these great dance numbers - like "Happy Hollidays", "Blue Skies", "The Best Things Happen When You're Dancing" and the tap number "I Love a Piano" - for the past six weeks, and we hope that you will appreciate their dedication and hard work on these numbers. It is really a treat to see these volunteers learn the dance moves and work hard to make the song shine. Kudos to Judith and our talented performers. 

Many performances have sold-out, but remember that there are usually empty seats and we squeeze in those people on the waiting list into any available seats. Join us for Irving Berlin's wonderful musical and a classic holiday story - WHITE CHRISTMAS from November 19-December 18 at the Cole Theatre
 

Tech Weekend - WHITE CHRISTMAS

We survived tech weekend for WHITE CHRISTMAS. If you've never participated, it's a long - but necessary - part of the process, especially for a musical. We worked on Act II on Friday night, and I was back on Saturday morning doing some backstage work. Those with wireless microphones arrived at Noon on Saturday for balancing with Eddie Taylor (lights and sound) and the sound operators (Cole and Ryan for this show). The cast arrived at 1 p.m. and we were off and working through the whole show.

Ran into an interesting problem on Saturday - the new mid-stage traveler broke in the middle of our tech of Act One. We had purchased a new curtain and rigged the motor to work on this curtain line that's been there for years but we've rarely used. So, we were faced with a problem - how do we move forward with tech on the show when it depends upon this curtain? After 10 minutes, the guys realized it would take about 30 minutes to fix it - rather than 2-3 hours - so we jumped ahead and went through the tech of Act Two, took a 30 minute break while they fixed it and then came back and picked up Act One. We could go forward to Act Two because it uses the mid-stage curtain only twice, where as Act One depends upon it. In the end, we got all our work done and were actually done around 6 p.m. Not a bad Saturday afternoon tech!

Sunday started around Noon and we had an actor run through at 2 p.m. with just acting, singing and dancing - no props, set pieces or lighting and sound. Judith (choreographer), Bert (musical director) and I were able to make some improvements and adjustments with the actors onstage - that's our last chance. From here on out, we'll have to give notes after the show and hope that the actors remember our notes and incorporate them into the show. We then had a cast and crew dinner in the lobby - always a great bonding experience for the group as we head towards opening night - and the hair and makeup people did their meetings with the cast. We had a quick change rehearsal to prepare for the dress rehearsal on Monday, and then on Sunday night we ran the show again with full tech - lights, sound, sets and props. Tonight (Monday) we add costumes and on Tuesday we add makeup and hair.

Tech Weekend - WHITE CHRISTMAS

Well, we've finally reached tech weekend for our 2010 holiday musical WHITE CHRISTMAS. We've had extra rehearsals for the complex dance number in this show - include our first group tap dance number since CRAZY FOR YOU - but we are heading toward our opening weekend with great anticipation. The talented cast have worked hard on the songs, dances and scenes in this show, and our technical staff and awesome volunteers are working hard on the sets, props, costumes, lighting and sound. Last night (Thursday), we did a dry tech (no actors) and then a wet tech (with actors) on Act One, and we'll do the same for Act Two tonight (Friday). On Saturday, we'll have a full technical rehearsal with all of the lighting, sound, props and set changes for the afternoon - always one of the longest rehearsals of the whole process. On Sunday, we return in the afternoon with an actors only rehearsal, followed by a dinner with a review of hair, makeup and costume changes, and then another tech rehearsal on Sunday night. Starting on Monday, we add costumes for our first dress rehearsal.

Tickets are currently on sale for our 2010 holiday musical - which is the last production in our 2010 membership season. Many performances are already sold out, so don't wait to call the box office (432-570-4111) or purchase tickets through our website.

This past Friday, MCT opened the eighth production in our 2010 membership season - DOUBT - in Mabee Theatre II. For several years, our Play Selection committee has been considering this drama for our season, and we were very pleased to finally add it in 2010. Director Pam Keel and her strong cast have done an outstanding job with this show - I had the chance to watch a dress rehearsal last week and it's a great production. In addition, Scenic Designer Brian Baillif and Costume Designer Micheal Waid have done a great job complimenting the actors and the director with their work. This drama is only 90 minutes long (no intermission) and we hope that you will support our great volunteers and staff in their work on this show. Call the Box Office (432) 570-4111 or visit our website and get your tickets for the penultimate show in our 2010 membership season.

MAAS Fundraiser

The Midland-Odessa Area AIDS Support (MAAS) will be hosting a fundraiser on Thursday, October 28th at 8 p.m. at the Yucca Theatre featuring Michael Arden. Michael is a former Pickwick Player and has appeared on Broadway (The Times They Are a Changin') and the West End (Aspects of Love) and will be presenting a one man show "The Heart of the Matter" with his musical director and a bass and drums. The cost of bringing Michael to Midland has been underwritten by a local sponsor, so all proceeds of this event benefit MAAS. Please join us at the Yucca on October 28th - tickets are available at the MCT Box Office or Iron Press Cleaners or First Presbyterian Church or at the door that night.

Region X AACT Festival - Germany

From October 6-11, I was in Germany adjudicating the Region X AACT festival. For those who have no clue what I'm talking about - AACT is the Amerian Association of Community Theatre and they are in the midst of state and regional festivals to select the 12 shows that will perform in Rochester NY in June 2011 at the national AACTFest. Region X consists of all of the community theatres located on military bases in Europe - so, these are American citizens either serving in Europe or family members of these soldiers. During my trip, I adjudicated 13 one-act plays over 30 hours by providing feedback to each group after the performance and - in cooperation with the other two judges - selecting the top three productions along with the top 3 for acting, directing and technical awards. In addition, I had the opportunity to teach a 90 minute workshop on Performance Improvisation - using many of the games that we play at Improv at the Yucca, adjudicate the seven finalist monologues from the workshop and and see the outstanding Brazilian production again that had performed this summer at the AACT International festival in Venice, FL. Although it was a fairly quick trip, we still had some time to eat good food, drink German beer and appreciate the wonderful talents of these dedicated volunteers in Region X. It will take me several days to catch up on my sleep, but it was worth it.

The winning production was HAUPTMANN, performed by SHAPE - they will be representing Region X in Rochester.

Many thanks to Jim Sohre for inviting me to adjudicate, and many thanks to Benny Sato Ambush and Tracy Friendman, the other two adjudicators. It was also great to work with Kathleen Maldonado and Kristi Quinn - representing AACT - as well as Morrie Enders (ED of the Lincoln Community Theatre) who taught the monologue workshop.

WHITE CHRISTMAS Auditions

Our 2010 holiday musical is based on the extremely popular movie of the same name – WHITE CHRISTMAS. I have been working for the past five years to get the rights for this show, and we are proud to finally have the opportunity to produce the stage musical version of the movie. If you’ve seen (or remember) the movie, then you know the story – two guys are a song-and-dance team after their time in the Army and meet up with two gals on their way to perform in Vermont - an Inn that is run by the guys’ former General; they pitch in to help by putting on a show and everyone comes out a winner! There are many great roles available in this show, but it’s not a huge cast – in fact, we will probably only cast 25-30 people in this show (versus 50+ for A CHRISTMAS CAROL). Needless to say, everyone will be busy who is cast in WHITE CHRISTMAS.

WHITE CHRISTMAS

Director: Tim Jebsen

Choreographer: Judith Giebler

Musical Director: Bert Bostic

Stage Manager: Sandy Faulkner

Performances: Friday, November 19 – Sunday, December 19, 2010

(Thursdays (7:30), Friday and Saturday evenings (8:00) and Sunday afternoons (2:00))

There will be no Saturday afternoon performances for WHITE CHRISTMAS

Here’s a breakdown of the characters:

• Bob Wallace – This is the Bing Crosby role from the movie version – mostly a singer with some movement
• Phil Davis – This is the Danny Kaye role from the movie version – singer and dancer
• Betty Haynes – Both sisters need to be good singers and dancers and must “pair up” with Bob and Phil
• Judy Haynes – (see above)
• Ezekiel Foster/Mr. Snoring Man/Quintet Member – A good character role for a non-dancing, older male
• General Henry Waverly – Bob and Phil’s superior officer, another good character role for a non-dancing, older male
• Susan Waverly – the General’s granddaughter (age 8-12) – sings and dances – the only role for anyone under 13 in the show
• Martha Watson – Runs the Inn, a great singing with movement role for an older female
• Ralph Sheldrake – Bob and Phil’s Army buddy, a great male role for a non-singer/non-dancer
• Rita and Rhoda – Phil’s girlfriends from the ensemble who wear outlandish costumes and sing and dance
• Ensemble – the ensemble will all play a multitude of roles in the show and will have a mix of actors, singers and dancers

As you can see from the above list, everyone in the show does not need to be a great singer and dancer – we need all types to put on this show!!

Auditions for WHITE CHRISTMAS

Sunday and Monday, September 19^th and 20^th at 6:30 p.m.

Note: we’ve moved up the auditions a couple of weeks from their original dates in order to give Bert and Judith a couple of extra weeks to work on songs and dances. Since we know that most of you are not experienced dancers, we want to make sure that you have plenty of time to learn the dances. However, please do NOT be afraid if you’re not a “dancer” – we have parts for all types of actors, singers and dancers. Men do NOT have to tap dance unless they want to play the role of Phil – all the women do not need to tap dance but we are looking for 8-10 women who will work with Judith to learn a tap number.

Scripts and music are available for check out through the Business Office. There is no audition packet for this show – you can check out the script or just watch the movie to get a feel for the show. Auditions will be held in the traditional Midland Community Theatre manner – you will be asked to sing with Bert from selections presented at the auditions, you will dance with Judith in the Taubman Dance Studio and you will read scenes from the show with Tim.

Here’s a YouTube clip of the Broadway version that has played in NY for the past couple of years:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHQWCkprlrQ&feature=fvst

Here are some more clips from other productions of WHITE CHRISTMAS:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDh1l6J86W4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8EUrAyVnM4

Want more information about the stage version of the show?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Christmas_%28musical%29

I hope that you will strongly consider auditioning for our 2010 holiday musical – I know it’s going to be a fun show!!

Auditions - WHITE CHRISTMAS

Now that we've passed Labor Day weekend, summer is officially over and it's time to get ready for auditions for our 2010 holiday musical - WHITE CHRISTMAS. Auditions will be held on September 19th and 20th at 6:30 p.m. at the Cole Theatre. We've moved the auditions up a little in order to give Bert Bostic (Musical Director) and Judith Giebler (Choreographer) a little more time to work on the songs and dances for this show before our opening on November 19th (the weekend before Thanksgiving). If you're familiar with the movie, then you're familiar with the plot and chracters and music of the show. Scripts and music are available for check-out, but we will have all audition materials available at these auditions. Come on down and join the fun with this great holiday musical!

AUDITIONS
Sunday and Monday, September 19th and 20th
Rehearsals begin September 27th
Performances - November 19-December 19, 2010
Performances will be on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings and Sunday afternoons
There are no Tuesday night performances or Saturday afternoon performances

AUDITIONS

AUDITIONS - Escanaba in da Moonlight

Sunday and Monday, August 15th at 16th at 6:30 p.m.

Performances: October 1-16, 2010 in Davis Theatre I

ESCANABA IN DA MOONLIGHT

A comedy by Jeff Daniels

At 43 years old, Reuben is the last member of the Soady clan never to bag a buck during the family's annual deer hunting pilgrimage to their ramschackle deer camp. Nicknamed the "Buckless Yooper", Reuben is desperate to escape his past misfortune and make this hunting season count. Encountering mystical powers and other strange escapades round out this hysterical journey set in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

McLaren Festival

Our annual McLaren Comedy Competition festival takes place this Saturday - August 7th starting at 1 p.m. Director Gene Houk has three full-length comedies, and the casts have been working in order to perform these three shows Reader's Theatre style in Mabee Theatre II for the afternoon. Audience members who attend all three readings will be allowed to vote for the winner of the competition. Join us at the Cole Theatre this Saturday for three original comedies.
 

Upcoming MCT Auditions

After several months off from auditions, we have a run of auditions in the next two months. This past week, we completed auditions for our September musical THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE - Director Carl Moore and the cast are now in rehearsals for that show. However, we have three sets of auditions coming up and we hope that our volunteers will show up in force:

ESCANABA IN DA MOONLIGHT
Auditions: Augusut 15 and 16 at 6:30 p.m.
Performances: October 1-16, 2010
Director: Jim Carver

DOUBT
Auditions: August 29 and 30 at 6:30 p.m.
Performances: October 22 - November 13, 2010
Director: Pam Keel

WHITE CHRISTMAS
Auditions: September 19 and 20 at 6:30 p.m.
Performances: November 19 - December 18, 2010
Director: Tim Jebsen
Choreographer: Judith Giebler
Musical Director: Bert Bostic

2011 OPENING MUSICAL
Auditions: December 5 and 6 at 6:30 p.m.
Performances: Feb/March 2011
Director: Tim Jebsen
Choreographer: Misti Tytanic
Musical Director: Charles Dickey

As always, contact Tracy Alexander via phone or e-mail for information and encouragement:
(432) 682-2544, extension 3003
tracy@mctmidland.org

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

CAST LIST

Rona Lisa Perretti                    Charlotte Dameron 
Vice Principal Panch                 Drew Anderson 
Mitch Mahoney                        Marcellus Roberts 
Chip Tolentino                         Brian Gravelle 
Leaf Coneybear                         Cameron Willmann 
William Barfee                          Alex Rodriguez 
Olive Ostrovsky                        Abby Anderson 
Loagainne Schwarzy                Jessi Willmann 
Marcy Park                               Michelle Tate

Godspell

T

The Pickwick Players present GODSPELL - July 16-24, 2010 - Davis Theatre I
Friday and Saturday nights at 8 p.m. - Sunday (July 18th) at 2 p.m.

These incredibly talents teenagers have been working all summer to get ready for our July production, and they are looking forward to entertaining you and your family with this wonderful musical. Please come support the Pickwicks and MCT and see our summer musical.

Tickets - (432) 570-4111 or visit the website

AACT 2010 International Wrap-up

I just returned from the 2010 AACT International theatre festival that was hosted by the Venice Theatre in Venice, Florida. There were 12 shows at the festival, including 9 from abroad (three were fill-ins from within the USA for groups that could not show up at the last minute). The Venice Theatre should be congratulated for hosting a wonderful week of international theatre. Their staff and volunteers worked very hard to make this event happen, and the AACT has actually awarded the 2014 International festival to Venice for a return engagement. Highlights for me during the week included the amazing Brazillian production with puppets, the creative dance and movement production from Australia and the visual feast of of music videos from Denmark. The festival highlighted that our definitions of "theatre" might differ from country to country, but the ability to entertain, engage, challenge and fascinate is not limited by language. It was a good week of wonderful theatre!

2010 AACT International Theatre Festival

I am currently attending the 2010 AACT International Theatre festival in Venice, Florida. MCT was proud to host the last AACT International festival, and it's a pleasure to attend a festival without an responsibilities. Last night, we saw three good shows to start the festival - an American production of THE WHO'S TOMMY, an Italian production of Commedia del' Arte and a Brazilian production that combined theatre, circus and puppetry (with one performer). There are several elements of the Brazilian production that could make for a wonderful Olio act at Summer Mummers! During the day, there are meetings and workshops, and three more shows tonight. The festival continues through Saturday evening.

It's Time fo SUMMER MUMMERS!!

It's hard to believe that summer is upon us, but graduation happened last weekend and the temperature has gotten over 100 degrees in Midland so that must mean it's time for our favorite summer entertainment in the Permian Basin - the 62nd version of Summer Mummers. Opening on Friday night (June 11th) and running every Friday and Saturday night at 8 p.m. at the Yucca Theatre through Labor Day weekend, this annual fundraiser is an important part of our community theatre. Without the funds raised by Summer Mummers, we could not continue to produce the finest in quality live theatrical productions in the Permian Basin. Summer Mummers has an incredible group of volunteers who participate onstage, backstage and in the house - without their time and dedication, we could not continue to produce thirteen weekends of shows every summer. 

Please join us this summer and bring a group of friends down to the Yucca Theatre - June 11 - September 4, 2010. Tickets are available at (432) 570-4111 (Box Office hours are M-F 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.) and through the website. Remember, Summer Mummers is recommended for those 16 and up due to adult language and situations. 

Virtually in Love

Opening on Friday is the 2009 winner of the McLaren comedy festival - VIRTUALLY IN LOVE. It's always fun to work on a new production, and director Gene Houk and his talented cast have been rehearsing for the past five weeks to get ready for their opening on Friday night. This original play is about love and romance in the modern computer world, and the playwright - Bradford Owens - will be here this weekend to attend the show. Come on down and support these wonderful volunteers and their very funny show.

VIRTUALLY IN LOVE
May 14 - June 5, 2010
(432) 570-4111 or visit the website

Added Performance - THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW

Based on demand, we have added an extra performance of THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW on Saturday, May 8th at 8 p.m. at the Yucca Theatre. We have been very pleased with the response to the show, and look forward to entertaining audiences this weekend (April 30th and May 1st at 8 p.m.) and next Saturday night.

Tickets? (432) 570-4111 or visit the website


Also, congratulations to everyone who auditioned and was cast in the 2010 version of Summer Mummers. It looks like its going to be a great show, and MCT sincerely appreciates all the great volunteers who work both onstage and off at our annual fundraiser at the Yucca Theatre. Performances start June 11th and run every Friday and Saturday night at 8 p.m. at the Yucca Theatre, 208 North Colorado in downtown Midland.

Opening Night - ROCKY HORROR SHOW

Tonight is the opening night for our 2010 Yucca musical - The Rocky Horror Show. We've been doing these shows for the past five years, and we've had some hits (Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Rent) and some misses (Chicago, The Full Monty) with our audience attending these shows. It's not a part of the membership season, and thus everyone who attends must buy a ticket. We've had some good publicity - many thanks to the MRT, Good Times Magazine, KODM and KMID-TV for their support - and now we're waiting for the crowds to show up and watch the show.

Frankly, this has been a wonderful process as a director. The cast is a mix of veterans to the MCT stage and some newcomers - there are several people in the show that have never appeared in an MCT production. It's been a fun rehearsal process - working on the songs, the dances and the scenes. Misti Tytanic has done a great job with the choreography, and Bert Bostic has done an outstanding job with the music. Our great band is a wonderful addition to the show, and our outstanding volunteers are helping us backstage with costumes, sets, lighting and sound. Stage Manager Jaime Sotelo is ready to call his first musical - it's time to do the TIME WARP again!

If you don't have tickets, come down to the Yucca Theatre and join the fun:

Friday and Saturday, April 23 and 24 at 8 p.m.
Friday and Saturday, April 30 and May 1 at 8 p.m.

(432) 570-4111 or visit our website

Rocky Horror tech rehearsal

We've moved the show down to the Yucca Theatre, and we're getting ready to open on Friday, April 23rd. This past week, we adjusted the show to the Yucca stage and the set pieces - many thanks to all the great volunteers who helped the staff to load-in the set pieces on April 10th. Last night (Friday), we ran through the whole show and had some dressers and other crew members watch the show to get a feel for how their involvement will affect the performance. After the run through, a group of us ran over to Odessa to perform "The Time Warp" at Sin Citi and pass out flyers to encourage people to attend the show. It was fun to perform in front of an enthusiastic nightclub!!

Today (Saturday) we have dry tech this morning where we will work on set, light and sound issues. This afternoon, we'll add the microphones to the actors and run a technical rehearsal with lights, sound and set changes. This is where we add our technical volunteers - the Assistant Stage Managers work backstage, the light and sound board operators learn their role, the set crew learns their moves and the props are in place backstage. Tomorrow (Sunday), we'll have an actor rehearsal in the afternoon and then another tech rehearsal in the evening. Starting on Monday, we'll add costumes to the show, then add hair and makeup on Tuesday night. We'll continue dress rehearsals on Wednesday and Thursday in preparation for our opening on Friday, April 23rd.

Public Performances of THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW

Friday, April 23rd at 8 p.m.
Saturday, April 24th at 8 p.m.
Friday, April 30th at 8 p.m.
Saturday, May 1st at 8 p.m.

Call the Box Office for tickets - (432) 570-4111 or visit our website

The Diary of Anne Frank

The Pickwick Players are starting dress rehearsals tonight in preparation for their opening on Friday of the spring Pickwick production THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK. These talented teenagers have worked hard on this wonderful story, and you only have six chances to see the show:

April 9, 10, 11
April 15, 16, 17

Friday and Saturday nights at 8 p.m.; Thursday (15th) at 7;30 p.m. and Sunday (11th) at 2:00 p.m.

Visit our website to get your tickets - support the Pickwicks and see at great show!

UIL Competition - Midland College

Today, we're hosting the UIL Drama competition for six area schools at the Wagner and Brown auditorium in AFA at Midland College. It's an honor to see these young and energetic kids perform 40 minute shows. Although the concept of theatre as a competitive sports remains strange (even in the AACT festival process), it's great that all area high schools have a drama teacher and the high school students can learn and perform theatre. 

If you'd like to attend the shows, it's only $5 (benefiting the MC Drama club) for a bracelet that gets you into all six performances starting at 1 p.m. tomorrow (Thursday, April 1, 2010).

TNT Conference

Tracy Alexander and I attended the Texas Nonprofit Theatre (TNT) conference in Beaumont, TX this past weekend along with volunteers Marilyn Allen and Alathea Blishke. It was a fun weekend of networking, workshops and performances - we saw the Beaumont Community Theatre's production of CHICAGO on Friday night and the Port Arthur Little Theatre's production of ONCE UPON A MATTRESS on Saturday afternoon. In addition, the Board of TNT organized a gala event on Saturday night and the silent auction - organized by Tracy - raised $1,600 for TNT. All in all, it was a great weekend of fun!

Congratulations to the cast and crew of THE DIXIE SWIM CLUB - the audience response has been excellent and we've had to add performances to meet the demand. Right now, we're in rehearsal for both THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK and THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW. If you're interested in being on the stage, our 2009 McLaren winning production VIRTUALLY IN LOVE will hold auditions on Sunday and Monday, March 28th and 29th at 6:30 p.m. here at the Cole Theatre, 2000 West Wadley in Midland.

DIXIE SWIM CLUB opens

We have now reached the end of the run of our 2010 opening musical, and our second production of the membership season will open on Friday night. This comedy is a welcomed opportunity to showcase many of our finest actresses. THE DIXIE SWIM CLUB is about a group of women who were on their college swim team and now meet every summer at a beach house to reminese about old times.

Here's a link to the story in the Midland Reporter-Telegram. 

THE DIXIE SWIM CLUB opens on Friday, March 12, 2010 and runs through April 3, 2010 in Mabee Theatre II. For tickets, contact the Box Office at 570-4111 or visit the MCT website.

End of WIZARD and Opening of DIXIE

We're down to the final performances of WIZARD OF OZ. It's been a good run of our 2010 opening musical, but it didn't always look like that. Initial sales were slow, and Cue Cards did not fill the performances like they have in past opening musicals. About three weeks before opening, we wondered if this show would sell-out performances, and started some additional advertising - the leads walked through the mall on consecutive Saturdays in costume and took pictures with families and passed out flyers about the show. We send out flyers to some area schools - buy an adult ticket and get a youth ticket for free. We printed extra posters and spread them all over town. We asked the cast to post on their Facebook and tell family and friends to come see them in the show.

In the end, it looks like someone worked. Starting opening weekend, we've had waiting lists for empty seats - this usually happens at the end of a run of the show but not on opening weekend. As a result, every performance has been very full and we've had some wonderful crowds see our opening musical. As a result, membership sales are catching up to our "pace" and we might even reach our goals. Considering the fact that the economy has hit us harder in 2010 than in past years, this is a great sign for our financial success in 2010.

Our second production of the 2010 membership season is THE DIXIE SWIM CLUB. Check out the seasons for almost any community theatre in 2009, 2010 or 2011 and you will see this show on their season. Why? It's a comedy and it has five women in it. We're blessed to have a great director (Jane Moore) and an outstanding cast - Patrice Compton, Charlotte Dameron, Liz Koeninger, Gail Theobald and Jena Tumlin. They've been working on the show in Mabee Theatre II since late January and they are ready for you to come see it and laugh along with these ladies. Box Office Manager Laura Abbott describes it as "Steel Magnolias" meets "Same Time, Next Year". If you haven't already filled our your Cue Card, send an e-mail to the Box Office at boxoffice@mctmidland.org and reserve your seats!

February 2010

It's a busy month at your community theatre!

THE WIZARD OF OZ, our 2010 opening musical, continues its run through early March. After a slow start to membership sales and tickets sales for WIZARD in January, things have picked up in February and we've even added some extra performances to the run. The cast has done a great job of producing a consistent show and we've had some outstanding crowds and great responses to the show. If you haven't seen it, we've tried to make it new and fresh - everything from pyrotechnics to projections and the song "The Jitterbug", which was cut from the original movie. If you haven't already gotten your 2010 membership or tickets to our musical, visit the website and join us at the theatre.

We recently cast our second production of the 2010 season - THE DIXIE SWIM CLUB. Director Jane Moore and her outstanding cast - Patrice Compton, Charlotte Dameron, Liz Koeninger, Gail Theobald and Jena Tumlin - are now in rehearsals for their March 12th opening. Box Office Manager Laura Abbott calls the show "Steel Magnolias" meets "Same Time, Next Year" and this new comedy is being produced by almost every theatre in the USA this year! Don't miss your chance to see this wonderful show and support our outstanding volunteers - watch for the Cue Card in your mailbox.

Finally, we have auditions coming up for THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK and THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW. ANNE FRANK is being produced by the Pickwick Players, and will be presented in Davis Theatre One from April 9-17, 2010. THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW is our spring 2010 Yucca musical, and will be presented at the Yucca from April 23-May 1, 2010. If you're interested in auditioning for THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW, join us at the Cole Theater on Sunday, February 28th or Monday, March 1st at 6:30 p.m. If you're familiar with the movie, the musical is the original version and much more in the mode of "Rock 'n Roll" music. Join the fun and audition!

Opening Night - WIZARD

It's here - the sets are getting their last touch ups, the costumes are getting pressed and last minute repairs are being made, the lights and sound are getting their final adjustments, and the lobby is being cleaned for tonight's audience. Opening night for the first show of the season is very exciting - we're opening both a show and a season tonight. The cast and crew of THE WIZARD OF OZ have worked hard to prepare for this night, and we're excited to open it for an audience.

Last night was final dress rehearsal, and it reminded me of last year's final dress for LES MISERABLES. Last year, the final dress for LES MIS included set pieces coming in at the wrong time and missed actor entrances - the classic thought that a bad final dress rehearsal means a good opening night. Fortunately, it worked out great last year and we had a good opening weekend. Well, we had our share of problems last night at final dress rehearsal for WIZARD OF OZ - Katie (Dorothy) is getting over a bug, so she did not sing last night so that she could save her voice for opening night, and the fire alarm went off when we tried a little bit of extra powder in the smoke effects for the Wicked Witch. However, these are all part of getting a show opened, so we'll do our best to put on the best show possible tonight for our sold-out audience. The staff and volunteers have worked hard - we hope you'll come out and support their efforts.

Dress Rehearsal - WIZARD

Last night was the first night with costumes for THE WIZARD OF OZ. Fortunately, there were not many problems with costume changes - we have wonderful volunteer dressers - so that did not delay the show. In addition, adding the costumes usually adds some energy to the performance as the actors begin to feel that it's closer to opening night and their excitement rises. Tuesday night, we will be adding hair and makeup, and really get a feel for the overall look to the show.

Wizard - Tech Weekend

We are currently in the midst of tech weekend for our 2010 opening musical - THE WIZARD OF OZ. On Saturday, we worked on flying in the morning - with the two flying monkeys - and then tested microphones and started a tech run at 1 p.m. that didn't end until 6:45 p.m. However, we worked through all of the problem spots, and hope to clean them up today (Sunday) in order to move into dress rehearsal in a good place. Today, we had an actor rehearsal this afternoon where we ran the show with just acting, singing and dancing - no tech elements - and I'm writing this blog after dinner while we're doing the hair and makeup workshop and then we'll move into the tech run around 6 p.m. I will try to update with more information early this week.

Ticket sales have picked up, but there are very few shows that are "sold out" so join the fun and come support MCT and our talented volunteers - Box Office hours are Monday through Friday from 10-5:30 p.m. or you can check our website

WIZARD stumble thru

On Sunday afternoon, we did a "stumble thru" of the whole show - started at the beginning and went through every scene, song and dance in order. It's an important step in the process for the actors, who need to learn how their individual part fits into the overall whole of the show. We definitely had many stumbles on Sunday, but I feel that this will be a learning experience for everyone involved. We move upstairs to the stage tonight to adjust the entrances, blocking and dances to the spacing on the stage - should be interesting.

We are still in need of volunteers to help us build the sets and costumes for this show. We are working every night from 6-9 p.m. in both the set shop and the costume shop - no experience required. We start technical rehearsals on Thursday.

Wizard Update - Monday, January 18th

Rehearsals have been going well - the cast is learning the songs, dances and blocking, and now we have to get the cast off-book and doing the show without their scripts in hand. The real test will be Sunday afternoon when we do a "stumble thru" of the whole show. At this rehearsal, we'll learn where the problem spots are located and what needs to be worked on before the technical and dress rehearsals.

This past weekend, we did some "guerilla marketing" of the show. On Saturday afternoon, we dressed up Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tinman and the Lion in the costume rental shop costumes and went to the mall, HEB and Target. We didn't talk, sing or perform - they just walked around, let people take pictures and handed them a brochure (if asked). It's our hope that this and other events like it will get people thinking about the show and planning to attend.

The Box Office is now filling member reservations for the show. If you're a 2010 member of MCT, you can make a reservation - non-members can not make a reservation until Monday, February 8, 2010. To purchase a membership, visit our website and click on the link to 2010 memberships - they start for as little as $85 for the season.

Wizard of Oz - First Week

We are getting close to the end of the first week of rehearsals for our 2010 opening musical - THE WIZARD OF OZ. Early rehearsals are both fun and anxious. There's none of the pressure of later rehearsals when the show is about to open and you're wondering if it's all going to come together. Rather, it's fun to start to develop a character and have the cast get to know each other. As a director, the early rehearsals are a little strange - I'm always wondering if my blocking on the page is going to translate into something that works on the stage - certainly, changes are made and the actors are allowed to bring their own interpretation of the character into the process.

After Saturday morning's rehearsal with the Munchkins, all of Act One will be blocked - by the end of next week, we'll have blocked all of Act Two and be into reviewing scenes, songs and choreography. On January 24th (prior to the Annual Meeting) we're going to do a "stumble thru" of the whole show to see where we stand on everything, and then we'll start the process of moving the show upstairs.

Right now, the crew is working on painting and creating props and scenery upstairs - they work during the day (for anyone who can come by) but they also have work calls on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights from 6-9 p.m. - come join the fun!