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Taken
from the alt newsletter, "CURTAIN
CALL"
August 2010
Allen Shankles
Managing/ Artistic Director
I can't believe it, but this issue of Curtain Call announces the opening of our second production of the 2010-2011 ALT season. As you read this, we will probably have just completed our run of A Feminine Ending at the Adventure Space. That was such a fun show to start our season with and I want to thank Jeff Jarnagin and his terrific cast and crew for a fine production.
In just about three weeks, we will be opening what will undoubtedly be the biggest production of our season - South Pacific. Everything about this show is big. It boasts a cast of 34 talented individuals - one of the biggest in recent history. It is also a big show with respect to power and passion of the material. It's hard to believe that this show first premiered in 1949. I am very happy to say that the plot and themes of the show are just as relevant as they have ever been. As our country is currently engaged in two wars and we continue to struggle with the ugliness of prejudice and racism, one could almost believe this show to be a contemporary piece. However, once that terrific musical score fills the auditorium, there is no doubt that this is the classic sound of Rodgers and Hammerstein. With such memorable songs as "Some Enchanted Evening," "This Nearly Was Mine," "There is Nothin' Like a Dame," "Younger Than Springtime" and "Bali Ha'i," this is indeed a musical for the ages. I can't wait to share this show with all of our patrons, many of whom may have seen it several times and others who have never experienced it before. Even though I have seen and even produced the show before, I recently got to see the new Broadway production on tour and it reminded me what a truly brilliant and powerful show this can be. I think our production is going to prove that.
Finally, I want to take a moment to thank everyone who helped us to make the 2009-10 season one of the most successful in our rich history. Not only did we produce over a dozen great productions, we finished the season in the black! This doesn't even include the amazing contribution of $250,000 we received from Maureen Roberts, most of which was used to purchase the parking lot on the north side of our Mainstage facility. I hope this contribution is the genesis for the creation of a new Adventure Space facility on our property sometime in the not so distant future. We are also using some of our profi ts to make a number of important repairs and upgrades to our property. There is more about this in another article in this newsletter. In a recent blog posting, I talked about the wonderful generosity of our patrons. This extraordinary generosity is not limited to money. We have many great volunteers who give much of their time and talent to help us be successful. We are truly blessed. As we move into a new year at ALT, I am counting on all of you to help us produce another successful season.
I look forward to seeing you at the theatre(s).
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