Looking Back on the Dec 5-6 Holiday Dinner Theater Shows

This year’s holiday shows were a great success in lots of ways including great singing, a great mix of new music for our audiences (including a sneak preview of “Thriller”), new fund raising efforts, a huge silent auction extension of our online auction, great team work by all chorus members and their families and the FRIENDS OF HARMONY, a sold out show for all three performances including an extra table for a two shows, many fun costumes, and some great laughs.

 

There were a lot of former Harmonizers in our audiences and there was a great tribute to our friend Roger Day in memory of his efforts to help us get into the holiday spirit over the years.

 

The chorus worked almost all week on the show with Tuesday nite rehearsal at First Baptist, tech nite, dress rehearsal, all day Thursday to decorate and convert the church hall into Santa’s workshop, and then Friday nite at 7:30, Saturday afternoon at 1 and Saturday nite at 6 for the shows. 

 

At  the shows, we did the usual warm ups with Tony, Will, Reed Livergood and Joe.  Joe took some extra time to help us all rediscover the meaning/story behind some of our holiday songs that helped us give them a fresh performance.

 

Here is the thank you note sent recently from show chairmen Josh Roots and Scipio Garling that gives a great summary of how many team players it took to make the show weekend go!

 

“Josh and I would like to thank all of you for the time and effort you put into making this year's holiday show the best ever as well as a delightful experience for us, the participants, and the audience.

 

• The ultra-competent Production Triumvirate of Nick Leiserson (Producer), Christina Ammerman (Stage Manager) and Robyn Murane (House Manager), upon whom everything relied and who made the show run so freakishly smoothly;
• Our hilarious principals Terry Reynolds as the incomparable Jack-in-the-Box, Tony Colosimo as Cousin Juan-in-the-Box, and Nick Leiserson as Johann Sebastian Box;
• our masterful musical directors at the show, Joe Cerutti, Tony Colosimo, Mike Kelly, and Terry Reynolds; TBD director Tom Kraus; and Choreography Carlos Barillo;
• our adorable bit-players/cousins, Troy Hillier, Amy Roots, Dave Kohls, Kellen Hertz, Todd Ryktarsyk, Jeremy Richardson. Peelee Clark, and Hawaiian Cup Girls Diane Halick, Kristen Halick, and Elizabeth Ryktarsyk;
• our able tech crew (Master Carpenter Doug White, Mike Kelly and Dennis Ritchey on Sound, Dixie Kennet and Chris Buechler on Lights, Joia Hertz on Videography, Tena Branstetter on Photography, and Noah Van Gilder on Programs);
• the efficient outgoing and incoming Ops VPs, Bob Blair and Todd Ryktarsyk on Strike;
• our Auction Masters Brad Jones, Randall Eliason, and their crew, as well as Major Donator Steve Sutton;
• our welcoming Head Usher Bob Rhome and all the Ushers;
• our efficient Head Waiter Randall Eliason, his Table Captains, and all the Waiters;
• Kitchen Masters Janet and Joe Cerutti Sr (with special guest start Gary Plaag) and their Kitchen Crew;
• confident Chorus Manager Mark Klostermeyer:
• sweet Cookiemonsters Jack Pitzer and Kevin Kaiser;
• Truckmaster Bob Blair for hauling everything in the world;
• Sandy Stamps and the entire FRIENDS IN HARMONY for the many roles they played;
• our entertaining guest performers Word of Mouth and Bruce Minnick as Santa Claus;
• The 12 Days Quartets and TBD;
• Ever-cool Ticketmaster Ian Poulin and the brave Will Call Crew;
• The inspired Decorating Team;
• charming Greeters Shawn Tallant, Clyde Crusenberry, and Brian Ammerman;
• Eleemosynary donation masters Alan Wile and Jeremy Richardson with their Square Crew;
• The board members whose generous contributions made our wildly successful Matching Grant Program possible.
• The singers of the chorus, who are the centerpiece of our holiday tableau.

Truly, it is great to be a Harmonizer!   Scipio Garling and Josh Roots

 

So that is a wrap up of another great Harmonizer holiday show weekend.

 

Until next time – editorjack!

(This message is prepared for your review if you were there, for your information if you had to miss, and as a historical record of the great things going on each week during the 66^th year of the Alexandria Harmonizer Chapter. —YeEd.