BACKSTAGE TO HOLLYWOOD - A NIGHT AT THE MOVIES

A Summit Daily News interview with Christopher Willard (co-director)

How long been doing an annual Labor Day production?  

Since 1997.  The productions have alternated from fully-staged musicals to concert versions to musical revues.  The goal has always been to involve as many local performers as possible.  We're pleased to be featuring 39 local dancers, singers and actors in this production.  We view this show as an annual fundraiser for the theatre.  Proceeds help to provide operational monies for our workshops and children's theatre programs throughout the year.  Many of the performers and staff share their talents for free.  They're putting on a great show, and we'd love people to come out and support them and the theatre.   

So this is the season wrap up?  

This show will conclude our Season in Hollywood.

What are the dates of your season?  

We run November thru September.

How was the season?    

It was a highly successful year.  We broke box office records with our production of A Christmas Story, and the other shows enjoyed better-than-expected audience numbers.  It puts us in a great position for our 39th Season which includes a stunning new version of A Christmas Carol, the East and West coast smash hit, Love, Loss and What I Wore, the hilariously subversive Tony award-winning Avenue Q and the stage version of Disney's Beauty and the Beast.

When does the new season launch and with what show?   

The official launch of the season is November 16 with A Christmas Carol, but we'll be hosting smaller shows that were critical and commercial hits on the front range.  Joey Wishnia's Shakespeare and Me plays Sept. 21-23, and the Miners Alley production of The Belle of Amherst runs Sept. 28-Oct. 6.  Our popular KidsPlay program start up on September 17.

What sets Backstage theatre apart?  

The Backstage Theatre is the oldest year-round theatre on the Western Slope and the most award-winning theatre in Summit County.  It remains the community's theatre, a place where all talent and all skills levels can participate in the theatrical arts.  We are proud to offer shows like Backstage to Hollywood where so many of our talented local performers can get the opportunity to shine onstage. 

Is the official name of the show Backstage to Hollywood: A Night at the Movies?    

Yes.

Can you comment on how this production is made interesting/fun by the large number of community participants?   

What I love about the format is that, because there are so many individual acts, everyone has a chance to be featured in the show.  No one performer gets relegated to the chorus.  Everyone is front and center out there, doing what they love, giving it their all.  It's a wonderful feeling to experience so many people having the times of their lives.  The performers are all excellent, and the show is going to be the highlight of the summer for us - and the audience!