Spring Has Sprung with Great Entertainment – Spring 2022
The theatre season at the Palace Theatre mirrors the New York Broadway theatrical season: July through June. Taking over as Executive Director from the retiring Bev Ford in November, the 2021-2022 season was nearly half over, so I had plenty of time to put together the 2022-2023 season (to be announced in mid-May). Through happenstance and some luck, the second half of the current season presented schedule changes giving us an opportunity to add exciting and diverse offerings to the current season.
Retired Marion pediatrician, Dr. Al May and his wife Ingrid, a retired local teacher, approached me and proposed to sponsor a classical concert in the May Pavilion (which happens to be named after the couple). Working with Warren Hyer of the Central Ohio Symphony, we have put together an afternoon concert on March 26th. Titled “Go for Baroque,” the concert will feature music from the baroque period by Bach, Vivaldi, and Telemann. It is not a coincidence that the concert was scheduled for March 26th, which is within a few days of the birthday of Johann Sebastian Bach.
“Clue on Stage,” based on the popular board game and 1985 film of the same name, will be presented on April 1 and 2 in the main theatre. Directed by Emily Yaksic, the play will feature local talent and is sure to be a crowd favorite. More details are on page 2 of this newsletter.
Two events, not on the original season schedule have been added to April: TV Star Tony Danza brings to the Palace his cabaret-style show, “Stories & Standards” on Saturday, April 23. The same weekend, Sunday, April 24, we are honored to present the US Navy Band Sea Chanters Chorus for an afternoon concert.
Two more events will round out the month of May: BritBeat pays tribute to the Fab Four and delivers an immersive concert experience on May 6 and The Geeze Cats, who describe themselves as “a top-notch, premium quality doo-wop band from Cleveland, Ohio” perform in the May Pavilion on May 20.
June is generally a quiet month at the Palace Theatre, but after seeing the great response we had for Dueling Pianos in February, I hired a former associate of mine from my years as a Cruise Director for Royal Caribbean. “Matt Yee’s Outrageous Adult Sing-Along” will feature Hawaiian-native and cruise ship favorite, Matt Yee for an adults-only bang-up good time June 25 in the May Pavilion.
The shows presented at the theatre would not be possible without the support of our volunteers, members, and sponsors. Sponsoring events this quarter, a big thank you goes out to Dr. Al and Ingrid May (Go For Baroque!), Premier Bank (“Clue on Stage” and BritBeat), Marion Community Foundation Mary H. Hollaway Fund (“Clue on Stage”) and Kathleen O’Shea Fund (Tony Danza), Marion Logistics Services (The Geeze Cats), Y-Men’s Service Club of Marion (Matt Yee), and the Jeff Richmond/Tina Fey Family Foundation (yes, THAT Tina Fey), co-sponsoring BritBeat and Tony Danza. With their financial support, we can provide quality entertainment at reasonable prices. The upcoming 2022-2023 season is chock full of a variety of entertainment and we are seeking sponsors. Please feel free to reach out to me if you are interested in becoming a sponsor and for more information!
Side note, and yes, I am a name-dropper, I know you are wondering how we got Tina Fey to sponsor shows in Marion, Ohio. The answer is quite simple. I went to Kent State and did many college shows with Jeff Richmond. Jeff met Tina Fey when he was the musical director for the Second City Improv Group in Chicago and they eventually married. Generous donors for the Kent State Theatre Department, I approached Jeff with the opportunity to support the performing arts here in Marion, and thankfully they agreed!
I, and the entire staff at the Palace Theatre, hope you thoroughly enjoy the remainder of the 2021-2022 season. Watch out for our mid-May announcement about what’s coming up for 2022-2023!
Kirk