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 Weathervane summers are made of great entertainment, and Season 43 was no exception. A wide range of new and familiar favorites made up the Mainstage rotation: Babes in Arms used John Guare’s well-researched restoration of the Rodgers/Hart musical to its original 1937 version; Motor City Revue offered yet another toe-tapping original by Jacques Stewart in collaboration with Elaina Cope that showcased the AEA talent; All the Great Books, another of the ‘Abridged’ series, every bit as filled with side-splitting laughter as its siblings; Oklahoma! swept audiences westward as it burst onto the stage, every performance a delight; Violet often surprised – and never disappointed – with its beautiful score and bittersweet story; Picasso at the Lapin Agile gave ample opportunity to enjoy the considerable comedic talents of Gibbs Murray and Jacques Stewart in Steve Martin’s thoughtful comedy; and Rent . . . . well, Rent was a production coup, and perhaps the best-selling musical of the last few years (outperformed only by Ragtime in recent history).
But, at the Weathervane, seven shows do not a summer make – there’s always more, and indeed there was. Opening night “Bubble & Squeak” and closing night “Best of” compilations . . . twice weekly Patchwork in the barn and on the road . . . . three weeks of full-time camp for youngsters . . . hosting the WVAA show, our Party Auction, and special receptions on the new deck for donors, volunteers, and company.
 The Season closed with merriment and celebration. The closing night of Rent, we were pleased to present this summer’s BCEFA collection of over $2,000 – our best ever total audiences help raise for this worthy cause.
“Best of 2008” not only showcased scenes and songs of 2008, but also gave us an opportunity to thank some personal ‘bests’ -- the contributions of major business sponsors [Littleton Coin, Presby Environmental, Berlin City Auto, and the Mountain View Grand] and, the incredible hours of volunteer time and the outstanding individuals who gave more than forty hours each [all told, volunteers gave 2,100 hours of support time last year!].
A bitter-but-oh-so-sweet “best’ began with Gibbs’ tribute to a retiring Richard Portner and the standing ovation given Richard and Terry as they joined the 2008 Company onstage. After more than four decades, Richard ‘retirement’ from active duty will give he and Terry some travel time away – ‘tho neither will be far from Weathervane hearts or interests.
Summer was barely over before plans began for Season 44: Lyn Winter retains marketing responsibilities with her new role as managing director. Jacques, Gibbs, Lyn – and the Weathervane Board – are all pursuing the many tasks that lead to next summer. With any number of titles under consideration, the playbill for 2009 already includes The Producers. Updates as available at www.weathervanetheatre.org
Terry and Richard Portner's retirement celebration.
Photos are copyright Mark Winter/Weathervane |
