2008: Vol. 21, No. 1
Summer 2008
Volume 21, Number 1
From the President:
Dear Friends
Summer is here and with summer comes the time to get things going on the fall musical. Auditions were held for Annie Get Your Gun, the show has been cast, and rehearsals have been ongoing for both the cast and orchestra. Work on the sets, costumes, and props has also begun. We still could use some people to help back stage, so if you’re looking for a way to get involved, please contact a member of the board and we will find a place to plug you in.
So far, this year has been busy with the Players Board putting together a USO Show which was held at the American Legion in Lake Linden in April, and again at the Calumet Theatre in July. Thanks to Carole Baranowski and all who took part in and worked on a very successful show.
Work on the Players Building has begun, funded in part by the façade grant we received through Calumet Township. We received a $15,000 grant that had to be matched dollar for dollar, and we were allowed to spend the matching dollars on interior projects, so we now have lighting on the second floor of the building. Between now and the end of September, the windows on the second floor facing 6th street will be replaced, the piece of missing cornice on the front corner of the building will be replaced, a new exit door will be installed on the back of the building, and crash bars will be put on both the back and front doors for easy exit in case of an emergency. Although we have raised some of the money to meet the match, donations toward the project are still being solicited -- so if you have not already sent in your annual donation to the players now would be a great time to do so!
We were also very pleased to hear that the Players grant application through the Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs mini-grant program was approved in the amount of $4,000 to help defray the costs of the fall musical. As you read along in this newsletter you will find out why this mini-grant program is so important.
Well, I could go on, but I guess you can see that we have been keeping busy. I’m looking forward to seeing you at Annie Get Your Gun on September 12th, 13th, 18th, 19th, or 20th.
Dennis Racine, President
Annie Get Your Gun...
Based loosely on the true life story of "Little Sure Shot" Annie Oakley, Annie Get Your Gun follows an Ohio farm girl as she finds fame and fortune (and yes, love) in the wonderful world of Show Business...the business that’s like no business we know!! The show features a cast of 38 actors and actresses, an orchestra of 10, and an outstanding production crew from all across the Copper Country.
This is a great musical….it includes many memorable songs such as "There’s No Business Like Show Business", "Anything You Can Do", "Doing What Comes Natur’lly", and "You Can’t Get Man With A Gun". Tickets are $15.00 each and are on sale now . They can be reserved at the Calumet Theater Box Office by calling 337-2610. With Irving Berlin’s classic score and some terrific production numbers, Annie Get Your Gun will undoubtedly be an evening of sure-fire fun for the entire family!
A Brief Editorial
by Sara Perfetti, Newsletter Editor
The Cost of Putting on a Musical...
I have often heard the questions….why do theatre tickets cost so much? Why does it cost the same amount for my children as it does for me? Why don’t you have a senior-citizens rate for tickets? The answer is simple…producing a Broadway-style musical costs more than producing a traditional play.
If you were to look at the cost of putting on the annual Calumet Players fall musical (or any musical for that matter) you would be in for a surprise. Costumes, make-up, backdrop rentals, props, set construction, royalties, rental of scripts and music, lighting, sound, and theatre rental all take up a large portion of the budget. The biggest cost of a musical is the royalties. It can cost anywhere from $3,000 - $6,000 to put on a show and you need to remember that the newer the show, the more expensive the royalties. Rental fees for scripts and orchestra music adds anywhere from $500 - $800 a show. Once you add in the theatre rental and backdrop rental (the fees for backdrops are typically by drop and rented by the week) you can see that there is the potential to put on a show, with just these 4 expenditures, that can have costs ranging from $15,000 - $20,000.!
Depending on the show, there can also be some unexpected costs that pop up. Costume rental, for example, can change from year to year. Many times we can find costumes locally, either people have them at home or they are in the Calumet Players costume room. Every once in a while, a show comes along where you have to rent specific costumes because it may need to look a certain way, or we just don’t have the time, knowledge, or materials needed to make them. Also keep in mind that while we have many volunteer seamstresses involved in our organization, the materials needed to make new costume; material, thread, etc… can cost quite a bit of money. Theatre make-up, set construction (wood is not cheap), props, lights, sound equipment (batteries are not cheap either)...all of these combined can put the cost of putting on a show well over the $15,000 already mentioned.
I realize that ticket prices seem to be going up every year, but might I remind you that if you were to go to the movie theatre, either by yourself or with a loved one, you can easily end up spending well over $15.00 per person (depending on, of course, whether or not you get some munchies).
Well, I hope I have been informative about the expenditures that go into producing a musical and that the next time you go to the box office and have to pay $15.00 for a ticket to see the annual fall musical, you’ll know that you got your money’s worth!
Annual Fall Raffle
The Calumet Players fall raffle will take place on Saturday, September 20th during the intermission of the final Annie Get Your Gun performance. The prizes include:
1st Prize - Accommodations for 2 at the Country Inn and Suites in Marquette, Michigan and a $50.00 gift certificate for the Casa Calabria Restaurant in Marquette.
2nd Prize - A one night stay at the Laurium Manor Inn in Laurium.
3rd Prize - $25.00 Gift Certificate for the Loading Zone II Restaurant in Lake Linden.
4th Prize - $25.00 Gift Certificate from Calumet Floral and Gift.
Tickets Courtesy of Range Bank of Calumet, Lake Linden, and Houghton. They are $1.00 each and are available from any member of the Calumet Players Board or the cast and crew of Annie Get Your Gun. You do not need to be present to win.
You know you work in Community Theatre if...
you've ever appeared on stage wearing your own clothes.
you can find a prop in the prop room that hasn't seen the light of day in ten years, but you don't know where your own vacuum cleaner is.
you have a Frequent Shopper Card at The Salvation Army.
you've ever appeared in a show where tech week is devoted to getting the running time under four and a half hours.
your children have ever begged you not to buy them any more Happy Meals.
you've ever appeared in a show where the cast outnumbered the audience.
you've ever played the father of someone your father's age.
your kids know your lines better than you do.
your kids DELIVER your lines better than you do.
you've ever appeared on stage with people you're related to.
the set designer has ever told you not to walk on the left half of the stage because the floor's still wet-five minutes before curtain.
you've ever been told that the reason your director has no eyebrows is because he was in charge of special effects for the last show.
Excerpt from: The Community Theater Green Room on Larry Starks Theatre Mirror (Found at www.winterportopenstage.com go to "The green room" and click on theatre jokes)