On Friday evening at 6 p.m. members of our community were given the distinct pleasure to witness the culmination of the Karrh Center’s first summer theater camp. Campers presented a number of musical and verbal presentations making up a potpourri of some of Broadway’s most famous and popular musical numbers.
Before the house lights were dimmed, Cole Rodgers played a live prelude on the electronic keyboard. It brought back memories of being at the Fox Theater in Atlanta. Simply an amazing and unexpected touch!
In yet another surprise offering, for the first number from Thoroughly Modern Millie, Leia Davidson performed a solo number “Not for the Life of Me”. It serves as Millie’s want song right after she arrives from a rural farming community of Salina, Kansas.
Not unlike Salina, Kansas, Swainsboro might someday see some of its own very talented campers one day perform on the Great White Way - a nickname for Broadway due to its early adoption of electric lights. In our version, the Amazing Green Way (for the Karrh Center’s location on North Green Street), also showed amazing talent, bravery and heart from the very first number to its last. An entire show, prepared, practiced and performed in just one week of Summer Camp! Unbelievable!
There were numbers from Oklahoma (Oh What a Beautiful Morning), Annie Get Your Gun (Anything You Can Do), Annie (It’s a Hard Knock Life), Phantom of the Opera (Theme), Rent (525,600 Minutes) Wicked (What Is This Feeling), Spiderman Turn off the Dark, Hamilton (My Shot), and Mean Girls (Meet the Plastics/I see Stars) as well as a running narrative of the history of Broadway through the years..
Cast members included Brooklyn Baker, Beaux Baker, Amastin Beggs, Margot Boatwright, Birdie Clark, Scout Clark, Chloe Clark, Jovi Davidson, Leia Davidson, Ivy Hall, Isabella Jenkins, Cavan Kelly, Breckin Kelly, Aisling Kelly, Micaiah Meadows, Micah Meadows, Hazel Rogers, Lyrik Way and Imogen Way.
The camp lasted for only one week (Monday - Friday) and included preparation for the stage show giving campers insights to all aspects of the same from back of house, front of house and all the support functions (sound, scripting, writing, lighting, effects, costumes and stage prep) to support an effort of this magnitude. It was and will continue to be a wonderful opportunity to explore another side of Emanuel County’s host of talents in its citizens. As was sung in the Mean Girls tribute -” I see stars”!
A special thanks to the Mill Creek Foundation for its ongoing efforts to improve our community and the lives of its citizens, to the Karrh Center staff, Ms. Tarrlynn, Ms. Dani, Ms. Ziah, Mr. Ronnie, the camp director, Ms. Angela Rogers and her son Cole, the camp art director, Ms. Julie Busby and of course Michael Harden, the managing director of the Karrh Center.
As a reminder, community wide auditions for our Community Theater’s Presentation of “Snow White” begin this week. In addition to performers, support positions will also be required. See the Karrh Center’s Facebook page or internet pages for further information.
Also, did you know that the first movie played at the Karrh Center was “Wicked” last Thanksgiving…and that we included a homage to the same in our Broadway Kids show?
Please be reminded there are still four more events in this season’s live event offerings, with the next being the 27th of this month, and that season tickets can still be purchased. Contact (478) 419-1308 or stop by the Karrh Center, 107 North Green Street in Swainsboro.
To see current and upcoming movies visit https://karrhcenter.com/movies/ or to make donations to help support our community arts theater and center https://www.gofundme.com/f/the-historic-dixie-theatre.
