Ready to Learn to Tap Dance?
Dance Fusion performs in last spring’s show, ‘The Addams Family.’ (Photo courtesy of Todd Young.)
Laurie Farquhar
It is never too late to learn to tap dance. Just ask many of the members of Dance Fusion who did not start tapping until they moved to PebbleCreek. For some of them, learning to dance was on their bucket list, but for others, it was something they tried out of curiosity and liked it.
Whether you have always wished you could tap dance or just want to see if it might be fun to learn a few dance steps, PebbleCreek’s resident choreographer Karyn Horst is offering new beginner tap classes, starting in mid-October.
The classes will be designed for anyone who has never danced before or who has not danced since they were very young. There will be good music and lots of laughs as you learn the steps and make new friends. It can be a great addition to your regular exercise program.
For more information about the new classes, please contact Karyn Horst at 623-535-0587.
It has been scientifically proven that dancing is one of the best anti-aging activities. Not only does it improve your balance, but it actually increases your brain’s gray matter. Think of dancing as a possible Fountain of Youth!
ShowTime Celebrates 25 Years
Laurie Farquhar
ShowTime needs your help.
PebbleCreek’s own musical theater company turns 25 next year and to celebrate, it is planning an exciting revue of its greatest moments from the past quarter century. A wide range of singers, actors, and musicians will be needed for this terrific production. Are you interested in being part of it?
Long-time ShowTime members Karyn Horst, Chrissy Bridges, and Nancy Clyne have teamed up to create an extravaganza that they are calling ShowTime—Celebrating 25 Years of Entertainment, and it includes songs, comedy routines, dances, and monologues from more than 40 productions that have been fan favorites over the years. Because ShowTime has produced an amazing collection of shows from traditional musicals such as Damn Yankees and The Music Man to outstanding revues such as Nashville to Vegas and This Land is Your Land, you know the range of selections will cover every genre of music. Think of it as excerpts from the “best of the best.”
Whether you have been in several ShowTime productions or you are new to PebbleCreek, everyone is welcome to audition. All roles are open because Celebrating 25 Years will be a rendition of past performances and not necessarily a reproduction.
The show will run six nights from April 8 to April 13, 2024, but auditions are coming up, on Oct. 30, Nov. 1, and Nov. 2, 2023.
Scheduling an audition time for this show will also be a little different than in the past. The first step is to send an email to [email protected]. You will then receive an Information Letter, which has more details about trying out for the show. In addition, there will be a link for the online Audition Form. Please note, you are welcome to audition for more than one role. Singers can try out for speaking parts; actors can audition as musicians; musicians can go for singing roles. Once you have submitted your application, you will receive the audition material, and someone will call you to schedule your audition time. The deadline for submitting your application is Oct. 9, 2023.
ShowTime—Celebrating 25 Years of Entertainment promises to be a joyous tribute to not only the many terrific productions that PebbleCreek audiences have enjoyed over the years, but also to the countless number of people, both on stage and behind the scenes, who made them possible. There will be lots of laughs as well as a few heart-warming moments. Wouldn’t you like to be part of this celebration?
Labor Day Holiday Hours
Susan Knox Wilson
Here are HOA office and facility hours for the Labor Day holiday:
Activities Office, Administration, Architectural and Landscape Committee Office, and Resident and Guest Services
* Closed Monday, Sept. 4
Community Services Patrol Department
* Office closed Monday, Sept. 4
* Patrollers and main gate greeters on duty
Creative Arts Center
* Regular hours 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Recreation and Fitness
* Tuscany Falls (TF) and Eagle’s Nest (EN) Fitness Center will close early at 5 p.m., Monday, Sept. 4; no aqua class that day.
* TF Studio closed entire weekend (no Saturday or Monday classes)
* The pools will be open during their normal hours.
Golf and all Food and Beverage outlets will operate during their normal hours.
We wish everyone a happy and safe Labor Day.
‘A Play About Nothing’ Tickets on Sale This Month
Stage managers Judi Blankenship (left) and Beth Cunningham (right) getting ready to work backstage in ‘A Play About Nothing.’
Laurie Farquhar
While you are sitting in the audience for PC Players’ fall production, A Play About Nothing, you may get the feeling that you are watching the hit television series Seinfeld, live on stage. Like the TV show, there will be lots of quick funny scenes with quirky characters that appear and disappear in a moment’s notice. It will seem as if the actors, props, and sets move on and off the stage effortlessly. But as easy as this looks, a lot of this could not happen without the tireless efforts of the two stage managers who are backstage orchestrating every move.
Beth Cunningham and Judi Blankenship have worked on several Players productions, so they are familiar with how to run a backstage. But A Play About Nothing has over 50 scenes, which is 10 times the normal number of scenes in a comedy. That means scenes in this show will be very short, and everyone will have to move quickly to keep the action going. How do they plan to do this?
Beth says, “We will use a multiple setting stage design. Each setting will feature three small locales, and the actors will move from one locale to another. The backstage crew will be tasked with changing the three locale settings five times in the first act and five times in the second act. Two crew members will be in charge of the small props, and five additional crew members plus the stage managers will be required to quickly move the larger setting props on and off the stage. There is sure to never be a dull moment!”
Whew! That sounds like a lot of planning, but Judi says it is worth it because this “initial preparation … is going to make it very easy for the director and the crew.”
A Play About Nothing opens Tuesday, Oct. 24 and runs five nights to Saturday, Oct. 28. Tickets go on sale this month, on Saturday, Sept. 23, starting at 8 a.m. All tickets will be sold online on the HOA website at www.pebblecreekhoa.org. You do not need to log into the website. Just click on “Things to Do” and then scroll down to “Ticket Sales.”
All seats are $16.50 each, which includes the service fees. VISA and MasterCard are accepted.
If you need help with purchasing your tickets, please call or text Ticketmaster Yvonne Rodrigues at 408-202-4325, and she will be happy to help you over the phone.
So, while you are in the audience laughing at some of the crazy comments by Jerry, George, Elaine, and Kramer or one of the other eccentric characters, remember that there is a small army of people behind the scenes working tirelessly to make sure that everything flows smoothly and you don’t even notice the changes. Think of it as magic because “now you see it and now you don’t.”
PebbleCreek Singers Are in Rehearsals
Diane Piehl
Can it possibly be that the holiday season is around the corner?! The PC Singers received their concert music Aug. 14, listened to the track as a group, and then the next two weeks broke out into sectionals. The Singers will gather on Sept. 6 to begin full rehearsals. Once again Musical Director Jerry Drake has selected something for everyone. Enjoy the Holiday Spirit will be presented Nov. 29 through Dec. 2. You may just want to mark your calendar.
If you have an interest in joining the Singers’ family and participate in the 2023 holiday concert, there is still time. Our men’s section would like to increase in number by adding additional Tenors, Baritones, and Basses to their section. Sopranos and Altos are encouraged to apply, also.
The application process is simple:
1. Be a PebbleCreek resident.
2. Contact Virginia Baker at 623-248-6323 for more information, or pick up an application form at the club information center located across from the Eagle’s Nest Pro Shop.
Previous choral experience and the ability to read music are advantageous, but not required. Prospective members need to be capable of learning challenging music and memorizing a few songs. Choral tracks (part dominant tracks) are available for each member to aid in learning the voice parts. Music is provided for all performances from the Music Library.
Rehearsals are every Monday afternoon, beginning with section practice from 1 to 2:15 p.m., followed by full-chorus rehearsals from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. The men and the women rehearse separately on alternate Wednesday afternoons from 2:30 to 4 p.m. Regular attendance is very important.