Burst of Music XVII Happening Soon!
Susan Kice
Burst of Music is the performing group of The PebbleCreek Musicians Club. This group was first organized in 2008 by the late Bruce Birnel and has been offering yearly concerts since then.
The Roman Numerals XVII represent the number of years of performances. Quite a record!
Burst of Music shows are never predictable as they have encompassed all types of music to please every taste … from pop, to jazz, to swing, to big band … while spanning the decades.
This year’s Burst of Music will take on a totally different format from past years as it will be combining two different musical groups. The popular band, “The Big Dogs,” lead by Bob Wikstrom, will head up the first half of the program with their own special mix of music through the decades, including Pop, Soul, R&B, and more. They will be followed by award winner “Patti Hall and The Wayward Snowbirds.” Patti is a former winner of Country Music’s Breakthrough Award.
An aside: You might remember the very popular group “PebbleRock.” Coincidentally three of the four former members of that original group are now members of “The Wayward Snowbirds.”
And to add a bit of comedy to round out the show we have the very talented Elysa Luick as Mistress of Ceremonies. You might remember her impressions of Minnie Pearl or Joan Rivers, as well as her numerous appearances with PC Players and ShowTime. Whomever she decides to impersonate will be sure to delight you.
Dave Silverstein/Producer and Steve Jensen/Musical Director are two of the talented gentlemen behind the scenes along with other talented musicians.
You won’t want to miss this one!
Performance dates are Feb. 27, 28, and March 1.
Tickets went on sale Jan. 27. To buy tickets go to pebblecreekhoa.org >Things to do> Ticket Sales> PC Musicians—Burst of Music XVII and follow the prompts.
Reminder—Get to Know Our Resident Performing Arts Groups
Dave Silverstein, Performing Arts Council
The Performing Arts Council is presenting an entertaining event in the Renaissance Theater on Thursday, Feb. 6 at 10 a.m. designed to let you know about the four resident performing groups in our community. Come learn about what they do and how to become a part of them. We are always looking for new talent—singers, dancers, actors, musicians, comedians—as well as tech folks to run sound and lights in the theater. We are also welcoming people interested in working backstage, doing costumes, makeup, set construction, publicity, and ticket sales. This informative event will be followed by cookies and coffee in the Chianti Room, where everyone will have a chance to talk to representatives from the four groups—Showtime, Singers, Players, and Musicians. There will also be information on how to become a sound or light technician. Each of the four groups will have a drawing for a pair of opening night tickets to their spring production. Please RSVP at [email protected].
The cast of “Becky’s New Car” is having great fun making sure their very unique comedy is the best it can be for PebbleCreek during its run, March 11–15. Tickets are on sale online beginning Feb. 3 until sold out for this hilarious and thoughtful comedy that asks you, the audience, to help Becky make some very important decisions.
Join the Laughs as the PC Players Present the Comedy “Becky’s New Car”
Lori Adair
Do you know about Becky’s New Car? I hear it’s a gas! Come see for yourself this March 11 through 15.
Steven Dietz’s comedy will draw PebbleCreekers into housewife Becky Foster’s world as she breaks the fourth wall and interacts directly with the audience when her world is upended after she is mistaken for a widow by a wealthy and eccentric millionaire. This misunderstanding offers Becky a metaphorical “new car” in the form of a chance to reinvent her life, prompting her to explore a thrilling double life she never anticipated. The play that begins as a fast-paced wacky comedy, morphs into a charming and thoughtful drama about commitment and second chances. To quote one critic: “It is a very funny play, but its best moments are its quietest, when the characters break away from the chaos of the plot and deal with one another.” That is a challenge our PC Players actors are up to handling!
Tickets go on sale online Feb. 3 on the HOA website (pebblecreekhoa.org). Go to Things to Do, scroll down to Ticket Sales, and look for PC Players, Becky’s New Car. Click on the ticketing link to choose your date and seats. Tickets beginning in 2025 are $20 each, all fees inclusive. (The Performing Arts Council recently raised pricing for all resident productions, including PC Players shows, beginning in 2025 to account for increased online handling fees and production costs in the theater.) If you have questions or need help with purchasing your ticket(s), please contact Marcia Hall Brown at 505-321-9220 or email her at [email protected].
“Singin’ in the Rain” Promises to Be a Very Special Evening of Theater
Carrie Mataraza
Fans of Singin’ in the Rain have called it a show with “timeless charm and infectious energy,” and add that the musical is “fun, bright and entertaining.” Lucky for PebbleCreekers, ShowTime’s production of the classic musical will be on stage in our theater at 7 p.m. March 31 through April 5, bringing us all the wonderful characters, sparkling comedy, and memorable songs that critics say make it a “masterpiece.”
The plot, set in 1920s Hollywood during the transition of movies from silent pictures to “talkies,” evokes the glamour of old Hollywood with a lovable innocence that underlines the romance and comedy, accented by terrific music and rollicking dance numbers. This musical is just feel-good fun!
Speaking with Director Kathy Mitchell, I asked about her choice for ShowTime’s spring production.
Why did you want to direct Rain for PebbleCreek?
I had the pleasure of performing with Peoria Theater Works production of Singin’ in the Rain for seniors five years ago. It was an abbreviated version of this same show. It was so much fun to be a part of such a classic—a great story with energy, humor, and musicality. I thought it would be a perfect fit for our community.
What were the challenges of bringing it to the PebbleCreek stage?
One of the biggest challenges was to adapt such an iconic musical to the talents of an over 55 community theater. The first thing that comes to mind is Gene Kelly tap dancing in the rain. We don’t have a Gene Kelly and we don’t have a way to make it rain on stage. But the music and energy of the story go beyond our earlier memories of the show. ShowTime can perform this musical, even with such limitations, in a way that is sure to please our audiences.
ShowTime continues to welcome new talent to the community and you can’t go wrong with the gifted members of Dance Fusion under the leadership of Karyn Horst. Also, we are implementing some special technology to use as the audience watches the Monumental Pictures transition from silent films to talkies. Thanks to the talents of Steve Jensen and Frank Datzer, our audience will enjoy unique video segments that highlight the story.
Tickets sales begin March 1, 8 a.m., online at pebblecreekhoa.org. Go to Things to Do. Scroll down to ticket sales. You’ll see Singin’ in the Rain listed so click there to see the day and the seats you want to have. Tickets are $20, inclusive of all fees. VISA and Mastercard are both accepted for payment. If you’d like assistance getting your tickets, please contact JoAnn Smyth at 623-466-8471. She is happy to help people over the phone with their purchases.
The buzz is that Singin’ in the Rain promises to be an early sell-out show, so a bit of advice: if you know the evening you want to see this ShowTime production, get online to reserve your place(s) as soon as you can. Don’t wait or it could be too late! See you in the audience!
PebbleCreek Singers Rehearse for Spring
Diane Piehl
Rehearsals are underway for the PebbleCreek Singers’ spring concert, “Moments to Remember.” Director Jerry Drake asked the singers to share favorite arrangements. When asking 70 folks to share favorites, there may be one or two or 20 depending on how many years a singer has been in the chorus. Then the director and section leaders select from those substantial numbers of suggestions and come up with the spring concert. Bet you are curious by now, but it will be a wait and see. Guaranteed it will be fun and melodic!
The chorus will again be welcoming new singers to the spring concert stage. Anything is possible with the PC Singers because we sing and we love doing that for our community!
If you have ever considered joining the chorus, now is the time to let us know. If you’re interested in being part of the PC Singers, act now. Reach out to Virginia Baker at 623-248-6323 for more details. Be on stage with us for the spring concert.
Mark your calendars for April 24, 25, and 26 to spend an evening of music with the PC Singers. Opening day for ticket sales will be at 8 a.m. on March 24. Watch for more details next month!
Performing Arts Ticket Prices
Laurie Farquhar
It was not an easy decision, but the four performing arts clubs have agreed to increase their ticket price in order to cover rising costs. Starting this month, tickets for any of the performances by PC Players, ShowTime, PC Singers, and PC Musicians will now be $18 plus $2 for service fees, for a total of $20 per ticket—an increase of approximately 20% from the previous cost of $16.50. It will be the first increase in ticket prices since the four clubs started selling online almost 8 years ago.
Among the reasons for price increase is that each club has found their costs have gone up dramatically during the past few years. Service fees charged by the online ticketing system that they all use have gone from just under $1.50 per ticket to almost $2 per ticket. Rents for the storage units used by PC Players and ShowTime to construct sets and store costumes and props have almost doubled. And the cost of leasing plays, musicals, and sheet music has also gone up.
For those not aware, 20% of the gross ticket sales from each club’s performance goes to the Performing Arts Council (PAC), which includes representatives from all four clubs, plus HOA Tech and Activities advisors. That money is used exclusively for projects in the Renaissance Theater. For example, this year PAC funded a new curtain pull system for the front red curtain. Now it is much easier and quicker to open and close the curtain. Since 2015, the performing arts clubs (through PAC) have purchased $182,000 worth of equipment and supplies for our theater and that benefits the whole community.
Our club members love performing for their friends and neighbors here in PebbleCreek. We appreciate your support over the years, and we will continue to strive to provide the highest quality entertainment for our audiences. We look forward to seeing you in the theater in the future.