Let the season begin at Circle Theatre
Dear Grand Rapids, thanks for making theatre great—and truly about community. This year’s season at Circle includes themes of not just community but also family, self-worth, and love.
Love was in the air this past Friday night at Circle Theatre — not only on stage during the 2017 Season Kickoff one-night only concert of “Anything Goes,” but in the audience and lobby, with old and new friends celebrating the start of Circle’s 65th year.
I would have been in the “new friends” category: earlier this year, I auditioned for Circle’s production of “A Chorus Line.”
A few days after my audition, I got the call: I landed the role of Paul San Marco, a gay Puerto Rican high school dropout with big dreams of performing. Not only did Paul’s story inspire me to audition for the role, but the stories I heard from friends about the community theatre world in Grand Rapids sounded like an amazing community of like-minded individuals.
“Community theatre means that we share it. It belongs to all of us, no matter what our role,” says Noddea Skidmore, Director of Creative and Audience Development at Circle. She has also been on Circle’s stage as a performer numerous times. “Theatre is for everyone, not just those that are in our audiences, but for those that want to be on stage, too.” There was a wonderful sense of camaraderie at the auditions, specifically evidenced when all the performers applauded each other after auditioning. Every person has come to Circle with a different background, a variety of experience levels, and a passion to perform.
Circle’s lineup this season includes a variety of shows that will entertain and inspire any audience member.
“We chose five great shows that go beyond our mission of ‘to enrich, entertain, and educate our community through exceptional theatrical arts in an intimate setting,’” says Skidmore. “We curated a season that had some clear parallels: Family, Community, Self-Worth, Love.” Of note are “A Chorus Line” and “It Shoulda Been You,” two musicals with important narratives about the LGBTQ experience. “A Chorus Line” was written in 1975 and was once the longest-running musical on Broadway with 6,137 performances between 1975 and 1990. “It Shoulda Been You” was written in 2011 when only a handful of states had legalized same-sex marriage.
“I love that this season called for some of the most diverse casting in terms of age, ethnicity, and body type that I’ve seen at Circle in a long time,” says Skidmore. “I’m really proud of that.”
Friday evening’s “Anything Goes” performance was my first time attending any event at Circle, and I was thrilled to see what was in store.
Like any good philanthropic Grand Rapids event, the evening was a proper fundraiser with a silent auction of gift baskets filled with donations from generous local businesses. Skidmore, who organized the evening’s festivities, oversees multiple committees like Special Events, Audience Engagement, and Play Selection. She works closely with the production teams, company members of Circle, and the staff to creatively connect Circle audiences with the work that is presented each season.
“We thought presenting ‘Anything Goes’ as a concert would allow us to showcase the best part of the musical — the music,” says Skidmore. “Who doesn’t love Cole Porter?”
In previous years, the “welcome to the Circle season” annual fundraiser event included “The Music of Queen,” “The Songs and Stories of Harry Chapin,” and “Jesus Christ Superstar in Concert.”
“We’re the only community theatre in Grand Rapids that presents an Audience Choice Ballot where we survey our community to see what they’d like to see on our stage,” says Skidmore. “Each year we present at least one of their choices.”
This year’s concert of “Anything Goes” was a quick two-act presentation of Porter’s musical comedy that brings together a cast of characters aboard a ship bound from New York to London. Accompanied by a band on stage, several performers alternated roles to deliver some of the shows familiar tunes including “You’re the Top,” “It’s De-Lovely,” “Let’s Misbehave,” and of course, “Anything Goes.” In between songs, the hosts of the evening announced the winners of the silent auction and the recipients of several Circle Theatre awards for community participation. The evening’s 11 o’clock number was delivered not by song, but by co-host Mark Ayers, leading a fast-paced live auction which included tickets to the Chicago production of “Hamilton.”
Circle Theatre is one of a full array of theatre companies in my new home of Grand Rapids. Enough, in fact, that a documentary is being created about it. During my auditions for “A Chorus Line,” I was asked to be interviewed by Patrick W. Ziegler for a documentary about community theatre in Grand Rapids. Along with Teresa L. Thome, they are an Emmy-award winning duo who are now the Executive Producers of a project titled “Grand Rapids Community Theatre: The Documentary.”
“Along with area theatres,” says Ziegler, “we are embarking on the creation of a documentary that will accomplish three things: highlight the unique and historic community theatre of Grand Rapids and its impact on West Michigan, showcase the transformational power of community theatre, and demonstrate the significant work it takes to offer what is recognized as some of the best theatre in the country.”
Community theatre, I have discovered, is the best way to describe Circle Theatre.
“On stage, off stage, in the audience, volunteer, even those that are yet to discover the theatre scene,” says Skidmore, “we’re here for you and this is yours!”
Browse Circle Theatre’s 2017 season on their new website where tickets for every show are now available for purchase.
