Picketwire Players - MTI's All Together Now LJCC Interview

Description: The Picketwire Center for Visual and Performing Arts Presents All Together Now! November 12, 13, 14, 2021 in La Junta. (Photo Credit: Megan Crawford)


Published: 11/11/2021
Byline: Hart

Picketwire Players MTI All Together Now

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Picketwire Players - MTI's All Together Now LJCC BLT Interview

Audio from the October 28, 2021 La Junta Chamber of Commerce Business Lunch and Talk Zoom Meeting.

Julie Worley with LJCC Interviews Heather Pidcock-Reed:

Worley:  And now we're going to turn to some events we have in our community. We have Heather Pidcock-Reed who's the secretary of the board of directors for the Picketwire Center for Performing and Visual Arts and she's going to tell us about what's coming up at the Picketwire theater, so Heather?

Pidcock-Reed: Hi. So if you don't know me I'm Heather and I'm on the board of directors at Picketwire and I'm also one of the directors of our upcoming production of MTI's All Together Now. Our other two directors are Tom Seaba and Julie Micklejohn, and All Together Now is kind of a unique musical review that's being offered by Music Theater International or MTI. If you don't know anything about theater, we have to purchase rights to perform shows and MTI is one of big licensing companies for musicals. Since the theater industry was hit hard by Covid shutdowns, most places it's been completely shut down. For instance they're just now in the past few months or so re-opening Broadway.

MTI decided to create this review to celebrate the return of theater and they are offering it for free to any theater or organization that wants to perform it, and it's kind of a really big deal because purchasing a license to perform a show, especially for a musical can get pretty expensive. The show itself is a musical review, it features fifteen songs from different musicals in MTI's catalogue. They gave us a list of song options for each spot, so each theater is sort of able to customize the show a little. 

But what's really kind of unique and cool about the show is it's only available to perform on these specific set of dates, and that is November 12th through the 15th. Picketwire's doing it on the 12th, 13th, and 14th, but theaters all around the world are doing a show just just on those dates, as of October 18th there were, according to MTI's website, 5,500 performances scheduled. With 2,500 participating schools and theaters in 40 plus countries and territories, in all 50 states. 

Picketwire is the only group in Southeastern Colorado performing the show. I think the closest one to us is up in the (Colorado) Springs. We have a cast of about 24 and they all range in age. I think our youngest is five and then we have a couple in their 60's. So we've got a nice mix of Picketwire veterans and new faces, and I always like seeing new faces getting involved in the theater, we also have a fantastic group of dancers from Otero Dance Studio and Kate's Dance Studio, they're kind of forming a little dance company, they're going to be helping out our singers with some really awesome choreography

Our choreographers are Jennifer Jackson and Cynthia Fazio from Otero Dance and Sarah Mahoney and Faith Messer from Kate's. 

Our Music directors and vocal coaches are Dean Rees and Dr. James Lind.

Again, shows are November 12th, 13th, and 14th, that's a Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Friday and Saturday performances are at 7:30pm. The Sunday performance is a matinee at 1:30pm. Tickets are $15. You can get them online starting Monday, November 1st, at picketwireplayers.org/tickets

They'll also be available for purchase at the door on the date of the show starting at 5:30pm for the evening shows and I think it's noon for the matinee. Basically, I just wanted to encourage everyone to come out to the show. Come and support your local community theater and I also always like to encourage people to become patrons. If you're not already, we're a non-profit and our patrons are what keep our doors open. If you're interested in being a patron you can do so on our website picketwireplayers.org/donate

Thank you and if anyone has any questions I'd be happy to answer if I can.

Worley: Isn't the Picketwire Theater one of the longest running community theaters in Colorado?

Pidcock-Reed: Yes, and we're also one of the only, I think we're one of the oldest that owns their own building.

Greg Kolomitz: Picketwire is the only community theater that owns their own building in the state of Colorado.

Worley: The only one? Wow.

Kolomitz: The only one.

Worley: That's Terrific! We have a real jewel here in La Junta with the Picketwire Theater. Well, we thank you Heather for joining us today.

Pidcock-Reed: Thank you.

Read the review of the performance here: Picketwire Players Bring Back Musicals with MTI's All Together Now!

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