Dear Majestic Volunteers and Patrons,
As we rush through the various phases of Spring in Oregon, we leave behind our amazing winter productions and begin to get get excited for our Spring shows and beyond. As the world around us prepares for the new, so do we with the coming of Play Reading Committee recruitment and Proposal Season!
If you would like to be a member of the the Majestic Play Reading Committee that will choose which mainstage theatre shows we do during the 2019-2020 season, click on this link to get more info and fill out your application. It’s a lot of work, but also a lot of fun and a critical part of bringing the theatrical arts to our community. Be sure to read the application carefully as there are some restrictions governing who can be on the committee. And, as always, if you have any questions you can email me.
The deadline to apply for the PRC is April 23rd, 2018.
Once we have our committee selected, we will move into Proposal season! Starting on May 1st, 2018, folks will begin meeting with me to kick off their proposal submission process. The slots for the 2019-2020 mainstage season are:
The slots for the 2019-2020 Majestic Theatre mainstage season are:
Fall 2019 Mainstage Play Performance Dates: Six performances September 27, 2019 through October 6th, 2019
Fall 2019 Mainstage Musical Performance Dates: Eleven performances November 1st, 2019 through November 17th, 2019 Note: Large Musicals Will Receive Preference (20+ Cast)
Winter 2020 Mainstage Classic/Modern Play Performance Dates: Six performances February 7th, 2020 through February 16th, 2020 Classic/Modern Slot Definition: Plays published prior to 1960; from Aeschylus to Albee.
Spring 2020 Mainstage Play Performance Dates: Six performances April 3rd, 2020 through April 14th, 2020
Spring 2020 Mainstage Musical Performance Dates: 10-12 performances May 3rd, 2020 through May 19th, 2020 Note: Large Musicals Will Receive Preference (20+ Cast)
If you have any questions about the process, email me and we can set up a time to talk. Note: In order to be eligible to propose a show, you must have either directed or been a senior crew member for a mainstage theatre production at the Majestic Theatre since January 2015. If you have any questions about your eligibility, please email me.
Speaking of proposals and upcoming theatre seasons, we have had a change to our 2018-2019 season. The rights for Cinderella, the show chosen by director Johanna Spencer, became unavailable due to a touring production and so Johanna and her team have had to choose another show. They have chosen Into the Woods by James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim for our Spring 2019 musical slot. The production will run May 3rd through May 19th, 2019 and hold auditions in Winter 2018-19. Director Johanna Spencer had this to say about the change: “I chose this musical because I’m never one to shy away from a challenge and I’ve got some great ideas to reimagine this show. I’d love to incorporate some film sequences into the play. The Majestic has great resources to incorporate all kinds of amazing technical stuff to make this show a great one. I also love this show because…Sondheim. Even though the music is sophisticated and challenging, I know we have the talent in the community to pull it off and with such a great musical staff assisting me I believe it’s a show where I will, again, fall in love with the lyrical creativity this show presents. The story is a classic but still relevant and still reminds me that life is about the choices we make. I can’t wait to re-imagine this show in the mid-valley community!”
But we’ve got spectacular shows right around the corner! At the end of this month we’ll be getting set for classic songs and a flying car as Chitty Chitty Bang Bang the Musical takes the stage at the Majestic! With showings May 4th thru May 20th (including our new Saturday matinee times) our volunteers have an amazing show in store for you, based upon the classic Dick Van Dyke film. Get your
tickets now before they sell out!
But of course we have much much more going on in April: the stunning beauty of Willamette Apprentice Ballet, Majestic Science Theatre 3000, our exciting new Ten Tiny Dances event, national touring comedian Ahmed Bahroocha, Nordic Fiddlers, Matt the Electrician, and our exciting Reader’s Theatre production of Shakespeare in Love! Corvallis is the heart of the valley and the Majestic is at the heart of the local arts and culture community with shows across every genre.
Lastly, I would like to thank everyone who testified, wrote emails and letters, and in other ways supported the Majestic Theatre during our permanent operation and levy process. The Majestic Theatre is now officially part of the Corvallis Parks and Recreation department and we have funding secured through June 2019. The next step for our supporters will be in supporting us if our City Councillors decide to make our funding a part of the upcoming levy renewal. You can find more information on the levy process from our local press resources here.
Happy Spring everyone and I hope to see you soon at the Majestic!
Jimbo Ivy
Theatre Supervisor – Corvallis Parks and Recreation Department