Observed on the scene: Footlighters Sande Hemp, Marnos Lelesi, Hower, Joe Margie Her Netherton Jerry Jack port MacFarlane, Lucy Shell Grossman, Terry Marte Marlene Brow, Krantz, Jo Murray, Indicate Lisa Cochrane, Shirley Wild Column: Steven Nottingham, VanDer Lans, by accessory.
The page above refers to a 2018 society column about Musical Theatre West, a long-running regional musical theatre company based in Long Beach, California, and its yearly celebration of Broadway. The event it describes has already taken place, but the tradition behind it says a lot about how regional theatre stays connected to its community.
Annual tribute events of this kind tend to combine a concert of well-known show tunes with a social gathering for supporters. Performers drawn from the company's productions, along with guest artists, sing selections from classic and contemporary musicals. Donors, volunteers and longtime subscribers attend alongside theatre lovers who simply enjoy an evening of familiar songs. For many regional companies, these galas are an important source of funding. The money raised often supports youth education programmes, new productions and the everyday costs of staging full-scale musicals with live orchestras.
The Beverly O'Neill Theater is part of the Long Beach Performing Arts Center, next to the Long Beach Convention Center. It is a mid-sized venue, so audiences sit closer to the stage than they would in a large concert hall. That makes it well suited to cabaret-style tributes and intimate musical productions. The surrounding downtown and waterfront area has restaurants and parking structures, so a show can easily be combined with dinner.
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