Having been born and raised in the Midwest and attending school in Boston, snow and temperatures below zero are absolutely nothing new to me. However, I was amazed to see this week that Clarksville dropped below the temperature of my hometown in Minnesota! And here I thought I was traveling down South for a more tepid winter, but I guess I’m too eager to hang up my winter coat and kick off my galoshes.
This bizarre weather that has closed schools for most of the week has also unfortunately knocked out a number of school performances of Once Upon a Time. When I was growing up, school was only cancelled if the snowdrifts reached the roof or it was too cold for the garage door to go up and down, but down here, snow is a whole different beast. Thankfully the theatre is able to reschedule those performances in the upcoming weeks. Having no shows in the morning however left more time for us all to work on Ain’t Misbehavin’ and for Travis and I to perfect our spotlight skills. Being a part of the crew for the show has been very fun and a great opportunity to learn more about the technical aspects of theatre. It could also be that I just like wearing the radio with an earpiece to make me look important as I walk around the theatre.
In spite of the snow and cold the show must go on, and the Roxy is doing just that this week, opening a stunning production of Ain’t Misbehavin’. I want to congratulate the cast on a fabulous opening last night! It took a lot of hard work, patience, and focus to make this show as fantastic as it was last night and I am so proud of the cast for all of the hard work they have put forth in bringing these characters to life. Also, bravo to Ryan Bowie for his refreshing reinvention of the world of Ain’t Misbehavin’. It has been awesome to see Ryan’s vision come to fruition, starting as a sketch of the set on a cocktail napkin and blossoming into a beautiful production. So bundle up in your puffiest winter coat and brave the cold to come see this show!
~ Kendall Anne Thompson
