Associate-VP All Washed Up…

Clint Rice, husband of the late HCT founder Sally Hale-Rice, and Associate Vice-President, Development is all washed up. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying he isn’t working hard for Hale Centre Theatre or that he might be leaving for his favorite state of Montana – instead, he was in quite a state last week when the team here had our monthly ‘work’ day. Funny to say we only work once a month, but we relish in the chance to step away from our desks or sewing machines or power tools to work as a team to keep the building beautiful by completing the tasks that aren’t always attended to. Clint got one of those assignments.

Clint spent several hours of the morning gathering our more than two dozen large size garbage cans and taking them out back to give them a serious cleaning. As Murphy’s Law required, not more than a few minutes after really going after it, the skies opened up and Clint was suddenly all wet. Though he had soaked his pant legs and dampened his shirt with power-spray backwash, he quickly found himself all washed up.

That’s why I love Clint and that’s why I love Hale. Clint is one example of a score of people that come in every day determined to do what’s best for HCT and our community of actors, technicians and patrons. It would have been so easy to quit his assigned task because, first – it was a lousy straw to draw, second – he was not cleaning without a certain amount of fallout from the sticky innards of said cans and then to keep at it in a downpour….all I can say is….”Bravo!”

Luckily, we didn’t lose Clint down a storm drain or to any 80’s State Street style flash flood. He joined us at lunch, wet and cold to the bone and with a smile on his face. So, next time you come to enjoy yourself at a wonderful play, we hope you notice the care taken to make the environment as great as the performance, and hope you remember Clint Rice and that his role in soliciting monetary donations to support the theatre is backed up by his true devotion to you and HCT. I’m sure Sally and Grandma are so proud!

Now What’s the Name of That Show?

The box office keeps a list of the funniest things they hear people say. Many times we have people who just can’t quite remember the name of the show. Here are a few choice samples from way back when (1998 & 1999):

For Man With the Pointed Toes we had – Man With The Pointed Head, Man With the Pointed Shoes, Man With the Painted Toes, Man With the Pointed Nose, The Man With the Pointy Toes, Man With the Pointed Toenails, Man With the Pointed Toys, The Man With the Planted Toes, The Man With the Crooked Toe,  and Point Your Toes

For Arsenic & Old Lace we had – Arsenic & Old Ladies and Sugar & Spice

For The Curious Savage – War of the Savages

For Thank You Papa – I Remember Mama, Papa Don’t Preach, What About Papa, Papa & Mama, Leave it to Papa and That Papa Show

For Sabrina Fair – Scream Affair, The Green Affair, Spring Affair, The Freedom Fair, Fair Girl, Simply Fair, Sabrina Affair and Simply Not There

For She Loves Me – She Bugs Me

For The Happiest Millionaire – The Half-Used Millionaire

For The Foreigner – The Immigrant, The Stranger and Are They All Foreigners?

For The Educated Heart – The Agitated Heart

The King of them all was Forever Plaid – Whatever Plaid, Fever Plaid, Blue Plaid, Forever Plaque, Rubber What?, Silver Cloud, Forever Clod, Summer Plaid, Forever Gingham, Truly Plaid, River Platt, Men in Plaid, The Color Plaid, Silver Pad, Forever Proud, Just Plaid, Forever Plus, Rebel Flag, Checkers, The Far Plaids, Forever Glad, Forever Flat and November Plaid.

Announcing HCT’s 2011 Season

We are excited to announce our lineup for the 2011 season!

“Born Yesterday” Dec. 31, 2010 – Feb. 5, 2011

Launching the 2011 season is Garson Kanin’s comedy classic of romance, payola, trickery and hilarity run amok. The Tony Award-winning Broadway hit follows how a wealthy junk dealer works to weasel his way into a little congressional payback.

“A Tale of Two Cities” Feb. 16 – April 9, 2011 Regional Premiere

The sweeping retelling of Charles Dickens’ masterpiece is set during the French Revolutionary War and features a French aristocrat attempting to escape a scandalous heritage. He flees to England and falls in love, but his past torments his future. The production’s music, book and lyrics are by Jill Santoriello.

“The Hasty Heart” April 16 – May 28, 2011

Hale Centre Theatre brings John Patrick’s world-class story to Salt Lake City. “The Hasty Heart” is set in a World War II hospital with the entire cast trying to cajole a cantankerous Scotsman.

“Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” June 7 – July 23, 2011

Winner of 11 Tony Awards and 10 Drama Desk Awards, “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” is a fresh, new musical by Jeffrey Lane and David Yazbek. The production is adapted from the popular 1988 movie.

“Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” Aug. 2 – Sept. 24, 2011

HCT brings back the popular musical, which it last performed in 2002. “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” which has received seven Tony Award nominations, follows Joseph’s rise from slavery to fame and fortune in Egypt, while touchingly featuring brotherhood, love and devotion. Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber bring the biblical tale to life with charm and brilliant coloring.

“My Fair Lady” Oct. 4 – Nov. 26, 2011

This winner of 6 Tony Awards written by Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe is considered one of the greatest works of American musical theatre. Eliza Doolittle, an ignorant, common flower girl blossoms into a glorious rose under the tutelage of one Professor Higgins. The time-honored score includes “On the Street Where You Live,” “With a Little Bit of Luck,” “Get Me to the Church on Time,” “I’ve Grown Accustomed to Your Face” and “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly?”

“A Christmas Carol” Dec. 3 – Dec. 23, 2011

HCT’s nationally acclaimed Christmas tradition, adapted by Richard Wilkins and Barlow Bradford, is now in its 27th year. Marley’s Ghost reminds the stingy mercenary, Ebenezer Scrooge, that “mankind should be his business.” Dickens’ carol of redemption seeks to reclaim Scrooge’s heart.

Season tickets go on sale soon to current season tickets holders. Individual tickets and season tickets go on sale to the general public on August 1st. We look forward to seeing you at the theatre!!