60 Years in the Making

Don't forget Friday night's premiere of the Civic's documentary. For just $10 (on Sept. 15 at 7:30 pm, on the Civic's Main Stage), you can see still photos of various shows from the 1940s and '50, with voiceovers by some of today's actors (you might recognize a few). Then lots of video from '70s-'90s shows. Betty, Alice, Margot, Dorothy, Homer -- many more, and you get a strong sense that whatever we do today at that theater, we're standing on the shoulders of giants.

You hear from the only three artistic directors the Civic has ever had. You get Marilyn and Susan at the airport after winning nationals. Janice, looking great -- I mean, so many people have devoted so much time ... And Tom and Troy in the legendary production of "Lonely Planet."

Melody Deatherage is prominent in all the *Music Man* footage, from auditions to callbacks to dance rehearsals to costume sewing to interviews with Danae Lowman and Michael Rhodes and on up to opening night -- all used as a framing device and reinforcing the idea that the Civic is still lively.

Philip Sondericker did a wonderful job -- clearly, the target audience are longtimers at the Civic, but this is clearly the kind of video you could show to non-theatrical Muggles and to theater folks from other cities and be proud of. So go see it.