Securing Everyone's John Hancock

If you have been to the theatre before you must have walked through the lobby and had a chance to see all of our lobby posters.  We create a poster for just about every show that just lists the date and time of the show, hoping to get people who are already in the theatre to come back to see another performance.

What many of you may not know is that these posters serve a second purpose.  As we approach our 5-year anniversary we have been brainstorming ideas on how to make the year truly spectacular for our patrons.  One thing that is in the works is an auction of autographed lobby posters.

Before each show, I sneak upstairs to pull the lobby poster down from it's frame and I sneak behind the curtain.  In the green room backstage we have three frames - each holds a season poster which has already been signed by some great stars - including Brian Regan, Jodi Picoult, and Peter Frampton, to name a few.  For the Broadway shows, the season posters are replaced with three copies of the lobby poster and each cast member has a chance to sign it!  For non Broadway shows we ask the artist to sign the season poster and their individual lobby poster.

By the end of this season we will have over 30 acts who have signed the season poster, three copies of each Broadway tour poster signed by the entire cast, and many other singular lobby posters signed by their featured act.  Tonight is Hugh Masekela, world renowned trumpeter and political activist.  I just brought up his lobby poster to be signed tonight!

I will keep you posted as we determine exactly how each of our posters will be auctioned or raffled off.  All proceeds from the auction/raffle will go directly to maintaining the theatre so that we may remain a cultural establishment for many years to come.

Sneak Peek

Happy Friday!!  Today I thought it would be cool if I could share a sneak peek of what is about to be delivered to your house (that is, if you have opted in to receive our mail)... It's our annual Winter Brochure

The theme this year is travel!  We want to take you on an adventure of a lifetime.  This year we chose to highlight some of the more exotic acts like Recycled Percussion and Jack Hanna's Into the Wild!  And we kept some of the standard favorites in there too - Dr. Maya Angelou and Bill Cosby round out the bunch!

Keep an eye out for Hugh Masekela's wide spread arms in your mailbox so that you can learn all about the great line up we have.  

And in case you were wondering - which I know you are - we mail 100,000 brochures out every time we do a mailing. And we distribute another 15,000 throughout Worcester County with the help of our Street Team.

If you know someone who likes to drive around and pass out materials all while making a little money doing it, have them email marketing@thehanovertheatre.org to inquire about Street Team position openings.  With our exotic acts coming fast we will be using the street team more than ever.

Speaking of our exotic show list - have you had a chance to check out the video of Recycled Percussion?  I have never been a huge fan of America's Got Talent, but I do watch the show on occasion, and I distinctly remember seeing the group rock out!  If you haven't seen the video yet, turn up the volume and check them out.  They have a similar act to the Blue Man Group, but they do it all with "junk" and they don't paint their faces.

In Case You Missed it...

If you have ever seen a Broadway show at The Hanover Theatre, you know that our ticket-takers always are dressed to impress!  Since the opening of the theatre Meghan Patrick, Operations Manager, has done a great job of outfitting our volunteers with the best costumes to reflect the nature of each show.  For Peter Pan the ticket-takers wore pajamas, for Young Frankenstein they wore Frankenstein masks, and for Mamma Mia they were decked out in the best 70's gear!

I love going upstairs (the theatre offices are all located in the theatre basement) on a Broadway show night and seeing what the volunteers will be dressed as.  For Rock of Ages I was very curious to see with Meghan would come up with.  It could be anything - grungy jean jackets, leather, tie-dye... but no, their costumes were WAY better than just a leather jacket!

If you did see Rock of Ages then you already know how great the volunteers looked, but if you missed out here are a couple shots to illustrate the brilliant costume choice!

Photo Credit - Charlene Baron

Photo Credit - Charlene Baron

Photo Credit - Charlene Baron

Photo Credit - Nadia Naco

Photo Credit - Nadia Naco

Bodacious Bracelets!

Time for some 80's nostalgia!!


Hopefully by this point you have heard that Rock of Ages is coming to The Hanover Theatre!  As a matter of fact, the opening night is THIS Friday!


As a special treat for all of you 80's music fans out there, we have coordinated an 80's Karaoke Contest at both The Lucky Dog in Worcester and The Celtic Tavern in Northborough.  Each contest will have one winner who recieves two tickets to opening night of Rock of Ages, cast party passes to the post show party at Ceres Bistro & the soundtrack to the show.  It's a pretty sweet prize just for getting on stage and singing a classic 80's tune.


I happen to LOVE karaoke so I am especially sad that I cannot enter to win in this contest - after all, it probably wouldn't be fair for a theatre employee to enter a theatre contest...  But I will still be their to cheer on our contestants.


Perhaps what I am most excited for at these two karaoke nights is the special gift we have for all participants and audience members.  I should probably let this remain a surprise, but I can't contain myself given the fact that the gift is so totally 80's!  We got Rock of Ages SLAP BRACELETS.


Thats right - those bands that were banned from schools, that you spent hours slapping and straightening out all over again, that never loose their shape no matter how many times you slap them!  I literally have been slapping one every moment my hand is not typing on the keyboard.  They are so addictive and fun, but most importantly they are so totally tubular and awesomely rad!


So get your 80's on at our karaoke nights.  Even if you don't want to get on stage and sing, come out and have a good time slapping your band all night long!


Check out the promotion section of our home page to get full details on the contest!


January 25, 2012 at 8:30pm
Lucky Dog Music Hall- 89 Green St, Worcester
(21+ venue, requiring valid photo ID)


January 26, 2012 at 9:30pm
Celtic Tavern- 45 Belmont St, Northborough

PS  Just in case you missed out on this fabulous fad of the 80's here is a picture of a slap bracelet. I was going to post an image of our slap bands but there has to be some element of surprise with this gift.  

20,000 Envelopes

As many people know The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts is a non-profit organization, depending on the generosity of many to build, run and maintain the theatre.  The theatre relies on the membership, annual campaign contributions and corporate sponsorships to sustain operations and ensure success.  Long story short: without raising money to run the theatre- I wouldn't have the job I have today, which is why our annual campaign is so important to me.


Our mission at the theatre is to foster a love and appreciation for the performing arts in audiences of today and tomorrow.  I have always been a theatre lover, since the first time I was on stage, but I was never afforded the opportunity to see real Broadway caliber theatre until much older.  Each time I see a show, the spark I used to get on stage reignites, and I love knowing that the theatre mission is to help spread that joy to others.

The theatre supports this mission directly with our annual Access to the Arts fund.  The Access to the Arts fund supports many programs including the internship program which takes on at least four local college students each year and the motivational speaker program which brought in Erin Gruwell (Inspiration for the film, The Freedom Writers) to speak to Worcester Public School Students.  It also funds the donation of 1,500 tickets to A Christmas Carol every year to kids and families in partnership with the United Way.


With all of that said, one of the main components of this campaign is to raise awareness of where the donation dollars go to and ask for a donation for the next year's operations.  This includes writing a personalized letter to current members and past donators, mailed with an informational rack card and a theatre-addressed envelope.  


One might think this is a small task, but it is a lot more complex than I had ever imagined.  I have been involved with this mailer since the very beginning and I am responsible for much of the design of the piece.  This is a small task for a single printed piece, but when it is being mailed to such a large list - the stakes are much higher.  


Now, most of the letters never actually make it to the theatre, the get printed and mailed from the mail house, but the envelopes and rack cards on the other hand are sent to the theatre as only a portion of that supply needs to go to the printer... In today's case, the envelopes were delivered: 20,000 of them.  That is a TON of envelopes.


I am happy to say 10,000 of the envelopes will be mailed out in the next few weeks, while another 10,000 will be distributed at both Rock of Ages and Shrek the Musical.  So the supply closet will empty our quickly.  In the mean time its a tight fit for all of our promotional materials and stationaries.

Need a Good Laugh?

So as promised, I finally got (part of) the video of me flying with Peter Pan!  This is only the second half of my flying experience.


You'll notice there is a lot of me holding onto my chest - I literally was out of breath at this point, partly from screaming but also from trying to keep my composure.  If you just want to laugh, skip to the :27 second mark - that is where the biggest scream takes place and it will give you a good idea of why I was holding onto my chest.


I wish I had the entire video to show you, but due to technical difficulties of emailing large files I haven't been able to receive the first half - which includes the entire cast and crew laughing at my screaming!


Enjoy!

The Gingerbread Man Comes to Town

The Hanover Theatre Gingerbread Man

Oh the weather outside is... well, actually quite warm.  But you wouldn't know that looking around The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts.  If you made it out for The Nutcracker this holiday weekend you already know we have decked all of our halls.  If not, here is a taste (yes, pun on words) of what The Hanover Theatre has in store for you.  Nutcrackers, Christmas trees, and Gingerbread Men are all around, thanks to the hard work of Operations Manager, Meghan Patrick & her team of steadfast volunteers.

I didn't want to bog down this blog with too many pictures, though with all of the theatre's decorations - I could have... But I did include two shots of my favorite edible decoration.  Meet Gingy!  No, he's not the same lovable cookie from Shrek, that gingerbread man will be coming later in February 2012.  Gingy was delivered today by the fine folks at Hanover Insurance.  In case you were wondering, he is 100% edible.  With donuts on his hat, crushed oreo cookies for hands, beautifully crafted hard candy buttons & eyes, and candy cane trim, Gingy is larger than life and I'm told he's just as tasty!

I couldn't resist taking a picture of him today.  Then, box office assistant manager, Brendan Donnellan, was kind enough to come out of his box to take a picture of myself, marketing specialist, Laurie Carr & office manager, Stacey Leigh O'Dell posing with Gingy as well.





The Hanover Theatre Ladies & The Gingerbread Man

I can't blaim you if you are dying to take your picture with Gingy too!  Take the opportunity to see a wonderful holdiay show this week and get your picture with Gingy, the Giant Gingerbread Man.  In just the next six days you have the option of The Christmas Music of Mannheim Steamroller on 12/1, Diane Kelly's Holiday Spectacular on 12/2, Warren Miller's Like Theres No Tomorrow on 12/3 or Sister's Christmas Catechism on 12/4

Hope to see you there!







Flying with Cathy Rigby

So, as promised, I have something really fun to share this week.  In preparation for Peter Pan we ran a contest on a local TV station, where the winner got tickets to the show & the chance to fly with Cathy Rigby - yes folks, Peter Pan, herself!!! Its a pretty sweet contest, and as an added bonus, myself and one lucky reporter from the Telegram & Gazette also got the chance to fly!


I have to say, never in my WILDEST dreams did I think I would ever take flight, but today (with a blizzard underway) things are a bit out of the normal, so I suppose flying isn't so far fetched.


Let me start from the beginning, our enthusiastic reporter arrived at the theatre first, so he was first to get hooked up for flight

 

As Shawn was strapped in, the tour's Flyman told us that on average Cathy flies at about 20-25 mph, but we would only be flying 10-15 mph.  I also found out (to put things in perspective) the troublesome Broadway show, Spiderman, has him flying at almost 50 mph!  Based on my experience flying - I can say 15 mph is FAST ENOUGH!

One of the best parts of flying, is that to fly - you MUST be sprinkled with some fairy dust :)  So before each flight Cathy made each flyer grab a handful of dust for themselves and then proceded to work her magic by showering us with dust & away we went!

As Shawn went flying through the air, occasionally screaming with fear joy, I became more and more eager for my flight.  And after he was lowered to the ground Cathy looked at me with a mischievous smile, she said, "Your next!"

So, I was strapped in, and let me tell you:  I have a HUGE admiration for Cathy, and the three children who fly during the show... The harness is EXTREMLY uncomfortable, and has to be SUPER tight to be safe.  Quite frankly it was hard to even walk in it, and yet the cast made it look effortless.   The fact that Peter Pan does summersaults, jumps, runs, and sings while wearing the harness is amazing

The key to flying, I learned, is arching your back backwards and pointing your toes... Which sounds really easy in theory... but as I found out, flying is extremely strenuous, you have to work hard to stay aimed at the crowd because gravity just wants you to spin around in the air.

I flew around quite a bit - they did a couple drops for me, which is where they take you really high and let go of the rope for a second so you drop really fast. It made my heart jump when they did it the first time with no warning, but I screamed and then told him - Yah, do it again!

The entire experience was so great. It gave me a whole new perspective on the show!

The last flyer was our contest winner, and I was probably most excited for him to fly, because he was only 11!  His name is Jared, and he was such a good flyer, he like the drops even more than I did!

I have to give a huge thanks to the crew and to Cathy Rigby for being so wonderful throughout the entire process.  Everyone had a blast and with the exception of my bruised legs (yes, from the harness) I walked away completely unharmed and can officially say I flew with a little bit of help from some fairy dust.

Speaking of fairy dust, heres a fun fact:  

Guess how much fairy dust Peter Pan goes through?!

In 6 weeks, Peter Pan will have used 40 POUNDS of fairy dust!  

Which will cost about $1,500, those fairies don't work for cheap you know!!

So, that was my Peter Pan experience.  It was a blast!  If you didn't make it out to the show and the after party last night, I encourage you to see it tonight or tomorrow.  What I did for flying was NOTHING compared to what Cathy does.  Her flips, spins, and dips are spectacular and she really is the perfect "boy who never grew up."  I asked her how she felt about reprising Peter Pan and she told me it was so natural for her, she feels so connected with the character that she knows him almost as well as she knows herself.  Kudos to the entire cast & crew  -  the show was fantastic! 

One last shot from the Cast Party last night of us theatre employees and the wonderful, Cathy Rigby!

A Staged Wedding

One of the things many people do not realize about the theatre is that we have the ability to host weddings at our theatre.  It never occurred to me - a HUGE theatre geek- that I could be married on stage, but it is possible at THT.


One of the coolest things about having a wedding at the theatre is that you really are treated like a star!  With our star dressing rooms and backstage waiting rooms the bride can really feel like an A-lister.  I know if I am still working here by the time I have a rock on my finger I will definitely be looking to book a wedding!


I know this isn't a look at behind the scenes this week - but I promise next week's blog post will make up for it.  I don't want to give away all the juicy details, but I will have a chance to "learn the ropes" and report back to you regarding the Peter Pan show starring Ms. Cathy Rigby!!  So expect great things next week!


Speaking of Peter Pan - if you haven't gotten your tickets yet, there are still some great seats available - so don't miss out!  Hope to see you all there at the show :)

Fall Flowers

As the seasons change, so must the foliage.  And at The Hanover Theatre that means the flowers must change too.  Many of you may have noticed at the Cake Boss show, or perhaps this weekend when you went to see Young Frankenstein that the flowers in the Carroll Plaza have been changed out to match our cooler weather.  Beautiful orange, yellow and purple mums and green and purple kale have taken over the walk way, all due to our WONDERFUL Gardening Club.






At The Hanover Theatre a huge amount of man power comes solely from our volunteers.  An amazing group of over 200 people come together each year to keep the theatre in its best condition.  One of my favorite groups of volunteers is the gardening club.  This summer, they came out on the hottest day of spring - durring the heat wave - to plant a spread of beautiful perennials.  And once again in the fall they took over the landscape and transformed it for the seasons. 

It likely has to do with the fact that I worked as a florist for a while before THT, but I really have come to appreciate the special atmosphere that lives outside the theatre.  Its easy to get lost in the grey and brick landscape that is downtown Worcester, and the garden outside The Hanover Theatre brings a fresh and fun feeling.


Pretty soon it will be time to string up the white lights onto the trees that make entering the theatre for an evening show something truly special.


Before I end this post, I would like to take a moment to congratulate the cast of Young Frankenstein, who came out strong for the first shows of their tour this past weekend. I loved the show, and I can't wait to get our next Mel Brooks classic!

The Ultimate Goal

Hello theatre enthusiasts!  I am starting this blog, first and formost, as a theatre lover -- BUT I also happen to be the advertising coordinator for The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts, which is why I have the knowledge of what goes on behind the scenes at the theatre.

Prior to working at The Hanover Theatre I was just a mere college student, studying communications at Woo State.  I've always had a passion for theatre.  From my first years of school recitals where my mom anxiously video taped, to my first role as Oliver in the 3rd grade, to my high school musical days where I was Marty in Grease, Annie in Annie, and Dorothy in The Wiz (yes, seriously).

Though I loved my time on stage, most high school musical stars know they have to make it in the world of the struggling artist to continue on stage, and I was not ready to live that way.  So, I moved onward and upward and ended up majoring in communications hoping one day I could get paid to do one of my other favorite hobbies, graphic design.  I continued to love theatre, and instead of being on stage, I enjoyed watching from my seat.

That was, until, the advertising coordinator position appeared in my inbox senior year of college.  My advisor at Woo State forwarded me an job opening at The Hanover Theatre and said I should give it a shot.  I applied, with no actual realization that I could actually get the position - I hadn't even graduated yet!

Long story short:  I got the job, graduated from Worcester State University, and am currently working on my masters degree at Clark University.  I am lucky enough to say (in this economy) I have a job doing something I actually have a passion for.  And lucky for you, I want to share some of it with you!

Prior to working at the theatre I had NO IDEA what actually went on behind the scenes.  It never occurred to me that someone has to create and print the programs, somebody else prints and mails out all the season subscriber tickets, while someone else keeps the basement from flooding!  There is so much that actually goes on behind the curtain that the theatre enthusiasts around the world can take an intrest in, and that is the true goal behind my blog.  

To enlighten, educate, entertain and excite you with theatre.