Director's Notes: 2022-2023 Theatrical Season
It's been quite a harrowing two years for our audience, our volunteers, and for the Holly Theater itself, but thanks to our members' generous support and the dedication of our volunteer base, the Holly has not only survived the Covid pandemic and subsequent shut down, but emerged from our dark period with a new stage and a new vision. This year, we want to present a special season to commemorate what we have lost and overcome, a season centered on a very important value that we know you share: Hope.
Hope means a lot of things to a lot of people, but to the Holly Theater community it means counting our blessings, having the courage to move forward in new directions, seeking and welcoming new members and new voices, and dreaming big dreams. That is why we've put together a very specific season that we feel will express this idea in exciting ways.
We begin our season with the spellbinding Sondheim classic, Into the Woods. Based on a classic 1960s psychological dissemination of the Grimms' fairy tales, Into the Woods presents an incredible canvas for the full range of human emotion and relationships, specifically focusing on how we survive loss and hardship to emerge with lessons learned. As the Baker's Wife sings in the finale, "Sometimes people leave you, halfway through the wood; Do not let it grieve you, no one leaves for good." We hope this production will bring comfort and wonder to our audiences.
For our Christmas Season, we've selected the beloved romantic musical, She Loves Me. A cosy period piece with a gorgeous score and all the wit and chemistry of a Hepburn and Tracy film, She Loves Me presents an opportunity to explore second chances and the unexpected joys that life has to offer when we learn to see past our prejudices.
In keeping with Valentine's Day, we begin 2023 with an imaginative staging of William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, one of his most loved romantic comedies. The story of enemies Benedict and Beatrice falling in love in spite of themselves is one of the most entrancing of the Bard's tales, and we hope that our modern take on this classic will please and amuse our audiences, while balancing comedy with a striking message of forgiveness and starting over.
For our spring selection, we take the theme of starting over to a new extreme with the uplifting and inspiring folk musical, The Spitfire Grill. The musical tells the story of an ex-convict who attempts to begin her life anew working at a small-town diner. She forms a strong and surprising friendship with the crotchety owner of the diner, and they manage to save the diner and each other in the process. We are especially excited that this musical offers us the opportunity to tell stories of hope and courage that center on strong women, like those who make up our base of supporters.
Finally, we are so very excited to round out our season with the astoundingly larger-than-life musical, Matilda. A zany trip through the mind of a genius girl, Matilda has an unforgettable cast of characters and will keep you guessing as to what will happen next. Although the musical follows a child protagonist, the themes of sacrifice, love, and courage are certainly for more than just children (as are many of the jokes!), and we know our audiences will fall in love with this unique show, which has enthralled and inspired theater-goers of all ages since its London debut.
Hope means a lot of things to a lot of people, but to the Holly Theater community it means counting our blessings, having the courage to move forward in new directions, seeking and welcoming new members and new voices, and dreaming big dreams. That is why we've put together a very specific season that we feel will express this idea in exciting ways.
We begin our season with the spellbinding Sondheim classic, Into the Woods. Based on a classic 1960s psychological dissemination of the Grimms' fairy tales, Into the Woods presents an incredible canvas for the full range of human emotion and relationships, specifically focusing on how we survive loss and hardship to emerge with lessons learned. As the Baker's Wife sings in the finale, "Sometimes people leave you, halfway through the wood; Do not let it grieve you, no one leaves for good." We hope this production will bring comfort and wonder to our audiences.
For our Christmas Season, we've selected the beloved romantic musical, She Loves Me. A cosy period piece with a gorgeous score and all the wit and chemistry of a Hepburn and Tracy film, She Loves Me presents an opportunity to explore second chances and the unexpected joys that life has to offer when we learn to see past our prejudices.
In keeping with Valentine's Day, we begin 2023 with an imaginative staging of William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, one of his most loved romantic comedies. The story of enemies Benedict and Beatrice falling in love in spite of themselves is one of the most entrancing of the Bard's tales, and we hope that our modern take on this classic will please and amuse our audiences, while balancing comedy with a striking message of forgiveness and starting over.
For our spring selection, we take the theme of starting over to a new extreme with the uplifting and inspiring folk musical, The Spitfire Grill. The musical tells the story of an ex-convict who attempts to begin her life anew working at a small-town diner. She forms a strong and surprising friendship with the crotchety owner of the diner, and they manage to save the diner and each other in the process. We are especially excited that this musical offers us the opportunity to tell stories of hope and courage that center on strong women, like those who make up our base of supporters.
Finally, we are so very excited to round out our season with the astoundingly larger-than-life musical, Matilda. A zany trip through the mind of a genius girl, Matilda has an unforgettable cast of characters and will keep you guessing as to what will happen next. Although the musical follows a child protagonist, the themes of sacrifice, love, and courage are certainly for more than just children (as are many of the jokes!), and we know our audiences will fall in love with this unique show, which has enthralled and inspired theater-goers of all ages since its London debut.