The Pickwick Players Present Singing in the Rain

          Belmont Ridge Middle School in Lansdowne will be staging one of the all time favorite musicals, Singing in the Rain on Friday, May 25th at 7:30 PM; Saturday, Mary 26th at 2:00 PM; then again on Friday, June 1st at 7:30 PM and finally Saturday, June 2nd at 2:00 PM and 7:30 PM.  Tickets can be obtained online through PayPal at http://www.thepickwickplayers.org or at the door. The price for adults: $12; seniors and children under 12, $10.  A full family rate of $45 is available for the show on Saturday, May 26th.  . 

This live performance will be further enhanced by the appearance on stage of a family who lives in Lansdowne: Sherm and Nancy Smith with daughters Brooklyn, Emma, and Kensey. 

Movie icons: Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O’Connor made the film version of Singing in the Rain released in 1952.  They won prestigious awards and in 2006, the American Film Institute named it the number one musical of all time.  Some of us even remember Gene Kelly’s acrobatics in the rain when swinging around a streetlight while, well, Singing in the Rain.  The photo shows left to right Andrew Curtain as Cosmo Brown, the character played in the movie by Donald O’Connor;  Corinne Fox as Kathy Seldon (Debbie Reynolds) and Gary Sheppard as Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly)

For this musical, The Pickwick Players have recruited…”over 40 local children, teens, and adults choreographed by Stepanie Johnson of the Free to Dance Foundation.”

The Pickwick Players theater group was incorporated in 2005 and granted 501c(3) status in 2006.  Past productions have included, You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, A Christmas Carol, Little Women, and Hello Dolly among others. Two years ago I was privileged to attend A Christmas Carol staged at the Old Stone School in Hillsboro and I thought the performance Broadway quality in every aspect: acting, singing, costumes, and interpretation of Charles Dickens’ epic story.

If you would like to pay a call on Horton the Elephant, The Cat in the Hat, Gertrude McFuzz, not to mention the Mayor of Whoville among other Dr. Seuss characters hop on over to the Belmont Ridge Middle School at 19045 Upper Belmont Place in Lansdowne.  The show opened last weekend but there is still an opportunity to enjoy this special musical treat.  The show will continue tonight—7:00 PM and Friday, April 20 at 7:00 PM with the doors opening at 6:30.  There will be a matinee on Saturday, April 21 with the performance starting at 1:00 PM; doors opening at 12:30 PM. 

Tickets can be purchased by accessing http://www.lcps.org/bmrms.  Reserved seating tickets are avaiable for eight dollars; general admission seven dollars.  For more detailed information get in touch with ticket chair Janice Dec at http://www.jdecinva@verizon.net.

Jason Augustowski is the director; Sharon Lanham and Nikisha Diehl assistant directors while over 150 students are involved in this production.

Well known journalist and televions personality, Jim Lehrer will appear at a luncheon at the National Conference Center in Lansdowne on Wednesday, April 11, 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM.  He will be discussing his latest book, Tension City: Inside the Presidential Debates from Kennedy-Nixon to Obama-McCain.  The event is jointly sponsored by The George C. Marshall International Center and the Loudoun County Chamber of Commerce.  Reservations can be obtained by calling 703-777-2176 or by logging on to http://www.loudounchamber.org.  Books will be on sale and there will be a book signing.  General admission for members is $45 and for non members $60.  It’s advisable to purchase tickets in advance as ticket prices at the door will be slightly higher.