By Staff
Performing-arts venue
wants variety of shows
and many more of them
By TED STRONG
Staff Writer
The list of shows coming to the Turnage Theater in downtown Washington for its 2008-2009 season includes a giant-puppet show, classical music, a string band, political satire, Big Band music, children’s shows and more.
Chumbley said some selections were fairly easy choices. After the Glen Miller Orchestra proved so immensely popular last year that an extra show had to be added, it made sense to schedule the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra for this year, he said.
But some decisions were more difficult, so the theater formed a Program Advisory Committee, made up of representatives from local arts and community groups.
This year, the committee helped guide the decision-making process. It didn’t tell the theater which shows to pick, but did say which general directions to explore, Chumbley said.
As an upshot of the community input, the Turnage is trying to reach out to minority communities in the area this year with a workshop for senior citizens offering the Spanish dance flamenco and an appearance by the Harlem Gospel Choir, which recently performed for Pope Benedict XVI at Yankee Stadium in New York.
The theater also plans to open the Turnage for several days before the Harlem Gospel Choir’s performance to any gospel choir that wants to come to share its music. While the marquee act will have ticket prices of $25 and $15, depending on seating, the run-up event will be free to the public, Chumbley said.
Another new show that Chumbley is excited about is “The Spy.”
The performance of the drama, set during the American Revolution, will be the first outside of New York and Chicago, Chumbley said.
The symphony is currently without a home venue, and so Chumbley took the opportunity to let it explore the Turnage twice this year, with shows in late October and late April 2009.
Children’s shows this year include East Carolina University’s Storybook Theatre, a return from last year, and Theatre Sans Fils’ staging of “Hansel and Gretel.”
Sans Fils uses life-sized puppets to stage an opera, Chumbley said.
Tickets for regular season shows range in cost from $5 to $35, and youth discounts are available for some shows.
Koestline said the committee also was concerned that shows were too close to one another on the calender and cost too much to experience.
To address that, the shows are more spread out in the upcoming season.
The theater also tried to book some less-costly shows this season, Koestline said.
Shows usually cost the theater from $4,000 to $7,500 each, Chumbley said.
The theater also plans to run an all-night, horror-movie show on Halloween this year.
Additionally, one night each week will be movie night at the Turnage, though plans are still being finalized.
The move is away from last year’s trend toward small movie festivals, with collections of several movies running successively on the same day at the theater.
The slate of films should be released later this summer, Chumbley said.
Tickets for the theater’s Sept. 12 gala opening, “Capitol Steps,” a political comedy routine, go on sale July 8.
Ticket packages and single tickets for the first half of the season go on sale July 15. Single tickets for the second half of the season will be fore sale beginning Nov. 3.
Packages, which offer a discount in exchange for buying tickets to several shows, include the three classical music shows coming to the stage and pick-three and pick-five options.
For the complete fall schedule and ticket information, call the Turnage box office at (252) 975-1191.