Look Back: Rock Musical Aida Just Closed at LVC

Where: Lebanon Valley College's Leedy Theatre

When: February

Who: Wig and Buckle, LVC's theatre company

Behind the Scenes of Aida

by Lebanon Valley College

Fans of the theater have been enjoying a different style of acting in Lebanon Valley College's (LVC’s) Leedy Theater this February. Wig and Buckle, the theater company on campus, will present their spring musical Aida. Originally a Disney Theatrical Production, Aida was born from Elton John and Tim Rice, and ran on Broadway from 2000-2004.

Aida, known as a rock musical, is a vastly different style from what Wig and Buckle has done in the past. Just last season, the company was performing the Pirates of Penzance and Oklahoma the year prior.

“In the past we’ve done very classic style theater, and now we’re preparing a rock opera. It’s totally unlike anything Wig and Buckle has done before,” says director Sean Deffley. “Aida is Elton John, which is modern and consists of pop music, but it is refreshing to get something new.”

Typically members of the theater will turn to other performances done on Broadway or in other college theaters for ideas and understanding. However, Aida has been done by very few colleges. Because of this, Sean chose to make the production more historically accurate, focusing on the classical aspect and working to create what Egypt looked like at the time.

To make the musical a reality, it took a large crew of around 60 individuals. In addition to Deffley, his stage manager and acting crew, there were numerous behind the scenes personnel. The technical crew consisted of individuals working on sets, props, lighting, sound and costumes. All of these areas worked together throughout the process to make Aida a cohesive musical.
This year Wig and Buckle took a different approach to the costumes.

Typically the theater company rents costumes from a larger college or a company that deals with theatrical clothing, but this year the decision was made to create all of the costumes in house. With 26 individuals in the show and each one having approximately three different outfits, it was quite the process.

“Children of the Night” has become the name for the technical crew, as often long hours were needed to make the production a success. Individuals working on set design, props, etc., came in during the day to continue their work, but often were forced to wait until rehearsal was over at 10 p.m. each evening to get their various tasks done.

Junior Casey Edwards has led the tech crew since last year and admits that she never used a power tool before she began to help in the theater. As the leader, Casey begins the process of creating the sets and props by developing a blue print of each scene, giving a bird’s eye view of everything planned. She then meets with the director to gather input and continues to evolve her designs, striving to make it different from other productions. Then comes the building, painting, lighting and sound work for the weeks leading up to opening night.

“It can be stressful, but opening night makes it all worth it because you see all you were able to accomplish in a short period of time,” says Casey.

Time is a valuable commodity for the musical each year as the crew has 1-2 weeks less production time than the other plays throughout the year because of winter break. To help with this, Wig and Buckle members give up a week of their winter break and commit to coming back the week before classes begin to get a jump start on production. During that week, members work 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Despite having less time, the company is able to double their work that extra week with over 85 hours of effort put in.

“The musical is a titanic amount of work,” said Wig and Buckle advisor Dr. Pry. “Everyone is so willing to give their time considering the timeframe is so strict. The theater doesn’t have large areas to work and create pieces, so there’s a lot of tech work going on while rehearsal is taking place. The students work around classes and other schedules to make this all happen. It’s a scheduling challenge, but it teaches the students that time is the most precious commodity in the theater.”

Everything for the production is done by the students, from learning scenes to teaching choreography to constructing scenes, and so on. Numerous colleges require students to take part in the musical for credit, but that’s not the case at LVC. The students involved come from a variety of different majors. The company also does not recruit students or simply use all theater majors. They are all what Dr. Pry calls “walk ons.” With a long tradition of theater excellence, Dr. Pry says that it speaks to the talent of LVC’s student body. “It’s all on their own,” said Dr. Pry. “I may teach, guide, or model them, but they have to enforce the standards of excellence on one another.”

Annville Inn Bed & Breakfast is a strong supporter of Lebanon Valley College. We urge everyone in the community, and our guests, to enjoy activities at LVC.

Goo Goo Dolls

GOO GOO DOLLS

Hershey Theatre

Tuesday, April 13, 8: p.m.

Tickets On Sale Now

New Album: Something for the Rest of Us

Sometimes you’ve got to go home to find yourself. That’s what the Goo Goo Dolls discovered when they began writing songs for Let Love In, the band’s eighth album in 2006. It meant loading up guitars and equipment in a U-Haul van and driving across country from Los Angeles to set shop in the home town Masonic Lodge to write and test songs, but it worked. The result was a series of new albums in subsequent years and a new tour and album in 2010!

They will head to Hershey Theatre on Tuesday, April 13 at 8:00 p.m. Since forming in 1986, the Goo Goo Dolls have evolved from a scrappy punk-influenced trio into the platinum-selling, chart-topping act behind such radio staples as “Name,” “Iris,” “Slide,” and “Here is Gone.”

For more information, on the Goo Goo Dolls Click Here. Tickets for this show are $47.00, and $37.00 (processing fees apply) and are available at Hershey Theatre Box Office. They can be charged by phone at 717-534-3405 or 1-800-745-3000, at all Ticketmaster locations & Web sites, and online at Hershey Theatre.

In the "heading home" process founding members John Rzeznik and Robby Takac left Buffalo, N.Y. for Los Angeles, but Rzeznik soon found that L.A. isn't everything it's cracked up to be."I wasn't really feeling any kind of real inspiration in Los Angeles," he admits. "I was sitting here just beating my head against the wall trying to write songs and I wasn't feeling inspired at all."

That's when the U-Haul was rented, and the journey home began resulting in the album, the tour, and the fact that the Goo Goo Dolls will be in Hershey!

Our suggestion: Book now. This will not only be a popular night at Hershey Theatre, but we are certain we will sell out, and you don't want to miss your opportunity to stay at Annville Inn Bed & Breakfast while you are in Hershey. CLICK HERE now to select your room and to book on line!

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Brooks & Dunn

Brooks & Dunn Bring Last Rodeo Tour to GIANT Center


Brooks & Dunn will bring their Last Rodeo tour to Giant Center on Thursday, June 17 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets go on sale Saturday, March 6 at 10:00 a.m.



Brooks & Dunn's memorable songs include Boot Scootin' Boogie, Red Dirt Road, My Maria and Play Something Country. Brooks & Dunn are an American country music duo, consisting of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn. Both Brooks and Dunn had worked as singer-songwriters before the duo's formation, charting singles of their own in the late 1980s. They are the most successful duo from any genre, having sold more albums than all others in the Nielsen/SoundScan era.

The duo made its debut in 1991 with their first four singles all reaching the top of the U.S. Billboard country music charts. Their debut album, Brand New Man, was released the same year and was certified 6x platinum by the RIAA. Brooks & Dunn have had more than fifty singles on the country music charts, twenty of which have reached number one. They have recorded ten studio albums, three greatest-hits compilations, and a Christmas album.

Brooks & Dunn also won the Country Music Association Vocal Duo of the Year award every year between 1992 and 2006, except for 2000 when Montgomery Gentry took the honor. In addition, Brooks & Dunn won the Entertainer of the Year award in 1996. Two of the duo's singles have also been named as Billboard magazine's Number One country singles of the year: "My Maria" (1996) and "Ain't Nothing 'Bout You" (2001).

Since early 2006, Kix Brooks has also hosted American Country Countdown, a nationally syndicated radio program which counts down the Top 40 country singles in the United States as determined by the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. The duo announced on August 10, 2009, that they were parting ways after one final concert tour in 2010.


Hersheypark Concert Deal: Ride the day away at Hersheypark before you rock and roll all night! Hersheypark offers a special discounted admission price of just $33.95 to concert go-ers when using a Park ticket the day before, day of, and/or the day after the concert. Concert-goers may purchase one Park ticket per day during those three days. Just present your concert ticket at the Hersheypark Front Gate on each of the days to receive the discount. Purchase Park tickets at Giant Center Box Office when you purchase your concert tickets.

TobyMac, Skillet

TobyMac & Skillet Join Forces for “Awake Tonight” Tour

In what many are already calling one of the best line up’s in the history of Christian touring, two of the industry’s biggest acts, Skillet & TobyMac, have joined forces for the “Awake Tonight” tour coming to Giant Center on Thursday, March 18 at 7:00 p.m.

“Every year people say this is the "must see" tour,” comments Awakening Events’ Dan Fife, who is promoting several shows on the “Awake Tonight” tour. “This Spring the TobyMac & Skillet pairing has created the ultimate concert experience. With two headliners on the same stage, that have this much energy to offer night after night, all I can say is go get a ticket. You don't want to be the unlucky person that spends the rest of their life wishing they were there.”

With all three of TobyMac’s solo projects receiving Grammy® nominations, and his live CD/DVD taking home a Grammy® award, the much-celebrated and acclaimed artist is now celebrating his fifth consecutive Grammy® nomination with his new single, “City On Our Knees” receiving a nod for Best Gospel song.

• The track will be included on TobyMac’s February 9th release, “Tonight," and has topped
  the sales and radio charts faster than any of his previous singles, spending 8 weeks at #1 on the Christian Audience Chart.
  

Along with sold out tour dates, back-to-back radio hits, being named the GMA Dove Award’s 2008 Artist of the Year, and R&R’s Christian CHR Artist of the Year in 2007, TobyMac was nominated for a 2007 American Music Award as Favorite Inspirational Artist.

His song “Ignition” was also chosen to play during the 2009 Superbowl as The Arizona Cardinals entered the stadium in Tampa, FL. Skillet’s latest, AWAKE, continues to propel the incredible momentum the rock outfit has going for them with a blockbuster debut at No. 2 on Billboard’s Top 200, selling over 67,000 units and peaking at No. 1 on iTune’s “Top Albums” chart and “Top Rock” chart.

AWAKE was Amazon.com’s best selling Christian CD of 2009, and boasts the No. 4 mainstream Active Rock single in the country with “Monster,” which was also AOL Music’s No. 4 mainstream rock song of last year, and the No. 1 Christian CHR & Rock single, “Hero,” which has been used all season long by the NFL in their, Sunday Night Football and NFL Weekend Kickoff promos.

Skillet has toured with the likes of mainstream megastars Breaking Benjamin, Three Days Grace, Seether and Flyleaf, and headlined a slew of major Christian festivals, all followed by solo tours that ranked within Pollstar’s Concert Pulse Top 50 Tours. Along the way, the two-time Grammy®-nominated alternative rockers also scored seven consecutive number one Christian radio singles, a 2008 GMA Dove Award for “Rock Song of the Year,” and a 2009 nomination for Artist of the Year.

Lord of the Dance

Lord of the Dance at Hershey Theatre
DATE: May 1, 2010
PRICE: $65.00, $60.00, $45.00, $25.00 Processing fees apply
TIME: 2:00 & 8:00 PM

More than 100 million people worldwide have seen Lord of the Dance -- the international Irish dancing extravaganza that has performed sold out shows at theaters, arenas and stadiums in over 67 countries. "Our success demonstrates the hunger people have," says Michael Flatley, "to wholly submerge themselves into a world where dancers interpret every nuance of classic good versus evil through modern Celtic music."

Lord of the Dance has an ability to connect with the audience and initiate and captivate a new generation. Adding to the visceral and emotional impact are costumes, lighting and staging that are cinematic in scope. "Make no mistake," adds Flatley, "Lord of the Dance begins where modern theatre ends." Flatley, who originated the role of the Lord, is the company's Artistic Director, a position he has held since the troupe's stunning 1996 debut in Dublin.

Twelve years later, his influence continues to resonate throughout every aspect of the production. Irish dance lovers and music fans alike will get a chance to experience the engaging, rhythmic adventure that has helped catapult Celtic dance mania and Irish dancing into the global spotlight.

No wonder Lord of the Dance has jettisoned its ticket sales to more than $800 million worldwide. Internet sales of Lord of the Dance gift items has surged, with fans flocking to the site for "LOD" gifts and memorabilia. During its highly profitable four-year residency in Las Vegas, an estimated two million people danced along in their seats.

• For more information on Lord of the Dance, click here.
• To see all the productions at Hershey Theatre & to purchase tickets, click here.
• Stay at Annville Inn during your time in Hershey. See our country estate B&B, minutes from Hershey, and book your reservation by clicking here.
  

Broadway Grease

Nominated for 2008 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical.

DATE: April 20 - 25, 2010

• Plan now to book your weekend at Annville Inn, and top off your experience here with a night at the incomprable Hershey Theatre thrilling to the "over the top" energy and the sensational music and dance that has made Grease an American icon.


• Josh Franklin Joins Cast
  The producers of the new Broadway production of GREASE are pleased to announce that Josh Franklin has joined the cast as "Danny." Josh Franklin replaces Ace Young who will be joining the Broadway cast of HAIR. Josh Franklin is an actor/singer/songwriter originally from Colorado. He just completed a year with the national tour of Jersey Boys, as Bob Gaudio. He returns to Grease after being a part of the Broadway production (u/s Danny, Teen Angel, Vince). His other credits include Legally Blond (u/s Emmett) on Broadway and the national tours of All Shook Up (u/s Chad) and Disney's On The Record. "


• Taylor Hicks is "Teen Angel"
  American Idol" Season 5 winner Taylor Hicks continues to star as "Teen Angel." Taylor Hicks made his debut on Broadway in the role. He achieved widespread fame in 2006 as a contestant on the hugely successful FOX singing competition "American Idol."


• The Story...
  ...After spending a hopelessly devoted summer with Sandy Dumbrowski, the new girl in town, Danny Zuko's world is thrown upside down when Sandy appears at Rydell High on the first day of school. What follows is a rock n' roll celebration of growin' up, cruisin' with friends and goin' steady.


• The Music!
  The new production of GREASE features songs from the smash hit 1978 motion picture for the first time ever in a Broadway production including "Sandy," the Academy Award nominated song "Hopelessly Devoted to You," "Grease" and "You're the One That I Want" - both of which were #1 hits on the Billboard Top 100 list. These songs will be heard in addition to the Jacobs/Casey songs made famous by the original stage production: "Summer Nights," "Greased Lightnin'" and "We Go Together."


• Information You Will Need:
  PRICE: $80.00, $75.00, $70.00, $65.00, $60.00, $25.00 Processing fees apply
  GROUP DISCOUNT: $5.00 ** Call for special senior discounts ** Group discount not available for Grease on Saturday evenings and Sunday matinee.
  TIME: Tuesday-Thursday: 7:30 PM Friday: 8:00 PM Saturday: 2:00 PM & 8:00 PM Sunday: 2:00 PM & 7:00 PM
• Hershey Theatre m hersheytheatre.com m 15 Caracas Avenue m Hershey, Pa. 17033-1412 m 717.534.3405

Garden Scale Model Trains

The HERSHEY-ANNVILLE RAILROAD, Annville Inn's Garden Scale Train Project, suffered a major setback when our brass rails got buried in two feet of snow throughout most of the layout, to over 3.5 feet where a major drift crossed the Garden Scale RR tracks.

It took some time, but eventually the track crew, the signal maintainers, and other work gangs sliced, lifted, brushed and scrubbed away snow. Engine No. 3874 also helped, it kicked snow away off the track with its "cow catcher," located out in front of the engine. The cow catcher really serves a purpose, and it was fun to see it blast a snow boulder off the tracks, plowing on ahead.

In these photographs, the train is running with only a partial "consist," meaning it is not made up of many cars. This is done to make sure the track is workable.

It is a lot easier to re-align three derailed cars than it is to re-assemble seven or eight cars during a snow storm.

Sure enough...after the tracks were cleared and scrubbed, after Hershey-Annville No.3874 plowed around the tracks, and after all systems were operating beautifully, a new snow storm hit us. The snow started coming down and at one point created a near white-out. Yet, good ole #3874 kept on going, oblivious to the snow. The train is heavy enough to crunch down light snowfall and keep right on going.

• Thanks to son, Michael, for giving Dad the train for Father's Day a couple of years ago. Each year the railroad system expands.

Last year, Craig demolished the previous railroad and built from scratch a completely new system with the help of the farm boys down the road. Joel and Jordan have earned the title of "Section Foreman" on the Hershey-Annville Railroad.

The railroad is planning on expansion this spring. We have plans for a switch and siding this year if all goes well.

• The railroad is representative of a railroad that once ran from Hershey to Lebanon to bring workers from Annville and Lebanon into Hershey, and carried milk to the factory.

• Guests in the Secret Room have a deck that extends out over the Hershey-Annville RR, and often sit and enjoy watching the train from above. Late last year, we added electrical lights to the layout so it can operate after dark. Come see our train!