Dancers perform “You Won’t Succeed on Broadway” from Spamalot during the February 18 Best of CenterStage revue. (Photo by Tara Cocco)
The Best of CenterStage fundraiser took place on Sunday night, February 18. From the moment you walked through the door, you could feel the excitement and energy flowing in The J’s lobby.
If the hors d’oeuvres and desserts catered by Chef Z, specialty cocktails from Heaven Hill and silent auction items weren’t enough to get members excited about the current season and looking forward to next season, the performances that night most likely sealed the deal.
The CenterStage cast recreated some of the most popular and most loved performances from shows such as Chicago, The Sound of Music and The Wizard of Oz.
The guests also got a sneak peak at some selections for the upcoming 2018-2019 season, which includes, Into the Woods, Annie, Spamalot, Hairspray and The Full Monty.
“We chose those shows because we wanted to get back to what we’re kind of known for in the community, which is big, well-done musicals,” said CenterStage Operations Manager Anne Ensign-Urteaga. “We have the talent and the space to pull off those shows; it’s why we want to do it.”
She said CenterStage would continue to look for “obscure shows” that theater goers rarely see, “but for next season, we just want to get back to our roots.”
While they looked forward to what was to come and celebrated what came before, the performers also showcased where they are now. They previewed Wild Party, a dark musical based on Andrew Lippa’s book, which is currently showing until March 3, and the last show of the 2017-2018 season, The Little Mermaid.
Ensign-Urteaga said the revue “was well received” by the audience, which might just mean CenterStage will do it again the future.
“Lots of complements,” she said.
