This weekend marks the halfway point of Super Summer Theatre’s 50th anniversary season with the final performances of the musical “1776.”
But there’s at least one more showstopper on the schedule.
“Come From Away,” the Tony-winning musical about airline passengers diverted to and stranded in Gander, Newfoundland, as a result of 9/11, will be performed over 10 nights, including the 25th anniversary of those attacks.
“We have one night set aside for military night. Usually, it’s the Wednesday opening night of each performance,” says Lisa Davis, publicity chairwoman of the Super Summer Theatre advisory board.
The group gives away 125 tickets to military members on those nights, and Honey Baked Hams locations donate 125 meals for them.
“We arranged it to where military night is on Sept. 11,” Davis continues. “We’ll have the presentation of the flags. We’ll have an anthem singer.”
“Come From Away” performances are scheduled for Sept. 4 and 5, 9 to 12 and 16 to 19.
They’ll follow “The Andrews Brothers,” a musical about three stagehands who step into the spotlight when a World War II-era USO show goes off script, on Wednesdays through Saturdays in August, as well as this weekend’s performances of “1776,” the musical about our Founding Fathers.
Tickets start at $28. That’s in addition to the $10.31 fee to enter Spring Mountain Ranch State Park. Gates open at 6 p.m. Performances of “1776” and “The Andrews Brothers” will start at 8:05 p.m., and “Come From Away” will begin at 7:30 p.m.
‘Not just the show’
For Davis, Super Summer Theatre is about far more than the musicals themselves.
“I tell people about the experience, and that’s what we want to create for our audience,” she says. “It’s not just the show. … The other part is the actual experience of going out of town, parking your car, getting to the meadow, enjoying time with friends and family.”
As part of the pre-show activities, ticket holders are invited to walk out the back gate, get their hands stamped and explore Spring Mountain Ranch.
It’s also around 10 degrees cooler in that meadow, which has room for about 1,000 guests, than in the city.
Attendees can bring their own food and drinks. Davis advises not to go overboard with your coolers, though, as there’s a series of stairs from the main parking lot.
“At the end of the night, those coolers on those steps can be a little bit tough,” she says. “But I see people doing that.”
The concession stand offers hot dogs, nachos, popcorn and other snacks. Flat Top’s Burgers & Shakes, Wild Rind Cheese + Provisions and Rainbow Ice set up their food trucks.
For guests in search of something more, chef Ken Moser will prepare a four-course dinner on Aug. 15 for “The Andrews Brothers” and Sept. 12 for “Come From Away.” That’s $145.20, including a general admission ticket with a reserved seat.
Attendees also are invited to bring blankets or chairs. But, like with coolers, there’s the matter of the steps.
“I would recommend renting chairs,” Davis says. “Chairs are two bucks. It goes into helping us keep the lights on at Super Summer Theatre, and it’s a lot easier than hauling those chairs around.”
Volunteer effort
Almost everyone involved in Super Summer Theatre, down to the actors, is unpaid.
Davis’ first experience came in 1998 when someone gave her tickets to see “Little Shop of Horrors.” She’s been active with the group ever since.
“There’s just a lot of dedicated board members that keep that place running,” Davis says. “And to me, it’s amazing that that organization has such dedicated volunteers that keep the show going, from the actors to the board members and our volunteers from the community.”
Contact Christopher Lawrence at [email protected] or 702-380-4567