Village Theatre, growth of our star
October 18th, 2009 | By: Kelsey Bowlby
If you’ve never visited the Village Theatre, or if you’re not much of a follower of theater in general, you may not know what a cultural gem Issaquah has right on quaint, historic Front Street. But with a serious impact on the local theater scene, and increasingly on that of the nation as well, the Village Theatre certainly merits checking out.
The theater was founded in 1979, when Carl Darchuck came to town as its first director. To run the business side of things, he brought on board Robb Hunt, who remains at the theater today as Executive Producer. The original theater was housed at First Stage, which is still home to the theater’s KIDSTAGE program, but in 1991 they began a capital campaign for a bigger, more modern facility. In 1994, after raising more than six million dollars, they built the Francis J. Gaudette theater a short distance down the street. The new building was designed to fit the historic feel of the surrounding area and look as though it had always been there. It also included upscale restaurant space—occupied by Fins Bistro—and inside they added family rooms so that parents with young children could attend performances without disturbing other patrons. From its beginnings as a small group of theater artists in 1979, the Village Theatre has grown into one of the best attended theaters in the region. Over 180,000 patron visits are projected for this year’s season, which begins September 16 with the new musical Chasing Nicolette.
The theater employs 54 staff members and boasts an eight million dollar operating budget—pretty impressive for a local non-profit. And with the cost of putting on a show averaging around one million dollars, it is no surprise that the caliber of Village Theatre performances is truly top-notch. Unlike many theaters, which rent sets and costumes, Village Theater designs and builds almost all of its own sets, allowing more flexibility and opportunity for originality for actors, directors and the production crew.
Including Nicolette, the Mainstage will host five shows this season: one non-musical, two classic musicals, and two Village Originals. After a six week run in Issaquah, each Mainstage performance will move to the theater at the Everett Civic Auditorium for a four week run. The Village Originals program has really launched the theater onto the national stage. These original musicals are created by international teams of talented writers and hold their world-premier on Issaquah’s Mainstage. The program has produced over 85 new musicals to date.
In addition to the Village Originals and Mainstage productions, one of the most successful programs run by the Village Theatre is KIDSTAGE, still housed in the original First Stage building on Front Street. KIDSTAGE classes, workshops, and productions are offered for young people between the ages of three and 20 and are taught by professional theatrical instructors. Their youth programs serve over 54,000 young people every year. Classes offered include “Story Exploring” for Kindergarten-aged students, audition prep workshops, lessons in movement for musicals and even Spring Break performances such as Mamma Mia! Students can move from Acting 101 to improvisation workshops to dance all through one program. In addition, week-long summer day camps allow students to keep honing their skills and pursuing their interest in theater and performance year round.
Also for youth, the Pied Piper program offers five public and eight school performances throughout the year, hosting touring shows that come into town for short runs tailored for younger audiences. Performances like The Very Hungry Caterpillar and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe enhance classroom reading experiences for young students, helping bring stories to life on the stage and introducing children to the inspiration and exploration of live theater. These performances can be seen in Everett, Bellevue, and Mt. Vernon, and include activities hosted in partnership with Imagine Children’s museum. In an effort to extend the opportunity to experience theater to all children, Pied Piper offers a scholarship program for youth who qualify for their school’s free lunch program. In the 2008-2009 Season alone, over two thousand seats (valued at over $20,000) saw use by these deserving youth. Coming up on October 20 is Village Theatre’s Annual Youth Education Luncheon, which helps raise money for these scholarship programs along with what is needed for KIDSTAGE.
New this year is the CURTAIN CALL After Hours, Village Theatre’s new social network, aimed at those between the ages of 21 and 35. With a CURTAN CALL season ticket—costing only $150 for all five shows—young adults gain a discounted subscription to five outstanding shows and five after hours gatherings at Room 38 on Front Street including a discounted food and drink menu before and/or after performances.
Having such a busy, active and renowned cultural center in downtown Issaquah has had a positive ripple effect on local commerce and businesses. Theater patrons, visiting from around the region and country, visit the town’s shops and restaurants. For season subscribers, the theater offers a rewards program that provides exclusive discounts to encourage patrons to visit other local businesses.
But as much as the theater is good for our town, its impact extends far beyond Issaquah. Thanks to its impact on the artistic vibrancy and economy of the Eastside, the theater was awarded the Eastside Destination Award by the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce in 2005. And the theater has become a major destination for Seattleites willing to brave the bridge, with 13 percent of annual subscribers residing on the other side of Lake Washington. In fact, the Village Theatre is larger than the Seattle Repertory Theater both in budget and season ticket holders. With 18,000 subscribers, the theater has one of the highest membership rates in the state. In terms of employment, the Village Theater manages to provide more weeks of employment for professional actors than any other theater in the state, helping equity actors meet their minimum working requirements to qualify for benefits through the union.
Beyond the Puget Sound region, perhaps the most surprising aspect of the theater is its national presence and impact. Not one, but two Village Originals musicals have found their way from beginnings on the Issaquah Mainstage to the lights of Broadway. The first of these was Next to Normal, the story of a woman who struggled with mental illness and the people in her life that tried to make her well. Next to Normal was the creation of former Village Theatre associate artistic director Brian Yorkey, who held that position for seven years and remains involved with the theater today. Still running in New York, Next to Normal was the recipient of three prestigious Tony awards: Original Score, Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical (Alice Ripley), and Orchestrations.
Yorkey, who grew up learning about theater and performing in Village Theatre’s KIDSTAGE program, remains involved in producing and directing productions in Issaquah. In fact, he will be directing this season’s third production Lost in Yonkers.
“New York musical audiences have seen everything and they tend to be a little jaded,” Yorkey said. “One of their favorite past times is to cut things down before they have a chance to grow. Village Theatre audiences tend to be the opposite. They see the best in everything.”
And while Next to Normal may have been the first Village Theatre Original to find itself Broadway-bound, it appears it is only a hint at what is in store for this local program. Million Dollar Quartet, developed through the Village Originals program and produced on the Mainstage in the 2007-2008 season, had the honor of Village Theatre’s first ever extended run due to its huge popularity. After 10 weeks in Issaquah and a run in Everett, Million Dollar Quartet left Washington and went to Chicago, where it is still enjoying a successful run at the Apollo Theater. Just this September it was announced that Million Dollar Quartet will open on Broadway in the spring of 2010. The highest selling new musical ever produced in the Village Theatre, Million Dollar Quartet promises to continue to bolster the reputation and impact of its home stage and its hometown.
This season just might play host to the next Broadway hit, and tickets are available now for season subscriptions as well as individual performances. The season kicks off with Chasing Nicolette, followed by an adaptation of the classic film Meet me in St Louis. The season’s non-musical is Neil Simon’s Lost in Yonkers, the winner of four Tony awards, including Best Play, as well as a Pulitzer Prize. March sees the world premiere of an original musical, The Gypsy King, and the season will conclude with audience members singing along to favorites like “Lullaby of Broadway” with the hit musical 42nd Street.
As for the beloved First Stage building, the Front Street landmark where this remarkable program took root, theater directors have initiated plans to begin a capital campaign in order to renovate, restore, and revitalize the building. They hope to replace the building’s current, sinking wooden slat supports with a real foundation, add wings to the stage for sets and lighting, improve the dressing rooms, and install retractable telescope seating. Looking ahead, the theater plans to continue to fulfill its mission to produce top quality productions, be a recognized and influential center of excellence, encourage young people to explore theater skills, and foster a broad appreciation for live theater and positive values through art.
They say the lights are bright on Broadway, but they seem to be glowing down on Front Street as well.
For more information on the Village Theatre’s programs, season schedule, and tickets and subscriptions visit www.villagetheatre.org.
