Fauquier Community Theatre presents Gift of the Magi - The Musical

Gift of the Magi – The Musical is a holiday classic for all ages to enjoy and based on the short story by O. Henry. The music and lyrics are written by Beverly Bremers and the show is based on the book by Faith Grant. Theater critic Gary Ginell of VC Onstage describes the version as "Family-friendly, tuneful and funny; it is a welcome addition to the seasonal theatrical repertoire." The show is sponsored by Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative (NOVEC) and performed by special arrangement with Heuer Publishing LLC.

make the musical special. It's family friendly and the music tickles your ears." – Barry Pearl, Director

Gift of the Magi - The Musical opens at

 

As I write this article, Thanksgiving is just around the corner; and then – it seems immediately – Christmas arrives. Get ready, because this year, on the day after Thanksgiving, Gift of the Magi - The Musical will open at Fauquier Community Theatre. With a diverse cast, ages 7 to 79, the show will be a great way to get yourself into the holiday mood after the doldrums we’ve been in. Live theater is back!

 

O. Henry's short story, "The Gift of the Magi", was first published at Christmastime in The New York Sunday World  on December 10, 1905 and later as part of a collection of his short stories (The Four Million, released April 10, 1906 by McClure, Phillips & Co. in New York. The book's title refers to the population of New York City at the time, where many of the 25 stories are set.)

 

The wonderful nugget that is O. Henry’s story is only six pages long, and I just read it in less than 4 minutes. The classic tale was expanded into a 1958 movie musical; a 1978 TV musical; and a 2010 Hallmark movie. Then in 2015 it was made into this staged musical, when Faith Grant added storylines and Beverly Bremers wrote 14 songs to bring the story to life. FCT actors old and young make it fun by bringing those additional stories alive through music and a bit of choreography.

 

If you’ve never read this O. Henry story, I’m not going to spoil the surprise by telling you what happens, but you need to see this show to experience that surprise firsthand. Directed by Diane King, she has been behind several successful Christmas productions at FCT already (Sanders Family Christmas; She Loves Me; and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever - the Musical), and many more at Fresta Valley Christian School. A teacher by day, Diane blossoms at night when FCT calls for her expertise to help bring a musical like this to their stage.

 

The story’s main characters, young married couple Jim and Della, are poor in material things but rich in love. At the end of his story, O. Henry says: “But let me speak a last word to the wise of these days: Of all who give gifts, these two were the most wise. Everywhere they are the wise ones. They are the Magi.”

 

Cast List for Gift of the Magi - The Musical

To Order Single Tickets or Event Packages, Click TICKETS

AUDITIONS FOR NOISES OFF ON DECEMBER 16 AND 18

Called “the funniest farce ever written,” Noises Off presents a manic menagerie of itinerant actors rehearsing a flop called Nothing’s On. Doors slamming, on and offstage intrigue, and an errant herring all figure in the plot of this hilarious and classically comic play. "The most dexterously realized comedy ever about putting on a comedy. A spectacularly funny, peerless backstage farce. This dizzy, well-known romp is festival of delirium." - The New York Times.

Audition dates are: Thursday, December 16 from 7 pm to 9:30 pm and Saturday, December, 18 from 3 pm to 6 pm. (Callbacks if needed will be: Monday, December 20 from 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm.) Auditions will take place at the Fauquier Enterprise Center located at 4263 Aiken Drive, Warrenton, VA 20187. Registration for auditions may be accessed via the Noises Off Audition Form.

The director of Noises Off is Jeff Walker, a teacher of theatre arts in Virginia's public schools for 20 years. Walker also serves as a contributing writer and critic for two online sources for theatre news, DC Theatre Scene and the Washington, DC region for Broadway World.

Performances for Noises Off will take place March 11 - 27, 2022 at the Vint Hill Theater on the Green. Tickets are on sale now for reserved seating at www.FCTstage.org.

THE WORLD PREMIER OF SHOAH

Fauquier Community Theatre will present the World Premiere of Dr. Harry Kantrovich's stage adaptation of the Holocaust documentary SHOAH Jan 21 - Feb 6, 2022. Shoah is another word for the Holocaust. It comes from Hebrew, and literally means catastrophic upheaval. The Holocaust, or Shoah, refers to the Nazi party's attempt in the late 1930s and early 1940s to exterminate the Jewish people of Europe. Shoah is a French documentary film about the Holocaust directed by Claude Lanzmann.

Interviewer (Lanzmann): Michael Clendenin

Raul Hilberg: Ricardo Padilla

Simon Srebnik: Peter Marsh

Mordechai Podchlebnik: Dr. Robert Rosenberg

Franz Schalling: Kevin Stokker

Mrs. Michelsohn: Leslie Ann Ross

Mrs. Pietyra: Sherry Bendt

Rudolph Vrba: Jim Constable

Filip Müeller: Kirk Lambert

Ruth Elias: Janet Devine Smith

Walter Stier: Joe Bersack

Hannah Zaidel: Betsy Hansen

Motke Zaidel: Gene Schmiel

Jan Piwonski: Terry Krebs

Abraham Bomba: Michael Mehaffey

Czeslaw Borowi: Don Richardson

Henrik Gawkowski: Geoffrey Baskir

Richard Glazar: Larry Finkel

Franz Suchomel: Kurt Gustafson

Inge Deutschkron: Tricia O’Neill Delevante

Dr. Franz Grassler: Richard Fiske

Itzhak (Antek) Zuckermann: Eric Friedman

Simcha (Kojik) Rottem: Walter Stewart

Performances of SHOAH will take place on Fridays and weekends between January 21 - February 6, 2022 at the Vint Hill Theatre on the Green. Tickets are available online at www.FCTstage.org.

Two virtual FCT shows are still in need of assistant film editors to work with Matt Moore to finalize the PACE class production of Superheroes and also for the full production of Emma: A Pop Musical. Please email [email protected] or call 540-349-8760 to participate in the creative process. It is a great opportunity to work under the guidance of Moore who has vast experience in all aspects of theater and film. He recently directed the highly successful Jesus Christ Superstar in September and October at FCT.

Even in the digital age, why is editing so time consuming? According to a film editing article on Wikipedia where multiple opinions are included "On its most fundamental level, film editing is the art, technique and practice of assembling shots into a coherent sequence. The job of an editor is not simply to mechanically put pieces of a film together, cut off film slates or edit dialogue scenes. A film editor must creatively work with the layers of images, story, dialogue, music, pacing, as well as the actors' performances." That's why film editing assistants are needed for these two productions at FCT!

FCT offers a fun Improv class on Friday, November 12 taught by Adriana Del Rosario who is in New York earning a Master of Arts in Educational Theatre. She is also an actress on both stage and in film. For more information and to register for this fun one hour class, visit the PACE Classes link at www.FCTstage.org.

Giving Tuesday is a global generosity movement unleashing the power of generosity. Giving Tuesday was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. Since then, it has grown into a year-round global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.

Join the movement and give – each Tuesday and every day – whether it’s some of your time, a donation, or the power of your voice in your local community. It’s a simple idea: whether it’s making someone smile, helping a neighbor or stranger out, showing up for an issue or people we care about, or giving some of what we have to those who need our help, every act of generosity counts and everyone has something to give. To make a financial contribution to Fauquier Community Theatre, click on the Giving Tuesday link.

VOLUNTEER AS AN USHER AT FCT

One way to volunteer at FCT is to become an usher for the upcoming show Gift of the Magi - The Musical by completing the Volunteer Form. Ushers are an important part of FCT's hospitality team.

Business sponsors and partnerships help us all build a better and more resourceful community. Fauquier Community Theatre sponsorships can be started at any time throughout the year. Whether as a new sponsor, or a returning one, it is easy to add your sponsorship. For more information and to see the list of sponsors, click on COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS. Please frequent the businesses of these generous sponsors, many have online services. Have your business front and center in the community with FCT. Questions? Email [email protected] or call FCT's executive director Debra Smyers at 540-349-8760.