Entertainers come from all over the world to perform in The Villages, but there’s also a thriving entertainment scene among the residents themselves. With the 2019-20 season of entertainment full speed ahead, resident actors, singers and musicians are busy with rehearsals for upcoming fall shows. Resident performers’ place in The Villages is not just to entertain, but to continue engaging in their passions and with the community. “Our community has a strong foundation in making people’s dreams come true and these performance groups play a huge role in that,” said Brian Russo, director of entertainment. “I have met tons of people who have always had a dream of performing on stage and now finally get that chance.”
Jean Butler, director of The Villages Concert Band, is a retired music teacher and said that she used to encourage her students to pick up their instruments, even if they stopped playing for a long period of time.
“In most cases, you know that kids aren’t going to go on to do music, so I used to tell my students that I wanted them to play as long as they can because I know they’ll put their instruments down, but I wanted them to have the confidence to pick them up again,” Butler said. “That’s the experience I’ve had in this community.”
In The Villages, people pick up their instruments, microphones and scripts again.
Resident performance groups popped up along with the creation of The Villages. Original clubs like The Villages Musical Theater, The Village Voices Chorus and The Villages Concert Band were among the pioneers for the later formation of more theater and music groups.
“And that’s great, because it gives more people a chance to be involved in community theater,” said Billie Thatcher, one of the founding members of The Villages Musical Theater.
Before moving to The Villages, Thatcher was successful in community theater. As she puts it, she’s played everything from the chorus girl to the leading lady.
Now she is thankful to live in a community where she can continue singing and acting.
“If you’re in a retirement community environment, you can audition for things you’d never think to audition for,” Thatcher said. “As a performer, I can’t think of any place I could be that would be better. The opportunities here are endless. If I was still living in Belvidere, New Jersey, I’d be playing somebody’s grandma in community theater.”
And many of the groups don’t just perform, they also give back.
The Villages Theater Company, for example, has raised more than $103,400 for charity since becoming a 501(c)(3) organization in 2014.
With several resident productions coming up, it’s a good time to delve into the resident entertainment world and see what tricks groups such as The Villages Musical Theater, The Village Voices Chorus, The Villages Concert Band, The Villages Theater Company and The Off Broadway Players have up their sleeves.
“They really put everything they have into their productions and have so much passion,” Russo said. “The shows really are a blast and have a lot to offer, so if you’ve never seen one before, come check them out.”
We’re Singing Our Songs
Members of The Villages Musical Theater will present “We’re Singing Our Songs,” a collection of music from their last several years of shows at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 12 at La Hacienda Recreation Center.
The group’s first show was in 2002, so last year, the theater company did a review of their first 10 years of shows. “We’re Singing Our Songs” is the second part of that concept.
The performance will include songs from shows like “Chicago,” “Hello, Dolly,” “Carousel,” “The Music Man,” “South Pacific” and more.
Tickets, which are for residents only, are $15 and can be purchased online at thevillagesentertainment.com or at any Villages Box Office location. A portion of the show’s proceeds will be donated to SoZo Kids.
The show will feature a collection of resident performers including Thatcher, John Rogerson, Carolyn Hoffman, Tim Casey, Bob Stehman, Sue Schuler and more as they revisit previous roles.
“A lot of the residents saw these shows, so I hope they get to reminisce about how much they enjoyed the show when they saw it,” said Thatcher, of the Village of Springdale. “There’s a lot of good music and well-known songs.”
From Mozart to Motown
The Village Voices Chorus will perform songs from a collection of genres at 6 p.m. Oct. 15 at North Lake Presbyterian Church.
Tickets, which are $15, can be purchased online at thevillagesentertainment.com or at any Villages Box Office location.
The program includes American music and hits from Broadway, as well as songs from the sacred, poetry, jazz and pop genres.
“We hope people leave feeling we’ve presented a variety of quality music,” said Jack Bange, president of the chorus. “That’s really our main goal.”
The group of more than 100 singers will be backed by eight instrumentalists.
“We think it provides a well-rounded program, so there’s something for everybody,” Bange said.
The show will be directed by John T. Lowe Jr. and accompanied by Sean Pollock.
Destinations
Travel the world without leaving your Savannah Center seat at 7 p.m. Oct. 16.
“We’re going to travel around the United States to several destinations like New Mexico, Arizona and New York, and then we’ll venture out to other destinations around the world like New Zealand, Italy, France and Ireland,” Butler said. “It’ll be music from, or inspired by, those places.”
Butler said she hopes the show will bring back pleasant thoughts and memories about the places for audience members who have visited them.
Savannah Center will be set up with tables, so those who attend are welcome to bring their own drinks and snacks.
Tickets are $20 or $30 for two online at thevillagesentertainment.com or at any Villages Box Office location.
Four Weddings and an Elvis
The Villages Theater Company’s next show is set in a Las Vegas wedding chapel.
“Four Weddings and an Elvis” follows the four couples in the chapel in a series of humorous twists and turns.
“It’s hilarious and touching at the same time,” said Judy Prior, president of The Villages Theater Company. “When I first read it, I kept laughing out loud. Now as I watch rehearsals over and over again, I’m still laughing.”
“Four Weddings and an Elvis” will run at 7 p.m. Oct. 18-21 at Mulberry Grove Recreation Center.
Tickets for the show are $23 for the general public and $18 for residents online at thevillagesentertainment.com or at any Villages Box Office location.
Honky Tonk Cabaret
If you can’t decide what kind of show you want to see, go to one that has a little bit of everything. “Honky Tonk Cabaret,” presented by The Off Broadway Players, is packed with singing, dancing and comedy.
In the show, which was written by Barbara Hanberry, of the Village of Fenney, and Charlie Snyder, of the Village Mira Mesa, the Little Miss Honky Tonk contest is underway at a honky-tonk bar in the Southwest.
From there, shenanigans ensue as the audience meets a variety of characters.
There are 20 singers, 25 dancers and 10 actors in the show, according to Hanberry.
“It’ll be a lot of great toe-tapping country music, laugh-out-loud comedy and nice costuming and dancing,” Hanberry said.
The show will run at 7 p.m. Oct. 29 and 30 at La Hacienda Recreation Center.
This is a resident-only show. Tickets are $18 and can be purchased online at thevillagesentertainment.com or at any Villages Box Office location.
Senior writer Kristen Fiore can be reached at 352-753-1119, ext. 5270, or kristen.fiore@thevillagesmedia.com.