Summer Theatre

I always loved theatre. When I lived in Springfield, Massachusetts, there was a fine summer stock theatre in the round called Storrowtown. They performed dramas and musicals. Professional actors performed, not amateur. I used to take my daughter to every musical and many plays.

I seem to remember the name of one play only, and remember only a few of the actors from Storrowton where I had so much pleasure.

Here’s what I do remember:

Lana Turner. She really graced the theatre. Apparently she was considered so fragile that staff carried her down the aisle to the stage, and they came down to carry her off the stage as well.

Mickey Rooney in Yankee Doodle Dandy, the only title I remember out of so many. Mickey and the musical were delightful. An actor works hard.

Shirley Jones. She was David Cassidy’s stepmother, and a good one too. At the time, Lauren, my daughter, had a crush on David Cassidy. Every teen did. Lauren, I hope you don’t mind my mentioning this!

Lauren also reminded me that we saw Florence Henderson and George Maharis on stage as well. Now that she mentions it, I do remember seeing George Maharis but not Florence Henderson at all. I wonder about these selective memories and why some remain and others don’t.

It was really a wonderful time going to Storrowtown every Saturday or Sunday matinee in the summer.

Posted by Gloria on August 7th, 2008 under these topics
Purely Personal, Godwriting Journal

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3 Replies

Reply from Pam (fortheloveofGodde) on August 7, 2008

Sounds like great fun … there was no summer stock where I grew up, although now and again a play would come through–no big names that I can recall. Did see Man of LaMancha, Jesus Christ Superstar and a dance troop from Mexico. OH, I remember when I was in high school, a nearby small town with a community theater group put on the play Oh! Calcutta, complete with the nude scene. Oh the SCANDAL! Funniest to me, though, is that the name of the town is Climax. Toooo funny.

Reply from Gloria on August 8, 2008

You mean the real name of the town you lived in?!

Staid New England probably wouldn’t have allowed Oh! Calcutta.

One of my favorite movies is Hair, based on a Broadway musical which had a most unremarkable nude scene.

Quite some years ago, long after my intensive watching of the movie JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, Ted Neely came to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to perform in musical. He was quite older, and the musical wasn’t improved, I thought, with the addition of visual effects like bursts of smoke etc.
Nevertheless, it meant a lot to me to see it, and I joined the Ted Neely Fan Club and still have a key ring that came with it!

Reply from Pam (fortheloveofGodde) on August 8, 2008

Nope, that wasn’t my hometown (I grew up in Battle Creek–home of Kellogg’s Corn Flakes!). There’s a lot odd towns here. Maybe (funny to see highway sign to some other city followed by “Maybe 2″ or whatever), Ypsilanti (named after the Greek general), Bad Axe and more. Not to mention that if you’re from the Upper Peninsula, you’re a “Yooper.” They call us from the Lower Peninsula “Trolls” (because we’re “under the bridge”).

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