SILVER BELLS / SILVER SCREEN
Athenaeum Theatre
December 3 – 17, 2010
Indianapolis, IN – A few years back, Bob Harbin and John Austin Butsch produced original musical holiday productions that became landmarks for the Athenaeum Theatre. After a year hiatus, they are bringing back the holidays to the historic theatre in the form of “Silver Bells / Silver Screen,” a grand mixture of favorite holiday songs combined with familiar songs from the movies—including many Academy Award nominations and Oscar winners.
“By Thanksgiving, many of us feel a bit inundated with Christmas music from the radio, malls, and elevators—-and need a little break,” says Bob Harbin, director and executive producer of BOBDIREX, the show’s production company. “So we keep some December favorites and mix them with another form of vocal entertainment.” In years past the men have “mixed in” the Big Band sound, Country Western and this year it’s movie music. John Austin Butsch, Music Director, chimes in with “we love doing these special shows and the Athenaeum with its tables and chairs makes it a comfortable place to see them.”
There will be lots of singing, some dancing, some comedy and some of Indianapolis’s best vocal talents. That’s a wonderful feature of the production—-the mixture of talent. There will be Athenaeum favorites, Tim Spradlin, Karlton D. Turner, Diane Tsao Boehm and Da’Keisha Bryant, mixed with soon-to-become favorites, Erin Cohenour, Claire Cassidy, Kelsee Hankin, Tobin Strader, Bryan Padgett and Andrew Elliott. And perennial Phoenix Theatre star, Phebe Taylor, will be coming in from New York City to round out the cast.
“Silver Bells / Silver Screen” is a true family event appropriate for all ages. This show follows the first two BOBDIREX productions, “Classic Soul” and “A Funny Thing Happpened on the Way to the Forum,” both reviewed with great critical success.
The production will run for three consecutive weekends, December 3-4, December 9-12 and December 16-17. All shows are at 7:30 p.m. with December 12 being the exception—-a Sunday matinee at 3:00 p.m. All seats are reserved and a wallet friendly $20. Discounts are available for seniors and groups over 20.
Tickets are on sale now through the BOBDIREX website: http://www.bobdirex.com or by calling the ticket line (317) 280-0825 (no fee) or at the door an hour before performance. Tickets cannot be ordered through the Athenaeum.
Once again the Athenaeum Docent Society will help sponsor the program. The Athenaeum Theatre is located at 401 East Michigan Street, Indianapolis, IN 46204. Cocktails are available before and during the performance at the theatre bar. Dinner and cocktails are available before and after performances at the famous Rathskeller restaurant located in the building’s basement. Parking near the Athenaeum is free at parking meters on the street after 6pm and on weekends. There are several other parking options within one or two blocks.
What’s next for BOBDIREX? Coming next summer will be Disney’s “CAMP ROCK.” The two popular Disney television movies have been combined into one big live theatrical experience featuring the best of INDY’s local young people. Auditions will be announced soon on http://www.bobdirex.com. Tell all of the young people you know to start getting prepared for “CAMP ROCK”!
For more information, contact Bob Harbin by phone: (317) 280 – 0825, email: bobdirex@aol.com, and follow BOBDIREX on Twitter @bobdirex!
Photo courtesy of Zach Rosing
Pictured from left, front row: Kelsee B. Hankins, Da’Keisha Bryant, Diane Tsao Boehm, Erin Cohenour, Karlton D. Turner. From left, back row: Andrew Elliott, Tobin Strader, Bryan Padgett, Tim Spradlin
