Giveaway! Win a Trailer Park Pippi Package!

ETA: Thanks for all your entries! The contest is now closed!

To celebrate the return of The Great American Trailer Park Musical to The Hippodrome Theatre, we're giving away some great prizes.

In Trailer Park, the mobile home community Armadillo Acres gets its status quo bumped out of shape when Pippi, a stripper on the run, comes between a housewife and her tollbooth collector husband. We're giving you a chance to learn to bump and grind it, too, with a Pippi Prize Pack!

The Pippi Prize Pack includes two tickets to The Great American Trailer Park Musical and two Pole Dancing Lessons from French Addiction Lingerie. This prize pack has a retail value of $100! Guys, you can enter, too... this would make an amazing gift for your wife or girlfriend.

Here's what you need to do: Leave a comment on this blog post. You could tell us what your stripper name would be or why you think you should win the Pippi Prize Pack. Or what show you're most excited about in our 09-10 Season! Winners will be picked next Tuesday! And don't forget to make sure we have a way of contacting you if you're a winner!

The fine print: Contest is open to ages 18 and up. There are no geographic restrictions, but winners are responsible for their own travel. Winners will be picked by a random number generator. There are three prizes available in this giveaway.

Announcing our 2009 - 2010 Season!

After spending months reading through almost 100 plays, the team of Mary Hausch (Producing Director), Lauren Caldwell (Artistic Director) and Tammy Dygert (Dramaturg) have selected a season that is sure to delight. In the next few weeks, we'll bring you a spotlight on each of these wonderful plays with a personal message from the people that chose them, but for now, here's a taste of what's coming starting this Fall!

Up
by Bridget Carpenter
Since Walter Griffin tied a bunch of weather balloons to a Sears lawn chair and shot 16,000 feet into the sky, life hasn’t been the same. Up is a quirky, bittersweet dramatic comedy about escaping the boundaries of the everyday and dreaming ourselves into a future.
“The incredible and beautiful conclusion leaves the audience thinking, philosophizing and talking all the way home.” - Grants Pass Daily Courier
Sept 4-27; Discount previews Sept 2 & 3

Mindgame
by Anthony Horowitz
This brilliantly inventive and heart-stoppingly scary thriller is just in time for Halloween. A prominent "true crime" novelist enters a secluded mental institution to interview a serial killer.
Mindgame is a riveting hit in London's West End.
"A truly gripping thriller [that] keeps you guessing and marveling from its deceptively normal opening to its fearful climax." - The Stage
Oct 16-Nov 8; Discount previews Oct 14 & 15

A Tuna Christmas *RETURNING FAVORITE*
by Jaston Williams, Joe Sears and Ed Howard
Texas-sized laughs light up your holiday season!
November 27-December 20

A Christmas Carol *RETURNING FAVORITE*
adapted by Mary Hausch from the story by Charles Dickens
Share this holiday classic with your entire family.
November 28-December 20

Dead Man's Cell Phone
by Sarah Ruhl
The guy at the next table has croaked and his cell phone won’t stop ringing. Jean answers the call dialing her deeply into the dead man’s mysterious life. Sarah Ruhl (the playwright of last season's beautiful Eurydice) creates a quirky odyssey of coming alive.
"Satire is her oxygen. . . . In her new oddball comedy, Dead Man's Cell Phone, Sarah Ruhl is forever vital in her lyrical and biting takes on how we behave." - The Washington Post
January 8-31; Discount previews 6 & 7

Defiance
by John Patrick Shanley
It’s 1971 and North Carolina's Camp Lejeune is rife with racial unease. Two officers, one black and one white, are on a collision course over race, women and the high cost of doing the right thing.
"Spellbinding. I wouldn't have thought it possible, but John Patrick Shanley has followed up Doubt, the best play of 2004–05, with a play of identical quality." —Wall Street Journal
Feb 26-March 21; Discount previews Feb 24 & 25

Around the World in 80 Days
Adapted by Mark Brown from the novel by Jules Verne
Stampeding elephants! Raging typhoons! Runaway trains! Hold onto your seats for the original amazing race as fearless adventurer Phileas Fogg and his faithful servant race to beat the clock! Danger, romance, and comic surprises abound as five actors portraying 39 characters traverse seven continents in this new adaptation of one of the great adventures of all time.
April 16-May 9; Discount previews April 14 & 15

Summer 2010
Shear Madness
The uproarious whodunit where the audience gets to solve the crime.
or Boeing Boeing
A high-flying, first-class Broadway comedy.
or a toe-tapping new musical!

Season Subscriptions are available now through our Box Office: 352-375-HIPP! Remember to check back for in-depth looks at each of these exciting plays and let us know what you think in the comments!

Trailer Park is a-Brewin'

"The Great American Trailer Park Musical" is returning to the Hippodrome Theatre this summer and from the sound of this cast, this is a show that you cannot miss. Rehearsals have been going on all weekend and the cast has a well deserved day off today. For a special behind-the-scenes treat, we're going to give you a glimpse at a typical first day of rehearsals here at The Hipp.

The first day of rehearsals will typically begin with a Meet and Greet. The cast, crew and staff are invited to eat and socialize. It's a great chance to see old friends and meet the newcomers to our theatre.


The Hippodrome Theatre is a professional theatre and hires both union and non-union actors. The union for theatrical actors and stage managers is called Actor's Equity Association, or Equity for short. Following the Meet and Greet, the Equity actors in this production gathered together to hold a required meeting. I can't really give you too much of an insight there, but enjoy these pictures of the rest of the cast, crew and staff hanging out and waiting.



The Equity Meeting over with, everyone reconvenes back in the Rehearsal Room to watch the cast read through the script. The actors have been sent scripts (and scores, in the case of a musical) in advance and all are familiar with the dialogue and music. Some actors will have their lines memorized before rehearsals begin. After introductions of the cast, crew and staff, we jump right into it.



Lin, Betty and Pickles sing the opening number (Jorgia McAfee, Kim Mead and Rachel Lomax)


Two of our three returning cast members: Kelly Atkins as Pippi and Mark Chambers as Norbert


Our third returning cast member, Catherine Fries Vaughn as Jeannie.


Newcomer Tim Norton as Duke.


The cast of "The Great American Trailer Park Musical"

After the read through, the cast went straight into rehearsing the opening number. Cast members who weren't in that got their measurements taken and headed home early. They'll be doing plenty of work in the weeks to come.

"The Great American Trailer Park Musical" opens June 5th with Previews on June 3rd and 4th and will be running all summer at The Hipp. For tickets and more information, call our Box Office at 352-374-HIPP or visit our website at thehipp.org

Hippodrome Theatre Video Podcast

The Hippodrome Theatre Podcast is back with our first Video Podcast. In this update, check out what the Hippodrome's Spring Break-a-Leg campers thought of their exclusive sneak peek at Shipwrecked! running though May 10th!

October Events at The Hipp!

The air is chilling, the leaves (the few we have) are changing... fall is here and Halloween is just around the corner. This Halloween season, The Hipp is bringing a classic ghost story to Gainesville in a way only The Hipp can.

The Woman in Black is onstage at The Hipp from October 15. Hailed as "one of the best horror stories you will ever see on the stage" (Hello Magazine), The Woman in Black is the second-longest running play in London, where it has been universally acclaimed by critics. Over the 20 years it has been on stage, it has been translated into a dozen languages and staged in more than 40 countries. In conjunction with the fantastic production directed by Lauren Caldwell and staring Tim Altmeyer and UF Professor Emeritus David Shelton, The Hipp has the following amazing events lined up. All events are free and open to the public with the purchase of a ticket to that night's performance of The Woman in Black. Tickets for all dates other than opening are now available online at thehipp.org or through The Hipp Box Office at 352-375-HIPP.

October 17 at 8pm - Opening Night Gala. The social event of the fall, complete with tarot card readings and live music. Tickets go on sale to the public October 9th!
October 24 at 7pm - Singles Night. Come meet and mingle with other Gainesville singles and some light snacks before the performance.
October 26 at 2pm - Talkback Sunday. Stay after our matinee performance to participate in a discussion with the actors and artistic team.

HALLOWEEN WEEK!

October 29 at 9:30pm - Ghost Tour of The Hippodrome. Following the performance, go backstage and behind the scenes for this rarely seen peak into the hidden corners of the Hippodrome. See if you can spot the Woman in Black lurking in the corridors and stairwells.
October 30 at 7pm - Masquerade Party. Dress in black, but hide your face for this gala occassion.
October 31 at 9:30pm - The return of the Hippodrome Halloween Party and Costume Contest. Prizes awarded for best costume. Check out pictures from previous years and RSVP at the Facebook event.

Also... in our cinema:
Thursday, October 23 at 10:30pm - Oktoberfest @ The Hipp Cinema - Celebrate the season with 5 Beers for $10 at our beer tasting event, then stay to check out a great film in the cinema. For more details, check out and RSVP to the Facebook event.

The Hipp Podcast: Gutenberg! The Musical!

The Hippodrome is pleased to bring you its first foray into the podcasting world. In this podcast, we have a roundtable discussion with the Director and Cast of "Gutenberg! The Musical!" "Gutenberg!" is running at The Hipp through September 28th and tickets are available through our website or by calling our Box Office at 352-375-HIPP (4477)

Hippodrome Podcast Episode 1
Host: Crystal Coleman
Guests: Lauren Caldwell (Director), Kirt Bateman (Doug), Jay Perry (Bud)
Clips from "Gutenberg! The Musical!" at The Hippodrome Theatre featuring Kirt Bateman (Doug), Jay Perry (Bud) and Brian Hargove (Charles, on piano).
Special Thanks to Risa Baxter for recording assistance and Lizz Nehls.

To Download: Right click on the direct download link and choose "Save Link As"
Direct Download (18MB)


This podcast series is a work in progress, so please feel free to leave constructive criticism by commenting on this entry or sending an email to mail [at] thehipp.org
If you like this podcast, make sure to add this blog to your feed reader. Once we get a few more under our belt, we'll submit ourselves to iTunes for easy subscribing.

Are you happy?

"The Pursuit of Happiness," running at The Hipp asks the question "Are you happy?" Well, are you?

What brings you more happiness: work, sex, chocolate, a good book, a walk in the woods…?

You know the drill...

What do you do to pursue happiness?

Share your thoughts in as many words as you'd like...

What is happiness to you?

Share your thoughts in six words...