June 2001

The Hippodrome is buzzing with activity. On the Mainstage, we are completing one of our most popular seasons in the theatre’s history. Lauren Caldwell is preparing to direct Hedwig… She is also getting the artists and actors ready for our summer production of Forever Plaid. We are working hard to finalize the rights on an exciting next season. We are in the thick of the subscription campaign and a new group sales campaign with outreach into new areas of the community.
On the Cinema Front, we have a terrific new Cinema schedule coming up. Our cinema renovation and soundproofing is nearly complete. The cinema looks terrific plus the sound and seating improvements will make your cinema experience the best in town.
Our education Department is gearing up for the Summer Spectacular theatre camp. In addition to our program for young actors, we have introduced a new program, Actup!, for talented teens that are interested in a more advanced theatre program. All the classes are filling up quickly so call to reserve your space now! Bonnie Harrison and the HITT program continue to be shining stars on the national and international education front winning numerous awards including the Florida International Volunteer Corps 2000 Outstanding Achievement Award, the Florida Learn and Serve Award, and the Steve Tunick Award. The Florida Teen Playwright Festival congratulates John Denton, Jessica Lynn Eisenberg and Rebekah Lanae Lengle. The work of these young playwrights was selected from hundreds of plays to be produced at the festival.
Finally, you will soon see major renovation both inside and outside of the Hipp. We are converting our basement into a performance and classroom space. The new space will be used for the ever growing Spring and Summer Spectacular programs, for rehearsals, and for an after hours bar and Cabaret. A cleaning and renovation of the exterior building is planned for May 2001. When this is complete, the building will definitely be the most spectacular building in Gainesville. We will keep you updated on these and other changes.
That is it for now. Thank you for your support in making the Hippodrome the success that it is. We look forward to sharing our achievements, awards, and accolades with you in the next season.
 
 

 A couple of years ago I was sitting on the front porch of the Hippodrome chatting with my cast. I was leaving for New York the next morning and I was in the process of deciding what shows to see. Always on a limited budget, I was reluctant to plop down $75 for a ticket to a show that was not unique or had nothing new to say. The big Broadway musicals and the revivals of classics with big stars have a certain amount of appeal to me.  But as an artist, my responsibility is to find works that have a level of originality. I don’t mean to sound snobbish but the Hippodrome is not a star vehicle for big names.  We want to tell good stories and to surround ourselves with a company of exceptional actors whom we love to work with. One of my cast suggested that I see Hedwig and the Angry Inch. I had never heard of the show but it sounded intriguing so I went to New York to see this unknown musical at the Jane Street Theatre.

Well, if I was looking for the unique and original, I found it. Little did I know, Hedwig… was the talk of New York.  The audience was filled with young, middle and older aged folks. The story in this glam-rock musical is one which you might hear on Mysteries and Scandals, 60 Minutes, or read in an award-winning novel. As Hedwig shares his shocking story through music, song, and dialogue, we learn that no matter how “freakish” another human being may seem to us, we all share our yearning for acceptance, companionship, and fulfillment. Beyond the rock sound, and the glamour, there lies a human being looking for a soul mate with that universal desire for love.  As I left the Jane Street Theatre, I felt as though I had experienced a unique story that I wanted to bring home to you, our audience.

Even though Hedwig’s story is about an alternative lifestyle that may seem foreign to us, his search for love made me think of my parents. When you see the show, you may think that this is an odd parallel. However, as I watch my parents in their retirement years, I know that they are soul mates. They walk together holding hands, share their life’s dreams, laugh at each others’ jokes, and know that they have survived all of life’s obstacles that could have torn them apart…they are a pair who are “lost in amazement of love, friendship and intimacy.” No matter who we are, we intensely yearn to find the type of relationship my parents shared in their lives together.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch may startle you or make you to squirm in your seat. It will also make you laugh and sing.  Whatever else it does, it will entertain you and make you grateful that the Hippodrome is committed to producing all forms of theatre. I’m glad that my cast member suggested this show…I hope you are too!
 
 

Renewal time is always an interesting time for me.  It is a time when I get involved in many conversations about the current season and get to know your thoughts and feelings about the shows.  I love these conversations.  Thankfully, the positive comments always out weighed the negative ones by quite a large margin.  One conversation stands out in my mind.  This particular conversation challenged me to reflect on why working at the Hippodrome is so important to me and how proud I am that we don’t select shows for their commercial value but for their artistic merit.

One patron let me know, clearly, that she hated The Blue Room.  She thought it was immoral and that the characters and story had no redeeming values.  She also said that she would never set foot in the theater again.  She felt that it was our responsibility to put on shows that were wholesome and had strong moral values.  She said that she had really enjoyed the last two seasons with the exception of The Blue Room.  That threw me.  We have done many risky, challenging pieces during that period.   I explained our motivation for picking the The Blue Room.   Part of our mission is to hold a mirror up to the world around us.  Sometimes the reflection of that world is beautiful, sometimes it is funny, sometimes, as in the case of The Blue Room, it reflects a segment of society that has lost its way.  On television,  movies, and the computer, there is no shortage of mindless programming motivated by the desire to sell products.  Artistic vision is secondary at best.  At the Hipp, it is always the artistic vision that drives our decisions.

I hate to lose a subscriber because they are offended by a single show. While we talked, the analogy of an art museum crossed my mind.  “If you hated a particular exhibit,” I asked, “Would that mean that you would never visit the museum again?”   She thought about it, laughed, and said she might come to the next show.

Like a museum our goal is to expose our audience to exceptional art and artists.  At times a particular show may not appeal to you, but we thank you for supporting our mission and our efforts to bring you the best in theatre.
 
 

Move over Rocky Horror. Step aside David Bowie. Look out Marilyn Manson. Beware Eddie Izzard. Make room for Hedwig - that glam-rock goddess of muddled gender who dares you to accept her as your new, true rock and roll queen. Forever Plaid transported us back to the 50s, Beehive shimmied us into the 60s, Rocky Horror timewarped us into the 70s and now…Hedwig and the Angry Inch thrusts us into the 80s where glam rock mingles with the anthems of hard rock, punk and beautiful ballads.

Mark Chambers, who dazzled us with his bodacious Frank ‘n’ Furter in Rocky Horror and Cindy Thrall, who belted “My Boyfriend’s Back” in Beehive, return to the Hipp in this unique rock and roll musical. The Hippodrome was one of select theatres granted rights to produce Hedwig before its big release on the silver screen. Don’t miss it!

Critics have been singing Hedwig’s praises since its off-Broadway debut in 1998: “sublimely trashy and surprisingly powerful” (LA Times), “the most exciting hard rock score written for the theatre since, oh, ever” (Time), “a much-needed jolt of bathos and wigged-out histrionics” (The Advocate), “the absolutely fabulous glam rock musical” (Village Voice). After a flood of awards and recognition (Obie Award, Outer Critics Circle Award, a Grammy nomination and 3 Drama Desk nominations, Best Direction and Dramatic Award at the Sundance Film Festival), the Hippodrome State Theatre is thrilled to bring you this one-of-a-kind rock odyssey.

How did Hansel Schmidt – “some slip of a girlyboy” from Germany - become Hedwig, an “internationally ignored song stylist” in the US? Hear Hedwig’s story as she relates her survival of a botched sex change in order to escape communist East Berlin and become a rock star in America. Part Plato’s Symposium and part rock and roll, Hedwig unfolds in pun and song through a wildly imaginative creation reminiscent of Velvet Goldmine.

Inspired by Plato’s Symposium, which describes Zeus’ plan to split humans in half so they would not be a threat to the gods, writer John Cameron Mitchell and musician/lyricist Stephen Trask created Hedwig, one such creature who is always on a search for her other half. The play is full of spectacular songs ranging from gut-wrenching punk anthems and glam rock dance tunes to poignant ballads. We also get a healthy dose of Hedwig’s larger-than-life personality and humor.

The nation has gone mad for this one-of-a-kind musical. David Bowie backed a production. The Stone Temple Pilots appeared as Hedwig’s band, The Angry Inch, in LA. Hedwig has also attracted the interest of Jon Bon Jovi, Alanis Morisette and Ally Sheedy (Sheedy took over the off-Broadway production when John Cameron Mitchell took a vacation) and soon, Hedwig and the Angry Inch will be a major motion picture. With all of this attention, it’s no wonder The New York Times predicted it to be “…the kind of Rocky Horror Picture Show-style event that may inspire a rabid cult following.”

Don’t miss out! Hedwig and the Angry Inch June 1-24 at the Hippodrome State Theatre. Previews May 30 and 31.
 
 

Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant that slows down body function such as heart rate and respiration.  When alcohol is consumed, it passes from stomach and intestines into the blood, a process referred to as absorption. Alcohol is then metabolized by enzymes, which are body chemicals that break down other chemicals. It takes about 30 seconds for the first amounts of alcohol to reach the brain after ingestion.

The active ingredient in all alcoholic beverages is ethyl alcohol (ethanol), which is produced by yeast cells acting on carbohydrates in fruits and grains. There are three types of alcoholic beverages:

Wine is fermented from fruit and normally contains 12 to 14 percent alcohol. Fortified wines have additional alcohol added and contain 18 to 20 percent alcohol.

Liquor is made from distilled (boiled off) alcohol and contains 40 to 50 percent alcohol.

Beer produced by soaking, boiling and fermentation of a cereal extract (often malted barley) flavored with a bitter substance (hops). Other ingredients are water, sugar, and yeast. The alcohol content of most beer ranges from c.2.5% to 12%, with the majority between 3% and 6%. Among the major types of beer are: ales, which classically have fewer hops added; stouts and porters, which are darker, with a persistent head and hint of sweetness; and lager and pilsners, which are light, rather bubbly, but matured over a longer period of time at low temperature. Types of standard beer include bitter, which features additional hops; mild, which has few hops and is low in alcohol; and brown ale, which is similar to stout.

The Hippodrome State Theater Bar offers draft beer, bottled beer, and a variety of imports beers, like Becks (a German pilsner), Harp (an Irish lager), New Castle (an English brown ale), Tennet's (a Scotish lager) Guinness (an Irish extra stout) and Pacifico (a Mexican porter).  Domestic beers include Michelob Light and Budweiser (made from rice). Less popular, but perfect for the movies, we offer Asian, Australian and East European beers.

Now that Summer is here, come by and enjoy one of our refreshing beers. The hardest part is choosing your favorite.
 
 

For more information on how you can receive great group discounts, contact Kim @ 373-5968!
 
 

When I capture John Denton for an interview he seems surprised.  Like a proud parent who has recently sent his beloved child off to college, John, a junior at Eastside High School, has turned his award-winning script, The Captivation of Mr. Brown, over to an unknown director and cast for production at this year’s Teen Playwright Festival.  The process has somewhat taken him aback.  He has not expected to so willingly trust director Darryl Davis and his instincts.  “He has answers to questions I have not even thought of, but when he explains it, it suddenly makes complete sense.”

John delights in combining the theoretical and philosophical with the visual arts. When you hear him speak about writing Mr.Brown, No Exit, Waiting For Godot, and Caucasian Chalk Circle all come to mind. John is fascinated by the psychological breakdown of characters. “Theatre can explain how the mind does what it does or (he laughs) does not do.”

While it is obvious that John has a genuine passion for theatre, he loves acting as much as playwriting, he wants to study science in college. In fact, John relishes writing research papers for science fairs.  This comes as no surprise.  The same thing that fascinates him about science churns his love for the stage.  In writing a play he starts with a theory then tries it several different ways until it works.  “The real work, skill, of the theatrical process is getting people to the point of a final working product.”

Mr. Brown originally began as a panel of examiners dissecting and refuting the defense of a fourth character’s thesis.  John found these characters too ambiguous for his purposes.  He wanted his story to be about real people. Over time the characters morphed into three voices that became the conscience, pride and fury of Mr. Brown. The next step was examining his script for truth.  Many times, he says, he questioned himself, “Is that really true or is that what I want to be true?”

And how has Darryl Davis felt while shaping this work in progress? “I’ve enjoyed the human introspection that’s involved with notion of hearing and truly interacting with the voices in their head.   We all hear those voices, but the opportunity to present it on stage and watch someone work through issues with those voices as well as watch the voices working through their own issues is a challenge to direct.” Somehow, I think the voice of John Denton’s psyche is nodding its agreement.
 
 

SUBSCRIPTIONS
 

I wanted to thank all of our subscribers who have already renewed their subscriptions for the 2001-2002 season.  I also wanted to remind our subscribers who have not yet renewed that it is not too late to renew your seats and flex passes for next season.

A special note to our flex pass subscribers...even though you don't need to renew "reserved seats" for our next season, your renewal is important to us because it assures us a solid financial footing as we go into the next season.

If you would like to renew your subscription or if you have any questions please call Betty Mayers at (352) 373-5968.

HIPPODROME DOWNTOWN DINER’S CLUB
 

I’d like to thank all of you who have purchased a Hippodrome Diner’s Club card.  I hope that your dining experience with your card has been as thrilling as mine.

For those of you who haven’t purchased a card, they are still available.  You can experience some of the great downtown restaurants including:Dragonfly Sushi, Emiliano’s Café, Gator Greats, Fusion Forest Café, Porter’s Fine Dining, The Sovereign, and Steve’s Café Americain.

The Details of the Hippodrome Downtown Diner’s Club Card:

The cards sell for $50.00
The cardholder receives an entrée of equal or lesser value free with the purchase of one entrée at regular price, at each restaurant.
The card is valid through 12/31/01.
 
 

“…90 minutes of pure musical pleasure that warms the heart with simple, direct innocence.”

“…in the grand tradition of the barbershop quartet”

“[the] songs light up the road to memory lane.”

“There is so much to enjoy in Forever Plaid, its 90 minutes seem to fly by in a moment”

“Even if you don’t know those 1950’s tunes, you can’t help but feel happy at the Hippodrome’s Forever Plaid”