Theater prepares to turn up the lights at Wallace Sixth Street Melodrama
WALLACE — Turning on the lights at the Sixth Street Melodrama and Theater will no longer include the audible hum of the electricity as the theater has reached its fundraising goal to make the switch to LED lights.
For the last year, people at the Wallace theater have been raffling specialty baskets during productions and courting donations in other ways so they could give their lighting system a refresh.
According to Carol Roberts, the organization raised a total of about $12,826, with the bulk of it stemming from online donations $5,415, and $3,600 from mail-in contributions.
“We are very excited about the outpouring of support from our theater community toward our lighting fundraiser campaign,” Roberts said.
The plan is to have the new lights purchased and installed ahead of the fall production.
Through the Frank A. Morbeck Foundation, the theater also received $1,700 to purchase a laptop and dongle to help run the new lighting system, as well as two tablets to streamline the ticketing system and sound system.
Melodrama president Ken Bartle said, “We’re trying to make savings. After having the theater for 40 years, we’d like to have it continue for another 40 years. We were really fortunate and had fundraisers all year long.”
Bartle said he is looking forward to one benefit in particular that LED stage lighting provides.
“They won’t be as hot. Once you get onstage, you get roasted,” Bartle said.
Saving money on future Melodrama lighting bills is a benefit since LEDs are more energy-efficient to run.
The switch can’t come soon enough after a scare during a performance last year when all but two of the lights went down during the production of "Perils on the Georgie Oaks, or, Every Dog Has Its Day" until they eventually figured out how to shift power and get more lights turned on.
The theater usually sells about 2,000 tickets per year with four shows in the main season and a variety of performances throughout the year.
One such performance is the upcoming Gospel Hymn Sing-a-Long Fundraiser Show on May 17, 18 and 19.
Joy Persoon is a former music teacher who taught for more than four decades and has also served as choir director at various churches.
With one fundraiser to power a project completed, the organization turned its attention toward purchasing a new electric piano for the theater.
“Our piano is old and we have to haul it around a lot, and it just takes wear and tear on it,” Persoon said.
It’s been over 20 years since the theater had a new electric piano and currently, the plug will fall out from underneath the piano when it’s being played.
The show will have about 21 performers sharing a stage as they sing hymns such as “When We All Get to Heaven,” “I’ll Fly Away,” “The Old Country Church” and “Leaning On the Everlasting Arms.”
“We jazz 'em up a little,” Persoon said.
Solos, duets and quartets are planned with accompaniment from a bass, drums, guitar and mandolin, with Persoon on the piano.
“It’s a great show that came to fruition, I’m really excited. I hope the churches and people in this valley will come out and support it,” Persoon said.
If you go
What: Gospel Hymn Sing-a-Long Fundraiser
When: 7 p.m. on May 17, 18 and 2 p.m. on May 19.
Where: Sixth Street Melodrama and Theater at 212 Sixth St, Wallace.
Tickets are available at https://onthestage.tickets/sixth-street-melodrama/individual-tickets.
The current incandescent lights are due to be replaced with LED lights at the Sixth Street Melodrama and Theater.