Twenty minutes before the start of Saturday’s performance at the Performing Arts Center and before most of the seats got taken.
If you don’t have kids or grandkids in Albany schools, chances are you haven’t been inside the new Performing Arts Center at West Albany High School. At least that was the case with me until Saturday night.
The auditorium was constructed as part of the $62 million expansion, remodeling and renovation of the school, finished about a year ago.
On Facebook I had seen a suggestion from a former newspaper colleague, who does have kids in school, to attend a performance of the musical “Anastasia.” So I booked a couple of tickets, and Kathy and I went.
We were suitably impressed with the production, the work of more than 150 actors and singers, crew members and others.
As for the auditorium, well, it’s a fully functioning and well equipped modern theater that accommodates about 700 people in reasonably comfortable seats. Albany has other theaters, but none as big as this.
On the school district website you can see that on this stage, a lot of performing goes on, by bands, choirs and other groups from all the middle and high schools in the district. (The center’s web page has videos of past performances. If you’re missing band concerts or talent shows from when your kids were in school, here’s your chance to refresh your memory.)
I’m pretty sure the district offered tours of all the new and remodeled Albany schools when they were finished last year. I missed the tours, so I’m glad I finally got to experience this new venue for the performing arts.
If you haven’t seen the inside, you can do so by getting a ticket for any of the remaining shows of “Anastasia.” They are scheduled on the evenings of April 21 and 22, and on the afternoon and evening of the 23rd. Tickets are $12. You can get them online or buy them at the door. (hh)
The aisles were busy before the start of the show.
Dating myself here…
The actors spent several hours at the Carousel recently – and in costume. I asked one of them in a Russian costume, if he was playing the Yul Brynner character from the wonderful 1956 movie. He (and none of the others – including their adult advisor) had a clue what I was talking about. And I didn’t have a clue that they were basing their play on the Disney animation of the story. :-)
well OK then… everyone clueless and having a good ‘OL time in OBLIVION…
One of my daughter is performing in Anastasia-
I’ve never heard about the old version so I will look it up. Thanks for mentioning it
I had the opportunity to see Yul Brynner on stage performing in The King And I. Quite a memory!
Same here! In Portland. Excellent! :-)
Is somebody getting Anna and the King confused with Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia?
Don’t think so Bill. Anna and the King of Siam was a 1946 movie. The King and I was a Rogers and Hammerstein musical from 1956 starring Yul Brenner based on the King of Siam movie neither of which was about the Grand Duchess. The 1956 movie Anastasia also stared Yul Brenner and WAS about the Grand Duchess Anastasia of Russia. Yul Brenner had a prolific career.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anastasia_(musical)