Meeting scheduled for Masquers fall musical
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 10 years, 1 month AGO
Mrs. Lovett (Cheri Barbre) has a gift for Sweeney Todd (Daren Vernon), the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, in last year's musical.
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | January 6, 2016 12:45 PM
SOAP LAKE — People who want to work on the Masquers Theater 2016 musical, “The Little Mermaid,” are invited to a meeting at 7:30 p.m. Monday in the theater lobby, 322 East Main, Soap Lake.
This isn’t the audition, said director Stacey Bresee; this meeting is for those people who want to work on the production behind the scenes. “We need folks to help with sets, costumes, props, choreography and lights,” Bresee wrote.
“I thought it would be good to get the planning going early in the year as we have to work around other shows all season,” she wrote. “This will be a big production, lots of different scenes (small and large), so this will mean many sets and costume changes.”
The musical is based on the Disney animated feature, which is based on the 1837 tale by Hans Christian Anderson. It tells the story of the undersea princess Ariel, who falls in love with a prince who lives on the land. The animated version was released in 1989, the theatrical version premiered in 2007 and a live-action film currently is in production.
The Masquers producers are working with the Wenatchee theater group Stage Kids to rent some of their sets, props and costumes, Bresee said. But the rest of the production – additional sets and costumes, all the choreography – will be the work of the Masquers cast and crew, she said. “It makes for each show to be one of a kind,” she said.
Masquers kicks off its 2016 schedule with “Them Three,” a trio of one-act plays, opening Feb. 12. One of the three, “Into the Window,” is an original work written by longtime Masquers actor Jeff Ames.
The company’s schedule also includes “Our Town,” the 1938 Thornton Wilder classic, directed by Cliff Bresee, with Stacey Bresee as assistant director. That’s another reason, along with some family obligations, why she wants to get a head start on preparation for the fall musical, she said.
The company also will present the world premiere of the original play “Aces are Feverish,” written by Spokane journalist and playwright (and former Columbia Basin Herald reporter) Matthew Weaver.
People who can’t make the meeting but want to work on "The Little Mermaid" can contact Bresee by leaving a message at the Masquers box office, 509-246-2611.
ARTICLES BY CHERYL SCHWEIZER
Moses Lake officials working to correct audit issues
MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake city officials are working to correct errors identified by the Washington State Auditor’s Office and catch up on delayed audits. Municipal Finance Director Madeline Prentice said city officials are working to have the delayed audits for 2023 and 2024 submitted by May. “Trying to get caught up on the audits is our first priority,” Prentice said. “We have actually brought in an outside accounting firm to assist us with that.”
Wheeler roundabout construction scheduled for Feb 23
MOSES LAKE — If the weather cooperates, construction will begin Feb. 23 on a roundabout at the intersection of Road L Northeast and East Wheeler Road. Moses Lake’s financial contribution to the project is about $81,000. Contributions by other stakeholders in the project was not immediately available.
Moses Lake residents asked to weigh in on financial priorities
MOSES LAKE — With the Moses Lake City Council working on a financial plan that will require what council member Jeremy Davis said will be hard decisions, city officials want to hear which services residents think are the most important.