Triumphant Summer Nights

Written By: Erin Leigh Knowles, Mountain Theatre Company | Issue: August 2024

As the days are getting shorter and the nights are getting longer, Mountain Theatre Company applauds the incredible work that went into their hit-Summer season with Grease and Catch Me If You Can.

This “Season of Escape” kicked off with sock-hops, Pink Ladies and T Birds in an all-new, high-octane production that is now Mountain Theatre Company’s second-most successful show in their 86-year history.

The most thrilling part of our 86th season has been this summer’s audience.  We have had some young audience members experiencing not just MTC for the first time, but live theatre in general. Our Executive Artistic Director Scott Daniel often calls our team the Magic Makers, and this season’s Magic has only just begun.

Following the success of Grease, Catch Me If You Can quickly became the talk of the town. Based off the hit DreamWorks Motion Picture starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks, this non-stop, explosion of song and dance, brought the feel of the Vegas strip to the town of Highlands.

I was given the dream cast of dancers who could not only do all the movement, but who could also set the tone and focus for the audience – for a choreographer, that’s nirvana. This musical is so much more than songs with flashy, big dance moves – it’s a musical about family, love, acceptance and the search for it – and I believe the choreography helped convey that message to the audience all while allowing them to forget about the struggles of their own lives for a few hours.

So, what makes a show at Mountain Theatre Company successful?

Support. Support can come in many different forms; audience attendance, volunteers, production staff, the talent on stage, but what support is the most important to the triumph of Mountain Theatre Company?

Sponsors. Mountain Theatre Company is a non-profit organization and is solely dependent on contributions made by those who believe in the magic of live theater. Ticket sales only make up 40% of the operating budget, so MTC relies heavily on funding from sponsors and donors to create the Broadway-style production and talent that MTC has become known for. It’s important to our organization that we maintain a living-wage in the arts for our staff, actors, and creative team. You can play a leading role in supporting the arts our community by visiting our website – mountaintheatre.com/support.

Our “Season of Escape” is not over yet!

Join us for The Burnt Part Boys, which is an empowering and thrilling theatrical experience for all ages about siblings from a mining town who learn the power of self-reliance in the Appalachian bluegrass-inspired journey, live on stage October 11– 26. Then to round out our season is the return of Home for the Holidays with a holiday spectacular sure to fill audiences with good, old-fashioned holiday cheer, live on stage December 6 – 22. Tickets are available at mountaintheatre.com/on-stage.