Cover Story
The Grand Opera House Announces its 2024-2025 Season
By Bryce Parks
As if it was made just for them , The Grand Opera House ’ s opening production of their 2024 – 2025 season is Rodgers and Hammerstein ’ s A Grand Night for Singing . But alas , this one-time Broadway medley highlight that brings together 30 of their greatest hit music theater songs was just a lucky coincidence , much as the fact that the season ’ s other bookend final show is also a Rodgers and Hammerstein classic , Cinderella . Things just seem to be falling into place for The Grand . And the historic venue ’ s executive and artistic director , Nick Halder , seems pretty high on what ’ s in store for patrons in the next year .
“ Yes , it ’ s an actual licensed show ,” Halder assures us of the convenient happenstance around the name of the season opener . “ It ’ s a Rodgers and Hammerstein review that ran on Broadway in the late ’ 90s . The title is taken from their musical State Fair , and their song ‘ A Grand Night for Singing .’” And Nick also assured me that I was not the first person to ask if they named the show , as others asked if it was a special fundraiser they built in-house . So sir , this is the real deal , or should be say , the real Hammerstein .
It features 14 different local talents as part of the production . So , for all you musical theater lovers out there , and I know there are a lot of you , prepare to be dipped in magic waters , or should I say , “ The Sound of Music !”
Second up is a live staging of the cult classic film The Rocky Horror Picture Show . “ It ’ s the same story as the movie , of course , but it ’ s not just live actors in front of the movie performing ,” explains Halder . “ It ’ s the full production stage show through and through , so there will be actually no movie as part of it .”
I asked if they are encouraging people in the audience to bring the newspapers and other props to the show . I think the thought of cleaning up that mess after every show is a bit daunting .
“ We haven ’ t decided about all the props yet ,” Nick responded . “ But there ’ s plenty of audience enhancement . I mean , there ’ s plenty of shouting from the audience , similar to the film , but there might even be more so in the stage show . So we ’ re still kind of determining that , but obviously , we want everyone to have a great time .”
Definitely no hot dogs though !
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever , The Musical is next up , adding music to an already timeless hilarious play .
“ Still based on the same great children ’ s story , for me personally , it ’ s one of the first theatrical shows that I remember seeing as a kid ,” adds Halder . “ So , the story itself just warms my heart , and it ’ s really fun . It ’ ll also be a great opportunity to have some students involved in a show as well . They kind of take the primary focus in that show and are school-age students .
Last season , The Grand updated the staging of a long-time favorite when they added new backdrops and technical elements to give The Nutcracker a decidedly more “ Dubuque ” flair , and that fresh take on it continues this year .
“ But obviously , the dancing is different from one year to the next ,” notes Nick . “ Megan and Marina really build that show around the dancers that they have , and I think it should be another great year . They had a lot of great , very talented high school young women . I think they would even say that they were able to do some things this past year that maybe they weren ’ t able to do in the same numbers in previous years , and if I remember correctly , a fair amount of them are still dancing this year . So there was just some really beautiful chorus dancing last year . But it ’ ll be just as beautiful as The Nutcracker always is .”
I ’ m particularly excited to see Noises Off . As a big fan of a more recent take on the idea in The Play The Goes Wrong , this predecessor production turns the efforts of a theater troupe trying to stage a show on its hilarious head .
“ Essentially , the Play That Goes Wrong is Noises Off , but just the newer version of it , because it ’ s the same idea ,” explains Nick . “ It ’ s been one that ’ s been discussed for a while down here as a potential title even before my arrival . So , it ’ s kind of nice that it all worked out this time . I ’ m always a firm believer there ’ s a right time in the right place for every show , and I think we might have found the right time in the right place .”
“ With The Play That Goes Wrong , you don ’ t get the backstage perspectives ,” Halder continues . “ So yeah , so the great thing about Noises Off is in act one , the audience is essentially seeing a rehearsal of the show . In act two , they see that same rehearsal but from backstage , so the scenery all spins around , and then act three is a performance of that piece that they ’ re doing . So you get to see the ins and outs of putting a piece of theater together , and anything and everything that could go wrong does .”
They even made a movie of Noises Off with a big cast of stars like Michael Caine , Carol Burnett , Christopher Reeve , and more . So this classic turn on the world of live theater has stood the test of time .
Unless you grew up in a small town where they don ’ t allow dancing or Kevin Bacon movies , you ’ ll know the next show of the season : a musical rendition of Footloose . It ’ s never been done in the community outside of school productions , so Nick is looking forward to having a production with both adults and students in it .
“ And it ’ s every bit as good as the original film ,” adds Nick . “ I actually got to be a part of it when I was in graduate school . It features all of the great music from the film as well as some new ones . And a lot of dancing , a lot of great singing . So it should be a really fun , big summer musical .”
And the season wraps with more Rodgers & Hammerstein in August for The Grand ’ s youth production of Cinderella , another classic .
The Dubuque Arts Council will also return on New Year ’ s Eve for another Sinatra-centric show .
In late winter , Halder says The Grand will be doing a theater piece for young audiences where schools will bus students down to take it in , but there will also be public performances . Details on the title and dates are yet to be announced .
Though Nick Halder would say their productions in any season are all over the place thematically , one theme that seems to stick is familiar favorites and titles sure to please . Every local theater seems to have their niche , and for The Grand , it ’ s staging diverse but recognizable shows that will appeal to all ages .
NICK HALDER , THE GRAND OPERA HOUSE EXECUTIVE AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
“ That ’ s the great thing about Dubuque ,” adds Halder . “ That ’ s three theater companies , and that ’ s not necessarily all of the theater that ’ s happening here in Dubuque with all of the great school and college performances . And to think that Dubuque has that many successful companies . We each have our own little niche , but we ’ ve got great audience support across all of those different niches , and in that case , we ’ re all able to do what we do . And that ’ s kind of remarkable . And as not being a native Dubuquer , that was one of the first things that I noticed . I just thought that ’ s crazy , but it ’ s crazy good , that each and every one of us can be successful . We ’ re very fortunate in Dubuque to have what we have , no question .”
If you , for some reason , were from that town with no dancing and no Kevin Bacon movies and just came to Dubuque , or , you know , it ’ s just soooo far to drive downtown from Asbury , get off your couch .
“ Come down and take in a show at Dubuque ’ s oldest surviving theater ,” adds Nick . “ Come down and see what your neighbors and friends are doing on stage because it ’ s quite remarkable to have the caliber of productions here and throughout Dubuque . It ’ s great that we can do what we can with the resources that we have , and part of those resources are the talent that we can draw upon to be in our shows . Working backstage , designing , directing , you name it , it ’ s the community through and through down here . They are what makes it go , and ultimately , it ’ s the other community members who come down here and sit in the seats and support their fellow community members that allow us to do what we do day in and day out .” •
20 365INK MAGAZINE August 29 – September 11 , 2024 Issue # 468 DUBUQUE365 . COM