Reagle Music Theatre of Greater Boston has announced that its first ever virtual fund-raising event, ENTR'ACTE: A Musical Journey from Our Past to a New Future, will remain online indefinitely. During its one-hour premiere on Sunday, June 28, ENTR'ACTE raised a full third of all of Reagle's online donations received to date since launching its new, secure online donor portal in April. Viewers are encouraged to stream and donate at their leisure at ReagleMusicTheatre.org.
"We are thrilled that our first leap into virtual programming has been so successful," says Robert Eagle, founder and producing artistic director of Reagle Music Theatre. "The support encourages us to continue to develop online donor and ticketed performance events that will allow us to pay our artists for their work and keep the theater afloat until it is safe to reopen for live performing. We took a huge hit when we had to cancel 'A Little Bit of Ireland' just two days before it opened. We still haven't recovered. These online events are helping to fill the void."
Reagle's next online venture is The Youth Theatre Virtual Workshop with sessions running July 6-17 and July 20-31. Students may learn more about the summer workshops and download the registration form at ReagleMusicTheatre.org/education.
ENTR'ACTE, supported in part by Waltham Tourism Council and Stanton Insurance Agency of Waltham, was hosted by JT Turner (La Cages aux Folles) and Mark Linehan (The Music Man). Performers were Leigh Barrett (Mame); Mara Bonde (The Sound of Music); Aimee Doherty (The Sound of Music); Jennifer Ellis (The Music Man); Yewande Odetoyinbo (The Sound of Music); Pier Lamia Porter (The Most Happy Fella); Scott Wahle (The Music Man); The Von Trapp children (2019 production); and Kimora Yancey, a Reagle Music Theatre Workshop MegaStar. Dwayne Mitchell (The Music Man) ended the program with a stunning encore of "I Am What I Am" from La Cage aux Folles, signaling the urgency of PRIDE, Black Lives Matter, and the hope for a new future.
Surprise Broadway stars and Reagle alums Rachel York (Hello, Dolly! Into the Woods, 42nd Street), Leslie Uggams (Uptown/Downtown), Anita Gillette (Bye, Bye, Birdie), and Sarah Pfisterer and Rick Hilsabeck (Hello, Dolly! My Fair Lady, Kiss Me, Kate) sent special video tributes direct from their living rooms. Additional guests were director and choreographer Eileen Grace; actor and stage manager Paul Reynolds; director and choreographer Susan Chebookjian; music directors Dan Rodriguez and Paul Katz; and founding artistic director Robert Eagle.
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