Just days away from the debut of the new Shadowbox musical documentary "Woodstock: Back to the Garden," fans were called in for an impromptu preview on Monday, September 14th.
"We needed an audience to test-out the festival-style seating," said Steve Guyer, Shadowbox Executive Producer and Woodstock Director. "We've never had a portion of the audience sit on the floor to watch a show before. Plus, the cast members inhabit that space throughout the show so we needed to know how it was all going to work."
Guyer charged Marketing Director Julie Klein with finding 22 people to volunteer for the test-audience. "The cast made a couple of quick calls and before I knew it we had 30 people willing to help us out," said Klein.
The response from the group was very positive, with several members commenting that they felt like they were actually in the show! Guyer met briefly with the audience members after the dress rehearsal to get their feedback on the seating arrangements as well as the show itself.
For those not lucky enough to act as Shadowbox Guinea Pigs and getting to see the rehearsal process live, Shadowbox has created a website dedicated to the new production.
Rehearsal blogs, character bios, cast photos and a casual Vlog with writer Jimmy Mak and Guyer detail the "road to Woodstock." "Fans can get a true behind-the-scenes look at how we put the show together," said Mak.
The site is updated several times per week.
Woodstock: Back to the Garden opens Sunday, September 20th and runs Sundays at 2:30 and 7:00 until November 15th. For reservations contact the Shadowbox Box Office at 614-416-7625 or go online to www.woodstockmusical.com.
Woodstock: Back to the Garden is presented is association with Revolution Sports and Entertainment and is sponsored by Clear Channel Outdoor, Courtyard Marriott Columbus Airport location, Outlook, QFM, and The Other Paper.
This fall, experience the story of the Woodstock Music and Art Fair with Shadowbox's new, original musical documentary: Woodstock: Back to the Garden.
With original scenes mixed with quotes from the key performers and songs from the concert itself, Woodstock: Back to the Garden takes you back to the summer of 1969; a turbulent, magical place and time where, for just a moment, half a million people came together in peace, for the love of music.
Shadowbox is sponsored by Coca Cola, Costume Specialists, Courtyard Marriott Columbus Airport location, Crawford Communities, Cup O Joe, Genesis Audio, Jack Fleming Photography, Outlook Magazine, The Team/Revolution, WCBE.
Shadowbox is a non-profit 501C3 performance troupe that self-produces a wide range of shows, as well as runs the company on a day-to-day basis. The top managers of the company make up the Board of Trustees and operate as the primary creators, producers, and performers for the shows.
For 20 years this creative force has produced world-class productions, including original rock operas, traditional musicals, fine art exhibits, contemporary dance, and video / television. An ensemble company of dedicated performers, Shadowbox is a healthy, vibrant, self-sustaining arts organization.
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