NextStop Theatre Company Finds a Way Back with THE PARKING LOT CONCERTS

NextStop Theatre Company has announced their brand new outdoor concert series called "The Parking Lot Concerts," being performed on Saturday evenings at 7:30pm from September 26th to October 31st. Each weekend will feature an intimate, cabaret-style performance with beloved performers from past NextStop productions, including Robert Mintz and Wood Van Meter, who starred in last year's "Singin' in the Rain" and Sarah Anne Sillers, who was appearing at NextStop in "Ordinary Days" when Covid-19 first closed the theater.

"With indoor performances cancelled since March, we have missed bringing entertainment and joy to our community!" said Evan Hoffmann, Producing Artistic Director of NextStop Theatre. "But now the wait is over!"

NextStop will transform the parking lot just outside of their building into an intimate outdoor venue and wine garden, with socially-distant, cafe-style seating for just over 40 patrons. It promises to be a delightful evening under the stars, featuring music, laughter, and a chance to be transported.

Guests are invited to pack a meal, bring take out, and are particularly encouraged to order from one of the many fine local restaurants, such as Jimmy's Old Town Tavern and A Taste of the World, some of which will even deliver to the event! NextStop will also offer beer, wine, and other soft drinks at their outdoor bar, arranged specially for these performances.

With the health and safety of the community being NextStop's top priority, all staff and guests will be required to wear a mask at all times, except when eating or drinking at their table. There will be 12+ feet of distance between other patrons and the performers.

NextStop Theatre has been closed to public performances since cancelling the final weekend of "Ordinary Days" on March 12, 2020. NextStop held a small but overwhelmingly popular education program this summer, serving 185 students for in-person, socially-distant theater classes. NextStop recently announced additional fall education programs to continue to serve local students. The nonprofit is also in the midst of a major fundraising campaign, The NextStop Now Fund. We have raised over two thirds of the $100,000 goal so far. The funds go toward keeping the theatre afloat during the shutdown, as will revenues from the Parking Lot Concerts and other small programs.

TICKETS: The Parking Lot Concert tickets are $80 for a table for two. A limited number of "standing room single stools" are available for $40. Visit for more information and to book: www.nextstoptheatre.org/the-parking-lot-concerts.

Full Concert Lineup:

The Rain Guys: Together Again!

Wood Van Meter & Robert Mintz
September 26, 2020 at 7:30pm
The beloved stars of NextStop's hit 2019 production of "Singin' in the Rain" are teaming up once again to kick off the Parking Lot Concerts with comedy, charisma, and classic musical theater delights! Featuring NextStop's most prolific (and recognizable) music director, Elisa Rosman, on the piano.

Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda!

Sarah Anne Sillers
October 3, 2020 at 7:30pm
Sarah Anne Sillers was bringing audiences to tears each night with her beautiful voice and deeply moving performance in our production of "Ordinary Days" when COVID-19 forced NextStop and the world to shut down. She returns to NextStop in early October to explore just some of the music that she (and all of us) have missed out on over the past seven months.

Accompanied by her multi-talented husband, Andrew Kullberg, Sarah Anne will share show tunes and jazz standards from her past, present, and a frustratingly foggy future!

A Cockeyed Optimist: Songs That Make Me Smile

Katherine Riddle
October 10, 2020 at 7:30pm
Katherine Riddle's soaring rendition of "If I Loved You" was one of the highlights of 2017's "Rodgers and Hammerstein's Grand Night For Singing." An award-winning interpreter of Golden Age classics, Katherine returns to NextStop with a singular mission to offer the kind of familiar and beloved musical classics that have that unique ability to wrap around you like a warm blanket and make you smile!

An Evening with a Hapless/Hopeless Romantic

Ryan Burke
October 17, 2020 at 7:30pm
Who isn't a sucker for a good, old-fashioned love song? Whether the subject is lost love, new love, or that most pure of emotions...love of food! Ryan Burke has appeared at NextStop both as the suave, film noir detective in "City of Angels" and as one of the clueless dreamers in "Gutenberg! The Musical." Don't miss this unforgettable performer, who sports the voice of Frank Sinatra and the personality of Groucho Marx! With a guest appearance by acclaimed DC songstress Awa Sal Secka.

A Marvelous Night for a Moondance

Jim Van Slyke
October 24, 2020 at 7:30pm
Award winning singer, songwriter and recording artist, Jim Van Slyke has headlined sold out appearances on concert stages around the globe including New York's historic Friars Club, Feinstein's at Lowes Regency, and the internationally renowned Birdland Jazz Club. NextStop is proud to welcome him back to help soothe us in these troubled times with his gorgeous tenor.

A Halloween Comedy Spectacular!

Rebecca Ballinger & Joshua Simon
October 31, 2020 at 7:30pm
Welcoming strangers to your house and letting hundreds of tiny hands grab sugary snacks out of a communal bowl might not be on the docket this year. But masks have NEVER been more in style! Rebecca Ballinger ("Beehive") and Joshua Simon ("The Kosher Cabaret," "Miss Electricity") are ready to bring you an evening of socially distant Halloween skits, games, songs, and (above all else) fun!

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