[the following is a press release for a unique and exciting family event + a bit more, all happening on November 11th]
11th Hour Theatre Company Announces Concert and Family Event to Mark 11-11-11
Musical Theatre Company and Friends, including Tony Nominee Forrest McClendon, set to perform a concert of 11 O’Clock Numbers from groundbreaking musicals
PHILADELPHIA— 11th Hour Theatre Company is marking the date 11-11-11 with quite the celebration – an 11-hour long celebration to be exact. The company is hosting a family event during the day and then moving to World Café Live in the evening for a USO-themed Happy Hour and a concert featuring some of the best musical theater voices in Philadelphia that will span the history of Broadway and highlight great 11 O’Clock Numbers from well-known and lesser-known Broadway musicals.
The family event, The Magic of Theatre will run from 9:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at the Caplan Center at the Ira Brind School of Theater Arts, 211 S. Broad Street. Tickets to the event are $25 per kid, $15 per adult, and $60 for a family four pack. Then, the evening moves to World Café Live, 3025 Walnut Street. The Happy Hour runs from 5:30 to 7:30pm. Tickets cost $75. The concert will start at 8 p.m. Tickets to the concert cost $75 for orchestra seats and $50 for mezzanine. A combo ticket for both events is $125. More information is available online at www.11thhourtheatrecompany.org
“11/11/11 will be 11th Hour’s biggest undertaking to date,” said 11th Hour co-founder and Artistic Associate, Steve Pacek, “A huge gala for our biggest season, on the best day possible! Plus, sharing it with two other much deserving organizations, Make-A-Wish and PVMSEC, is truly an honor. We’ve got some pretty fantastic things planned for the day.”
11th Hour is splitting a portion of the proceeds of the event to the Make-A-Wish foundation and The Philadelphia Veterans Multi-Service & Education Center, Inc.
Inspired by the Make-A-Wish Foundation’s mission to enrich the human experience for children through hope, strength and joy, the family event will give kids (ages 7-and up) an opportunity to learn about musical theatre (singing, dancing, puppets, etc.) from some of the area’s top professionals, but also about how hope, strength and joy are some of the main ingredients in creating the “magic” of theatre. While the kids are taking part in the workshops, parents are free to observe or mingle and snack on brunch hors d’oeuvres while buying tickets for the family-friendly raffle. After the workshops have concluded, the kids will have a quick snack time before the event culminates with a mini-musical performance featuring some of 11th Hour’s professional actors alongside the stars of the show…the kids!
Then, later on in the day, the company will move the festivities to World Café Live. The USO themed Happy Hour begins at 5:30pm and features drinks, hors devours, and the music that brought the country together during the 40s. The Lovely Ladies of 11th Hour (Laura Catlaw, Rachel Camp, Kat Berelli and Liz Filios) will be performing, and noted Philadelphia actor, Jeffrey Coon will be making a special appearance. At 8 p.m. the stage will shift, and the lights will go up on an epic concert for 11th Hour.
This concert will feature 11 o’clock numbers from groundbreaking musicals. The line-up for the concert features some of the best musical theater voices in the region. Leading the cast is the return of Forrest McClendon. McClendon won a Barrymore for performing in 11th Hour’s Avenue X. McClendon also received a TONY nomination for his performance in The Scottsboro Boys on Broadway. The host for the concert event will be Philly’s own Fran Prisco. Other Philadelphia favorites scheduled to appear are: Mary Martello, Ben Dibble (from The Arden’s Frog & Toad), Krissy Fraelich, Michael Philip O’Brien, Steve Pacek, Suzie Stevens, Jennie Eisenhower, Marissa Hines, Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Alex Bechtel, Laura Catlaw, Candace Thomas, Alex Keiper, Liz Filios, Rachel Camp, Kim Carson, Colleen Hazlett-O’Brien and Maggie Lakis.
