Historic Re-Opening of Historic Masonic Theatre Set July 1,2,3
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Clifton Forge, VA (June 16, 2016) - A restored community iconic landmark, The Historic Masonic Theatre, reopens on July 1, 2 and 3, approximately 111 years after the cornerstone was installed by Masonic Lodge 166 on July 4, 1905. The 6.5 million dollar renovation began with deconstruction in April of 2015 after five years of promotion and fund raising. The actual opening date for the Masonic Lodge and Opera House was September 1906, after about 14 months of construction. The renovation took approximately the same amount of time and painstaking effort was made for historical accuracy in the restoration of the building, light fixtures, exterior brick work and interior elements of stage, box seats, seating in the auditorium and balcony and upper level ballroom and lower level lounge and concessions area.
Whenever possible, original materials were reused, thus original flooring, walls, ceilings, windows, door and fixtures are seen throughout the building.
To understand the significance of the historic restoration, Theatre History Tours will be available for the public during the weekend of July 1. At the time of this writing spaces are available on the following tours: Friday, July 1, 1:00, 2:00 and 3:00. On Saturday, July 2, spaces are available on the 2:00 and 3:00 tours. Please visit the Theatre website, www.historicmasonictheatre.com to register for a tour. Alleghany Chamber of Commerce and Tourism will hold a ribbon cutting at 12:30 on Friday, July 1 in the Masonic Theatre Lobby.
To honor the Theatre’s past, on Friday, June 1 at 7:30 pm, the southwestern Virginia big band, the Sway Katz, will perform on the Theatre’s stage. The 21-piece band will shake the rafters with their big band sound; much like the Count Basie Orchestra did when they performed in the Historic Masonic Theatre. Formed in 2006 with the purpose of preserving the tradition of the great American Big Band sound, Sway Katz performs the full spectrum of big band music from the 1930’s to present day. The band shifts easily between favorites from Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald, and Count Basie to contemporary artists like Michael Buble, Natalie Cole, Bette Midler, and Brian Setzer. Sway Katz are known for their tight ensemble work, audacious sense of swing and inspired solos. Tickets for Sway Katz may be purchased online or at Club Car, Jack Mason’s Tavern and the Alleghany Highlands Chamber office or prior to the show if seats are available. The Masonic Theatre Ticket Office will open at 6:00 pm on July 1. Tickets are $15 Adult, $12 Seniors, and $10 for Students.
On Saturday, July 2, be our guest at the 10:30 am showing of “Wizard of Oz” on the big screen of the Masonic Theatre. Movie festivities will begin at 10:00 am, come dressed as your favorite character and be sure to wear your ruby red slippers, because there is no place like the Historic Masonic Theatre.
History Theatre Tours begin again at 2:00 and 3:00. The 1:00 tour is full. Be sure to register because spaces are limited.
At 7:30 pm, the Masonic Theatre welcomes back Scott Miller and the Scott Miller Trio. Scott performed for the Theatre’s July 4, 2010 birthday celebration, and has roots in the area, being the great grandson of Dr. William Revercomb, once a physician at the C&O Hospital in Clifton Forge who also had a private practice in town for many years.
Scott Miller came into the national spotlight in the mid-nineties as leader of the Knoxville-based band The V-Roys; signed and produced by Steve Earle for his E-Squared label. After releasing two critically acclaimed albums, The V-Roys disbanded. Miller then signed to Sugar Hill Records and released several highly praised recordings with his new backing band, The Commonwealth. Most recently he has recorded and released music through his own F.A.Y. Records label.
The last few years have seen big changes for Miller. He left his long-time adopted home city of Knoxville, Tennessee to return to the family farm to tend a herd of beef cattle, look after his elderly parents and set up a new touring base from his hometown of Staunton, VA. During this time of transition and scaled down touring, Miller teamed up with old-time fiddle maven Rayna Gellert adding another sonic layer to his repertoire. The two released a mini-album titled “Co-Dependents” and continue to tour together and collaborate often.
For his newest cd, “Big Big World,” Miller tapped Nashville guitarist and producer Doug Lancio (Patty Griffin, John Hiatt). Miller's avid fans will realize the title phrase points to the artist's new musical horizons, stretching beyond any of his previous works and reflecting his significant growth as a songwriter.
Miller's writing is informed and fueled by his connection to his family land in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. He truly is the sum of his 'Southern place': rural imagery, sin and salvation, defiant, rebellious, pathos and humor. He is currently working on new music, and finding a way to merge his life on the farm with his songwriting. "History is my jam", states Miller. "The story is already there and all you need to do is find some connection with it and try to connect that to the listener."
Scott will bring his musical favorites and crowd pleasers plus his new tunes to the Theatre stage. Tickets are $25.00 and are available online and at Club Car, Jack Masons Tavern, the Alleghany Highlands Chamber office and at the Masonic Theatre Ticket Office which will open at 6:00 on July 2 prior to the show. Price includes the "Raising the Curtain" Afterglow reception.
All the floors of the Theatre will be open for a self-guided Theatre tour after the show. At the end of the evening, the lights of the Theatre Marquee will again be turned on to signify the Theatre is back and here to stay.
On Sunday, the final event of the celebratory weekend is a 2:00 matinee, “The Sound of Music” movie event. Our Alleghany hills are alive with the sound of music, now that the Masonic Theatre has opened its doors once again. The movie is free of charge with an optional good will donation.
The Theatre’s season of events will be announced during the Grand ReOpening.
Two locally produced books will be available for sale during the Grand ReOpening. Chuck Almarez has produced a photo journal of the progress of the Theatre’s restoration and the What’s Your Story Committee will be presenting, “What’s Your Story? Volume 1, Remembering the Masonic Theatre”, a collection of remembrances and stories from 27 local residents, age 11 to age 98, who share their experiences and memories of the Historic Masonic Theatre.
Meade Snyder, president of the Masonic Theatre Preservation Foundation remarks, “The Grand Re-Opening of the Historic Masonic Theatre is a momentous occasion for the Alleghany Highlands on so many levels. It not only ushers in the second century of operations for the longest operating theatre in Virginia, it provides a state of the art performance venue with grand and unique event spaces that will be a wonderful resource for the Alleghany Highlands community and a destination for those beyond. It also represents the realization of a broad based effort by our community to step up and save an iconic asset from its more prominent past and in doing so we have revitalized and repurposed an asset that will provide a return on investment to the community that has both sustained and benefitted from its 111 year history. Looking back, this monumental effort by our community to revitalize the theatre within a more challenging environment now than when it was built is the most meaningful aspect of the project, a project that is not coming to an end but just transitioning to a second century of remarkable events, occasions and memories”.
The Masonic Theatre Grand ReOpening Committee has a delightful weekend planned for the community and encourages everyone to take a tour, attend one or all of the shows and movie opportunities.
Looking ahead to the future, on Saturday, July 30, to celebrate the renovation of the oldest continuously operating Theatre in Virginia, the Freemasons of the 23rd Masonic District, as the guests of the Masonic Theatre Preservation Foundation, will re-enact the Masonic Ceremony for Laying Cornerstones. The event will begin a 2:00 and includes a dinner in the WestRock Ball Room of the Theatre. Tickets are $18.00 for the dinner which guarantees a seat in the auditorium for the festivities. The schedule includes, Viewing of Masonic Videos; Introduction for Ceremony and Procession of Brethren, Re-enactment of Cornerstone Ceremony on Theatre Auditorium Stage, remarks by Most Worshipful James Edward Litten, Grand Master of Masons in Virginian, Tours of the Theatre, Social Hour and Reception and Dinner. Tickets may be purchased online.
For more information on the Grand ReOpening Schedule, and to purchase tickets, please visit www.historicmasonictheatre.com and the Historic Masonic Theatre and Masonic Amphitheatre Facebook page. |  | Scott Miller
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