 "Photo: Tristin Walker")
The Lubbock Moonlight Musicals will kick off the summer at the Wells Fargo Amphitheater in Mackenzie Park at 8 p.m. with its production of “Hello, Dolly!”
Gerald Dolter, director of Texas Tech University Music Theatre and associate professor of Music, is the general director for the Moonlight Musicals.
Candice Aipperspach, administrative assistant for the Lubbock Moonlight Musicals, said this is the fifth season for the musicals and “Hello, Dolly!” might be their best show yet.
“This year is a real treat for the Lubbock community,” Aipperspach said. “All the shows include more choreography, more singing and more involvement from all of the Lubbock community, including around 30 Texas Tech students, as well as students from the other colleges.”
This season the Lubbock Moonlight Musicals will include three musicals that will be played consecutively throughout the summer and the beginning of the fall. The first musical will be the Tony Award-winning stage musical, “Hello, Dolly!,” which will be stage directed by Dolter and conducted by Jacob Miller.
It will be followed by “Buddy: the Buddy Holly Story,” which will begin June 25 and continue until September 7. This show will also engage in its first run-out, which means the musical will tour through the fall in communities around Lubbock.
The last production will be Roald Dahl’s “Willy Wonka” and will be performed from July 23 to Aug. 28. This show should be a delight to the community because it will involve a lot of children and will be highly enjoyable, Aipperspach said
Christopher Bailey, a Tech graduate with a Philosophy Doctorate in Fine Arts, will be playing the role of Cornelius Hackle, a character in the play “Hello, Dolly!”
This is Bailey’s second season to be in the Lubbock Moonlight Musicals and he said it has really been a joy to work with Dolter and with his fellow actors.
“I’m very excited to see success for all the shows,” Bailey said, “‘Hello, Dolly!’ is a very popular show to kick off the season with, and Dolter has done a stellar job directing it.”
Tonight, the gates will open at 7 p.m. to welcome the public for the production of “Hello, Dolly!” Dolly, The musical’s lead role, will be played by Karen Dolter.
At Mackenzie Park, the public has the opportunity to purchase general admission tickets for $17 or premium tickets for $25 at the gate. The public may also bring food, drinks, lawn chairs and blankets.
“It’s really rare that people have the opportunity to bring their own food to a show,” Aipperspach said, “and it’s something that we allow, so the audience can feel right at home while enjoying the musicals.”
Ryan Day, a junior business major from Sugarland, said he is looking forward to attending the show tonight with his girlfriend.
“My girlfriend and I are looking forward to (attending the show) and seeing something neither of us have,” Day said. “No one would expect Lubbock to have something like this, but it should be a lot of fun.”
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