Grand Rapids Civic Theatre And School Of Theatre Arts — Attraction in Grand Rapids

Dear Friends at Grand Rapids Civic Theater,

I had the privilege of being in attendance with five of my grandchildren at last night's standing ovation performance of Beauty and the Beast. In 1991, when my own daughters were younger than their children in attendance last night, I had taken them to see the original animated version. As we left the theater more than thirty years ago, I commented to my wife that it was the first animated feature that was worthy to be on Broadway. Last night proved that to be true. Last night, however, was more than a nostalgic reward. I needed the message of this tale as old as time. I needed to see again the creative wonder of theater where, night after night, the talent of countless unseen artists (lighting, sets, sound, costume, make-up, props, orchestra, directors, et al) fuse with the live performance of a brilliantly chosen cast whose hundreds of hours of rehearsals come through in every step of choreography and every note of song. Like few other art forms, music theater demonstrates the kind of teamwork that does not require beating an opposing team. Instead, it melds diverse gifts of scores of people for the pure joy of sharing joy.

"What's that feeling bubbling inside me, Mom?" Chip asked. "That feeling is HOPE." Mrs. Potts replies. Why would such a line bring tears to my eyes in that happy theater?

This was the first theatrical production I have seen since before Covid-19. In the few years since then, my wife's parents, who lived with us, passed away. Last year, my wife and I retired from jobs in education that we loved, and frankly, this fall has been one of me trying to feel comfortable in retirement. Odd as it may sound, I could relate more than ever to the sadly enchanted characters who were missing their former lives. Since the pandemic, there have been days, in fact, that have felt a bit like life in that castle before Belle arrived.

How refreshing to hear the song, "To be Human Again" (which was new to me) confirms a yearning and hope that we all have while life is given us.

The ability to combine such diverse creative gifts from such a range of cast members, young and old, is what civic theater is all about. The teamwork and comradery of the cast became undeniably clear when Beast had to shake off his paws to fix Belle's dress. Live performances are never perfect—nor should they be—for it's the creative handling of moments like that bind the audience to the cast and underscore the best of "being "human." It was brilliant and part of what sparked the well-deserved standing ovation at the end. Together GRCT achieved much more than an entertaining performance; they reminded me of many happy days behind us and brought hope for many days to come. Keep up the good work! Tom Kapanka Spring...

Over a decade of shows seen here. Are all the shows themselves 5 star? No, of course not; however, they are many times such as the current My Fair Lady production. More importantly, this is a fantastic venue, replete with history and a great location with so many great dinner spots encircling it that you will be hard-pressed to pick one. The staff is friendly, the pricing is truly a value for the experience. Most shows begin at 7:30 P.M. with some weekend matinee options and productions usually run through at least a few weekends with Thursday through Sunday options at least. They also do amazing summer programs for kids and teens that are booked early and completely so if interested, look into it now. Adult acting classes are available as well. They also--little known--have terrific and unique packages for businesses a clubs that allow you to rent a very nice space with their catering or your own and you can combine it all in a package that includes tickets for you and your guests; great way to entertain clients or have a company outing or...

While the performance of A Christmas Carol at the Civic Theatre last night was terrific and the venue just wonderful, I was equally struck and disheartened by what was missing.

As much as I enjoyed the holiday show, and I very much did, I was left appalled to see that it appeared to be an all-white production. In a city as diverse, smart and thoughtful as Grand Rapids, there would seem to be no good reason for that. While mid-1800's England may have been predominantly, if not entirely, white, 21st century west Michigan is not. Production companies routinely cast members of all races and backgrounds in any number of roles these days, so casting with no regard for the diverse population here seems thoughtless and questionable.

Unless I see that this group has at least a consideration toward inclusiveness, I would hesitate to ever attend any other shows at...