Ridge Players ‘Encore’ this weekend
The Ridge Players are putting the final touches on their ‘Encore’ performance with shows this Saturday night and Sunday afternoon at the Erie Street United Church.
A 35-member choir and a number of soloists will be performing Broadway show tunes from over 50 years of musical productions put on by the Ridge Players.
The community theatre group’s 51-year run of productions, which started with their 1969 performance of ‘Pinafore, ‘ came to a halt with the pandemic in 2020, just a few weeks before the Ridge Players were scheduled to perform the musical Cinderella.
The Ridge Players returned to the stage last spring with ‘Golden Memories,’ with members performing some of the classic songs of past performances.
‘Golden Memories’ was so successful—and there are still so many favourite songs to perform—that the Ridge Players decided to do an ‘Encore’ this year.
“Things are moving along just fine. We’ve had a couple of run-throughs, and they’ve gone very well,” said Liz Brown, the musical director for all 51-stage Ridge Players’ productions.
The performers held a rehearsal on Sunday and will have one more practice run on Wednesday before the weekend performances.
Show times are Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m.
Tickets are $20 and available at Mitton’s Jewellers, 10 Main St. E., Mocha Violet, 14 Main St. E. in town, and Blenheim at the Purple Door, 72 Talbot St. W.
Tickets will also be sold at the door before both performances. There is no reserved seating.
The Ridge Players hope to return with a full musical production in 2025.
Michael Bennett, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Ridgetown Independent News
