Culture
November Highlights at the Peoples Bank Theatre
< < Back toThe historic Peoples Bank Theatre in downtown Marietta, Ohio, features a number of performances on its stage in November. With a variety of acts including comedy, music, classic film, and theatre, the calendar has something for all ages and interests.
The month’s entertainment starts on Nov. 4, at 8 p.m. with the prop-driven act of veteran comedian Gallagher, who pioneered the stand-up comedy television special and the famous Sledge-O-Matic watermelon smasher. After more than 50 years of performing, 14 Showtime specials, and more than 4,000 on-stage appearances, Gallagher is bringing his Final Tour and 70th Birthday Bash to Marietta, where he’ll be joined by stand-up comedy veterans Artie Fletcher and Bob Nelson.
The following weekend, on Saturday, Nov. 12 at 8 p.m., Las Vegas entertainer Rick Michel takes the stage in “Sinatra Forever,” paying tribute to the vocal stylings of Frank Sinatra. Variety Magazine has described Michel’s voice as “The closest thing to Sinatra we have ever heard.” Michel, a master impressionist for more than 40 years, has performed his “Sinatra Forever” show around the country as well as internationally, with performances in Canada, Mexico and Chile. Michel has shared the stage with many celebrities including Rich Little, Mickey Rooney, John Byner and Sherman Hemsley; opened for comics such as Bobby Collins, John Pinette, Rita Rudner and George Wallace; and performed impersonations for such luminaries as Frank Sinatra, President Gerald Ford, Tony Curtis and Steve Allen.
In 1994, Michel shared the spotlight with Rich Little playing Bob Hope to Little’s Bing Crosby and Jerry Lewis to his Dean Martin. Little called Michel “one of the best impressionists around today.” For Michel, a memorable highlight came when he performed his impression of Bob Hope for the comedic icon himself at the Bob Hope Celebrity Golf Classic in Palm Springs. In 1989, Michel moved to Las Vegas. In 1999, David Cassidy saw Michel performing his impression of Sinatra with a 22-piece orchestra and asked him to be the understudy for his show “The Rat Pack is Back” at the Desert Inn. He played the Sinatra, Dean Martin and Joey Bishop roles, and when the show moved to the Sahara in 2000, played Martin for its 25-month run.
The theme of classic entertainment continues on Sunday, Nov. 13 with a special movie event featuring Gone with the Wind from 1 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. In addition to viewing the beautifully remastered film on the big screen, the audience will be treated to a presentation by Terry Lynn Crane, author of Fiddle Dee Dee Recipes: A Taste of Gone with the Wind. Several local reenactors, including Kyle Yoho, education director at The Castle Historic House Museum, will be presenting Civil War artifacts and sharing stories of the challenges and adversity experienced by soldiers during the Atlanta Campaign and Sherman’s March to the Sea which led to the destruction of Scarlett’s beloved Tara.
Scarlett and Rhett are scheduled to make an appearance, so the audience is encouraged to come dressed appropriately for the event. (1860s attire is encouraged but not required.) The $25 ticket includes admission to the movie, a meet-and-greet with Terry Lynn Crane, presentations by the reenactors, appetizers and drinks at intermission prepared by House of Wines, and a special photo-op with Scarlett and Rhett.
The next weekend, Nov. 19, Peoples Bank Theatre turns from classic to futuristic when it presents the international tour of The Aluminum Show. This family-friendly performance will start at 7 p.m. This new and unique show brings the material, the music and the artists together on stage in a magical, mystery-filled creation combining visual theater, dance, and humor into an exciting, multi-sensory experience, the likes of which audiences have never before seen. This is the story of one man’s incredible journey to a parallel universe – a futuristic planet made entirely of aluminum.
At first glance this world seems vastly different than ours, but a second look reveals it is actually quite similar. Aluminum pipes come to life right before the audience’s very eyes, transforming into imaginary, mysterious, and playful characters. Much like in our world, the aluminum universe is also plagued by a fight between good and evil, where the forces of beauty and compassion strive to triumph over the forces of fear. The new show was written and directed by Lior Kalfo, creator of the internationally successful shows Voca People, Fantasy, and Glow, with choreography by Ido Tadmor, one of Israel’s foremost choreographers, and under the artistic direction of Ilan Azriel, co-creator of the international Aluminum Show. Broadway World calls The Aluminum Show a “one-of-a-kind attraction,” while the BBC describes it as “An amazing visual show.”
Full event details and ticket information for these events and more are available online at peoplesbanktheatre.com or by calling the box office at 304-371-5152. Walk-up hours at the box office are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday and two hours prior to most performances. Located at 222 Putnam Street in historic downtown Marietta, Peoples Bank Theatre is managed by the nonprofit Hippodrome/Colony Historical Theatre Association.