ALASKA JUNIOR THEATER UNVEILS 2024-2025 SEASON:
“BOLD, BRIGHT & BREATHTAKING!” A SPECTACULAR LINEUP YOU CAN’T MISS.
Contributed by Rowan Holmes
Get ready for a season of dazzling performances as Alaska Junior Theater announces its 2024-2025 Season, aptly named “Bold, Bright & Breathtaking.” This season promises an exhilarating array of shows that will captivate audiences of all ages with stunning visuals, unforgettable music and captivating stories.
On March 22, don’t miss the Alaska Junior Theater Benefit Performance, Fruit Flies like a Banana, featuring a
stunning live performance by The Fourth Wall: Hybrid Arts Ensemble. Part chamber music group, theatre company, modern dance troupe and circus act, The Fourth Wall blends music, theatre, dance and acrobatics into a new hybrid art form. In their award-winning variety show, this trio of musicians creates music that leaps off the stage. AJT’s Benefit show includes a champagne reception, heavy hors d’oeuvres, live and online auctions and an immersive artistic experience. Celebrate with us while supporting a great cause!
Season Tickets: The Best Way to Experience It All
With a lineup this incredible, why settle for just one show? Season tickets are your golden ticket to experiencing the full magic of Alaska Junior Theater’s 2024-2025 Season. Not only will you guarantee your seats at all five unforgettable performances, but you’ll also save up to 20% off regular ticket prices. That’s a win-win! Plus, season ticket holders enjoy the best seats in the house and other exclusive benefits that make your theater experience even
more special.
Don’t miss out on this extraordinary season. Grab your season tickets today by calling 263-ARTS(2787) or online at www.Centertix.com and get ready to embark on a “Bold, Bright & Breathtaking” adventure with Alaska Junior Theater! Check out preview videos of the season at www.akjt.org.
Alaska Junior Theater is a private, nonprofit organization presenting high-quality, professional theater from around the world to Alaska’s youth and families.
Kicking off the season is a high-octane performance from 360 Allstars, where world-class athletes and artists converge in a dynamic celebration of human skill and creativity. A phenomenal physical performance exploring all forms of rotation, 360 Allstars connects the streets to the elite to deliver a supercharged urban circus. Prepare for jaw-dropping acrobatics, beatboxing brilliance and rhythmic genius that will leave you spellbound.
360 Allstars – November 9, 2024, 7:00 PM
Peter & the Wolf with Pushcart Players – December 14, 2024, 2:00 PM
Experience a beloved classic like never before with Pushcart Players’ enchanting rendition of Prokofiev’s Peter & the Wolf. This charming performance blends live music and vibrant storytelling to bring the timeless tale to life. Join Peter on his daring adventure through the forest and enjoy a magical afternoon with family and friends. Come to the show early to enjoy story tracks and storytelling in the lobby as well as free books. Stay after the show for a milk & cookie reception with the cast and cake walk where kids can win prizes!
The Fourth Wall: Hybrid Arts Ensemble – March 21-22, 2025
Prepare for a weekend of theatrical innovation with The Fourth Wall: Hybrid Arts Ensemble. On March 21, join us for Without a Net, a public show that blends circus arts and high-flying shenanigans! Marvelous Music meets Adventurous Aerial Acrobatics in this Cavalcade of Creativity! Experience the Twirling Topsy-Turvy Trombonist, the Fabulous Flipping Flutist, the Death-Defying Drummer! Get your Vaudeville here!
Aesop Bops! with David Gonzalez – February 8, 2025, 2:00 PM
Step into a world where classic fables get a fresh, funky twist in Aesop Bops! with the incredibly talented master storyteller David Gonzalez. This energetic show mixes live music, storytelling and audience interaction to deliver Aesop’s fables in a way that is both entertaining and educational. Get ready to groove to the beat while learning timeless lessons! Come to the show early to enjoy story tracks and storytelling in the lobby as well as free books. Stay after the show for a milk & cookie reception with the cast and cake walk where kids can win prizes!
The Adventures of Tortoise and Hare: The Next Gen with Lightwire Theater –April 19, 2025, 2:00 PM
Conclude the season with the awe-inspiring The Adventures of Tortoise and Hare: The Next Gen Using Lightwire Theater’s innovative Electroluminescent Puppetry, we begin with Aesop’s classic fable of “The Tortoise and the Hare” but continue the story which finds them ten years down the road, now with children of their own. Witness the classic fable come to life in a whole new dimension as Tortoise and Hare race towards an unforgettable conclusion.
Funnies Calendar of Events
SEPTEMBER
September 18 @ 5PM
Financial Foundations Workshop Capital Wealth Management, inc. The Castle on O’Malley 1520 Omalley Rd (907) 562-9572 kennon@lincolninvestment.com
September 20 @ 6PM -9PM
Spenard Song Circle with Emma Hill, Marian Call, & Sophia Street
Spenard Song Circle Rage City Vintage 3400 Spenard Rd (907) 444-1556
Tickets available at brownpapertickets. com
September 21 @ 11AM
Thermal Imaging Class
All About Herbs 4621 East Palmer-Wasilla Highway, Suite #104 (907) 376-8327 www.allaboutherbs.com
September 28 @ 9:30AM
Spark the Fun & Run Girls on the Run Southcentral Alaska The Dome 6501 Changepoint Drive (360) 771-8953 www.gotrsouthcentralak.org
September 29 @ 4PM-6PM Fall Wagnon Paint Class Paint Nights with Sara 535 W Parks Highway (907) 521-4094
Tickets available at paintwithsara.com
OCTOBER
October 1 @ 9AM
Get Vaccinated with Sunshine Community Health Clinic
Sunshine Community Health Clinic
Both Clinic Locations
34300 South Talkeetna Spur Road HC 89 BOX 8190 (907) 376-2273
October 1 @ 10:30AM
Valley Garden Club Membership Meeting
Valley Garden Club
Grace Community Church 900 Leatherleaf vgc.matsu@gmail.com
October 5 @ 10AM
1st Saturday Vendors Market
1st Saturday Vendors Market
Mat-Su Borough Gym
350 E. Dahlia Ave (907) 707-9948
October 5 @11AM
Herbs for Pain Class
All About Herbs
4621 East Palmer-Wasilla Highway, Suite #104 (907) 376-8327 www.allaboutherbs.com
October 5 @ 11AM
Frost Fest: Winter Resource Expo
Mat-Su Trails and Parks Foundation
Palmer Train Depot 610 South Valley Way (907) 903-1664 info@revelak.com
October 5 @ 3PM-5PM
Trunk or Treat @ The Crossing The Crossing Alaska 22208 Birchwood Loop Rd, Chugiak, AK (907) 688-3222
October 7 @ 12:30PM
Memoir Workshop
Palmer Senior Center
Golden Heart Room 1132 S. Chugach Street (907) 745-5454 marilynbennett@yahoo.com
October 8 @ 1PM
Storytelling for Fun and Profit – Anchorage + Live Webinar
Alaska Small Business Development Center
Anchorage SBDC
1901 Bragaw Street, Suite 199 harley.tennant@aksbdc.org
Cost: $25
October 10 @ 9AM
The Art of Selling and the Proverbial Sales Pipeline
Alaska Small Business Development Center
Mat-Su SBDC 201 N. Lucille St. (907) 786-7278
workshops@aksbdc.org
Cost: $25
October 12 @ 5:30PM
Mat-Su Republican Women’s Club Annual Gala
Mat-Su Republican Women’s Club Est. 1947
Evangelo’s Restaurant 2530 E Parks Hwy
Matsurepublicanwomensclub.org mccollumkath@gmail.com
Cost: $75
October 18 @ 12PM
Self-Care Day with Alaska Sleep Clinic and Global Credit Union
Alaska Sleep Clinic Global Credit Union 851 USA Circle jhines@alaskasleep.com
October 19 @ 11AM
Vitamin D Class
All About Herbs 4621 East Palmer-Wasilla Highway, Suite #104 (907) 376-8327 www.allaboutherbs.com
October 19 @ 8PM
Penny’s Night Out
Spread Love Entertainment
Matanuska Brewing Company
2830 C Street (907) 205-4592
keith@spreadloveentertainment.com
ACT: 71 YEARS STRONG
Contributed by Matt Fernandez
Anchorage Community Theatre’s 71st season has already charged out of the gate with its first live show in late August, but not all things turned out as originally planned. In late 2023, Executive Director Matt Fernandez and his committee of play selectors read and reasoned over what would be the variety of plays for ACT 2024-2025 season. It was finally agreed that ACT would put on 4 mainstage productions that would roll out as such: In September/October, Addams Family the Musical, over the holidays, Little Women the Broadway Musical, for Black History Month, Alabama Story, and ending in April, the sumptuously hilarious dark-comedy Bright Ideas. When ACT was wrapping up its historical 70th year with last May’s Matilda at the Sydney Laurence Auditorium, there were some other plays that would utilize ACT’s 61-seat, studio theatre while it was not in use. The first play was a long-desired
project by two Alaskan acting veterans, Rachel Gregory and Dawson Moore, the theatre classic, Same Time, Next Year. The second production was another independent venture by recently retired Dimond High drama coach, Carrie Smith, California Suite. Carrie has been part of the Dimond High’s Theatre Club since 2015, and once she was done, she immediately became a regular volunteer at ACT. Carrie worked on numerous shows in 2023-2024, from Wait Until Dark, to A Christmas Carol, to Our Town. She was also a constant presence at our monthly Play Reader’s Club. It was at this club-meeting that we read Neil Simon’s comedy classic California Suite, that Carrie mustered up enough gumption to ask if she could produce and direct this comedy-drama on ACT’s stage in August.
Everything was set, notices had gone out – ACT’s four mainstage productions would spell out another ambitious season, and there would be two Second Stage productions in our
space as summer developed. However, the best laid plans… (you know how the rest goes).
First Addams Family’s production license became unavailable due to “restrictions in your geographical area.” Which means, some other theatre nearby has obtained the rights before you. But who? Close could mean British Columbia! It turns out that our friends from Homer’s Pier One Theatre, had the same notion, and got Addams Family before us. It seems that the distributors of this musical didn’t understand the “geographical” oddity between Homer and Anchorage. When’s the last time you went all the way out to Homer for an evening at the theatre? Homer’s show was slated for mid-July and ours was in Fall! Pier One’s Jennifer Norton saw the humor in it all too. Then, Same Time, Next Year received an unavoidable setback, and the show was to be postponed till October at the earliest. With Addams Family out of the roster, the decision was made to incorporate California Suite & Same
Time, Next Year into the 71st Season. This was good news for the producers of these shows. It meant that ACT would fit the bill for production expenses, marketing, and would handle box office. This also meant that the shows could not be categorized under the auspice of “mainstage”, but because of ACT’s open auditions policy for Mainstage shows, this meant the two new plays had to under the “Second Stage” moniker. ACT’s Second Stage was a creation by Cyrano’s Artistic Director Teresa Pond in 2000. Now, ACT had six plays in its season rather than four. All was ready again, tickets online, posters made, 600 season-schedule magnets were ordered. Then… life happened again and Same Time, Next Year was again put on the shelf until further notice. Rolling with the punches in nothing new to ACT. Live theatre takes a little parry and riposte. In 1964, the Great Alaska Earthquake hit right in the middle of our run of Our Town. The 2018 earthquake cancelled did the same thing to The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, and the Covid-19 pandemic and shutdowns took out the last show of our 66th season, and completely blew-away our plans for 67. You don’t live 71 years without learning how to roll with it. ACT’s tradition is to carry-on. In 2020 and 2021, we reorganized our season to fit within CDC guidelines and kept cranking-out plays for Alaskans.
Things like this happen in theatre as it does in life. What keeps ACT going is our mission of Building Community Through Theatre; and like our 20202021 Season’s poster stated boldly, “Building Community Doesn’t Stop.” ACT will be holding auditions for Little Women: The Broadway Musical on September 20th and 21st and is looking for voice actors for Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde: A Radio Play on October 5th. ACT will also be a featured charity at The Mayor’s Charity Ball on October 12th at the Dena’ina Center. Go to actalaska.org for audition info, and mayorscharity.org for tickets to the ball.
Hermoine O.
Toisan S. Syon R.
Brook C.
