An Update Regarding COVID-19

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Dear TBR Patrons,

First and foremost, I hope you and your families are safe and well. We truly miss seeing you all around the theatre!

Secondly, I wanted to send you all an update on everything that our staff and volunteers are working on while our physical space is closed. The last few weeks have shown us what a strong theatre community we have, and we are so grateful for all of you. I know a lot of things have changed, and will continue to change, but please know that we are doing everything we can to ensure a strong and safe return for Theatre Baton Rouge.

• A DOLL’S HOUSE, PART 2 – As you all know, we had to make the heart breaking decision to postpone performances on opening night. This cast and production team is still meeting via Zoom to keep the show fresh, and as soon as we can gather a small group in the space, our plan is to film and stream the show.
• ANYTHING GOES – This show was in the very early stages of rehearsal when the stay at home order was issued and was not able to open as planned this month. Unfortunately, our full production is being pushed to our 2021-22 season, but we’re committed to doing a concert version with our current cast that we’ll be streaming. The concert version will have a full orchestra, a 20+ person cast, and will feature choreography by Natalie Baily Smith. As soon as we’re able to have a group of 30+ together, we’ll be rehearsing, then filming our concert version. As soon as we have more information about dates, we will be making that announcement.
• GALA AUCTION – This will be postponed to a date later this summer. We are still waiting on clearance to begin in person rehearsal, so we do not have a solid date at this time, but as soon as we do, we will be making an announcement.
• MOTHER’S DAY CONCERT – This is a virtual celebration of the women who have helped shape our lives – our mothers, grandmothers, aunts, and more. TBR volunteers will be dedicating virtual performances to the women in their lives. We will put these videos together as a virtual concert, during Mother’s Day Weekend. Patrons will be able to stream the concert from the safety of their own homes between May 8 – 10, 2020. We also want our community to be part of the event! If they have a favorite photo of their mom, please send it to us at TheatreBR@gmail.com and we’ll include it in the event.
• HOW I LEARNED TO DRIVE – We are thrilled to present this show completely virtually! From auditions to performances, this will be a new and exciting experience for all involved. The cast is currently in rehearsal, and well on track to open virtually as scheduled on May 15th. Each performance will be “live” via Zoom, and there will be a limited number of tickets available each night.
• MATILDA – With guidelines changing almost daily, TBR has made the decision to move this show to August 2020. The cast has begun meeting virtually to learn choreography and music, and we will begin in person rehearsal as soon as we can. Patrons that have already purchased tickets have been moved to the August dates. If you are one of these patrons, and have questions, please email us at BoxOffice@TheatreBR.org, and a staff member will be in touch. We are working on a skeleton staff, so please be patient as we return calls and emails.
• SWEENEY TODD - We had to make the difficult decision to postpone this 2020-21 production until our 2021-2022 season. We are in the process of contacting patrons that have already purchased City Series subscriptions and discussing options with them.
• SUMMER CAMPS – Our education staff is hard at work to determine the most effective ways to keep summer camps going! We have put together a survey for parents and campers to help us create a curriculum that will work virtually and will be sending that this week. We hope to announce our updated camp plans early next week.

Many of you have reached out, asking how you can help. Ticket sales make up 65% of our income, so we are doing everything we can to keep shows going in some form. Please, if you’re able, consider purchasing a season subscription for our 75th Season – subscribers get the best ticket prices available, as well as other perks. Or buy a gift certificate – these can be redeemed for any show for a full year from the date of purchase.

In the meantime, follow us on social media! I do a Facebook Live update every Tuesday at 3:30 PM to answer questions and give updates. We are posting daily and would love to hear from you! Send us a message, leave a comment, let us know if there’s something else you’d like to see, and we will do our best to make it happen.

Stay safe, and we’ll see you at the theatre again soon!

Jenny Ballard

Managing Artistic Director