There will be a heavy focus on The Heritance and posting will be slow this week. I will be at Grotto tomorrow after work, Friday, and all day Sunday. Thursday I drive my mom to the doctor after work and Saturday is our monthly Carmelite meeting. In between, I have loads of photo editing, including a large backlog of things I owe people from pics to audio!!!
Details on dates, ticket info and the like can be found at the bottom of this post.
A few teaser-photos I took during a recent rehearsal. If you are within driving distance, just let go of stuff and join us. People have been working for months on it and I promise you it is NOT your ordinary school play. Volunteers, professionals in their respective fields, coached the performers. There is an orchstra pit with professional musicians. The pastor of the parish is conducting the symphony and choir. I tell you that when you hear it all mixed together, it will send chills up your spine. The music is, at times, downright haunting. Other times, it is joyful enough to make you want to join in. There are many warm and comical moments.
This next picture is not that of an actor, but our pastor! An original musical would not be possible without an original composer and conductor. Assumption Grotto's pastor, Fr. Eduard Perrone, used his composition skills for the symphony and the choir parts (see press release at the bottom of this post). Here he is conducting the symphony during the dress rehearsal.
Here is the press release which is on the Assumption Grotto website:
This next picture is not that of an actor, but our pastor! An original musical would not be possible without an original composer and conductor. Assumption Grotto's pastor, Fr. Eduard Perrone, used his composition skills for the symphony and the choir parts (see press release at the bottom of this post). Here he is conducting the symphony during the dress rehearsal.
I give you now a peak behind stage and in other areas of support in the gym. We have a retired carpenter in the parish who worked with an entire team of young people and other volunteers to construct &paint moveable set pieces. The stage crew, which includes performers between acts, then works to remove some things and add others as needed for each scene.
While you will see many performers on stage singing and acting, there are many more people behind stage in support roles handling lights, curtains, makeup, microphone wiring, and much more. There is seamstress backstage working with costumes. On the gym floor is an elaborate sound system run by another team of volunteers with skill in this area. And, at the back of the gym is Grotto's associate, Fr. John, running a slideshow projector with text for each number sung. It is truly amazing how all of this chaos has turned itself into well-running machine.
BEHIND THE SCENES
BEHIND THE SCENES
Microphones, hair and makeup....
Here is the press release which is on the Assumption Grotto website:
Detroit Pastor PRODUCES broadway style musical TO PROMOTE priesthood and religious life.Real Catholic TV also plugged the event on their December 1, 2008 News segment.
Detroit, mi, november 10, 2008: 30 years ago, Rev. Eduard Perrone, pastor of Assumption Grotto Catholic Church in Detroit, announced to his famous father, renowned big band musician Phil Perrone, that he had decided to enter the seminary, his father exclaimed that the music community had lost a “great one”. But today, the Rev. Perrone is making history from his Detroit parish by producing wholesome family musicals in the grand tradition of the great classics.
“It’s not just good music.” Rev. Perrone says, “What last year’s musical, Palla Eius and this year’s new musical, called The Heritance, represent is what we hope will be the beginning of a Catholic cultural renaissance, beginning in Detroit and spreading throughout the world. We desperately need this genre of theatre given the immense influx of filth and violence of so many contemporary films, music and stage productions which have not resisted even unto attacking the Catholic Church and the priesthood.”
To assure the success of the musical productions, Rev. Perrone has teamed up with Detroiters from the international entertainment community. Joe Maher, a producer of live entertainment from Hollywood; Sonja Krolik, a choreographer and dancer from Broadway; Emmy and Grammy Award winner Ed Wolfrum who engineered the sound for the great Motown hits of the 60’s; and the music during the performances will be accompanied by members of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
“There’s a lamentable void in the Church’s involvement in the arts today, even though the Church formerly has been a great promoter of them. This deficiency has resulted in the proverbial ‘vacuum’ for evil to take ascendancy in film, TV, literature, vulgar music, etc. From time to time we need incentives to our faith. The arts should help supply for this. We need a Catholic cultural revival!” Rev. Perrone said.
The new musical, The Heritance, will be performed at Assumption Grotto Catholic Parish, 13770 Gratiot Avenue, Detroit, Michigan 48205 on Wednesday, December 3rd at 7:00 p.m., Friday, December 5th at 7:00 p.m., and Sunday, December 7th at 3:00 p.m. Call the Assumption Grotto Rectory for tickets: (313) 372-0762. Ticket prices are $30 per family; $10 per adult; $7.00 per teen; $3.00 per child and Children 6 and under are free. There is free lighted and secured parking.
It starts at about 4:30 into this broadcast. Click here to watch (the link mentioned by Vic takes you directly to the press release on the Grotto website that I provided above).
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The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!