The Next Generation of Performing Arts

The Next Generation of Performing Arts - A large room - Interior Design Services

Key West Theater Showcases New School and Stage at Open House Nov. 30, 6-8 pm

 So much is going on at The Key West Theater, there has to be an open house to explain it all. On Wednesday, Nov. 30 from 6 to 8 p.m., the KWT invites residents to check out its major renovations and transformation into an epicenter for the performing arts in Key West. Two solid years has gone into taking tattered space and giving it life in a variety of ways —and now the scope is going way beyond a great concert or two.

“It’s really exciting to have an open house,” said Kelly Norman, marketing director, “because we haven’t had a chance to fully showcase all we are offering. It’s the beginning of a lot of great things.”

Aside from the national acts now maneuvering their tour buses almost weekly in Key West, acts that otherwise wouldn’t consider coming to the islands without the right space, Norman is referring to the new classrooms and Back Room Studio.

KWT is taking it to the next level by starting a School for the Performing Arts. Singing, acting, and dancing classes will now be available year round for local kids. Starting Monday, Nov. 21, kids ages 14-18, can sign up to learn the foundation of theater in the inaugural class.

“We want to give kids the necessary vocabulary and skills to continue at performing camps or college,” said Juliet Gray, co founder and artistic director of KWT. “We are excited to bring in Broadway performers, regional actors and a variety of industry professionals to teach the kids all aspects of the trade.” Gray hopes with fundraising to provide scholarships to all students.

The school will have two specialized rooms: one rehearsal room with a “Marley floor” for dance and a “Chalkboard” room, painted in chalkboard paint, to accommodate acting and performance. The evolution of the school will enable more children’s productions on the main stage.

The next exciting venue is “The Back Room Music Studio,” which is a separate performing space with a stage that can also double as a recording studio. This room can be used for productions, small bands, poetry readings, and host events both private or public.

The open house will have a $20 entrance fee that will include cocktails, hors doeuvres, tours and DJ Jimmy Cooper. The biggest advantage of the night will be the half off sale of their first three tiers of memberships. As the organization grows rapidly, early members will have coveted rewards such as discounted ticket prices and access to special events.

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Key West will now be home to an official School for Performing Arts for kids ages 14-18. Enrollment begins this month.

Everything has been redone. People need to see the new balcony bar, dressings rooms, green room, classrooms, and more.    Kelly Norman, of Key West Theater

 

Hays Blinckmann is an oil painter, author of the novel “In The Salt,” lover of all things German including husband, children and Bundesliga. She spends her free time developing a font for sarcasm, testing foreign wines and failing miserably at home cooking.