Here’s a HUGE community outreach opportunity everyone can get behind:  The Loft Stage is working with Beyond the Yellow Ribbon  (BTYR) of Woodbury and Cottage Grove to support deployed service members.  At each White Christmas performance, BTYR will be present collecting donations to package and ship to our men and women in the service.  As you prepare for the big show, remember to bring a donation and make the holidays a little brighter for our troops far from home.

Here’s a list of items BTYR is hoping to collect:

  • Vacuum sealed home baked treats
  • Jerky
  • Gatorade/PowerAde drink mix packets
  • Ground coffee/ Starbucks, Caribou
  • Protein bars
  • Instant soups
  • Gum
  • Nuts
  • Puzzle books
  • Oatmeal packets
  • Trail mix
  • Chex mix
  • Car magazines
  • Hunting/sports magazines
  • Lotion
  • New movies
  • Homemade Christmas cards the soldiers can use to send to their families

We’ve already received some great donations from families for the opening night Silent Auction, but we really could use more.  Here are the answers to all your Silent Auction questions:

Q:  Do I have to attend the Gala to bid on Silent Auction items?

A:  No.  All are welcome to check out the goods and place their bids.  Just sign up for a bidder number before you get started.

Q:  When do I know if I win and do I have to be present?

A:  Bidding closes five minutes before the end of intermission.  People can check their bids either before the show’s second half resumes or after the show is over.  We do prefer you pay for and pick up your winnings that same night.

Q:  What sorts of donations are you still looking for?

A:  Everything and anything.  We still need people to ask retailers for donations.  Cash always works.  Or put together a theme basket.

Here are some ideas:

Gift Cards for stocking stuffers:

  • Starbucks or Caribou
  • Steepery/Tea Garden
  • Sporting Goods Stores (Dick’s, Sports Authority, Golf Galaxy, etc.)
  • Target (of course) and other local retailers
  • Local restaurants (Woodbury, Hudson, Afton, Lake Elmo, etc.)
  • Movie theatres

Local services:

  • Heppners Auto Body
  • Oil change
  • Teeth whitening
  • Manicures/pedicures
  • Massage
  • Hair salon services

Theme baskets such as:

  • Italian dinner (noodles, sauce, cheese grinder, cookbook)
  • Baking basket (baking pan, spatula, baking mix, cupcake liners, etc)
  • Hostess basket: (lotions, holiday towels, fancy soaps, etc)
  • Dog Lover’s basket (gift card to a pet supply store, toys, treats, copy of Old Yeller, etc)
  • Family Movie Night—look for holiday, teenage, children’s, and/or comedy classics to create a theme, then add popcorn
  • Slumber party basket (hair and nail supplies; makeup; curling wand; snacks; just about any John Hughes’ movie ever made)
  • Family Game Night
  • Wine lover’s basket
  • Beer lover’s basket
  • Chocolate lover’s basket
  • Coffee lover’s basket
  • Book lover’s Bestsellers basket
  • College student homesickness survival kit

Q: Where should I drop off donations?

A: You have two options!
1.  Contact Kristy Martin (mnkristy@hotmail.com612-978-2264) or Pam Gotz (pjgotz@mmm.com651-324-8871) and they will pick up your donation from you
2.  Drop off at Kristy’s house: 8409 Marsh Creek Rd; Woodbury (bin outside of front door)

Q. When are donations due?

A. As soon as possible!  We will take donations up until Monday, November 19, but since we need to put together descriptions for the items, the sooner we receive them the better.

Of course, feel free to contact Kristy or Pam with any questions, and thanks again for your support of the Loft Stage’s largest fundraiser of the year!

From LoftPAC president Pari Cariaga:

As we enter November and the musical starts to come together, SpotLight will be mentioned a lot.  So what is Spotlight and how does it affect you?  From the program’s website:

The SpotLight Musical Theatre Program is the flagship educational initiative of Hennepin Theatre Trust and a key educational element in our work that supports, honors and advocates for high school musical theatre programs and students.

SpotLight will play an important part in White Christmas, sending out adjudicators during the show to evaluate our actors, technicians, and musicians.   After they have seen the performance, they will give us constructive criticism so we can continue to improve our musicals.  The adjudicators also have the opportunity to recognize the entire show or individuals for special awards that will be given out in the spring at the SpotLight Showcase.  On opening night, the program also will be sending two representatives to talk to the audience before the musical about how the Loft Stage is excelling in educational theater.

To learn more about SpotLight and how to get involved, go to:  http://www.hennepintheatretrust.org/spotlight1

Or their Facebook page at  https://www.facebook.com/SpotLightMusicalTheatreProgram

I’M ALSO PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE ONE-ACT WILL BE…

Actually I can’t tell you what the show is going to be because I don’t even know what it is, but auditions will be the week of December 3rd through the 7th —Yes, that is in between the weekends of White Christmas.

Please join us in celebrating the 2012-2013 Loft Stage Theater season with the opening night performance of

Irving Berlin’s White Christmas

The gala experience is designed for the entire family and includes a red carpet reception, silent auction, live music, personal photography, swing dancing and a visit from Santa Claus

Friday, November 30, 2012

6:00 p.m. Gala Reception

7:30pm Show Time

Gala Event Tickets $10

Performance Tickets $7-$9 if purchased in advance

Purchase your tickets at www.theloftstage.com

Seating is limited, please submit your ticket order promptly.

Hors d’oeuvres, dessert & beverages included with purchase of Gala Event Ticket.

The Loft Stage 
at East Ridge High School Activities Entrance 4200 Pioneer Drive Woodbury, Minnesota 55129

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