Aspen Community Theatre celebrates 50 years with anniversary concert

Tickets are now on sale for Aspen Community Theatre’s 50th Anniversary Concert, “Our Favorite Things,” running from 7 to 8:30 p.m. May 30 at the Aspen District Theatre.

The concert will showcase five decades of history into a one-night-only spectacular. In honoring the legacy, the celebration covers glimpses of the past shows through songs, solos and sing-alongs.

“We are excited to bring our community together to celebrate 50 years of Aspen Community Theatre,” Christy Garfield, the theatre’s board president said, in a press release. 

Since its inception in 1975, Aspen Community Theatre has produced more than 74 shows, gathering attendees from across the Roaring Fork Valley through the “transformative power of live theatre,” according to the release. 

“What I love about community theater is that you’re performing with people from all sorts of different walks of life, whether they’re a professional musician, a dental hygienist, a real estate agent or a mechanic. They are just folks that are happy to volunteer their time, whether it’s helping with sets or being a cast member,” said performer Nina Gabianelli, who began participating in Aspen Community Theatre in 2000. “It’s people you see throughout the week and the years. That’s the cool part of it — that it truly is everybody in the community. It’s not just performers. It’s not elite. It’s not exclusive.” 

The 50th Anniversary Concert is a “love letter” and measure of gratitude to thank the community that has made it all happen, according to the release.

“It’s bringing together a lot of elements from shows throughout the past,” Gabianelli added.

It will also include a memorial section for people who are no longer here.

The following talent will be featured, along with a few surprises:

• Gerald Delisser (“Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” from Spamalot)
• Jeannie Walla and Nina Gabianelli (“Bosom Buddies” from Mame)
• Jennifer Austin Hughes (“When You’re Good to Mama” from Chicago)
• Jeff Schlepp (“Some Enchanted Evening” from South Pacific)
• Julia Whalen (“Shy” from Once Upon a Mattress)
• Katrina Klawiter, Dani Kopf and Amy Pendarvis (“9 to 5”)
• Mike Monroney (“The Sadder But Wiser Girl” from The Music Man)
• Nikki Boxer (“The Sound of Music”)
• Gabianelli (“The Ladies Who Lunch” from Company)
• Travis Lane McDiffett (“Being Alive” from Company)

The program also includes a handful of local high school students, a few performers traveling back to Aspen to be part of the show and a smattering of participants with generational ties to Aspen Community Theatre. 

Aspen native Tammie Baar, who was involved in the original production “Wizard of Oz” in 1975, will be present as well.

Musical Director Bob Finnie also put together a “wonderful live band” for the show, according to Gabianelli.

There will be a special gathering of alumni and members of the Aspen Community Theatre family from 2 to 4 p.m. the following day, May 31, at Home Team BBQ. It will be exclusively for past cast members, crew, production staff, board members and supporters. The family-friendly get-together is an opportunity for people to reconnect and honor the people and productions that have marked a half century of community theater.

“It’s really a family,” Gabianelli said, adding how meaningful it is to continue to see the people who work together on these shows in the community long after stage time is over.

Looking ahead to the fall season, Aspen Community Theatre is scheduled to perform Rodgers and Hammerstein’s large-scale musical production of “Cinderella” Nov. 13 to 23 at the Aspen District Theater. Auditions for this musical are set for Aug. 21 to 23.  

“This concert and alumni reunion are a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to everyone who has been part of our story — part of our family — and an exciting preview of all that is still to come,” Garfield said in the release. 

Tickets for the 50th Anniversary Concert are $30 for adults and $15 for kids, and includes a reception following the show, courtesy of Maroon Creek Club. For more information and tickets, visit aspencommunitytheatre.org.