Posted by: Noel Jones
Colin McEvoy of the Express-Times reports that "Movie Valuable Players," a documentary by filmmaker Chris Lockhart featuring the valley's annual musical theater competition, has just been picked up by Ophrah Winfrey to be featured on her new cable network OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network) next year! The film is among Ophrah's first selections for her new Documentary Club, which she hopes will enjoy the success of the Ophrah Winfrey Book Club. This means the film will now have 80 million projected household viewers.
I have not had a chance to watch the film yet, but it is getting rave reviews across the country. Has anything happened to the Lehigh Valley recently to draw this much positive attention to our area? And it didn't just "happen"-- Lehigh Valley residents made it happen--from the kids who pour their hearts into hours of rehearsal time each year, to the faithful resident fans in the community (I know of several who don't even have kids in the school system, they have always claimed that the shows are just that good, and they go ever year) to the filmmakers who had the clarity of vision to document a season for posterity. The community made this film a success, and it just goes to show what can happen in the Lehigh Valley when our talent meets community support. One need only check out the film's facebook page to see the fans that have posted from all across the country.
Congrats to all the kids, filmmakers and community fans that made this possible! And be sure to get your tickets to the Freddies early this year--I have a feeling they will sell out even faster than before...
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6 comments:
tiveI was able to see the film when it debuted at the State Theatre. It was fantastic, no less. It was an amazing film about the kids, the talent and the area. The State Theatre is a gem in our city and we need to support it more.
tiveI was able to see the film when it debuted at the State Theatre. It was fantastic, no less. It was an amazing film about the kids, the talent and the area. The State Theatre is a gem in our city and we need to support it more.
i'm excited to see it, and even more excited to attend some shows this year!
I saw the movie at the State too and also saw two of this year's plays (Parkland and Warren Tech). It was interesting to see some of the current cast members from the plays I saw this year in the film when they were underclassmen.
I plan on seeing more of the live shows this. We have an undiscovered entertainment gem in the Lehigh Valley and it is called the amatuer high school show.
DRL
I think The State Theatre’s involvement with the Freddy Awards is one of the most impressive things Easton has going on. I watched clips from the 2010 Awards and it was absolutely amazing! I hope to see the documentary soon. The State Theatre has been one of my favorite places in Easton. On a different note, I am recently disappointed with the new digital marquee they purchased. I was told the old traditional marquee display was the last of its kind anywhere. Anyone know if this is true? Details?
Carrine,
I highly doubt that the marquee is the last of it's kind...it's a big country with lots of old theaters. That doesn't mean I think it was a good idea to replace it. Technological advancment and community improvement aren't necessarily the same thing.
The local tradition, architectural history and the hands-on skills used to operate the marquee speak to what The State Theater and the City of Easton are all about.
Progress can not always be measured by how much brighter, faster or fancier something is than what it replaces. Try removing the manual scoreboards from Wrigley Field in Chicago or Fenway Park in Boston in the name of "progress" and see how long it takes for people to string you up.
DRL
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