Folksy blues guitar pickin’, progressive rock, comedy, and a series of theatrical productions about women in music feature in new performances added to the 2024-2025 season at Gettysburg College’s Majestic Theater. These additional performances augment the season that was planned by the Majestic Theater’s Founding Executive Director, Jeffrey Gabel. Tickets for these added performances go on sale to the public on Friday, October 4. Majestic members can access ticket pre-sales starting Wednesday, October 2.
“Gettysburg has given me such a warm welcome since my arrival this past May” said Executive Director, Brett W. Messenger. “These new performances and productions represent a slate of artists that include favorites of mine and artists I have dreamed of working with – I look forward to experiencing these impactful works alongside this engaged and vibrant community.”
Experience intimate performances in the Majestic’s 136-seat flexible theater starting in February. Familiar to many regular patrons as one of the two daily cinema auditoriums, the theater is equipped with professional lighting and a stage, making it a perfect venue for experiencing music and theatre up close. Three artists will occupy that space with productions between February and April, creating a series that highlights stories of women in music. Each show in the series will be performed multiple times and include an opportunity to purchase a pre-show meal served in the Majestic’s Patron’s Lounge.
The series kicks off February 13-15 with The Other Mozart, the work of innovative theatre that sparked an international conversation about women in music. Described by The New York Times as “Strikingly Beautiful” and the Los Angeles Times as “hauntingly beautiful,” critics and audiences across the globe agree about this compelling work. This one-woman work of theatre, written and performed by Sylvia Milo,tells the forgotten story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s genius older sister, Nannerl. A prodigy, keyboard virtuoso and composer who performed throughout Europe with her brother to equal acclaim, her story and work are lost to history, simply because she was a woman.
Then, March 20-23 brings Tymisha Harris as the iconic Josephine Baker, one of the most remarkable figures of 20th century music. In Josephine: A Burlesque Cabaret Dream Play, Harris combines cabaret, theatre and dance to tell the story of Baker, the first African-American international superstar who was a crusader for civil rights in a segregated America, and ultimately found success in Europe. In this lively musical, audience members will hear the sensational Harris perform songs like “Blue Skies,” “Minnie the Moocher,” and “The Times They Are A-Changing” as the indomitable Josephine Baker.
On April 11-12, stand-up comedian and Julliard-trained violist Isabel Hagen will bring her brilliant humor and musical prowess to Gettysburg over two evenings. On April 11, Hagen will host and headline an evening showcase of local music and comedy performances. On April 12, she will be joined on stage by some of her touring friends for an evening of beautiful music and raucous hilarity.
All three presentations in this series, and their community engagement components are made possible thanks to the generosity of Kenneth and Elizabeth Lundeen and the Majestic Theater Centennial Endowment Fund.
Additional shows are also planned in the Majestic’s historic 1925 auditorium. In addition to the lineup of live performances selected by now-retired Founding Executive Director Jeffrey Gabel, the Majestic’s new executive director, Brett W. Messenger, has curated a selection of up-and-coming musicians sure to leave a lasting impression on Gettysburg audiences.
On February 6 at 7:30 p.m., experience blues poet Nat Myers, a Korean American troubadour with a timeless, staggering and true voice. The Kenton County, KY native weaves a unique blend of modern roots with the Americana of traditional blues giants in a way that will make listeners drop their jaws. A few weeks later on March 1, pioneering female bandleader, Sara McDonald brings her 18-piece progressive rock orchestra, the NYChillharmonic for an evening fusing rock, pop, classical and jazz into an unconventional soundscape of aural textures and harmonies. Both performances are made possible thanks to the Majestic Theater Centennial Endowment Fund.
These shows join productions announced in May, including BAM Percussion, coming up next on Saturday, October 12 at 3 p.m. On October 25, relive 1950s rock history with One Night in Memphis. Totem Pole Playhouse’s “A Christmas Carol” returns to the Majestic for the tenth year December 6-8 and December 13-15, and long-time local favorite Dancing With the Local Stars, produced by the YWCA of Gettysburg Adams County and the Adams County Arts Council, is set for January 10. On Friday, January 24, Mountainfilm on Tour again brings an evening of adventure-packed documentary short films to the big screen. On February 26, New Orleans Songbook: A Jazz at Lincoln Center PRESENTS production, brings an immersive evening in the Big Easy. The season draws to a close May 2 with 360 AllStars.
For the latest updates on Majestic Theater news, including newly announced performances and films, sign up for email updates on the Majestic’s website, www.gettysburgmajestic.org.
Tickets for the 2024-2025 Celebrity Season will go on sale to the general public on Friday, October 11. All Majestic members may access the ticket pre-sale on Wednesday, October 9; headliner and benefactor members may access ticket pre-sale on Monday, October 7. Tickets are available online at www.gettysburgmajestic.org, by calling (717) 337-8200, or by stopping by the Box Office at 25 Carlisle St., Gettysburg. The Box Office is open Monday through Friday, 3-7:30 p.m., Saturday, 12-7:30 p.m. and Sunday, 1-5:30 p.m. Free parking and roundtrip shuttle service for most live shows is available from Gettysburg College’s Constitution Parking Lot. Shuttle starts one hour before each performance and is ADA accessible. Metered parking is available at the Gettysburg Borough Parking Garage in Racehorse Alley as well as along Carlisle Street.
The Majestic Theater at the Jennifer and David LeVan Performing Arts Center is owned and operated by Gettysburg College as a gathering place for its campus and community to celebrate the arts together[b1] .
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[b1]Do you think it is useful to include a full list at the end?