A comedy by Leslie Kimbell
October 6-8 & 12-15
Open Mic at Footlight AND Karaoke?! Yes, please!
Our open mic event is back with some changes for the 2023-204 season. The event name is changing to Open Mic at Footlight. While we will miss the alliteration of “Friday Night at Footlight,” it just no longer works…because (new for this season) the events will be held on the first SATURDAY of non-show months.
You have the talent. We have the stage. Footlight is a warm and inspiring place for our community, friends, and neighbors to come together to connect and celebrate each other’s talents. Never performed? Perfect! We’re nervous too. Come share some anxiety and take a chance! If you’re a veteran of the stage, you are also very welcome.
Doors open at 6:45pm. Performances begin at 7:00pm. Family Friendly event: children are welcome (and encouraged to perform)! Admission is $5, but free for registered performers (up to a 15 minute set). Apply below to perform. Walk-in performers may be accommodated as space allows.
· A different "Featured Artist" each event!
· "Dinner and a Show" raffle prize featuring local restaurants and Footlight show tickets.
· Snacks and beverages available by donation.
To encourage new and varied performers, we have an application to perform rather than registration. Performers will be chosen to allow a mix of new and returning performers, as well as a balance of performance styles. Applicants will be contacted one week prior to the event via the email address provided on the application to confirm if they have been selected or not.
Performances should be limited to 10-15 minutes. A keyboard, 3 microphones, Bluetooth, and a sound tech will be available. With advanced notice, we may be able to arrange for an accompanist. If you have any questions, you may ask them in the comment/question box on the form or call the theater at 219-874-4035 and leave a message.
Click here to apply to perform at Open Mic at Footlight, our open mic/open stage event.
Not ready to be the center of attention for an entire 15-minute set? How about joining us for Karaoke? New this season we will host Karaoke the first Saturday of show months. That’s right! Come see the Saturday afternoon matinee the first show weekend, and return for Karaoke that night. This is an all-ages, family friendly event. Adults and children are invited to perform! Sign up with your favorite song when you arrive. Doors open at 6:45 with first performance at 7pm. Admission is $5 at the door
Footlight to Host Supplies Drive for Dunebrook
Footlight Players is excited to help Dunebrook Inc. stock their “Family Depot” with much needed supplies this summer. Dunebrook is a family resource and Child Advocacy Center for LaPorte County helping families learn, grow, and navigate all types of situations and life changes. They support parents with a new baby and empower them to be the best parents they can be through all stages of growth.
We will be collecting donations for Dunebrooks “Family Depot” for the entire run of The Dastardly Doctor Devereaux. If you’d like to support Dunebrook and the families of LaPorte County please bring one of the following needs with you to the theatre when you come for the show.
Dunebrook is in need of the following items:
Baby Wipes
Diapers in all sizes
Learning toys
Household cleaning supplies
*All items should be sealed and in their original packaging.
Meet Footlight's 2023/2024 Board of Directors
*Pictured* back- Christopher West (president), Bobbi Ann Lauritsen (secretary), Jill Thomas (general member), Adrianna LeDonne (general member) Front- Marsha Markle (treasurer), Rick Henderson (vice president), Laura Meyer (general member)
The Footlight Players of Michigan City are excited to announce their 74th Season board of directors. At the June 12th meeting, the membership cast their votes and the 7-panel board is Christopher West as President, Rick Henderson as Vice President, Marsha Markle as Treasurer, Bobbi Ann Lauritsen as Secretary, and Jill Thomas, Laura Meyer, and Adrianna LeDonne as general board members. The new board will go into effect on July 1st, 2023. We would like to acknowledge the outgoing board’s efforts and appreciation for all the hard work. A big thank-you to Bill Wild for his 25 plus years of service to the organization and continued support in the future. First time board member LeDonne commented on the results of the board vote, “In the last couple years Footlight has become like a second home to me, and I’m excited to help be a part of its leadership and helping grow our community.”
Footlight Players Proudly Announce their 74th Season!
Our 74th Season runs August 2023 through May 2024. Our exciting lineup includes:
The Dastardly Doctor Devereaux: Book and Lyrics by Billy St. John; Music by Debbie Wilson
August 4-6, 11-13, & 18-20
Directed by: Laura Meyer
Lotta Cash, a wealthy widow, must be on the lookout. The evil Dogsbreath Devereaux, M.D. plans to marry Lotta so he can inherit her fortune and her clinic. Helping him is the nasty nurse, Hilda Hatchet, whom he promises to wed after he gets rid of Lotta. Wild? Well, talk about medical mania when the insanely jealous Hilda catches Dogsbreath flirting with our heroine, Wendy March. We can only hope that Dr. Phil Good can save Wendy and the unsuspecting Lotta from certain death. With an abundance of zany patients, wild tunes and a hilarious plot, this musical melodrama will certainly have you in stitches all the way! As they say, Nurses! Foiled again!
Four Old Broads on the High Seas: by Leslie Kimbell
October 6-8 & 12-15
Directed by: Joe Blanchard
Get ready to set sail with your favorite Old Broads. Yes... they’re back again and ready for a Sassy Senior’s cruise to the Bahamas. Beatrice is determined to have her pick of ALL the eligible men on the ship... but Maude, fresh from her win at The Miss Magnolia Senior Citizen Pageant, plans on being her biggest competition. Wedding bells are ringing for Sam and Imogene... maybe. And Eaddy... well... she just wants to know what all the fuss is about up on the topless sun deck. Throw in a murder mystery, a fabulous drag queen and a crazy costume party, and you’re in for a laugh-a-minute, side-splitting laugh-out-loud night of fun.
Murder on the Rerun: by Fred Carmichael
December 1-3 & 7-10
Directed by: Michael J. Thomas
A ghost tries to find out who murdered her in a witty, sophisticated, yet suspenseful look at the upper crust of Hollywood. Oscar winning screen writer, Jane, is dead. Her friends are saying she fell. Three years later, they are all famous with an intense hate love relationship; Jane's husband, an ambitious ingenue, a heading for middle age leading lady, an arrogant director, and Hollywood's reigning gossip columnist join together, but their relationship busts apart with their mutual distrust. Woven through the suspense in humorous, acidic, and revealing comedy is an extraordinary whodunit with a surprise denouement when the murderer is revealed. This unusual and audience pleasing combination of comedy, intrigue, and suspense, is a must!
The Unsinkable Molly Brown: Music and Lyrics by Meredith Willson; Book by Richard Morris
March 1-3, 8-10, & 15-17
Directed by: Nikki Anthony
This spirited tale of a legendary, real-life American original follows the exploits of Molly Brown, whose feisty determination to rise above her impoverished beginnings leads her from the backwoods of Hannibal, Missouri, to the palaces of Europe. Along the way, she marries a lucky prospector, enters the highest echelons of Monte Carlo society, survives the sinking of the Titanic and, most importantly, earns the approval that she so desperately seeks from those "Beautiful People of Denver."
The Lost Boy: by Ronald Gabriel Paolillo
May 3-5 & 9-12
Directed by: Lara West
Despite finding success and fame as a writer, James M. Barrie is dissatisfied with his work and his life. He returns to his hometown in Scotland to visit his mother, who still blames him for the long-ago death of his older brother in a skating pond. Haunted by the tragic accident and his mother's harsh words, James slowly begins to confront his family's tragic past with the help of an unexpected friendship and his own gift for storytelling. This fictionalized account of the birth of Peter Pan will warm the hearts of audiences everywhere who remember the magic and mystery of The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up.