Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre seizes its second chance at 60th anniversary season (2025)

Aarik Danielsen|Columbia Daily Tribune

Few marriages last 60 years.

The union between the mid-Missouri hamlet of Arrow Rock and its belovedLyceum Theatre, created in 1961, mostly has been a blissful one. Both the town and theater possess a rare charisma; living out their covenant, each makes the other better.

The traditional gift for 60 years is as rare as the feat itself — a diamond. The Lyceum prepared a gem of a 60th anniversary season for 2020-21, only to have the COVID-19 pandemic remind the theater community about the second half of the vow "for better, for worse."

The Lyceum reopened its doors to patrons last week for a different sort of revival, setting in motion the 60th anniversary present it planned — just a year later.

'I want to be where the people are'

This second run at the 60th anniversary season begins with "The Little Mermaid," a staging of the Disney musical about falling in love with another world even as you learn to be yourself.

Returning to the day-in, day-out business of making magic, the local staff and assembled cast — many of whom arrive from New York or other theater hubs — expressed their enthusiasm while acknowledging the need to take small steps forward together, producing artistic director Quin Gresham said.

"One of the things that I asked everybody to commit to was an extra dose of grace as we all get back into it," he said. "... No one’s forgotten how to do it, but the muscle memory is more distant than it normally is."

Last year, the Lyceum largely sat empty, though Gresham and Co. reinventedtheir seasonal "A Christmas Carol" tradition, beaming it out from the theater to the rest of the world via streaming.

More: Lyceum 'Carol' unites Christmases past, present, future

Gresham's occasional trips into the theater felt like attending an "empty, de-sanctified church for awhile," he said.

"There was literal power to it, but not the emotional, spiritual power," he added.

Nowas the theaterand its inhabitants perform the roles they werealways meant to play, that more intangible power source lights up the room.

Lyceum staff selected these shows back in 2019 for 2020; time and absence bring the material home in a new way, Gresham said.

He responded viscerally uponhearing Meadow Nguy, who plays "Little Mermaid"lead Ariel, sing one of her signature songs, "Part of Your World." A whimsical number at first, the song turns on the phrase "I want to be where the people are."

"I’m telling you — the first time I heard her sing it in rehearsal, I was a wreck. It was just so right at the heart of the experience we’ve all been having," Gresham said.

A 1-2 performance punch

Opening with "The Little Mermaid" serves at least two purposes, Gresham said. The Lyceum typically likes to start a season with a family-friendly performance; in context of the anniversaryseason, the show also opens the wings of the theater world to its most curious visitors.

"We wanted something that introduced the theater to young audiences, because that’s critical for the next 60 years," Gresham said.

Each showselected this season reflects on the Lyceum's particular history or, more broadly, the place of theatrical arts in the wider world, he added.

"The Little Mermaid" wraps Aug. 22, and the season's second show, "Singin' in the Rain," dances nimbly into the spotlight Sept. 2-12. The musical, which originated on the big screen with the iconic Gene Kelly, parted the clouds for audiences in 1993, the Lyceum's first season in a new auditorium, Gresham said.

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Building a COVID bubble

This year looks more normal than last in Arrow Rock, but the Lyceum remains cautious and thoughtful about performing in an ongoing pandemic. Invoking an approach taken by the NBA, Gresham said the theater is attempting to create the best protective bubble it can around cast, crew and staff.

The theater is working all season with a COVID-19 compliance officer, who will keep track of pandemic protocols and the organization's progress in keeping them.

An opening-night Facebook post relayed some of the theater's safety measures — and what it's asking of patrons, namely mask-wearing.

Nothing sustains or exhausts theater professionals like the work they love. Gresham recalled his conversation with a "Little Mermaid" cast member who said that two hours on stage compares quite closely to the amount of energy spent during a more orthodox 9-to-5 shift in another field.

These measures, Gresham said, are designed to ensure the brightest lights at the Lyceum — its people — remain switched on, doing what they do best.

More: 'Whose Line' vets partner with Lyceum to bring down your house in virtual shows

'Charley's Aunt' and other season highlights

The 60th anniversary season carries on through April. Some titles immediately flood the mind with memories and associations: "Sister Act" (Sept. 23-Oct. 3), "A Christmas Carol" (Dec. 15-23), "Our Town" (Mar. 2-6).

Others might have stimulated more immediate recognition inanother generation. March 16-20, the Lyceum stages "Charley's Aunt," a farce from the sharp pen of Brandon Thomas. Debuting in 1892, the show was a certified smash in its day. Gresham acted the show in college and called it "one of the most fun times I’ve ever had on stage."

"Charley's Aunt" leans as far back into Lyceum history as a show can — it was staged in the theater's inaugural season. The spring production will bring a fresh touch, "with great respect for how it looked in 1961 when the budget was like $3,500 for the entire year," Gresham said.

Despite its age, the show needs little help remaining relevant or refreshing.

"Everything is set up perfectly, and everything delivers," Gresham said of Thomas' writing.

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Stepping fully, finally into this anniversary season,Gresham carries fresh insights from the past year with him to the material. Referencing the moral of "Our Town," he mentioned the power of slowing down to appreciate beauty you once felt too busy to fathom.

Those observations — of what we missed and what we found — will attach themselves to each momentthe curtain isopen.

"I think it’s like every wedding and memorial service that couldn’t happen — when it happens, it has added resonance. It can’t help but have that," Greshamsaid.

Learn more about the theater and this season atlyceumtheatre.org.

Aarik Danielsen is the features and culture editor for the Tribune. Contact him at adanielsen@columbiatribune.com or by calling 573-815-1731.

Arrow Rock Lyceum Theatre seizes its second chance at 60th anniversary season (2025)
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