Dear Avalon Family,
Welcome back! We've had some an incredible year and I am so glad to welcome you to this show!
What a kooky and crazy musical. It has such a special place in my heart and has been such a joy to work on these past few months! This cast and crew have had a blast and we have loved exploring different characters and situations than before! I hope we transport you to a new world and give you an escape for the next two hours!
As always, there is an army of people to thank for helping get this production where it is now. Thank you to my amazing Artistic Director/Choreography/Pixie Dust, Sarah Anderson who the kids affectionally call "Bad Cop" for her ability to give notes and help block, character work and in general "pixie dust" this beautiful show, organized spirit buddies and in general, helped keep us sane. Thank you to Molly Harper for your CRAZY schemes for this set design. It has been amazing to watch your brain work! Thank you to my assistant director, Kira Simmons, who we gladly welcomed back this year (JCHS class of 2016!). It has been a joy to have you grace the stage again. Thanks for helping make this new generation even better. Thank you to the many theatre teachers and programs who advocated for many years to have funding for Theatre staff and the School Board for choosing to make it a reality. For most of my years at Champe, it was me, doing the jobs of 12 people and managing sometimes over 100 kids. Having a staff this year has changed my life and the lives of my kids in ways too numerous to count. Thank you to my Theatre Boosters for helping to revitalize this program and make it even better. Thank you to our Fine Arts Team and all their work helping make realities happen for kids in our programs. Thank you to our admin team for allowing us to do theatre and put up with all our weird requests. Thank you to my bookkeeper (for putting all those orders in). Thank you to our fine arts admin for continuing to push forward despite amazing obstacles. Thank you to my amazing family, especially my husband. I can't believe you decided to be the official Theatre "Dad" even when they attack you anytime you set foot on campus. Thank you to Dakota, our unofficial theatre mascot, for all your amazing dance moves. Thank you to our patrons for their financial support and finally, thank you to you. Without an audience, there is no show. Thanks for coming back and filling seats.
Sincerely,
Nicki Shepherd, Lead Director
