Exciting times are ahead for us now that the musical is in full swing! The kids are having a blast, and volunteers are madly working to make this production a huge success! We still need more help in ALL areas of production, from set construction and painting, to ironing and everything in-between. Posters are now available for distribution, t-shirts are ready, flyers sent, feeder schools notified, cookies for concessions donated….. the list goes on and on! Please contact any of the committee chairs listed below so they don’t have to spend time calling you to help…..

Remember that the rehearsals are CLOSED…. No parents, siblings, friends, etc may enter the theater during rehearsal. Let’s keep the kids in character as much as possible while there are here.

Also, once we start the show, NO ONE except for those holding a backstage pass (assigned by Rita Simpson) is allowed backstage with the cast before or after the show, or during intermission. Please meet your children in the lobby AFTER the show. Your child will be assigned a clean-up night. Make sure to find out when this is and allow extra time for them to meet you on those nights.

Volunteering your time for the musical is a fun way to earn points that will help fund your child’s Costa Rica trip. (See the point system explanation below in the newsletter). It’s also a great way to meet other choir parents and make new friends, so be sure to sign up for any and all opportunities that are listed below.

1. TICKETS: Using the Cascade Theater Box office worked out well for us last year, and we are going to use them again. Advanced parent ticket sales start Friday, March 25 and public ticket sales will begin Tuesday, March 29 and can be ordered by phone with a credit card through the Cascade Box Office at 243-8877 or online at www.cascadetheatre.org. There is a $1.50 surcharge for online ticket purchases. The Box Office is open Tues-Fri from 11:00am – 6 pm (open on the weekends at 11 am until showtime when there is a show at the Cascade) and is located at 1733 Market Street in downtown Redding. Discounted tickets will be $10 for everyone for our opening show on Wednesday, May 4^th. Otherwise, for all other shows, tickets will be $12 for students age 17 and under (ID required), and $15 for everyone else (Includes shows on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays).

2. SETS: Set Construction has already begun and we really need your help with everything from simple painting to wood construction. Amy Vogt is desperately trying to build up her set construction/painting crew. Contact her at: geraldvogt@sbcglobal.net, 244-6245 or 339-6734 or just SHOW up in the evenings after 6 pm in the back hall of the Shasta Learning Center.

3. COSTUMES: Rita Simpson, our wonderful costume designer, also really needs your help for the many beautiful costumes that will be needed to bring this musical to life. It doesn’t have to mean that you need to sew - there are lots of other ways to help. She especially needs help 2 weeks prior to the start of the show for steaming and mending of costumes. Please contact her at 355-7599 ritsim53@yahoo.com. Rita is ready for your assistance and is fun to work with!!

4. CONCESSIONS: Selling concessions during the musical intermission is another fun way to volunteer! You can also bring brownies, cupcakes and rice krispie treats to sell. This is an easy way to earn points so please contact the Concessions Chairperson Rhonda Graham at 246-8487 or e-mail her at brjg@sbcglobal.net

5. USHERS: This year Cheryl Mathison and Craig Johnson are co-chairing the Usher position. Cheryl’s e-mail is timmathison@sbcglobal.net and her phone numbers are 515-0215, 243-1323. Craig’s e-mail is caljohnson5@att.net, and his numbers are 246-1838 or 351-1025.

***Choir students are welcome to volunteer as Ushers and at the Concessions the nights of the performances. ***

6. MAKEUP & HAIR: Hair and make-up for this musical will be fun! Contact Sydney or Collett Stanger at 244-0422 or e-mail at collettcm@sbcglobal.net if you can help!

7. LOBBY SALES: Kent and Ranae Galloway have stepped up to chair this event. Please buy a T-shirt in advance and wear them to advertise our show! T-shirts have been ordered and will be available to purchase on or before March, 29. The cost is $10.00 each and can be purchased at some of the rehearsals. T-shirts will also be for sale at all the performances.

8. PROPS: Kathy and Sarah Hill are working hard locating and making props. They can still use some help. Kathy’s e-mail is: kdhill@digitalpath.net, 945-6585/244-7694.

9. CAST REFRESHMENTS: All parents are required to bring cast refreshments. The cast works well when they have the energy to work the show. You will be able to sign up online for the nights you prefer to bring refreshments. This year we will REQUIRE parents to sign up for at least two nights, and if we don’t get enough, we may have to assign nights. Co-chairs will be Roberta Mayberry and Colleen Tweede.

10. PUBLICITY: Lori Cahill is doing a wonderful job promoting Music Man. She has already done photo shoots with the leads and is scheduling appearances for the cast, contacting media, sending flyers, etc. Thanks, Lori!

11. POSTERS: The posters have been designed and printed and look great. If you would like some to hang around town or at your place of business, please Cindy Milestone at jimcindy5465@att.net, 917-9927/244-6692.

12. PROGRAM ADVERTISEMENTS AND SPONSORSHIPS: Many parents purchase advertisements in the musical program to have a photo with special quotations for their choir or orchestra student. This is a wonderful way to support the Shasta High Music Department while giving your child their own publicity! Ads cost as little as $45. Sponsorships are also available at different levels from $100 to $400 with complimentary tickets and advertisements. Please see the form located at the end of this newsletter if you would like to purchase an ad or sponsorship for this year’s musical program. For questions, contact Lori Steele at 945-0492 or e-mail her at lori@shasta.com. Limited Space is now available.

13. PROGRAM: Peggy O’Lea is helping out again this year with the program with the help of Lorrie Vaus. The deadline for all program information is April 1^st.

14. SCHOOL CONTACT: Renee Sumption has stepped up to be our school liason and has been contacting feeder schools with some new ideas to promote Music Man. Contact her at: rsumption@grantesd.k12.ca.us or 945-0491/229-9397.

Choir Communications

The choir has its own website at www.shastachoir.com. A current calendar of events is always available on the website. We also communicate information by group e-mail; please make sure you give us your e-mail – both parents and students – so you can keep current on what’s happening with choir. Please send your name and e-mail address to info@shastachoir.com and we will add you to the list. Newsletters are e-mailed or posted on the website unless you specifically request to have them mailed to you. Thanks

APRIL

1 Program Information deadline

10 Board / Boosters meeting

11 Rehearsals will move to evenings around this date - TBA

18, 19 Dress parades – cast must be present at 3:30 – 5 pm/ Regular rehearsal follows dress parades

20 Musical Cast photos – 4 pm

22 Rehearsals of Act I and II TBA

23-Apr 29th SPRING BREAK

30 All Day rehearsal 8-4 pm

MAY

2 Dress Rehearsal

3 Dress Rehearsal

4 Opening with Discounted Show – all tickets $10/ show at 7 pm

5,6,7 Musical 7:00 pm

9-11 Rehearsals TBA

12,13,14 Musical 7:00 pm

15 Mandatory strike musical sets

23 Choir Spring Concert – SLC Auditorium 7:00 pm

JUNE

3 Last day of school/Graduation

7 Costa Rica Trip – students to assemble at Shasta High in the afternoon TBA

OUR GOAL: The point system was introduced to encourage parent involvement in choir activities, to help families pay for choir trips, and as a way to distribute earnings fairly to our hardworking students. The Choir Boosters was established to give our students the best experience we can. It is run by a Board elected at a general Parent Meeting. We are all volunteers.

Points may be earned by parents and students by working on choir activities such as the Madrigal Dinner or the musical. Generally, one point is credited for each hour’s work. Points will be assigned a monetary value and credited toward trip expenditures for the European trip.

Points have a monetary value only when used for the Europe choir trip. They do not constitute money in the real world and are non-refundable. Money equal to students’ unused points remains in the choir account to fund choir expenditures such as microphones, tuxedos, or computer equipment.

HOW ARE POINTS EARNED? Parents may earn points only when working on a project that benefits the entire group and not for such things as making your own student’s costumes. These points may be applied to the account of any of their children who are enrolled in choir. They may earn 1 point per hour when working on choir projects or when serving in the following ways:

A student can be credited with a maximum of 120 points each year, which may be earned in any combination by the student and his/her parents. There is a maximum cumulative total of 300 points for each student.

If you are going on the Europe Trip and you have not been able to earn points over a three year period because you were a transfer student or a sophomore the year of the Europe Trip, you may request Board review of your point status. This review must take place by the November board meeting of the Europe Trip year. Call the Points Chairperson to schedule the review.

WHO MAY EARN POINTS? Parents, or approved adults, may earn points for only their own children who are currently enrolled in choir. Children cannot earn points for themselves until they are in a high school choir, even if they are cast members. Points earned by a student in the music program cannot be transferred to a sibling or a fellow choir member. Points may not be earned by sisters and brothers, cousins, grandparents, friends, etc., nor offered to anyone outside the immediate family. Although we welcome the help of these people, the value of points would be greatly diluted if we allowed too many people to collect them. Parents who are employed by the music department do not earn points for time spent at their paying jobs, but may join committees to earn points.

HOW ARE MONETARY VALUES OF POINTS FIGURED? The total number of points earned for the year by all students will be divided into the total net income from the Madrigal Dinner and the musical. This will establish a fixed value for the points earned that year. The amount each student has earned toward the cost of the European trip is calculated by multiplying this value times the student’s total points for that year. Points and their values will be fixed at the end of each year and cannot be changed at a later date. Point values will differ from year to year depending on the number of students’ and parents’ hours and the success of the musical. (The Madrigal Dinner is always sold out.) Points are only used towards the cost of the European trip. Freshman students who can attend two trips during their high school years will be allowed to use their first year earned points (120 points maximum) for the freshman year trip. They will also be allowed to earn another 300 points maximum toward the senior year trip.

FUND RAISING PROJECTS: Fund raising projects must have prior approval from the Boosters Board when the Shasta High Choir Boosters or a particular trip is mentioned in the advertising for the event. Monies collected will be deposited in the Choir Boosters’ account, in the individual student’s name, to be used toward choir trip expenses only. The person in charge must furnish the Treasurer with a list of students who earned money.

RESPONSIBILITY: It is the responsibility of every parent and child to use the sign-up sheets provided at each activity. This is the only way your points can be reported. It is the responsibility of the chairpersons to provide sign-up sheets, tally total hours worked by each volunteer and turn in these points in a timely manner. All appeals for change in points must be addressed in writing to the Choir Boosters Board. Questions about your account’s current status may be addressed at any time during the year to the Student Points Coordinator or at any Parent Meeting. If you suspect that there has been an oversight, be sure to take care of it during the school year in which you worked.

NAME:__________________________________________________________________________________

BUSINESS (if applicable):_______________________________________________________________________________

ADDRESS:_______________________________________________________________________________

CITY: _______________________________________ STATE:______________ ZIP:_________________

TELEPHONE:_____________________________________________________________________________

NAME OF YOUR CHILD / CHILDREN IN THE PRODUCTION / ORCHESTRA:________________________________________

Please mail this form and check (payable to Shasta High Choir) by March 18, 2011 to: Music Man Advertising