Thriving
Rome Little Theatre steps into 2020 with a season of theatrical magic
The health and prosperity of a community
can be measured by looking at several
things -- industry, healthcare, education,
recreation and animal welfare.
But there's another extremely vital part of any
thriving community -- the arts.
Rome Little Theatre is doing its part to sustain
and grow the arts in this community.
"This year has started out really really well
for us," said RLT's Executive Director Chris
Davidson. "We've set record attendance numbers
this season. We're really happy with how things
have been going."
With hit productions such as "Mama Mia,"
"The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" and the recent
Valentine show "Tokens of Affection," RLT saw
ticket sales, attendance and even volunteerism go
through the roof.
While the very popular "Mama Mia" set pre-sale
62 OUTLOOK | APRIL 2020
By Severo Avila
records, those numbers might be surpassed by
the upcoming production of Disney's "Frozen Jr."
which opens March 20.
Davidson says it takes a lot of planning to come
up with a successful lineup for the season.
"We take a list of recommendations to the
board (of directors)," she said. "There are lots of
things to consider. We try to choose shows that
work together and that meet the goals of the
theater -- the revenue needs, the artistic needs,
the community's needs. Do these shows have a
wide variety of roles for people? Will they have
wide appeal for audiences?"
But Davidson and the board must also factor in
the cost of a show. Audiences may not be aware
that the popular musical they're watching on the
DeSoto stage required the RLT board to purchase
the rights to it. And royalties are expensive. Then
there are shows RLT simply isn't allowed to
A scene from RLT’s 2018 hit “The Producers.”