“Lincoln: The Musical” to Raise Funds for Orange Town Hall

Abe and Mary with John Wilkes Booth ready to strike

“Lincoln: The Musical” to Raise Funds for Orange Town Hall

The world premier of "Lincoln: The Musical" by Dr. Michael Riccards, with songs from the Civil War era, enters its final run on Saturday, July 14 at 7:00 pm and Sunday, July 15 at 2:00 pm at the Orange Town Hall, 6 Prospect Street, Orange, Massachusetts.  The play, which is produced by The Drama Circle and directed by Genevieve Fraser, is free of charge; however, donations are gratefully accepted and will be used to purchase lights and sound for the Ruth B. Smith Auditorium at the Orange Town Hall.

“Over $1,300 was raised from the July 7 and 8 opening of the show, due in part, from a very generous donation from one of the Quabbin Civil War Remembrance steering committee members, Paul Robichaud,” Fraser commented.  “We will be requesting that the Orange Select Board reactivate the Orange Town Hall Renovation Committee so that the money raised can be spent on a state of the art sound and light system.”  The Orange Town Hall Renovation Committee was convened in the mid 1990s and spent nearly a decade renovating the auditorium to its former splendor.

John Wilkes Booth

“As a producer/director, it is easy to fall in love with this extraordinary hall which was built in 1868 and designed by one of the great 19^th century architects, Elbridge Boyden, who was raised and educated in Orange.  Boyden also designed Mechanics Hall in Worcester which is considered by architectural historians as the nation’s finest pre-Civil War concert halls,” Fraser stated. 

“And though the Orange Town Hall auditorium acoustics are extraordinary, there are spots within the hall where the sound fades and needs amplification,” Fraser continued. “In addition, theater and dance require systems for special sound and lighting effects.  Once we acquire these and upgrade the electrical system for air conditioning, the town can offer one of the finest venues in the region for the performing arts.”

“Lincoln: The Musical” chronicles Abraham Lincoln’s determination to lead the country into an era of prosperity but instead faces a conflict that threaten to tear it apart through the American Civil War. “Lincoln: The Musical” is sponsored by the Drama Circle, the Performing Arts Division of Art for Life - CF Pals, and is funded, in part, by Heyes Forest Products, the Miller’s River Café and a grant from the Orange Cultural Council. 

Refreshments for the July 14 – 15 show dates will be sponsored by the Orange Lions Club.  All proceeds will be donated to the Town Hall Restoration Fund, Account # 253 192 4800.  Admission to “Lincoln: The Musical” is free of charge and open to the public.  For further information, contact the artistic director of the Drama Circle, Genevieve Fraser at Tel. (978) 544-1872 or visit website: http://thedramacircle.blogspot.com/