Local Theatre History Part IV - HOT

   For Part IV of our history of Huntington's theatre groups, let's look at one of the area's biggest success stories - and 2013 was its swan song on local stages:

   The Huntington Outdoor Theatre (HOT) got its start back in 1993, and - of course - its origins can be traced to the Musical Arts Guild. At one MAG performance (I’m not sure which show it was), Helen Freeman first met Patti Shaver. The two kicked around the idea of starting a local outdoor theatre - and finally decided to give it a try. 

   HOT’s shows have all been presented at Huntington's Ritter Park Amphitheater. The shows usually run through each weekend in July. Some years the group has presented two shows in a summer, while other times they present a single show.

    The group is led by Helen, who served as the President and Artistic Director, and Patti, who was Vice-President and Managing Director for most of the group's run. Helen directed most of the shows, and Patti choreographed and organized things behind the scenes. Of course, they had lots of help, with a board of directors and an small army of managers tackling every job from designing posters to selling tickets and T-shirts. 

    HOT established itself as a summer tradition, and focused on presenting big musicals, including shows like Hello, Dolly, Guys and Dolls, Disney's Beauty and the Beast, The Music Man, Huntington: The Jewel of West Virginia and Oklahoma.

    Each show also featured a pre-show, with a variety of performers singing or dancing, and a prepared performance by young actors.

    HOT has been a real success story, bringing in huge crowds through the month of July. Like any outdoor theatre, its only enemy is bad weather, but thankfully Huntington’s summers are usually mild.

    But sadly, 2013 was the 20th and final season for HOT. The group went out on a high note, with a powerhouse presentation of the musical Hairspray. Summers will be a lot less fun without HOT livening things up!

    Next: A theatre group that was created to raise money for the City of Huntington!