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 performance by that group (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 (like this past summer) they present a single show.
The group is led by Helen, who serves as the President and Artistic Director, and Patti, who is Vice-President and Managing Director. Helen directs most of the shows, and Patti choreographs and organizes things behind the scenes.
Of course, they have 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 has established itself as a summer tradition, and focuses 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. The group has also tackled some unique projects, like 2008's musical version of Romeo and Juliet.
Each show also features a pre-show, featuring 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.
Oh, HOT has one more dubious distinction - it’s the only organization that has presented a show that included, as one of its actors - me. And despite that burden, somehow the group continues to thrive!
Next: A theatre group that’s been around less than a decade - and it’s designed to raise money to pay for improvements to a local building.
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