History of Theatre in Huntington #4 - H.O.T.

    For Part IV of our history of Huntington's theatre groups, let's look at one of the area's biggest success stories - a 20-year tradition in the park!

   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 Helen Freeman first met Patti Shaver. The two kicked around the idea of starting an outdoor theatre in Huntington - 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. Each year the group has presented one or two shows per summer.

    The group was 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 Guys and Dolls, Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Legally Blonde, The Music Man, Huntington: The Jewel of West Virginia, Oklahoma and Hello, Dolly.

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

    HOT was a true success story, bringing in huge crowds through the summer. Like any outdoor theatre, its only enemy was 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. 

   The summer tradition has continued, but HOT (and Helen and Patty) are enshrined in the Huntington Theatre Hall of Fame for two decades of amazing shows!

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