The term "the show must go on" clearly doesn't apply to blizzards.
The Friend de Coup dinner theater production of "House of Blues" was met with a challenge this week when a blizzard dumped more than a foot of snow on Mitchell Tuesday, canceling the show choir dinner theater's opening night.
"The decision to reschedule Tuesday night's performance was based mainly on the impending snow storm and the city's concern with snow removal and district's concern with the safety of our students," said show choir director Chris Miller Monday afternoon after the decision had been made due to the weather forecast.
The blizzard, which was expected to strike some time Monday afternoon, made its appearance around midnight, and as of 7 p.m. Tuesday, 12.5 inches of snow covered Mitchell.
Due to the cancellation, the show choir rescheduled Tuesday night's performance for an additional performance Saturday at noon. All Tuesday-night tickets may be used for Saturday's noon performance, or may be exchanged for open seats for today's, Friday's or Saturday night's while open seats are available. There will be no refunds.
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"House of Blues" is exactly what it sounds, and as is customary, the students, parents and teachers have decorated to match the theme. Statues and cutouts of the Blues Brothers chill on both sides of the stage, along with faux brick walls and painted instruments -- as in real instruments that have been painted multiple colors and designs. Even a water tower adorns one side of the stage.
There will be five musical sets, including one middle school show choir set, and also "specials" in between. Specials are individual and group performances by students. The Mitchell High School jazz band will be helping things along, as well as performing.
"What we're focusing on musically is the different styles of music that blues has lent itself to," Miller said. "Our first set that the high school show choir is doing is a swing set, and swing is a variation of the blues. Our second set is what you would call rhythm and blues, which is kind of the progression that blues and jazz music moved into in the '60s and '70s."
The third set is also rhythm and blues and so are most of the specials, he said.
"The specials are very bluesy, more in the traditional sense of the blues," he said. "We wanted to pay tribute to a truly American art form. The blues has really bled into several styles of music and that's what you'll see at the dinner theaters."
Performances begin at 6:30 p.m. today, Friday and Saturday at the Corn Palace, Mitchell, and at noon Saturday for Tuesday-night ticket-holders.
Tickets are available at the Corn Palace. Tickets are $18, and have been advertised as no passes, refunds or exchanges available. Exchanges will, of course, be made for Tuesday tickets, as stated above.
The dinner theater is a fundraiser for Mitchell show choir and also the community's last chance at seeing the show choir in action. April 4 marks the last day of the season for the singer-dancers.
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