Area Theaters Reopen In Green Phase
The Bird-in-Hand Stage, 2760 Old Philadelphia Pike, Bird-in-Hand, has several years of presenting live entertainment, including local performers interspersed with original Blue Gate Musicals shows focused on the Plain community. Starting in 2016, Brett and Labrina Myers provided shows for Bird-in-Hand before preparing to open their own Magic and Wonder Theater, 3065 Lincoln Highway, Paradise. Bird-in-Hand's 2020 season was slated to start on April 2. Magic and Wonder's first show ever in the venue, "Worlds of Wonder," was planned to launch on April 8. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, however, neither theater opened in April, but Magic and Wonder opened on July 20, and Bird-in-Hand is holding two shows starting in August.
To open in accordance with green phase regulations, theaters may be at 50% capacity. "We can seat about 175 people (under green), but we will probably do less than that," said Terry Buda Moser, director of marketing with Bird-in-Hand. "We will keep (attendees with their own households) and seat them six feet apart," she added, noting that hand sanitizer will be available and masks will be required when patrons are not seated. Cleaning protocols will be followed between shows with high-touch areas sanitized.
At Magic and Wonder, tables are placed six feet apart and masks must be worn while in common areas. Sanitizing occurs before, during, and after each show, and all employees undergo a temperature check and answer five Centers for Disease Control and Prevention questions before being allowed to work. Although the building will hold 500 people, the venue is currently only accommodating 125 guests at a time.
Bird-in-Hand opened with local favorite Ryan and Friends presenting a show called "Comedy and Calamity." "It's a very family-friendly show with ventriloquism and comedy," said Buda Moser, who noted that Ryan and his five puppet friends made their debut on the Bird-in-Hand stage with this presentation. "We were looking for a family option with comedy that would appeal to a variety of audiences," added Buda Moser. Ryan and friends opened Aug. 8, with shows running through Saturday, Oct. 17.
"The GÜT Life," starring Nathan Garner as Simon Yoder and Monica DePaul as his wife, Eliza, will run from Thursday, Aug. 27, through Friday, Oct. 23. Buda Moser explained that the show focuses on an Amish couple in their mid-40s looking back over 20 years of marriage. The 90-minute show tells stories from their lives growing up on farms and then veering off when Eliza left the Plain community for a time before returning. "There are some interesting stories there," said Buda Moser, who called the interactive show "heartfelt, heartwarming, and funny."
To learn more about the offerings at the Bird-in-Hand Stage, readers may visit https://bird-in-hand.com/stage or call 800-790-4069.
Brett and Labrina were recently married and traveling the country doing magic shows when they first envisioned a theater. "We were just back from a tour in Texas," recalled Brett of the late-night walk he and his wife took outside their Lancaster farmhouse. "We saw thousands of fireflies decorating the night sky, and we experienced a moment of wonder that takes your breath away," he recalled. "We knew we wanted to create a show that wasn't about tricking or fooling, (but) about sparking creativity and wonder in all of us."
The result is a team effort that Brett says fuses grand illusions, comedy, and dynamic circus arts, including the Cyr wheel and an aerial performance by Labrina. "I designed this for people of all ages," Brett said of the family-friendly show that includes levitation, an appearance by Brett and Labrina's children, and making a likeness of the Statue of Liberty appear.
Magic and Wonder is offering free tickets to firefighters, police officers, EMTs, active-duty and retired military personnel, and health care workers through Saturday, Sept. 5. Those taking advantage of the free tickets may call 717-323-3077 and mention the code "Thank You." Each worker may receive up to six tickets, including tickets for five guests. The offer is limited to availability. More information about the show is available at http://www.magicandwondershow.com.
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