Our blessings at the Niswonger

As nearly 1,200 people laughed and enjoyed Elf: The Musical at the Niswonger last night, I couldn’t help but think of the many people it took to put the show on our stage.  It was a spectacular show, with superb music, gorgeous sets, and colorful costumes. It’s a hilarious story about Buddy, the Elf, which also has many other sentimental elements to put one in the Christmas spirit.

Behind the scenes, many workers and volunteers started moving the show in at 8 a.m. and didn’t leave until after 2 the next morning. Four 53-foot semi rigs brought the show to our loading dock and had to be emptied and moved onto our stage and backstage areas to be constructed and ready for a 7:30 p.m. curtain. Workers were busy right up to and even a bit beyond our 7 p.m. door time. Once the show was over, our crew went immediately to work in undoing what they had just done a few hours earlier!

We were fortunate to have this show at our venue. They came to us after six days and eight shows at the Fox Theatre in downtown Detroit. After our one night stop in Van Wert on Monday, they were off to Dayton for five shows at the Schuster Theater. We are definitely running with the “big dogs” in the entertainment business. I know that many in our region appreciate coming to Van Wert instead of having to drive to the larger cities and fight the traffic and parking.

It is such a blessing to have so many dedicated people willing to be involved in producing a show of this caliber in Van Wert. Many had to be paid labor, but the ones who volunteer their time are due our deepest appreciation for the time they committed to making this show come to life on our stage for so many to enjoy.

This show was almost an exception in the amount of work involved, but we have three more Christmas shows coming this season where many others will volunteer time too. What a blessing all our volunteers are! From stage crew to front of house volunteers, to those feeding the workers (thank you, Kandi Saunier), we are truly blessed.

Up next is Sandi Patty’s Christmas Blessings on Sunday, December 4, at 7:30 p.m. Sunday night during the Christmas season is a perfect time to enjoy and be blessed with inspiring music from one of Christian music’s all-time greatest singers: Sandy Patti. This five-time Grammy Award-winning singer will soar your spirits as we draw closer to Christmas. Only about a hundred tickets remain for this show. The same can be said for John Tesh’s Big Band Christmas on Saturday, December 17; so don’t delay if you want to catch these shows.

The Andy Williams Christmas Show is tucked in the middle on December 10 and is sold out.

Now is an excellent time to think about getting someone a Niswonger gift card. Giving music is a wonderful gift to give at Christmas! You can get gift cards at the box office any time and for any amount you choose. Once we hit 2017, we have a whole new line-up of another 13 outstanding concerts to choose from. Our box office will be closed Thursday and Friday for Thanksgiving so our employees can also enjoy being with friends and family.

We all have so much to be thankful; not to even mention that my Dallas Cowboys are 9-1 going into Thursday’s game with the Redskins. I wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving filled with food, family, and fun!

FINÉ.