The neon lights point upward, the marquee is lit with promises, velvet chairs of red and a fully stocked concession counter beckon patrons inside one of Oregon's proud landmarks: the Ross Ragland Theater, once known as the Esquire. It is here that Klamath Falls will celebrate more than eighty-five years of theater with its upcoming 85th Musical Celebration, a concert featuring dancers, soloists, a live band, and a full choir.
"This is a show you won't want to miss," says Olivia Snow, author and actor who played Anastasia in the Ragland's most recent musical. "There is something for everyone." The set list moves easily from Broadway classics to contemporary favorites.
Audiences will hear songs such as "Somewhere" from West Side Story, "Think of Me" from The Phantom of the Opera, "Popular" from Wicked, and "Let It Go" from Frozen. Together with music and dance from more than 22 musicals, the concert offers something familiar for nearly every generation.
Behind the scenes, Perry Dean, Klamath Union High School's chorister, conducts a thirty-person choir while Brenna Morgan arranges the music for the two-act production and accompanies on piano and violin. Dana Wirth, a traveling western minstrel and opera singer who studied at the Mannes School of Music, co-directs the production with Nicole Trejo, owner of Applegate Preparatory Academy. Choreographer Sarah Ekstrom, who studied with Ballet Magnificat in Jackson, Mississippi, and has performed for more than thirty years, brings movement to numbers including "Be Our Guest" and "Masquerade."
Supporting the production is a live band led by guitarist Zach Southwell and drummer Hannah Davenport. Featured performers include Harrison Dean, Dana Wirth, Jake Coker, Jim Weaver, Josh Guest, Spencer Corey, Seattle Trejo, Olivia Snow, Lexi Johnson, and Melissa Nash. Their performances range from quiet ballads to full company numbers, each adding a different voice to the evening.
While audiences will come for the music, the concert also celebrates the building itself.
Many younger attendees may not know that the performing arts center they know today first opened in 1941 as the Esquire Theatre, Southern Oregon's premier movie house during Hollywood's golden age.
"I remember wearing a suit and sports jacket and tie. Back in the day, we would dress up," recalls vocalist and retired music teacher Jeff Plummer.
After more than thirty years of teaching music, Plummer also remembers Ross Ragland himself and what he meant to the community. "He loved music and used to write musical shows for different benefits," says Jeff's wife and longtime singing partner, Debbie Plummer. "And he wanted us to sing for him." So they did. Jeff and Debbie performed throughout Klamath Falls for years.
"He was a very happy man," Debbie says. "A very sweet man. And he was theatrically minded."
That love of performance helped shape the theater that now bears his name, and it is the same tradition the anniversary concert hopes to continue.
The neon lights still point upward, just as they did decades ago. This August, they'll welcome another audience through the doors for the 85th Musical Celebration, where old favorites and new memories will share the same stage. Join us.
Show dates are August 21 & 22 at 7 PM, and August 23 at 2 PM. Tickets are available at www.ragland.org.
