Revamped IceHouse Theatre debuts
When the Mount Dora Players open their 64th season of presenting community theater on Friday, Nov. 18, they will do so in a theater with a new look and a new name.
The IceHouse Theatre, which has been home to the troupe since 1958, has undergone six months of renovations. In honor of the work’s major benefactors, John and Carolyn Sonnentag of Mount Dora, the venue will now be called the Sonnentag Theatre at the IceHouse.
“It’s 100 percent done,” said Darlin Barry, the theater’s managing artistic director. “It’s gorgeous.”
The theater, at Lincoln Avenue Community Park on North Unser Street, was originally built in the 1950s. Though the auditorium remains the same, the surrounding social areas have been expanded and improved.
The new layout includes an L-shaped, 2,000-square-foot lobby expansion, with the box office relocated to a spot just steps from the parking lot.
There’s also a 1,000-square-foot covered car and motor-coach portico. In addition, a new lounge will serve wine and beer before and during the shows, and an adjacent outdoor seating area will feature a beverage-service window.
Landscaping and an upgraded parking lot will complete the renovation.
Construction snags caused the grand opening to be pushed back from a planned September date, but Barry said the wait was worth it. “Having that extra time was great,” she said.
The Sonnentags requested the amount of their gift not be disclosed, Barry said. A donation from Mount Dora residents Clarence and Christine Kolek also was used, as well as smaller contributions from patrons.
Still, fundraising continues for extras, Barry said: A wish list, with items such as display cases and furniture, hangs in the new lobby.
The community rallied round the efforts, Barry said, and tonight’s show is a community-theater favorite: The family musical “Annie,” which will run through Dec. 18.
Most are familiar with the story: In the depths of the 1930s Great Depression, the a spunky orphan searches for her birth parents and wins the hearts of all around her, including President Franklin D. Roosevelt, billionaire Oliver Warbucks and a stray dog named Sandy.
The tale is based upon the long-running newspaper comic strip “Little Orphan Annie.” The musical was composed by Charles Strouse, with lyrics by Martin Charnin and book by Thomas Meehan.
Performances are at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays; 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; and 2 p.m. Sundays. There are also shows at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 23, and 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 17.
Tickets: $20; $18 for seniors on Thursday and Sunday; students: $10/$12/$15; and $16 for groups of 15 or more. Buy tickets by calling 352-383-4616 or going to icehousetheatre.com.
Sharing the role of Orphan Annie are Clarissa Moon and Hannah Cheesman, both of Orlando. Seventeen other girls, ages 6 – 13, play the orphans. Leading players include J. Michael Werner as Daddy Warbucks, Joan Nelson as Miss Hannigan, Robyn Sennott as Grace Farrell, Lisa Renee Johnson as Lily St. Regis, Eddy Coppens as Rooster and a versatile adult ensemble of 14 singing actor-dancers.
A scruffy and lovable canine named Poppy plays Sandy; he is owned by Judy and Mike Harrison of Eustis.
The show is directed by Darlin Barry, the IceHouse managing artistic director. Lisa Renee Johnson is choreographer, the set is designed by Paul Bedford and the musical director is Carol Sissom.
The theater’s 2011-2012 Season is funded in part by The Sonnentag Foundation, the McLin Foundation, The First National Bank of Mount Dora, The Mount Dora Community Trust, Florida Hospital Waterman, Waterman Communities, United Arts of Central Florida, Carpet Works, WindHorse Center, as well as by generous individual donors.
NDP, Tories agree to remove HST from home heating bills
TORONTO -
It’s a deal.
The Ontario NDP and Tories — who together hold the majority of seats in the Legislature — say they’ll back a private member’s bill that would take the provincial portion of the HST off home heating charges.
If passed when MPPs return to work next week, the bill would result in an 8% break on the cost of keeping homes warm with natural gas, heating oil and other fuels.
But despite their superior numbers, the opposition cannot bring the bill back for the necessary third reading to make it a law.
That power rests with Premier Dalton McGuinty — and he’s no fan of the proposal.
Ontario Finance Minister Dwight Duncan said the measure would open up a $350 million hole in his books, and he’d be looking to the opposition leaders for very specific recommendations on where they want him to trim the provincial budget.
“I think we’ve reached the limit on new borrowing … I don’t think there’s going to be a stomach to raise another tax,” Duncan said.
Up in the air is the Liberal’s own election promise, a Healthy Home renovation tax credit that would cover up to 15% annually of the cost of improvements that allow seniors to live longer in their own homes — to a yearly maximum of $1,500.
McGuinty said he believes helping pay for renovations such as ramps, shower stalls and home elevators would create jobs, stimulate the economy and reduce the need for costly long-term care beds.
“We’ll be looking to the other parties for their support on this,” McGuinty said. “Taking money off of home heating doesn’t create jobs.”
The Ontario Liberals say their Health Home renovation tax credit would cost the treasury $60 million in its first year, $125 million in the second year and $135 million in its third.
Duncan said he will provide “offsets,” or spending reductions, to make up for the lost revenue.
The Tories and NDP were very skeptical about the Liberal promise, saying they’ve yet to see the legislation creating the renovation tax credit.
“I think seniors deserve a break absolutely but I think everyday families are feeling the pinch. And the premier needs to widen his gaze a little bit to acknowledge that seniors definitely need help, but so does everybody else,” NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said.
Tory Leader Tim Hudak said the Liberals forced up the cost of living for seniors by slapping the HST on home renovations and utilities and by bringing in time-of-use electricity pricing.
Bunnings leading home improvement satisfaction stakes
Bunnings Warehouse is leading its competitors Thrifty Link, Mitre 10 and Home Hardware when it comes to customer satisfaction, value and range of products, according to a new Canstar Blue survey.
Bunnings is leading the local $40 billion home hardware market, though one-fifth of consumers say they regret taking on jobs too big for them when renovating.
Canstar Blue manager Rebecca Logan said doing DIY jobs has increased in popularity, but 17 percent of respondents felt like they’d bitten off more than they could chew and wished they hadn’t taken it on themselves.
“DIY home renovations have become highly accessible following the explosion of renovation reality shows, booming hardware market and popularity of online DIY forums where people can learn from each other’s experiences.”
Males were more likely to regret DIY attempts making up 19 percent of respondents, with females close behind at 14 percent and 12 percent of people saying their DIY jobs ended up costing more than if they had hired a professional.
“Overall, the results show the vast majority of DIY consumer experiences are positive, as Australians take a greater interest in adding value to their properties instead of buying new homes given current cautious levels of consumer confidence.”
Research from IBIS World firm predicts Australia’s DIY market will grow by over 22.5 percent in the next five years.
Got something to say? Join the small business forum here at DynamicBusiness.com.au.