Bulletin for January 20-26, 2012

From left, Jim Murphy, David Smith, Ann and Cody Swenson of the Hale Center Theater in Orem.

 

Upcoming Provo Rotary Luncheon Meetings and Events

 

 

January 26: President Cecil O. Samuelson will speak about BYU.

February 2: Matthew H. Connors, CPA, Senior Manager at the Salt Lake City based forensic accounting firm Rocky Mountain Advisory. Topic: Avoiding Ponzi Schemes.

February 9: Judge Kay A. Lindsay, Judge of the Juvenile Court for the Fourth Judicial District, serving Wasatch, Utah, Juab and Millard Counties.

February 16: Gordon D. Brown, President, Provo Missionary Training Center: The Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

February 23: Clark G. Gilbert, President and CEO of Deseret News and Deseret Digital Media, Salt Lake City.

Report of the Weekly Luncheon Meeting held January 19, 2012

Today's meeting was held at Riverside Country Club. President Steve Densley conducted. Ron Roberts played dinner music and accompanied the singing of the Anthem. Jill Moon lead the singing and the Pledge. Quent Bates offered an invocation.

     Guests: Don Jarvis introduced his wife Janelle. Quent Bates introduced his wife Anna.

     David Rogers was awarded his second Paul Harris Fellowship and now sports a Paul Harris Fellow pin with a blue sapphire.

     President Steve Densley read several thank you notes from Provo 3rd-grade students thanking our club for their dictionaries.

 

Jim Murphy

     Vic Ludlow introduced several people from the Hale Center Theater of Orem (HCTO) who gave an intertaining and informative program. Jim Murphy, former Provo Rotarian, is president of the HCTO Foundation for the ARts and Education. He reported that HCTO has been voted the best live theater in Utah Valley for the past ten years. They hope to build a new theater to replace the remodeled reception center they now occupy at 4th North and Orem Boulevard. They had plans nearly four years ago to build in the now defunct Midtown Village and would still consider such a move if that project ever gets revived. Their current effort is to replace their seats with some similar to those in the LDS Conference Center. For a donation of $300 anyone can purchase a seat and have an engraved name plate with their name on the chair's arm.

 

Cody Swenson

     Cody Swenson is grandson of Ruth and Nathan Hale who founded the theater. He gave a brief history of the theater's origin in Glendale, CA. HCTO was opened in 1990 and there are now theaters in West Valley City, Gilbert, AZ and Grover Utah (summers only).

 

Ann Swenson

     Ann Swenson reported that HCTO has an average of attendance of 95% for all shows. They perform many region premiers of plays from Broadway along with audience favorites. They own a huge costume collection. Rentals of costumes almost pay the entire costume budget for the plays. HCTO employs only local actors and directors. Their lighting, stage and online ticket sales are all computerized.

 

David Smith

     David Smith spoke about HCTO's education program which has a separate studio for vocal and acting students. They teach singing of show tunes in addition to classical styles of singing. The theater offers daytime performances of some shows for local school children to attend.