The Shop is Sneaky

and the best place to nap at the Phipps. šŸ˜“

Hello!

Welcome to The Flying P, a weekly newsletter covering your Phipps Center for the Arts and anything else I might want to throw your way.

Have you seen Wicked yet? Have you seen Prancer yet? Did you see the Membersā€™ Spotlight exhibition?
If itā€™s a ā€œnoā€ three times, we need to talk.

Pink Witch GIF by Wicked

This issue hasā€¦

  • šŸŽ» A pit tour
    weā€™re back to the weird basement

  • šŸ›‹ Lotsa furniture
    Prop Storage 1 is full of surprises

  • šŸ“· A sneaky photo
    the shop folks are funny

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WEIRD BASEMENT CHRONICLES

Orchestra pit sans orchestra

Itā€™s been a while since weā€™ve explored the weird basement, so letā€™s dive back in!

Although we havenā€™t used it in a while, the John H. Potter Theater does have an orchestra pit. Hereā€™s what it looks like.

steps leading to the PCAā€™s pit

Up the stairs and once inside, youā€™ll see that we currently use the pit to store a few larger pieces of scenic furniture and things.

probably a great place for a nap

Those sections of the ceiling are actually the JHPā€™s stage. Theyā€™re removable so when you have live musicians, the area can open up and allow them to be heard.

ā€œSo Ben, why is the orchestra pit now used to house furniture?ā€

Great question. The short answer: budget.
Good musicians are expensive and itā€™s more cost effective to purchase the pre-recorded tracks and use them for our musicals.

I know, I knowā€¦I also prefer live musicians. My hope is that weā€™ll soon get back to being able to use the orchestra pit for its true purpose. šŸ¤ž

PHIPPS TOP 10
best-selling upcoming events this season by tickets soldā€¦

1. Prancer (previously: 1)
2. A Brass & Organ Holiday (previously: 2)
3. Colleen Rayeā€™s NYE (previously: 3)
4. Diary of a Wimpy Kid (previously: 4)
5. Kick the Bucket List (previously: 5)
6. The Andrews Sisters Onstage: a Jen Burleigh-Bentz production (previously: 6)
7. Silent Sky (previously: 7)
8. Underneath the Lintel, or: The Mystery of the Abandoned Trousers (previously: 8; 2nd SHOW ADDED)
9. Cantus (previously: 9)
10. The SpongeBob Musical (previously: 10)

BETTER HURRY LIST
best-selling upcoming events this season by percent sold
(i.e., closest to being sold out)ā€¦

1. Prancer (previously: 1)
2. Kick the Bucket List (previously: 3)
3. A Brass & Organ Holiday (previously: 2)
4. Colleen Rayeā€™s NYE (previously: 5)
5. The Andrews Sisters Onstage: a Jen Burleigh-Bentz production (previously: 4)

as of 12/9/24
WEIRD BASEMENT CHRONICLES

Prop Storage 1: so much better than its name

yes, it needs a better name

Right around the corner from the orchestra pit is another fun room (with an unfun name): Prop Storage 1.

This room houses much of our larger furniture items. Think a couch, an old hutch, a 1970s TV, etc.

alllllll the furniture

so well organized!

Fun fact about Prop Storage 1: in addition to housing couches and chairs, itā€™s also the location of the JHPā€™s trap. See the pic below.

not sure how it works; donā€™t ask me

Again, the ceiling here is the JHPā€™s stage floor. Remove a portion and an actor can disappear like magic. THEATRE MAGIC!

Next time you see a Phipps production where we utilize the trap, please act very amazed and pretend I didnā€™t show this to you. šŸ˜

šŸ‘†
my favorite gallery piece of the week
Weā€™re in changeover mode this week at the PCA.
Check back next week for a brand new exhibition (which opens Friday)!

BACKSTAGE

Some backstage sneaky peeks

DO NOT TOUCH

On my way back to the office after escaping the weird basement, I stopped backstage to get you some SUPER SECRET SNEAK PEEKS.

First: some very fun food props being set aside for our upcoming production of Diary of a Wimpy Kid. You can take a look, but as the sign says DO NOT TOUCH. Thanks in advance.

Then thereā€™s the kitchen set piece from our current production of Prancer. Looks nice, right? Nothing out of the ordinar ā€” wait a secondā€¦

Whatā€™sā€¦something seems a little fishyā€¦

sneaky sneaky

Yup. Franklin Hart from the PCAā€™s 2023 production of 9 to 5 the Musical. šŸ˜‚

Is your brain ready to work overtime?
Hereā€™s The Flying P(uzzle).
šŸ‘‡

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Talk to you on the 28th!

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