Harrington Opera House opens newest arts season

The Harrington Opera House Society (HOHS) is getting ready to start a new season of events with the return of the Grammy Award winners Tingstad & Rumbel on March 17. A presentation by missionaries Larry and Susan Weil is set for Sunday, March 18, the Ritzville Community Theatre will perform their original audience interactive play “Three in a Row – a Game Show” on April 21, and there will be a quilt show and performance by the Coulee Community Choir the weekend of April 28-29.

The Society is hoping to keep the momentum going from this past year, “which was very rewarding and productive,” said Linda Wagner, current President. In a recent report she noted, “We realized major accomplishments in moving the Harrington Opera House and Bank Block building forward towards completion and in providing greater utilization of the facility with a variety of events.”

Slow but steady progress continues on the building rehabilitation. New sound equipment was purchased with a grant from US Bank. Steve Brewster, Sound by Steve business owner and coordinator of Davenport Sound Techs, gave an evening workshop on its use and basic sound production.

Lights were installed in the old stairwell, as well as ceiling fans in the auditorium. Ray Harrington volunteered his time and expertise to repair the proscenium with plaster that will be amended in the future with restored decorative trim.

Building chair, Gordon Herron, vented heat into the art room where Billie Herron has been providing piano lessons on Wednesday afternoons to enthusiastic young students. While waiting for their turn, the young musicians and a few siblings have enjoyed arts-and-crafts projects led by HOHS members Carol Giles and Amy Yirak.

On the outside of the building, the millwork and trim in the front was painted, and the south side is undergoing similar refurbishment as the weather allows. Just this past week, a beautiful antique mahogany display cabinet, purchased with funds donated by the Davenport study club was installed in the lobby.

During 2011, the Harrington Opera House sponsored numerous events that not only supported the arts, but Harrington and the surrounding communities as well. Musical performances included a variety of styles; folk-rock (Handful of Luvin'), bluegrass (Panhandle Polecats), country (Ryan Larsen Band), gospel (The Needhams), folk (The Soda Creek 3) and more. There were local school band and choral concerts and Grammy Award winners Tingstad & Rumbel appeared on the Opera House stage for the first time.

Other events included an oil painting class by artist Charlotte Schacher and two different Humanities Washington presentations; “Aunt Phoebe Judson and the Oregon Trail” by Mary Michalsen and “Cowboys and Cowgirls in Story and Song” by Nevada Slim and Cimarron Sue. Templin’s Country Corner catered a delicious gourmet spaghetti dinner across the street in the Memorial Hall, donating the profits, and the Davenport Dance Academy gave a delightful benefit Christmas Dance review featuring 50 young jazz, tap and ballet dancers from throughout the county. In addition, the building was used for a wedding, memorial services, reunions and a Homecoming Dance. The “Barber Shop & Museum Room,” managed by Ed Haugan, was one of the building’s attractions visited by several tour groups and Santa and Mrs. Clause (a.k.a. Kerry and Kelly Hensley) and an Elf stopped in for a visit and photos before Christmas.

While a lot has been accomplished, there is still a long way to go before this historic treasure can truly achieve its potential as a venue for arts and entertainment. In the current economy, finding and receiving grant funding is becoming more and more challenging. While the Society was able to use the $2,000 grant from US Bank to purchase a new sound system, the $25,000 recently awarded by the Lincoln County Economic Development’s .09% sales tax grant is just a start towards the $150,000 needed for the engineering, purchase and installation of the much needed elevator. The HOHS was the only recipient from Eastern Washington to be awarded a Building for the Arts Grant this past year, but the $66,000 award is dependent on the HOHS raising an additional $150,000 in matching funds and in-kind donations. This grant was to be applied towards a variety of building improvements including insulating and finishing walls, refinishing floors and woodwork, installing air conditioning, installing stage lighting and more.

The Harrington Community Action Teams Servers (H-CATS) are providing $1,200 from a USDA 4-H Engaging Youth Serving Communities Grant towards the purchase of an audio/visual system. This will make it possible for people who can’t negotiate the stairs to the second-floor auditorium events to view them from the first-floor Art Room. Huppin's, Spokane's homegrown electronics store, is providing consulting, installation services and some of the components at a discount to help reduce the cost of the project. The system will also be available for “movie nights” and meeting or class use.

Music lovers and supporters are encouraged to attend the season opener of Tingstad & Rumbel on March 17 at 7 p.m. In celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, this talented acoustic duo will include several Celtic tunes as well as some selections from Eric Tingstad’s new “Badlands” CD release. Eric Tingstad and Nancy Rumbel are performer/composers who have been presenting their contemporary folk music throughout North America since the mid-1980s. Eric, a classical guitarist, and Nancy, who plays oboe, English horn and ocarina, began their association after meeting at a Pacific Northwest music festival. They were drawn together by a shared interest in applying their instruments outside their traditional settings, integrating ethnic, jazz, rock, and other contemporary influences into their classical backgrounds.

Tickets are only $15 and are available in Odessa at the office of The Odessa Record. To reserve tickets, call 509-253-4719 or Harrington City Hall during business hours at 509-253-4345. Advance purchase is preferred, but tickets will be available at the door. Proceeds, after expenses, will go towards rehabilitation plans such as the elevator installation.

For more information, visit http://www.harringtonoperahouse.org or call Linda Wagner at 253-4719.