Harrington Opera House happenings

With the goal of rehabilitating the historic 1904 Harrington Opera House, the Harrington Opera House Society has been host to several events and has welcomed the news of awarded grants that will aid in that goal.

Most recently, the Opera House received funds from a Building for the Arts Grant, which allowed for the installation of air conditioning in the upstairs auditorium, and from US Bank that will help improve The Art Room which is used for music lessons, art classes and small meetings.

The “Dog Days of Summer Dog and Car Wash” in August spruced up our pets and our cars. Chairman Carol Giles reported a steady stream of canines and cars on an extremely hot August day, and the event was deemed a success.

On September 9, a nine-foot Steinway grand piano, valued at $150.00 and provided for the event free of charge by the Steinway Gallery in Spokane, graced the stage of the Opera House. The concert, “A Grand Interlude,” featuring local musicians Stephen and Rebecca Hardy and Eastern Washington University professors of music Dr. Randal Wagner and Dr. Jody Graves, was the kickoff fundraiser for the future purchase of a concert-grade piano for the Opera House.

On Friday, September 21, The Needhams, a family gospel band, entertained an appreciative audience with the sounds of mandolin, guitar and beautifully harmonized voices. An open house was then held on Saturday morning before the Fall Festival parade.

Coming soon are two events that are free to the public. On Saturday, October 6 at 7 p.m., Peter Davenport, Director of the National UFO Reporting Center, will present a lecture entitled “Are We Alone in the Universe.” It is jointly sponsored by both the Harrington Opera House Society, and the Lincoln County ARES/RACES “ham radio” Repeater Group. The latter provides emergency radio communications to the residents of Lincoln County, working in co-operation with the Lincoln County Sheriff's Office. Donations for the lecture are invited, which will benefit both sponsoring agencies.

Friday, October 12, at 7 p.m. will find actress and former KHQ-TV news anchor Pam Stark presenting her one-woman show entitled “Never Little Miss Nothin,” about “growing up in the projects of Detroit in the '60s. “It is both poignant and humorous. Motown music will be played, and she will even invite audience participation at times. This event is by donation as well and is a family-friendly event!

Both of these events include refreshments and will be held in the Harrington Opera House auditorium which is a second-floor venue. One of the goals of current fundraising efforts includes the purchase and installation of an elevator.

Nancy Rumbel, a Grammy Award winner and recent performer at the Harrington Opera House, is coming back to Harrington October 17 and 18 to present her “Surprise & Wonder” music class to some of the area schools. This is a hands-on class allowing students to experience woodwinds, percussion and the ocarina. Her teaching style opens students' imaginations through the use of “sensory surprises” that immediately capture their attention. Then, through exploration of the materials, construction, characteristics and dimensions of the instruments, students discover certain principles of sound and design. She would like to open this class to adults, so if interested, please call 253-4719 as soon as possible.

For more information about the Harrington Opera House, go to http://www.harringtonoperahouse.org or call 253-4719 or 253-4594.