‘Vt. Sketches’ revue marks Town Hall theater’s return

By Gordon Dritschilo Rutland Herald

BRANDON — A musical revue about Vermont marks the Brandon Town Hall theater’s grand reopening this weekend.

“Vermont Sketches,” by Brandon resident Gene Childers, marks the town hall’s return as a seasonal community center following renovations, with shows at 7 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.

Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door.

Advance tickets are available at Carr’s Florist & Gifts and the Briggs Carriage Bookstore. All profits will go to the Brandon Town Hall restoration project.

“It’s all locally based around Vermont as a place and life here,” said Childers, who is the music teacher at Middlebury Union Middle School.

One swing jazz piece pays tribute to the beauty and treachery of Route 100, Childers said, while another song celebrates Vermont’s six seasons — winter, spring, summer, fall, “mud” and “stick.”

A sketch titled “Geography 101″ has fun with Vermont town names.

Childers said he wrote the entire show himself.

“I had probably four songs I had written over time about either Vermont or something I could work into this,” he said. “I wanted to do a ground-up show. My criteria was it should be upbeat and fun, so I thought I should write something I know and I care about.”

Childers said the show involves 25 performers.

Friends of the Brandon Town Hall president Mei Mei Brown said at least three more shows are planned for the fall, starting with a jazz performance by Katie Bull to raise money for the next renovation at the building — public restrooms.

The Friends of the Brandon Town Hall hope to have the building open year-round by 2011, the 150th anniversary of the hall and the 250th anniversary of the town.

For more information, visit www.brandontownhall.org.

Contact Gordon Dritschilo at gordon.dritschilo@rutlandherald.com.