![]() A summer revival of A Chorus Line was presented at the Culture Center in 1991. During the winter of 1986 the group produced The Wiz, the first of several African-American musicals. In 1983 Nina Denton Pasinetti took the reins as artistic director. Summer theatre continued thru the early 90s at the East End Workshop where two musicals were produced each summer. The mission of summer theatre was to give performance and behind the scenes opportunities to older teens and young adults. By 1975 summer theatre became a reality under director Tom Murphy and choreographer Nina Denton Pasinetti. In the summer of 1970 Your Own Thing was mounted at Watt Powell Park as an experiment. Summer theatre had been explored as early as 1959 with a production of Trial by Jury at the County Courthouse. By 1977, and with a production of Shenandoah, the Guild began using volunteer orchestra members. With the 1970 production of Showboat at the Civic Center, the Guild was back on its feet. Some 1970 summer offerings at Pipestem Resort State Park under returning director Murphy helped offset bills. The board decided to only produce one musical that season. ![]() In the late 1960s the Guild endured a second crisis when the roof collapsed on the workshop. In 1966 the group purchased an East End Jefferson Street Building that became its workshop where rehearsals were held, costumes were stored and sets were built. In the early days the Guild did not have a permanent home and rehearsed in area churches. By 1964 Doug Martin had become the Guild's director. Oklahoma! in 1960 introduced the era of the Broadway musical. With the emergence of the Charleston Civic Center Little Theatre, Tom Murphy, who had become artistic director in 1959, reasoned that it was time for a change. Shows were presented at the United Fuel Gas Company Auditorium and played to capacity audiences. The group decided to reproduce the royalty free HMS Pinafore. In 1957 the Guild weathered its first financial crisis when a production of Where's Charlie at the Municipal Auditorium failed to attract anticipated crowds. By 1955, Tom Murphy was credited for staging Guild productions. She also led an acclaimed spinoff group, the Guildaires, who performed across West Virginia. Stocker, the first artistic director of the group, was succeeded by Lila Belle Brooks. Throughout the 1950s the group continued to produce popular operettas. The initial offering was Gilbert and Sullivan's HMS Pinafore which played to a standing room only audience at the Charleston High School Auditorium. A voice teacher at Charleston's Mason College of Music, he was joined by music teachers Margaret Hope Samms, Annie Laurie Leonard and Margaret Palmer in founding the not for profit organization. Leonard Stocker, the moving force in founding the Guild, had come to Charleston in 1948 after fifteen years as a professional singer and actor. ![]() Since 1949 the Charleston Light Opera Guild has been a leader in providing quality light opera and Broadway musical entertainment for West Virginia while providing an outlet for nurturing the talents of singers, actors, dancers, musicians and behind the scenes volunteers. ![]()
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