Final shows set this weekend
By Jillian Lucas
The final two performances of the 83rd annual Fort Griffin Fandangle are set to take place this weekend with shows on Friday, June 25 and Saturday, June 26.
Tickets are still available for both shows with limited box seat availability as well.
The gates to the outdoor Prairie Theater, located one half mile northwest of Albany on FM 1084, will open at 7:00 p.m., with performances starting at 8:30 p.m. both evenings.
Fandangle Tickets
Fandangle tickets are $15 for general reserved seating and $20 per box seat, sold only in sets of four, six, or eight for the few remaining boxes.
Tickets can be purchased online at fort griffinfandangle.org or by contacting the Fandangle office in person at the Depot, by phone at 325-762-3838, or by fax at 325-762-3125.
The office at the Depot is open 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
The ticket office will open at the theater at 7:00 p.m. each night of the show, the same time that the gates open.
Ticket refunds will be issued only when tickets are turned back to the office at least 24 hours prior to the day of the performance, and providing that they are able to be resold. No refunds will be given for tickets turned back in at the Prairie Theater.
A calliope concert will be given prior to the start of each show by former Fandangle music director Louann George, starting around 8:00 p.m.
Fandangle programs and parking are included at no extra charge for ticket holders. A concession stand is available, along with seat cushions and souvenirs.
Persons who require handicap access are asked to arrive early if they need to use the handicap vehicle entrance to unload passengers. The entrance cannot be used after the show begins.
Fandangle T-shirts
Fandangle T-shirts and other souvenirs are available at the Depot and also at the Prairie Theater prior to performances.
DVDs of the show can be pre-ordered for $20.
Call or stop by the Fandangle office for more information.
Last Cast Rehearsal
The final rehearsal for the Fandangle cast will be tonight, June 24 starting at 7:30 p.m.
“We will not wear costumes, but this will be just as intense a rehearsal as usual, and attendance is mandatory,” said creative director Lorna Ayers.
Costume Return
Ayers reminded cast members to leave all costumes at the Prairie Theater Saturday after the final show.
“All costumes that belong to the Fandangle need to be left in the dressing rooms or other previously assigned places,” Ayers said. “Be sure to bring something with you to wear home that night.
First Week Review
According to Ayers, the first weekend of the show went very well.
“I think the first two shows went off without a hitch,” said Ayers. “We did have an incident Saturday night with a few of the horses, but our cast and crew as a whole are so professional and organized that everything was handled without anyone in the audience even noticing a thing.”
A pair of horses that pulls one of the wagons was coming off the stage Saturday evening when the tongue of the wagon suddenly broke.
Matt Bellah had just exited the stage as well and noticed the commotion.
“I suddenly heard, ‘Watch out for the horses’ as two horses came running right through the back stage,” he said.
Bellah, still on his horse, went after them. “I took off trying to get ahead of them and thought I could cut them off but couldn’t manage to get in front of them,” said Bellah.
The horses escaped the theater area through the cast exit and continued down some back roads, with Bellah following.
“It was so dark, the only way I knew where they were was from the jingle of their harnesses,” he explained. “By the time I got to the main highway next to the RV park out there, I couldn’t hear them anymore.”
While looking for the team, Bellah saw a faint porch light and noticed the horses standing at the front porch of a nearby house.
“I can’t imagine what would have happened if they hadn’t decided to stop there,” said Bellah.
Several people showed up and helped lead the pair back to the Fandangle grounds.
“It was about as ‘Western’ as you could get. This must have been my rookie year ‘Welcome to the Fandangle’ initiation,” Bellah laughed.
Ayers was pleased with the response time and outcome of the situation.
“There was a little damage to the wagon, but it is fixable,” said Ayers. “The most important thing is that no one got hurt, the horses are fine, and the show just continued on.”
