Hooch Theater Brings Aida Home - Video

The scene opens in a museum, a young man and women are enjoying the Egyptian exhibit when they catch one-another’s eye. A statue in the museum comes to life taking a captive audience back in time to ancient Egypt where we meet our heroine Aida.

Live theater gives an audience the opportunity to travel to foreign places or to the imaginations of the characters on stage. The Chattahoochee Community Players (CCP) are bringing this live theater experience closer to home, when curtain opens on their production of "Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida" next week.

“It will take you to another place,” said CCP founder Rhonda Fossum.

This is the CCP’s fourth season in production, since Fossum founded the program. After moving to the area several years ago, Fossum, who teaches music at Chattahoochee High School, was concerned over the lack of a community theater.

“I just couldn’t understand why there was no community theater,” she said.

After talking with some friends Fossum founded the CCP. Each year the troupe stages a musical production that rivals many found at the professional level.

“We do community theater in a different way, each year we do a huge production with a huge cast,” she said.

This year’s production of Aida is no different, with elaborate sets, colorful costumes and voices that can belt ballads through the rafters.

The CCP also boasts sold out performances, last year the troupe performed “Seussical the Musical” to a packed house at each show.

“Aida is a beautiful show to follow Seussical with. This is something incredible,” Fossum said.

This year’s production of Aida is unique in several ways. The title character of Aida is being plaid by two talented women, Nicole Long and Dustin Jenn Mack, who take turn playing the roll each night.

“They are both incredible,” said Fossum.

Another unique attribute to this year’s show is the homage paid to one of its creators Elton John. John, who composed the show first debut it under the title Elaborate Lives: The Legend of Aida at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta. The CCP and Atlanta artists Brian Perrymond are teaming up to raise money for the Elton John’s AIDS foundation.

Recently Perrymond’s paintings of American Negro League baseball players were featured in an exhibit at the Woodruff Arts Center in midtown Atlanta. He has been commissioned by CCP to paint an original work of art inspired by the Elton John-Tim Rice musical Aida. The original painting will be used for the production’s poster and program design and then auctioned off, with proceeds going to the Elton John AIDS Foundation. Also, a limited number of hand signed copies of the poster will be sold at The Ann Jackson Gallery in downtown Roswell and at the Chattahoochee High School Theatre during the production.

“Brian is an incredible painter, and this is going to be an incredible show, and we are honored to work together,” said Judy Avison, public relations manager for the CCP.

Avison said that Perrymond’s vision in his painting highlights out the unique and color quality that Aida brings to life.

“This is an amazing community effort. When it all comes together it is liking nothing I have ever seen before,” said Avison. “People for their various reasons come together and create something amazing.”

The show is based on Giuessppe Verdi’s Italian opera, also title Aida, and tells the epic love story of an enslaved Nubian princess and a military commander.

“The story begins in the present, takes you back in time, and then returns you,” said Fossum. “It takes you on a journey with beautiful music.”

Aida will be performed on the Chattahoochee High School stage beginning Thursday July 10 at 7 p.m. tickets are on sale at ccplayers.org. The musical will be performed July 10 -12, and July 17- 19. All showings begin at 7 p.m.

For a preview of the Aida experience watch below: