Heroes And War Horse
Kris Kelly
CW50 Community Affairs Manager
Wow! Four things I'm passionate about have all converged into one really cool story!
- Honoring Military Heroes – I have a soft spot in my heart for the men and women who serve and protect us.
- Theatre – WAR HORSE is coming! OMG! How do they do this??? More about this amazing show later.
- Children – Everyone should be passionate about the next generation. Just sayin'…
- Deaf issues – One of my best friends is deaf so I advocate for this community whenever possible.
So this is how it all fits together.
MILITARY: A hero's welcome is in store for veterans and military families at the Wednesday, December 18th performance of WAR HORSE at the Fisher Theatre in Detroit.
On that night our military heroes will be recognized in a special pre-show presentation of the colors followed by the singing of the National Anthem before the show. The Detroit Mounted Police will be at the show and guests attending this performance are welcome to visit the horses along the Second Avenue entrance to the Fisher Building.
Plus, there are special ticket discounts for Heroes' Night. U.S. and Canadian veterans and current military members can save up to $35 on tickets for this performance. U.S. Military and Veterans use the code USVET, Canadian military and veterans us the code CAVET to purchase tickets online at Ticketmaster.com, by phone (800) 982-2787 or in person at the Fisher Theatre box office.
Heroes' Night is presented in cooperation with the Arsenal of Democracy Chapter of the Association of United States Army. If you use the code HERO when you purchase tickets to one of the performances listed at the end of this story, you'll save up to $10 and WAR HORSE and Broadway In Detroit will donate $10 to the AUSA.
THEATRE: WAR HORSE is the production I can't wait to see! Why? PUPPETS! The horses at the centerpiece of the show are actually elaborate, life-size puppets that breathe and gallop and move as if they were real! True theatre magic! The puppets used in the production were created by Handspring Puppet Company who received a special Tony Award for their integral work on the production.
WAR HORSE is based on Michael Morpurgo's novel of the same name which was also the inspiration for Steven Spielberg's film. It's the story of young Albert's beloved horse, Joey, who has been enlisted to fight for the English in World War I. Joey is caught in enemy crossfire and ends up serving both sides of the war before landing in no man's land. Albert, not old enough to enlist, embarks on a treacherous mission to find his horse and bring him home.
The production was first staged by the National Theatre of Great Britain in 2007. It made its New York debut in 2011 and won five 2011 Tony® Awards including Best Play. The Broadway In Detroit show will run through January 5, 2014. Tickets are on sale at all Ticketmaster locations, by phone at 1-800-982-2787, online at ticketmaster.com or broadwayindetroit.com or at the Fisher Theatre box office.
CHILDREN: I believe all children should be introduced to the arts. I remember seeing my first theatrical production when I was a teenager and it literally changed my life. That's why I think it's great that Broadway In Detroit and Michigan Education Savings Plan (MESP) have set up a special WAR HORSE Kids' Night on Thursday, December 19th. Pre-show activities will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the Fisher Theatre lobby. Kids will have the opportunity to make their very own War Horse and other holiday crafts courtesy of Arts & Scraps, interact with cast members, sample FREE ice cream from Treat Dreams while supplies last, and much more. For Kids' Night, kids tickets (18 and under) are FREE with the purchase of an adult ticket at full price on select seat locations. Kids' Night tickets are limited and pre-show activities are subject to change. Visit broadwayindetroit.com/kidsnight for details and to purchase tickets online.
DEAF ISSUES: When I found out that Broadway In Detroit was offering Open Caption Service for some of this year's performances I was so excited. Hearing impaired patrons are often inadvertently shut out of live performances but the addition of Open Captioning changes that. WAR HORSE will be Open Captioned on Friday, Jan 3, 2014 at 7:30 p.m. Designated seats for those in need of this service are located on the main floor. A limited number of specially priced tickets for the reserved section ($40-$90 for War Horse) may be purchased at the Fisher Theatre Box Office or by phone at 313-872-1000, ext. 0. As the season progresses, Open Caption Service will be offered for additional shows.
Four things converge that have the potential to make a difference in someone's life…and it makes me very happy to see this happen. If you want to make a difference and see a Tony Award-winning show in the process, here's one more opportunity:
Save $10 / Give $10 to veterans and military families
Use the code HERO when you purchase tickets to one of the following performances and you'll save up to $10 and WAR HORSE and Broadway In Detroit will donate $10 to the AUSA.
Tuesday, December 17 @ 7:30pm
Wednesday, December 18 @ 7:30pm
Thursday, December 19 @ 7:30pm
Friday, December 20 @ 7:30pm
Saturday, December 21 @ 2:00pm
Sunday, December 22 @ 6:30pm
Monday, December 23 @ 7:30pm
Thursday, December 26 @ 1:00pm
Thursday, December 26 @ 7:30pm
Friday, December 27 @ 7:30pm
Saturday, December 28 @ 2:00pm
Sunday, December 29 @ 6:30pm
Tuesday, December 31 @ 7:30pm
Thursday, January 2 @ 1:00pm
Thursday, January 2 @ 7:30pm
Friday, January 3 @ 7:30pm
Saturday, January 4 @ 2:00pm
Sunday, January 5 @ 6:30pm
