Hometown for the Holidays delights audiences and raises funds for the arts
Plumas Arts was honored to be involved in the production of the “Hometown for the Holidays” benefit concert that debuted to sponsors and ticket holders Dec. 12. The concert featured virtual performances by a collection of local musicians that were filmed live (under strict COVID guidelines) at the Town Hall Theatre or in videos submitted by the artists.
Public commentary delivered through email told us the events was… “just what I needed… A wonderful night of Holiday cheer!”and that “It was so fun to see the bands I’ve missed seeing perform!“
“It was heart-warming and tear-inducing to see the theatre stage so beautifully decorated (thanks to Carolyn Rouse and Tracy Kepple) and filled up with so many of our talented Plumas County musicians,” comments Plumas Arts. “The Theatre doors have been closed for way too long and we look forward to the time when we can bring movies to our screen and performances to our stages once again.”
In the final tally, sponsorships and ticket sales covered the excellent work of the production team that video-taped the event, recorded and mixed the sound, and the video editors that assembled such a professional quality video. The remaining proceeds paid each of the participating musicians for their work and provided $1,000 for Jane Brown’s PUSD music programs, $5,400 for Plumas Performing Arts and $5,000 for the Town Hall Theatre.
An extraordinary amount of gratitude goes out to Natalie Hagwood who embraced every little detail of “Hometown for the Holidays” with her kind attention and formidable organizational skills. Her bright spirit shines throughout the project. We are all very proud of the wonderful event she gifted our community with in this most curious of holiday seasons. It was a bright light bringing us all together in a time when we need very much to connect with each other.
Finally and perhaps most significantly this whole event became reality when Jeff Kepple gave a call to Plumas Arts asking if he could organize a virtual music concert benefit. After a few more phone calls and bringing Natalie into the conversations, we became excited about having the concert include and benefit local musicians and organizations that support the performing arts. Jeff Kepple was not only responsible for the genesis of the project, he used his sphere of influence to collect an amazing amount in sponsorship- including his personal donations.
As a holiday gift to all persons close to home and around the planet, “Hometown for the Holidays” will be available free on the Plumas Arts’ YouTube channel after 4 p.m. on Christmas Eve.
Quincy Pickers Chris Retallack, Lilah Washburn, Greg Willis, and Jennifer Kimball (just out of the photo) perform during the virtual event.
