New Handrails for Woodminster Amphitheater Summer 2008!

Safety Rail Project is Co-Funded by City Councilmember Jean Quan and Producers Associates’ Don Weiland Memorial Fund

April 13, 2008 - Oakland, CA -- Producers Associates Inc. announces that safety rails will be installed in every aisle of the Woodmins ter Amphitheater by Summer, 2008. The railings have been on the wish-list of the Board of Directors of the Woodminster Summer Musicals for a long time, says Board President Karen Fong. “We are thrilled to be able to provide a safer, more welcoming environment for our patrons who may have mobility or balance issues,” says Fong.

The Woodminster Summer Musicals have for 42 years been performed every summer in the historic amphitheater in Oakland. The Summer 2007 season attracted over 27,000 attendees to 21 perfomances in July, August, and September. In addition to the Musicals, the amphitheater is the venue for the City of Oakland’s Fall Sundays in the Redwoods Concert Series as well as various school graduations.

The open-air performance facility in Joaquin Miller Park was originally built as a WPA project in 1939-40. The park's spectacular views and serene woodsy environment made it the perfect setting for the amphitheater, cascades, reflecting pool, and paths that have long attracted East Bay families in the summer months. Over the years, Producers Associates (which presents the Musicals) and the City of Oakland have made various improvements, including adding seats, upgrading the bathrooms, adding a light & sound booth, improving picnic facilities, and much more. The safety rails and how they could be incorporated into the historic facility, as well as how they could be funded, have been the topic of discussion for years.

The project has finally come to fruition with a funding partnership between Oakland City Councilmember Jean Quan (District 4) and the Woodminster Board’s Don Weiland Memorial Fund and other contributions. Weiland, a long-time Board member as well as performer in and supporter of the Musicals, died in 2007, and contributions made in his memory are being used to partially fund the project.

Council President Pro Tem Jean Quan, now in her second term on the city council, has helped support a number of community groups which have brought improvement projects to the 500-acre Oakland hills park that is one of the jewels of her district. “The Woodminster Summer Musicals and the long tradition of outdoor summer theater here are part of Oakland’s cultural heritage,” says Quan. “These shows bring tens of thousands of Oaklanders and visitors to this beautiful amphitheater every summer. I’m very happy to be supporting making it a safer experience for everyone.” Other Joaquin Miller Park projects Quan has sponsored or supported are the tot playground, a dog park, a “Family Night Out” camping event, new signage in Joaquin Miller Park, and the fall Sundays in the Redwoods Concert Series.

In 2008, the Woodminster Summer Musicals will present “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” July 11-20, “Seussical” August 8-17, and “The Pirates of Penzance” September 5-14. Tickets are on sale now at 510-531-9597 or by mail (info at www.woodminster.com). Auditions are April 5-12 (check website for details.)

The Woodminster Summer Musicals are performed under the stars at Woodminster Amphitheater, an open-air performance facility in Joaquin Miller Park high in the Oakland Hills. The park's spectacular views and serene woodsy environment made it the perfect setting for the amphitheater, cascades, reflecting pool, and paths that were originally built as a WPA project in 1939-40. For many East Bay families, it is a long-standing summer tradition to enjoy a picnic in the park and then see a musical at Woodminster.

Producers Associates, Inc. was founded in 1967 by James and Harriet Schlader to provide affordable live summer family entertainment in the East Bay, and to foster a love of live theatre. For the last 40 years, the organization, in partnership with the Oakland Park and Rec Department, has been producing summer musicals at Woodminster Amphitheater. For more information about the 2008 season or history of the organization, visit http://www.woodminster.com.
- end press release -

Background information here.

Stage Manager Lori Gourdine and Board of Directors President Karen Fong with the new handrails, recently installed in time for the 2008 season .