Well, we are celebrating 100 years still here at the Lerner, and I have my wonderful friend Craig.

You have put really a true gift together.

Did you love a theme?

We did.

We do so much.

You have put together a beautiful piece, a performance that is really a gift to the community in every in every meaning of the word.

Right?

Yes, absolutely.

So The Gift is an original musical, that one Carlos Alarcon, who's a local musician, a local Grammy Award winning musician.

I mean, we have some I know he's amazing, you know, and so the two of us have got together and the music, there's original music, and then there's also some period music that we've infused into it, into the Gift, which is basically the telling of what life was like in 1924 as Harry Lerner was embarking on building this building.

And the show ends with the Grand opening on Thanksgiving night of 1924.

This is all.

Is it fictitious or.

I mean, did you put a lot of historical research into it here, man?

Yeah.

I mean, you know, I'm calling it a fiction based where we calling an official a fiction based on true events.

Okay.

So, you know, Harry Lerner didn't have Instagram or Facebook, and so we didn't know what he had for breakfast on that morning, but, but so there are some things that we've kind of taken dramatic license and kind of created a story around it.

But there's a lot of, characters from Elkhart history that the mayor at the time, the, you know, the Greenlee and the Beardsley's and lots of names that people maybe just see on street signs.

Exactly.

But they are actually people.

And we're here making an impact.

People of Elkhart and there are represented in the play.

And so, yeah, there's a little bit of, you know, a little mix of, of historical fact and, and just like, you know, dramatic license and infused and making it a story that, that people might be interested in and I, it's like an hour and five minutes long.

It's, so it's no intermission.

It's like, wow, little hallmark moment, that we're doing here to kind of celebrate this amazing facility that we have, you know, Harry Lerner's mission back in the day, as we tell it in the story, is to create an environment where community can come together and gather and celebrate.

And boy, are we not doing that.

We've been doing it for a long time, but especially this year.

You know, Diana Lawson has been the chairperson for the 100 year committee, and she's just created this amazing committee of people that have really stepped up and created really memorable things for the whole community and really for everyone in the community.

It hasn't just been, you know, a certain demographic.

There has been something for everyone.

And now with the gift being a true gift, thanks to the City of Elkhart, the friends of the Lerner, and the Elkhart County Convention and Visitors Bureau, this opportunity comes to our community for free.

So you still have to get a ticket just like you normally would.

But you are able to come and witness this and to participate in this.

And I just think, you know, what a what a gift.

I mean, it really is.

We got to stop saying.

But again, it is really, you know, an opportunity as a municipal building, as an, as an asset of the city for us to be able to offer things for every person.

There's not a reason.

Oh, not one reason after this year that someone would be like, oh, I can't go to the Lerner.

That's not for me.

There has been something for everyone, and really, there have been so many things that have been complimented, and we've been able to be a part of some of those things throughout the past year.

I know it's been wonderful.

All the things that have been offered within the community is this kind of the culminating piece of the 100 year ish, right?

Okay.

So it is kind of we have one more thing coming up.

I can check the website.

The, the lerner.com or the learned org for more information.

But we have It's a Wonderful Life coming Up, which will be a free screening of that movie here in the.

Yeah, it's kind of a great way to kind of that will be the true end.

But, you know, one of the most, the, one of the coolest things I think about the, the correlation of the year is that on that Sunday performance of the gift, right, right after the show, we are going to be sealing up a time capsule.

So we used to tell me about I know.

So we've been gathering stuff all year.

Because when I think Time Capsule, I think like I'm going to put like, you know, my slap bracelets in there.

Right.

But yes.

So one of the things that Diana's committee has done, which I think is, thank goodness we've done this, is that we're 100 years old, but we don't really have documented history of this building because it was privately owned, you know, but it was privately owned and privately owned and privately owned.

And then the city kind of purchased it and took over.

So a lot of those records weren't like kept like, you know, municipalities do.

And so we've really worked hard over this year to kind of create and gather stories and gather information and facts about the history of the Lerner.

So we're documenting that and putting it in this time capsule, which will be open in 50 more years, 50 more years, 50 more years.

So I'll be dead.

But, but for the younger folk out there, it's going to live on and really have a record of of the history and especially what we did this year to celebrate and to commemorate all of that.

And it's going to be displayed in the lobby and there's a window.

Is it going to be marked so people can find it?

You're going to bury it underneath.

You know, it's a little bit of both.

It's in the lobby there will be a new display that has a window that you can look in and see some of the items that's really special.

And so I think it's going to be very special in 50 years when they open it up and see the good work that had been done this year.

But really in preserving that history and kind of gathering all those facts.

So that's going to happen on that Sunday performance.

So the people who come to the show are going to have a chance to see, some of the committee members will be a small presentation in the ceiling up of that.

So that's really a special performance.

What am I use again?

When are the performances?

Because you guys are coming up 12 1314 okay.

So next Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and you know, and there's about 45 local people that have come together to be in the show, which is really just been a really treat.

A lot of new people, which I know, I know, you know, and so, you know, they've just kind of like, just jumped in and been a part of something kind of really special and unique.

It is, and, you know, on top of that, because we have this go big or go home mentality around here, we have 130 kids in a production of 101 Dalmatians.

Oh my gosh.

And that's happening simultaneously.

Yeah.

Of course, on Saturday, Saturday at in the afternoon.

But I have to tell you, isn't it?

I mean, we are clever.

We like a theme.

So we thought of launching into this 101st year of the of the Lerner that we would do 101 Dalmatians and adorable.

And we have, like, 130 kids.

And I'm telling you what, they are so cute.

And I love it the most of anything.

This year because there's so many littles in it, like five, six year olds.

And this is their first time being on the stage and their first time being in a show.

And it's just so adorable to watch them and talk about what that means.

You know, when those kids are starting to participate at a younger age and what that means for them long term, well, they're going to be here when the time capsules unveil.

Right.

They're going to be like, I remember when that guy was crazy.

But they're going to be here and be a part of this and kind of and then to be able to look back and think, oh, I really was a part of the fiber that is the Lerner Theater and a part of our community and a part of the history, teaching them really just to be a part of something bigger than themselves.

I think there's such a great lesson.

I know one of the, one of the individuals that I did the last show with, had done the performance previously, 15 years ago or so, for the same time.

Yeah.

Yes.

And like, she talked about, like I was a kid and here I am now today, I know.

So it really does make a lifelong impact.

And it goes in so many different ways into your professional life and into your personal life.

And, you know, theater, I mean, creators, the biggest team sport in the world.

Right?

And you think about love that you said that you 130 people on that 101 Dalmatian team.

That's really that's a big team.

But they do learn, like, life skills.

That's where we're not trying to create the next Broadway star, though.

That would be great.

We're not doing now.

We're trying to create good humans because as we get older, we're going to be living around these people.

And so the life skills that they learn in the theater, that they take into their work and into their school and into their community is really just priceless.

It is.

And you guys do just such phenomenal stuff here from beginning to end.

You know what?

What next year is going to be even better.

Oh, bigger.

Better right.

I know, we're so excited.

Launching next season with musical which doctor Seuss's birthday right around the his birthday little open.

And there's a new movie coming out about Seuss.

And so that's a really a fun show.

And then we will be the first community theater in this region to do frozen, because that's new.

Right now we are community theater, community theater.

So, you know, with the what we're able to do with the scale of this building and this stage, I can't no, no, no, don't do that.

And so frozen, frozen, frozen.

And then I can't believe that we've never done Guys and Dolls, but we have it.

But next summer we're going to do Guys and dolls, have fun, and then sister act in the fall, and then Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the holiday.

So it really is something for the whole family next year.

Yeah.

More like I love that people want to come and buy a ticket and sit in a sit in the seats, but like, you know firsthand how special it is to be on this.

It is, and especially when you're doing it with your family too.

That's even better.

I love it, I love it, and so I love that there's a great opportunity next year for all ages.

You know, frozen is kind of weird because you think frozen is for kids.

Well, there's like three kids in frozen and the rest of the ensemble is adults, but it's a big adult show.

Okay, I know, let it go and just come on down.

All right.

Where can people get their tickets?

At the premiere?

Arts dawg, the Lerner theater.com.

And you know, this, this time they're complimentary.

But then what?

We'll expect you to buy a seat later.

Paperwork.

That's right.

All right.

Thank you so much.