Bay City Players has cancelled Cole in your Stocking due to rising Coronavirus cases in Bay County. No productions will move forward at this time out of concern for protecting the health and safety of our volunteers, patrons, and the community. The decision was difficult, but based in fact. Bay County is experiencing an unprecedented increase in the rate of infection; well beyond that of our shut-down in the Spring.
On November 9th, we received notification from the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce sharing detail from a Bay County Health Department (BCHD) and McLaren Bay Region statement regarding the rise in COVID-19 cases. The notification may be found here.
In the month of September, Bay County recorded a total of 195 cases. In October, the recorded monthly total increased to 590 cases. During the first week of November, Bay County recorded 430 cases. This projects to be well over 1,000 for the month.
Monthly increases of this magnitude call for community action to slow the spread of COVID-19, protect public wellbeing, and help avoid the local health system from becoming overwhelmed. Bay City Players is doing its part by cancelling A Christmas Carol: A Live Radio Play and Cole in your Stocking.
We look forward to the time that we can welcome you back to the theatre. Until then, be safe and well.
Director
Kevin Cole
Kevin Cole is an award-winning musical director, arranger, composer, vocalist and archivist who garnered the praises of Irving Berlin, Harold Arlen, E.Y. Harburg, Hugh Martin, Burton Lane, Marvin Hamlisch, Stephen Sondheim and members of the Jerome Kern and Gershwin families. He has shared the concert stage with Liza Minnelli, Aretha Franklin, Barbra Streisand, William Warfield, Sylvia McNair, Lorin Maazel, Itzhak Perlman, Brian d’Arcy James, Barbara Cook, Robert Klein, Lucie Arnaz, Maria Friedman, Idina Menzel and friend and mentor Marvin Hamlisch. Kevin has given Master Classes in musical theatre vocal performance at Interlochen Center for the Arts and North Carolina School of the Arts. He has served as Musical Director for Pasadena Playhouse, Michigan Ensemble Theatre, San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, Royal George Theatre (Chicago) and New York Musical Theatre Festival. Kevin is also an internationally known concert pianist whose engagements include sold-out performances at Hollywood Bowl, Royal Albert Hall, Kennedy Center, Ravinia Festival, Wolf Trap, Chautauqua Institute and legendary Carnegie Hall. Kevin has been active at Bay City Players as Music Director, Assistant Director and Actor-Singer. He has been instrumental in the progress of renovations to the theatre through many benefit concerts. One of his original musicals, A SHINE ON YOUR SHOES, made its premiere at Bay City Players in 2007.