IVCC premieres ‘Hooray for Hollywood! The Music of the Movies!’

Show can be viewed on IVCC’s YouTube channel

Illinois Valley Community College’s Theatre Department premieres its fourth online production at 8 p.m. Sunday, April 11, “Hooray for Hollywood! The Music of the Movies!”

The pre-recorded production featuring students, alumni and community members, celebrates the “Golden Age” of the Hollywood movie musical with popular songs from the 1930s through the late 1950s.

“We’ve had success producing online shows in lieu of live performances. We’re fortunate to have an IVCC theatre student who’s going on to major in film,” said Director and Choreographer of Musical Theatre Don Grant Zellmer.

Zellmer said the production features classic film clips, special effects and performances “to bring some of that movie magic of the old musicals to life.”

Filmed on a “green screen” on the IVCC stage, “Hooray for Hollywood!” was filmed and edited by film major Reid Tomasson of Oglesby.

Performers sing and dance their way through the 90-minute production with classics from “Meet Me in St. Louis,” “Calamity Jane,” “The Wizard of Oz,” “Gilda,” “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” and more.

The show premieres at 8 p.m. Sunday on the IVCC Theatre Department’s YouTube channel, IVCC Fine Arts.

Prior to the show, the evening is all about the movies on the department’s Facebook page, IVCC Fine Arts. At 7 p.m., Zellmer interviews IVCC’s Dr. Kimberly Radek-Hall, instructor of “The Art of Film.” At 7:30 p.m. the pre-show countdown begins with an interactive movie trivia contest and fun movie facts before the switch over to YouTube for the production.

“Our performers are anxious to get back in front of a live audience – which we’ll be doing, outside, in May. In the meantime, they’ve been thrilled to have this outlet to perform, and I think we’ve all taken a lot away from the experience.”