All-Stars come home to Merillat Centre

HUNTINGTON, IN JULY 29, 1996--- By popular demand, Doc Rainbow's Colorful All-Star Revue will present a local performance of their high-energy celebration of the Christian faith. The talented cast of Huntington College students will present the final show of their 1996 summer tour on August 11 at 7 p.m. in the Merillat Centre for the Arts.

Through the magical medium of musical theatre, a dozen Huntington College students will transform the Merillat Centre's mainstage into "Moosewood Lodge and Canoe Rental." Audiences will be whisked away to the deep woods of Minnesota, a land of conniving wolves and over-anxious trail guides. They will follow the cast along a path that is well-lit, but narrow and less-traveled.

"This is not your everyday song and dance," says Dr. Don Rainbow, professor of theatre at Huntington College in Huntington, Indiana. "Doc" Rainbow's original show features sparkling comedy, jubilant dance, and musical numbers ranging from Broadway hits to Gospel favorites. The energetic cast artfully weaves sketches and song into a delightful evening's entertainment.

The Merillat Centre performance was not originally included in this season's tour, but was scheduled in response to many requests from the local community. The performance is sponsored by College Park United Brethren Church. The public is cordially invited to attend the 90-minute show. A freewill offering will be taken to offset the expenses of the troupes' summer tour.

The Merillat Centre for the Arts is located on the campus of Huntington College near the intersection of Guilford and US 24. All seats are reserved. Tickets are free, but required. Tickets must be picked up in person at the Merillat Centre box office from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. August 5-8. Seating is limited, so advanced reservations will not be accepted for this show. For further information, call the Merillat Centre at 260-356-6000 ext. 2061.

Because of limited seating at the Merillat Centre, some may wish to see the All-Stars at Bellmont High School on August 2. The Decatur show is sponsored by Crossroads Church.. For further information about this performance, call Rex Moore at 219-724-9667 or 219-724-2157.

The All-Star Revue is in its third season, having performed before combined audiences of 25,000 in 100 locations during the last two years. This season they returned to venues in Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin. The troupe then continued on to perform in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Maine and Ontario.

The 1996 troupe features veterans of previous tours and some new faces as well. By casting some of his most talented students in the All-Star Revue, Rainbow has created a traveling show that is guaranteed to exceed expectations.

This season, the show is set in the "Great North Woods. " "When I was growing up in Minnesota back in the 1950's, every vacation that my family ever took was 'up north,'" said director Dr. Don Rainbow. "The memories are as clear as if it were yesterday - up at 5 a.m. to go fishing, hiking through dense forests, visiting Paul Bunyanland, sitting out on the dock and gazing into the star-studded night skies. Now, being several years removed from my last vacation 'up north,' I figured that this summer it was time to return to my childhood vacation spot by way of the All-Stars. We take you into the great north woods for some catchy tunes, hearty laughs and important insights from God's word."

Syndicated columnist Cal Thomas attended a Grand Rapids performance in 1994. He called the All-Stars "one of the most refreshing and profound outreach efforts I have seen in recent years."

"I especially appreciated the level of real talent I saw in the show," Thomas continued. "Many people think they can sing and act, but can't. Those who stand in front of others, especially unbelievers, ought to have something worth listening to and worth watching. I was delightfully surprised and wonderfully blessed by these students."

"Doc Rainbow's Colorful All-Star Revue delivers what they advertise -- a fast-paced, high-energy celebration of the Christian faith," says Rev. Kevin Cherry of Sunfield United Brethren Church in Michigan. "What they don't advertise they also deliver -- glimpses of their personal faith, warmth and sincerity. Such variety in a program! There is something for everyone."

The All-Star Revue was created by "Doc" Rainbow, a veteran of traveling theatre. He has toured with similar shows for ten years, including three tours through Europe and a USO sponsored tour of the Mediterranean. Rainbow earned his BA, MA, and Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. His career has included over twenty years in education, theatre, and ministry. Rainbow's experience and creativity always bring capacity audiences to his home theatre, the Merillat Centre for the Arts on the campus of Huntington College.

The All-Star tour is managed by Troy Clark, a 1992 graduate of Huntington College who now serves the school as an admissions counselor. No stranger to the mainstage footlights, Clark has appeared at the Wagon Wheel Theatre in Indiana and the Hope Summer Repertory Theatre and the Croswell Opera House, both in Michigan.

The annual tour of the All-Star Revue has become a celebrated feature of Huntington College's theatre arts department. Theatre is one of nearly 50 academic concentrations available from the four-year Christian liberal arts school. Founded in 1897 by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ, Huntington College is located in Huntington, Indiana.