Mill Mountain Theatre
Mill Mountain, MMT
Former namesMill Mountain Playhouse
Address1 Market St SE
Roanoke, Virginia
United States
Coordinates37°16′17″N 79°56′22″W / 37.271477°N 79.939451°W / 37.271477; -79.939451
Construction
Opened1964
Renovated1976
Website
millmountain.org

Mill Mountain Theatre (MMT) is a regional theater located at Roanoke, Virginia. Established in 1964, the institution originally performed out of the former Rockledge Inn located atop Mill Mountain in the city. That location was destroyed by fire in 1976, leading to the theater's eventual re-opening in the Center in the Square arts and culture hub in 1983.

From a performance of "Into the Woods JR" in 2016
Picture of "Shrek The Musical TYA" in Summer 2018

History

The theater began its life in 1964 as the Roanoke Summer Theater, located in the former Rockledge Inn that had been built at the summit of Mill Mountain in 1891.[1][2] After one season, the group changed its name to Mill Mountain Playhouse.[3]

In January 2009, Mill Mountain Theater's Board of Directors faced mounted debt by ceasing productions to focus on reorganizing the Theater's business operations. All staff members, with the exception of the director of education were laid off. At the same time MMT's landlord, Center in the Square, undertook a complete renovation, moving MMT into a temporary space.

During the reinvention process, educational classes continued and enrollment doubled, becoming one of the theatre's best sources of income during this time period. Mill Mountain Theatre Conservatory (MMTC) also produced a holiday show each year during the reorganization; Annie, Jr. in 2009, Disney's My Son Pinocchio, Geppetto's Musical Tale in December 2010, and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever in 2011 and 2012.

In March 2012, MMT produced Greater Tuna on the Waldron Stage, its first professional Equity performance since 2009. On April 24, 2013, Mill Mountain Theatre returned to the Trinkle Main Stage in the newly renovated Center in the Square presenting The Marvelous Wonderettes.

On March 16, 2020, In response to COVID-19, MMT announced that they would be "suspending all programming from March 16 - April 13", preventing their production of "Dreamgirls" from opening on March 25. Further suspensions of productions followed through the end of 2020.

Whitewashing controversy

In March 2022, Mill Mountain Theatre was criticized for casting a white actress in the role of Vanessa in their upcoming production of In The Heights. In response to the outcry, the actress stepped down from the role, then the production was canceled altogether. The decision was reversed a day later.[4]

Productions

Mill Mountain Theatre classifies its performances into four types: Trinkle Mainstage, traditional plays and musicals; Young Audiences, shows aimed towards children; The Fringe, plays with contemporary themes and for older audiences; and Mill Mountain Music, showcases where various singers perform songs from a particular genre of music. During their 2020 season announcement, Mill Mountain Theatre renamed its Waldron Fringe series to The Fringe, to signify that one of its performances would be put on the Trinkle Stage for the first time, rather than both shows being performed on the Waldron stage.

The 2020 Season Announcement
Mill Mountain Theatre Productions by Type and Year
Trinkle Mainstage Young Audiences The Fringe Mill Mountain Music
2023
  • Jersey Boys
  • Matilda
  • Bright Star
  • Elf the Musical
  • Write Stuff!
  • Charlotte's Web
  • Mad Libs Live!
  • Stellaluna the Musical
  • Bright Star
  • Best of Broadway
2022
  • Boy Bands Through the Ages
  • Ladies of the 80s!
2021
  • The Elephant in the Room
  • Music of the Crooners
2020*
  • Write Stuff!
  • Treasure Island: A New Musical
  • Polkadots: The Cool Kids Musical
  • Peter and Wendy
  • Golden Age of Broadway
  • Music of the Crooners
2019
  • Music of the 60s
  • Let's Go to the Movies
2018
  • An Evening with Andrew Lloyd Webber
  • A Taste of Country
2017
  • The Velveteen Rabbit
  • The Jungle Book
  • The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
  • Acoustic Legends
  • One Hit Wonders
  • Best of Broadway: Songs of the 2000s
2016
  • All the World's a Stage
  • Tall Tales
  • Aesop's Fables
  • Poe
 N/A
  • The Music of Motown
  • The Music of ABBA

*All shows in the 2020 season were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, excluding Polkadots: The Cool Kids Musical, which was instead filmed and released online. Many shows were rescheduled to be a part of the 2021 and 2022 seasons.

**These Shakespeare plays were adapted from their source material to have a shorter runtime; no other alterations were made.

References

  1. ↑ Harris, Belinda (15 February 2009). "Mill Mountain Theatre timeline". Roanoke Times. p. 52.
  2. ↑ "History of Mill Mountain". Roanoke Times. 13 July 1995. p. 23.
  3. ↑ Chapman, Jesse (1 May 1965). "Off stage". Roanoke Times. p. 22.
  4. ↑ Staff, B. W. W. "Mill Mountain Theatre Will Stage Previously Canceled Production Of IN THE HEIGHTS". BroadwayWorld.com.
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