By MADDY VITALE
Ocean City Theatre Company has found ways to continue to showcase young talents and entertain families during a time when there are no shows, no rehearsals and no ticket sales.
Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the theatre company has not been able to go on as usual, it is offering holiday cheer through Christmas Singing Telegrams.
For a donation of $55, people will have the opportunity to choose from the Singing Telegram Songbook (Christmas Edition). The Christmas telegram will come via a video link that features a special message and an individualized performance by a professional OCTC performer.
“If 2020 taught us anything, it’s that our presence means so much more than any present,” OCTC Founding Artistic Director Michael Hartman said of the virtual way to serenade a loved one or friend. “If you can’t be with the ones you love this holiday season, send them a message of hope, love, and cheer via an OCTC personalized holiday telegram.”
A representative from the theatre company will be in touch to learn about the song choice, who it is going to, who it is from, and what special holiday message should be shared.
The performers will record the special performance, and it will be uploaded to a YouTube link that you will be able to keep for years to come. The link can be emailed to you or directly to the telegram recipient.
Orders must be purchased by Dec. 16 and the telegrams will be delivered between Dec. 21 and 23.
The notion of a virtual telegram is nothing new, and when OCTC brought the feature to its fans back in April, it became a way to make the most of a time when families and friends couldn’t always be together, Hartman said.
OCTC supporters Jennifer and John Dowd, of Metuchen, N.J., and their three daughters, Keira, 15, Emma, 19, and 21-year-old Gianna have a vacation home in Ocean City.
Emma has been involved with OCTC for a couple of years and even starred in the 2019 OCTC production of “The Wedding Singer.”
“OCTC is a little gem in the middle of Ocean City. For two years she was in the shows,” Jennifer said of her daughter. “Unfortunately, with the pandemic, they didn’t have a show for 2020.”
So the Dowds decided to do their part to help out OCTC by donating to the company and, in turn, receive singing telegrams for family members to enjoy.
They purchased their first telegram in April for Jennifer’s mother’s birthday. Her mother is in her 70s and due to COVID-19, they haven’t seen her as much for safety concerns. Now, she is in Florida for the winter.
Jennifer said how much the singing telegram meant to her mother.
She explained that the information she shared in the message to the performer was shared with her mother.
“Oh, What a Beautiful Morning” was performed from the musical “Oklahoma” and the singer mentioned to the mother that he learned she was in the play when she was in high school.
“My mom was so touched,” Jennifer noted. “He really personalized the telegram for her.”
The next family member to receive a virtual singing telegram was John Dowd’s father for his birthday in October. He is in his 80s.
“We picked “76 Trombones” from the musical “The Music Man” because he played the bugle in the Marine Corps band,” Jennifer said of her father-in-law. “The performer was so good and caring. It was unique and meaningful.”
The Dowds already have a few family members in mind for the Christmas Singing Telegrams.
“Anyone who is missing Broadway, especially during the holidays, will love these telegrams. I think they are really special gifts, especially for the older generations,” Jennifer pointed out. “Everyone I talk to is blown away by these telegrams.”
And above everything else, Dowd hopes that her family will once again be able to see OCTC shows. She added that helping to keep the theatre company open through donations such as the ones for the telegrams is well worth it.
“I think it is so nice to be able to vacation in Ocean City and see a high-quality show,” Jennifer said. “I don’t want it to go away. It means so much to my kids. It means so much to a lot of people.”
To donate and receive a Virtual Singing Telegram for the Holidays visit Oceancitytheatrecompany.com
