Spotlight on: Noteworthy Happenings

This month, the spotlight shines on some of the Merc’s most unusual, unforgettable, and off-the-beaten-path productions.

First up: local musician and composer Lynette Westendorf—herself a regular on the Merc stage—brought her original oratorio Lonesome as the Land to life as a theatrical piece. Although it had just been released on CD, Lynette wanted to hear it live, right here, with a cast of local vocalists and musicians. The powerful text drew from the diaries and letters of young Civil War drummer boys, interwoven with the words of poets from the era—William Wordsworth, Herman Melville, and Emily Dickinson. Haunting, beautiful, and deeply moving.

In back-to-back summers—2011 and 2012—the Merc hit the parks of Twisp and Winthrop with open-air theater that didn’t mind a little weather. Rain or shine, the shows went on! Audiences picnicked, tapped their toes, and sang along with You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown one summer, and The Music Man the next. Small-town charm, big-time fun.

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The Merc has also launched not one, but two world premieres with deep local roots.
In 2016, we staged the original musical The Last Salmon, based on the beloved children’s book by local author Phil Davis. Then-artistic director Ki Gottberg saw the potential for a chamber musical to bring this sweet, environmentally-minded story to the stage. She teamed up with prolific songwriter Casey James, and just like that—a fresh, funny, and heartfelt musical featuring local talent was born.

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The second premiere was just last year (2024), when poet and playwright Cindy Williams Gutierrez brought us The House. Her original script explored the many ways the homes we grow up in leave lasting marks on our lives—sometimes subtle, sometimes seismic.

​And finally, in 2017, one of the Merc’s favorite musical acts took their final professional bow right here on our stage. The Horse Crazy Cowgirl Band, featuring local legend Loralee Northcott, sang their harmonious way into retirement and off into the proverbial sunset. What a sendoff!

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Here’s to 25 years of bold choices, local voices, and unforgettable moments on the Merc stage.

Cheers,
Jane Hill