Stage Notes - Performance With A Purpose!

Sponsor Stage Notes' 2024 Musical!

To our generous supporters:

Stage Notes students are fortunate to have supporters like you. I hope you value Stage Notes, not only for the entertainment we bring to our community, but also the education in theater and philanthropy that is the cornerstone of our organization.

As you may know, in September of 2023, Stage Notes lost our beloved choreographer, co-director, mentor, and friend, David Simmons. David worked for the NYS Department of Transportation, retiring in 2017 after 33 years of service. He was an integral part of the Watertown arts and pageant communities and a favorite to Watertown audiences. David’s notable contributions to the Arts in the North Country began at Watertown High School in the fall of 1988, collaborating with Russ Faunce on a production of Guys and Dolls, starring Kyle Aumell as Sky Masterson and Ticia “Mastellon” Aumell as Miss Adelaide. Many years later, after his retirement from the DOT, David joined Kyle and Ticia as co-directors and choreographer of Stage Notes, returning to his roots of mentoring high school students through theater. He was dedicated to every Stage Notes student and to the organization’s motto of “Performance With A Purpose”. David raised Stage Notes to a triple arts program, offering training that combined the disciplines of acting, singing, and dancing. David’s expertise with choreography was evident in the Stage Notes productions of A Chorus Line, Pippin, Chicago, The Theory of Relativity, Rent, and ending his career in July of 2023 the way it began, with Kyle & Ticia, and a production of Guys And Dolls. David is survived by his husband, Scott Rennie.

This July, Stage Notes will proudly present THE PROM in memory of David Simmons. Four eccentric Broadway stars are in desperate need of a new stage. So when they hear that trouble is brewing around a small-town prom, they know that it’s time to put a spotlight on the issue…and themselves. The town’s parents want to keep the high school dance on the straight and narrow—but when one student just wants to bring her girlfriend to prom, the entire town has a date with destiny. On a mission to transform lives, Broadway’s brassiest join forces with a courageous girl and the town’s citizens and the result is love that brings them all together. Winner of the Drama Desk Award for Best Musical, THE PROM expertly captures all the humor and heart of a classic musical comedy with an inclusive message.

I respectfully invite you to consider a gift to help fund Stage Notes production of THE PROM. Please know that any gift is appreciated. Stage Notes takes our role in arts education very seriously. You can be assured that we will continue our goal to cultivate, promote, sustain, and support the arts in our community. Thank you for supporting this vital cultural need, helping to make it a lasting commodity for our youth, and also helping to instill a life lesson in philanthropy for our students.

Your contribution to Stage Notes will help us maintain the high standard of theater and philanthropy which you have come to expect. Stage Notes is a 501(C)3 organization. Your gift may be tax-deductible. All gifts will be recognized in our July Playbill. THANK YOU from all of us at Stage Notes. 

              PAYPAL

VENMO (@stagenoteswatertown)

Your contribution to Stage Notes will help us maintain the high standard of theater and philanthropy which you have come to expect. Stage Notes is a 501(C)3 organization. Your gift may be tax-deductible. All gifts will be recognized in our July Playbill.

THANK YOU from all of us at Stage Notes.

Sponsor Stage Notes' 2023 Musical!

To our generous supporters:

Stage Notes students are fortunate to have supporters like you. I hope you value Stage Notes, not only for the entertainment we bring to our community, but also the education in theater and philanthropy that is the cornerstone of our organization. Generous past gifts have enabled us to reach a milestone this year. Stage Notes is enjoying our 15th season. Since our inception in 2009, with your support, and support from other donors like yourself, we have donated over $60,000.00 to local organizations, thus promoting our motto “performance with a purpose”. We vow to continue our commitment to helping local organizations as well as advocating for and promoting the arts in the North Country.

Stage Notes is proud to present GUYS AND DOLLS on July 27, 28, & 29, 2023 at The Dulles State Office Building Auditorium. A musical fable based on a story and characters by Damon Runyon with a score by Frank Loesser, GUYS AND DOLLS is hailed as the perfect musical comedy. This award-winning classic gambles with luck and love under the bright lights of Broadway. Quintessentially American in spirit, GUYS AND DOLLS remains a timeless tale that owes its longevity not only to its memorable characters and hummable tunes, but also to its enduring themes of ambition, savvy and self-made luck. Mark your calendars and test your luck as our Stage Notes students take us back to the Golden Age of Broadway and make everything old new again.

I respectfully invite you to consider a gift to help fund Stage Notes production of GUYS AND DOLLS. Please know that any gift is appreciated. Stage Notes takes our role in arts education very seriously. You can be assured that we will continue our goal to cultivate, promote, sustain, and support the arts in our community. Thank you for supporting this vital cultural need, helping to make it a lasting commodity for our youth, and also for helping instill a life lesson in philanthropy for our students.

             PAYPAL

Your contribution to Stage Notes will help us maintain the high standard of theater and philanthropy which you have come to expect. Stage Notes is a 501(C)3 organization. Your gift may be tax-deductible. All gifts will be recognized in our July Playbill.

THANK YOU from all of us at Stage Notes.

Stage Notes COVID-19 Support Fundraiser

To our generous supporters:

2020 has been a challenging year for all of us. In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the global arts community has felt the loss in a profound way and the arts community in the North Country is no different. Stage Notes had no option but to cancel our July 2020 production of CATS. Stage Notes gathered on February 14, 2020, a month before schools closed, to showcase the talented Stage Notes class of 2020. It was a beautiful night filled with music, friendship, laughter, and a few tears. We are thankful for that evening. It turned out to be the last night we were all together. Stage Notes salutes the graduating class of 2020.

Like so many, we are still unable to operate on a “business as usual” model. That does not mean that Stage Notes has gone away! It’s only intermission. We have remained connected with our students. In the spring, during lockdown, our current students joined with alumni in creating a virtual performance of Stage Notes singing our “theme” song, You’ve Got A Friend, to help send a message of hope and unity to all of our Stage Notes friends. Over the summer, our students gathered in very small groups to learn a dance to the apropos song Brand New Day from The Wiz with our choreographer, David Simmons. Our Stage Notes president, Michele Glover, had Stage Notes masks made for all of our students and board members, spreading the message to our Stage Notes family and community that “wearing a face mask is an act of love”. As always, our focus and concern is for the safety and good health of our students, and our community.

Now, here we are, on the precipice of a strange year. We have high hopes of giving our students the theatrical experiences that they long for. Whether it is a virtual production, or a show next summer in a public venue (be still my heart), we plan to use this year as a time of growth. It’s time for Stage Notes to UNMASK OUR POTENTIAL!

It has never been more important to keep the arts alive. Stage Notes takes our role in arts education very seriously and we thank you for your past support.  We are humbly asking for your help in meeting our operational costs to stay afloat. For the first time in many years, we find ourselves looking at financial hardships we haven’t known since our earliest years. If we are able to remain in business, we will continue our goal to cultivate, promote, sustain, and support the arts in our community. Your contribution to Stage Notes will help us maintain the high standard of theater and philanthropy which you have come to expect from our organization.

If you can help, please click the "Donate" button below!