Livingston County employees and their families are helping bring the Geneseo Community Players' production of "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" to the stage for three days this weekend.
The musical will run from Friday, July 24, through Sunday, July 26, at the Alice Austin Theater on the SUNY Geneseo campus, with tickets available at the door or through the theater group's website.
Felicity Houston Thomas, a county Department of Motor Vehicles employee, is serving as producer and set designer. A third-generation member of the Geneseo Community Players and a current board member, she said community members have shown enthusiasm for the musical and its familiar songs.
Rachel Merrick, a Livingston County public health specialist, is participating in a Geneseo Community Players production for the first time. She described the affordable fine arts production as another form of public service alongside her work connecting residents with public health resources.
Both employees are sharing the production with relatives. Houston Thomas said her mother is working backstage and her sister is assisting with rigging, while Merrick is participating with her children, Charlie and Lucy.
Merrick said the demanding rehearsal schedule has also created family time through practicing lines and dance routines. Houston Thomas said her own childhood experiences with community theater motivated her to provide similar opportunities for young performers.
The production received partial funding through the Aid to Localities Program administered by the Genesee Valley Council on the Arts.
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