November 18 2023 was a night to remember, as the new owners of the theatre – TLTG Inc. – held their first event.
This was a Seated Games Night, with Chinese checkers, draughts, card games, Scrabble and chess.
Tensions ran high and the intimate space filled with shrieks of victory and defeat as otherwise reserved couples revealed a fiercely competitive streak.
Carlos served behind the bar, Annie manned the ticket booth while Patricia and Wilma kept score for the warring game-players.
Fair to say that the evening was a delightful success, we hope it will become a regular event, even just for the chess and checkers enthusiasts to hone their skills. One player did threaten to bring his Strip Poker cards next time, perhaps we’ll schedule it for the height of summer…
But the highlight of the night was the (as yet, unnamed) BarberShop Quartet from Nelson, who chose The Lyric Theatre for their first ever public performance. The group lead by Jeremy Matthews (Melody), with John West (Baritone), Rob Ord (Bass) and Bridgette Byrne (Tenor), spun gold from dusty familiar tunes in radiant, uplifting harmony - no musical instruments required. They retired to huge applause and have vowed to return for an encore in 2024.
To top off the evening, as an act of absolute generosity, the BarberShop Quartet refused an offer of fuel vouchers to contribute to their travel costs, instead wishing to donate these back to the theatre. We are truly grateful for their kindness and are very fortunate to have such talented, generous folks supporting The Lyric Theatre.