As the travel writer for Ozark Gateway Tourist Council, based in Batesville and covering eight counties, I recently had a wonderful opportunity to attend my “second in a lifetime” dinner theatre. I greatly anticipated and was greatly pleased with my visit in March to the Imperial Dinner Theatre. I use in the title the term “Highly Heralded” for good reason, meaning “A person(s) who carries or proclaims important news; a messenger,” and that is exactly what this impressive superlative dinner theatre presents to every guest. A performance depicting Exquisite and spot on! family entertainment was the result of the efforts of so many who came together to make the audience happy for their afternoon in attendance, and which encourages more than anything to be a memory that tugs at them to return again.
*The CEO/Dance Instructor Andee Evers modestly states on behalf of herself, her board and staff, “We pride ourselves on the fact that we are a volunteer organization and that we are a family-oriented entertainment venue, and top notch in professionalism. We are so much less about the history of where we came from and more about getting people to come and have a great time from the moment you walk in and are greeted by Lavesta, our hostess. Our guests are ushered to their seats by our young students and then waited on by our servers who are all students and performers.”
The Imperial Dinner Theatre is owned and operated by The Studio for the Arts, a non-profit 501 (c) 3 organization dedicated to the promotion of arts for the region.
Dylan was our courteous and well-informed server, and led us, from his first words, to a grand few hours of being entertained royally and served a tasty lunch, dessert and after-dinner coffee (prepared by in-house Chef Steve), to total enjoyment of an enchanting afternoon spent at the Imperial. The play was about a spelling bee, and I had the opportunity to ask Dylan questions about the spelling bee play, being a pretty good speller myself. I introduced him to a new fav word of mine, antimacassar, and taught him to spell it and its meaning. After the show and a tour by Ms. Evers, Dylan joined us and we bantered about my “new word” lesson. Truthfully, the words in “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” play were much harder than what I am used to.
When Andee Evers, a ballerina, moved from St. Louis to Arkansas in 1983, she developed/created Pocahontas’ first fine arts opportunity for miles around, sharing her love for the arts and building it up to the point of being able to be what it is today. She began teaching ballet to a small group of young kids in a friend’s garage in Maynard, and a year later moved her studio to Pocahontas, and you might say, “the rest is history.”
When the Studio first started, the only class offered was ballet, but there was a demand for more. Through the years as other teachers joined the Studio for the Arts to share their talents, they offered classes in drama, art, voice, and Ozark clog dance classes. As of today, over 300 students come from a 120 mile radius to attend classes.
Evers soon gained a reputation for producing great quality children’s theater and educational materials to go along with it. The Studio performed not just for the general public, but also for students from many different schools in a school matinee performance annually. She says, “There is a special magic when children perform for children.” The school matinee performance had success in two ways: 1) it exposed area school children to the arts in a way that they have never experienced before. 2) It increased participation in the Studio for the Arts classes. She even headed up a professional tour company of children to take theater to small rural schools who may not have had the opportunity to experience live theater.
As the Studio grew and grew, in 1994 she purchased the old 1941 movie house in downtown Pocahontas called the “Imperial.” At this point in time she spear-headed an unbelievable volunteer effort to renovate the old theater. This, I think, is the most amazing part of the success of the theatre. She was able to get people of all ages (literally) to take time out of their day and work for free to make Pocahontas a better place to live. She even got young skateboarders off the street to come into the theater for hours at a time to paint the walls like new. It took exactly one year to open it after it was purchased. She exuded and taught “quality product” to the Imperial Players Company and people came from everywhere. The Imperial Dinner Theatre soon became a tourist attraction.
After seven years of sold-out shows, Andee Evers began the fundraising effort for the construction of a two-million dollar facility. It was designed to have larger classrooms, dressing rooms, its own kitchen, a computerized lighting system, and the most important, the 50-foot fly tower to meet the demands of high-tech theater. Again, she spearheaded the effort and she and her crew raised $500,000 locally in less than six months, which is pretty spectacular for a 6,000 population town. This enabled them to launch the construction. Classes started in the new facility in August of 2004. The building was not completed yet, but the children/students were so excited that they did not care. In December 2004, the new Studio for the Arts and the Imperial Dinner Theatre was officially complete.
Evers, in Arkansas alone, was awarded the 1996 Arkansas Arts Award for Excellence in Education, the 1997 Arkansas Woman of Achievement Award, the 1998 Modern Woodmen Community Service Award, the 2006 Northeast Arkansas Most Fascinating Person Award and has been featured in numerous business magazines for her skill in non-profit management and contributing to the local economy through tourism. As she approaches her 30th year bringing the arts to all of us, she has touched the lives of literally thousands of children in Arkansas and will reach many more before she is through with her work. Adults say they never had this stuff when they were kids, but now love to see the ballets, dramas and musicals.
The little dreamy ballerina from St. Louis has influenced multiple generations of Arkansans and taught them to love the arts just as she does. From a friend’s garage to a state-of-the-art facility, Andee Evers is truly an example of dedication and love for the arts. “Because of my mom’s willingness to share her passion and because of the community’s willingness to experience it, we now have something that no other city in Arkansas has. The Studio for the Arts and the Imperial Dinner Theatre now serve six counties in the Northeast Arkansas area and is the main destination for out-of-state tourists. My mother has said ‘I’ve always believed that if opportunity doesn’t present itself, you have to make your own,’ ” wrote daughter Leah Evers in a nomination of her mother for a Lifetime Achievement Award.
I, personally, completely enjoyed the total package I was presented with that March Sunday afternoon. The whole experience was superlative, but I must address my love for the actual play:
The play’s characters were all quite well-rounded and I felt the professionalism and love exuded by each person. I laughed, sighed, almost cried, and then was shocked at how fast the time flew! The afternoon culminated with a tour by a lovely lady who introduced herself to me, modestly, when I said, “And you are?” Her reply was CEO. Teacher. Ballerina. She is so much more, she is absolutely contagiously super enthused and enthusiastic about every aspect and every person involved in her production from the youngest to the “eldest” who was a lovely little angel in white with white hair, who darn nearly stole the show. Wow! I just want to go back.
Their next production is “Pirates and Petticoats in the Den of Thieves” – a hilarious swashbuckling humor that pits one pirate ship against the other! This one will have you saying, “Arrrr!”
April 23, 24, 25, 26, 30, May 1, 2, 3
Call now for reservations: 870-892-0030
*Part of this blog was written by Andee Evers’ sweet daughter, Leah, in nomination of her mother for an award.
Emily Jines plays the bar wench “Pearl” who works at the Den of Thieves Saloon. Don’t be surprised if she serves a rum with a twist!
“PIRATES AND PETTICOATS IN THE DEN OF THIEVES”
at the Imperial two extended weekends starting April 23.
May 7, 8, 9 and 10 performance is Sleeping Beauty Ballet!!
Call and make your reservations! They have a FB site you may check out the times and dates. Take the family and get ready for a few hours of unforgettable entertainment that will bring you back time and time again. See you there, Ginger!
