By Staff
When two entities that have had their differences come together for the common good, that is something that should be shared as an example of working together for the common good.
The Turnage Theater and the Music in the Streets, which have not always seen eye to eye on some dates and related matters when Music in the Streets’ events occurred at the same time as some Turnage Theater events, have come together to present the final competition in the Beaufort County Idol contest. Officials with the Turnage Theaters Foundation and organizers of Music in the Streets, sponsored by the Historic Downtown Washington Merchants Association and Beaufort County Arts Council, have worked out a plan that will allow the finals of Beaufort County Idol to be held Nov. 15 at the Turnage Theater.
The Beaufort County Idol finals were scheduled to be held during Smoke on the Water this past Saturday, but concerns with inclement weather resulted in the finals being postponed. That makes sense. The 15 finalists in Beaufort County Idol deserve the biggest audience they can draw. Saturday’s weather kept many people away from Smoke on the Water, so postponing the Beaufort County Idol finals was a good call.
By conducting the finals at the Turnage Theater, that should result in an air of professionalism for the finals. And if it rains Nov. 15, so what? The performers and audience will be inside a nice, dry Turnage Theater. By the way, the Beaufort County Idol finals are free to the public, but organizers are asking for donations at the door. Those donations will help cover the costs of staging the finals.
The Turnage Theater’s management is providing the theater at virtually no contest to Beaufort County Idol organizers. They just have to pay the cost of printing the tickets for the finals, according to Gary Tomasulo, president of the Historic Downtown Washington Merchants Association.
It would have be unfair to the Beaufort County Idol finalists to have held the finals this past Saturday. That would have resulted, more than likely, in a poorly attended event because of the weather conditions present at the time the finals were scheduled to begin. Rescheduling the finals could result in Beaufort County Idol finalists performing before a full house with the amenities a professional theater is able to provide.
Robert Chumbley, executive director of the Turnage Theaters Foundation, and other Turnage officials are to be commended for offering the theater as the showcase for the Beaufort County Idol finals. Their decision is a fine example of extending a helping hand when an helping hand is needed.
One of the 15 finalists will become the Beaufort County Idol winner on Nov. 15.
Turnage officials and Beaufort County Idol organizers are winners, too. They have put aside those minor differences from the past to make sure the community benefits from a spirit of cooperation.
The community is a winner because it receives an entertaining event in a professional setting, not to mention two groups working together to bring good times to people in a time of economic concerns.
Attend the Beaufort County Idol finals and leave a donation at the door. The cooperation between Turnage officials and Beaufort County Idol organizers deserves to be rewarded.
And to each of the Beaufort County Idol finalists, bring a leg.