May 10, 2004 – After two months of rehearsals and two nights of full houses, it was a no-brainer for the director, the performers and the production crew: Yes, there will be an extra, added presentation of STARfest 10. And it will take place on the Reichhold Center stage next Sunday.
With last Saturday and Sunday's performances having sold out, "Reichhold's management decided to hold the show over," a University of the Virgin Islands release issued on Monday stated.
The 10th anniversary revue features 36 performers appearing in 32 staged numbers. Fifteen of them are dancers five male and 10 female. Reichhold director David Edgecombe, who created the talent showcase and has served as its director/producer most years, said as rehearsals were winding up that this year's production features "one of the strongest sets of singers" and "more pizzazz than ever before."
Firsts for STARfest this year are a solo pianist playing classical music and ragtime/swing (Eudora Kean High School senior Soyica Richardson), an 11-year-old vocalist from St. Croix (Good Hope School sixth grader Ashlee Erica Douglas) and a guest appearance by St. Croix's Xtaushun Band, the road march champions of Crucian Christmas Festival 2003-04.
For more background on the performers, see "Reichhold Center presenting STARfest 10 on May 8,9" and "Showtime at the Reichhold: It's STARfest 10".
Presenting more than two STARfest performances is a tradition in itself, although the way it has come about from year to year has varied. STARfest 6 had three scheduled shows on successive nights. STARfest 7 had two and then added a third. STARfest 8 had four scheduled shows over two weekends. STARfest 9 also had four. This year's show reverted back to a single weekend of two performances, with a third now added on a week later.
Sunday's performance is at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25 in the covered section and $18 and $12 in the newly refurbished open-air seats. They're available only at the Reichhold box office, but can be purchased with a charge card by calling the office at 693-1559.
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