Tecumseh! & Sound of Music Postponed to 2021 Due to COVID-19 Pandemic
The outdoor drama Tecumseh! will not open for the 2020 season. Scioto Society CEO/Producer Brandon Smith made the announcement in a news release Monday morning.
The 48th season for the production, was set to begin in June, but has been moved back to June 17 , 2021. Tecumseh! has drawn more than 3 million visitors since 1973.
The first casualty due to the COVID-19 pandemic is the Brian Clowdus production of “The Sound of Music” which was scheduled for later this month. The production has been rescheduled for April 29 through May 9, 2021.
In the release, Smith says “we (The Scioto Society) have made the decision to cancel the 2020 season of Tecumseh!. We will make an announcement at a later date on our fall production, but we have every intention of it going on as scheduled. An announcement was made several days ago that our spring musical production with Brian Clowdus Experiences, The Sound of Music, will be performed in April and May of 2021.”
Smith adds “The situation that we find ourselves in now is unprecedented. I have managed organizations through all kinds of difficult situations, 9/11, Y2K, the swine flu, and more. But none of them were as difficult as this one. These are the hardest decisions that I have ever had to make. These are the hardest decisions I have ever had to ask a board to make. It is gut wrenching, heartbreaking, and frustrating. But these are the decisions that must be made.”
The release notes “According to Americans for the Arts, Tecumseh! produces over $2.2 million in economic activity outside the gates of the theater every year.”
