Over the years I took other girls on dates to see Promised Valley. The best one was shortly after I was married in 1984. Rhonda and I went to see it. That was the last time I saw it produced. Shortly after that they stopped putting it on. In 1996 we took our children to the Promised Valley Playhouse to see a Christmas production called The Gift Of Christmas. Shortly after that the theater was condemned and it was decided not to pour the millions of dollars into it that were needed to bring it up to the earthquake code. The façade of the building is still there, however. When I pass it now the glory of past musicals rings in my mind as what used to be there. Every time I walk by or ride by on the bus I imagine the festive lights back on, announcing yet another performance of Promised Valley. The music still echos in my mind.
In the year 2000 I got for my birthday a CD of the music from Promised Valley. I marvel at the young Crawford Gates and his music. (One of the greatest musical honors I’ve had is playing in an orchestra concert in 1979 where Crawford Gates was the conductor, of course when he was much older and when I was a teenager.) It’s great to hear all the old songs again. Each has a special memory that I will cherish forever. I weep as I hear the final refrains, “For this is our Promised Valley!”
Coming Tomorrow: Santa, I Want A Kiss From My Girlfriend
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