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For my follow Sterling family ..interesting new news article on Sterling

Started by Lady Amy of York, July 01, 2009, 01:54:54 PM

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Lady Amy of York


Hi everyone. I subscribe  to  the  email newsletters  from  Renaissance   Magaizine,  and  in the  recent  newsletter  there is a link  to  a  news  article  on Sterling    , that was  written   for  Auburnpub.com.    The  article  was  wriiten just last   week. Sound  like  some  new  attractions  have  been added!Also looks like  like  some  new  entertainment and  food  items.   Can't wait  to check it all out. :)

( Note  this  was  not written   with any  intention  to  sway  votes  for  Sterling.  I just  thought it was  a  interesting article  and  wanted  to pass  it on  for  people  to  read ).

    Here it is a  copy  of  the  article :

STERLING - Nobles, knaves and knights wander the lanes, while vendors and their barkers shout out their wares to passers-by.
Chet Susslin / The Citizen
John Bridson, left, of Fair Haven, and Bill Ferguson, of Sterling, work on the new Festival Stage at the renaissance fairgrounds in Sterling on Wednesday afternoon. No, this isn't a small village in 1585 England, but the people behind the Sterling Renaissance Festival hope to complete the illusion for their guests.

The festival is preparing to start its 33rd season this year; the gates are opening to the public on the weekend of the Fourth of July and will reopen Saturdays and Sundays until Aug. 16. Last year, the festival was only open for six weekends, due to a number of factors.

"There had been waning interest in previous years, and we weren't sure if we could sustain the extra weekend," says Doug Waterbury, who took over ownership and direction of the festival last year. "It costs over $100,000 each weekend to put this show on, and we were putting a lot of money back into the show for improvements and upgrades."

However, the investment paid off, and the festival was very successful last year.

"Even with the bad weather we had for almost half the season, we did very well. One day traffic was backed up all the way into downtown Fair Haven, six miles away. We had to call the state police and have them direct traffic. Throughout the season we had maybe 7,000 to 12,000 guests a day, more on some days."

That success has lead Waterbury and his staff to return the festival to its original run of seven weekends, as well as continuing to focus on enlarging and improving the festival.

"I went into this expecting a five- to six-year turnaround," says Waterbury, "and I'm keeping with that. We have a lot of new events and venues here for people this year."

Among those new attractions are several new stages.

"The front gate used to just be a facade, but we made an actual stage up there. Actors can stand at the top and interact with guests from the moment they walk in. We also added a covered beer garden stage and added architecture and a second level to the festival stage," Waterbury said.

Waterbury added, "What last year proved is that there is demand for a really great show, and we're going to give people that."

"We've come in with some new blood, some new energy. We have a new point of view is maybe the best way to say it," he explained,

"and there have been veterans, people who have come to this festival for over 30 years, who have said that last year was the best show we've ever had."

One of those veterans is Douglas Kondziolka. Kondziolka is the executive vice president of performing company Don Juan and Miguel, LLC, and he helps put on the acclaimed "Don Juan and Miguel Show" at the Sterling festival and other Renaissance Fairs around the country.

"The people come here and they just love it," said Kondziolka. "They have commented to me about how this festival is so interactive, more than other similar places. The Sterling festival has always been one the highest regarded in the country, and I guess you could say everyone is working to bring it back to its former glory. More has been done in the past two years than in the previous seven."

More construction wouldn't count for much if there wasn't entertainment to fill it, and that job falls to Gary Izzo. Izzo, the creative director of the festival, has been working at the Sterling festival since 1979.

"As far as interactive entertainment, this festival sets the bar," said Izzo, who has worked with the Walt Disney Co. at its theme parks developing and consulting on live entertainment. "I developed and launched the live interactive entertainment at Animal Kingdom, and I've used things that I learned here, at this festival."

Izzo continued, "We have some guest acts for our themed weekends, and more full-time shows this year. People will see something new every year. We have people who have been coming to this festival since it started, and even they have been surprised by what we've added."

One new addition is Falstaff, the classic comedic character from Shakespeare's "Henry IV" (parts one and two) and "The Merry Wives of Windsor."

"We are flying the actor in from Florida every other weekend, and he will be there entertaining people in the beer garden," Izzo said.

Izzo continued, "We have so many other new shows or shows that were part-time last year become full-time acts. We have a new falconry show; Danny Lord, who is a silent clown; Terry Foy, who does an Elizabethan stand-up act; it's very funny. We have so many other acts that are just great."

The centerpiece to the entertainment is the festival's "Bless the Mark Players," a professional acting troupe hired to play the recurring characters of the festival, such as Queen Elizabeth and Sir Walter Raleigh.

"We had 6,000 to 10,000 people audition all over the Northeast, and we only hired a fraction of that," Waterbury said.

According to Izzo, the most exciting new entertainment won't be on any schedule.

"We have a huge, full schedule of performances and acts," he said. "But in addition to that, we have an entire 'hidden schedule' of improvised path events. You will be walking down the path and you might be conscripted by a pair of German Landsknecht soldiers. You might see a three-man slapstick act, or an astrologer, alchemist or apothecary giving period lessons on science or medicine."

Taking in all this entertainment in one day won't be easy, especially when one considers other parts of the festival, such as vendors, food and drink.

The vendors at the Sterling festival are held to a high standard.

"Every vendor is judged by a jury before they can rent a booth," Waterbury explained. "We only want the best."

Kondziolka spoke about the quality of work that this vetting process produces: "All the vendors have top quality stuff, mostly made by them. We don't have a lot of the 'buy-it cheap, sell it expensive' stuff that may happen somewhere else. Here people generally pay less for things that are handmade, a lot of times by local people."

Waterbury continued, "There's also no politics, no favoritism. Everyone has to go before the jury, no matter who they know."

As far as food and drink goes, much of it is standard renaissance faire fare, with a few new additions.

"We have a lot of new foods," said the food and beverage manager, Cliff Menter. "We've added a great roast beef sandwich with aus jois, some amazing deserts like a Belgian waffle sundae. There's more food in the lower area of the festival, and some more vegetarian choices. One of the best things is that we have fresh oysters. You can sit down and enjoy a great meal with a high end draft beer, like Guiness, Harp or Smithwick's, or enjoy some delicious local wines."

Menter added, "One thing that's really important is that (Waterbury) understands the economic situation. We understand that money can be tight, so we have lowered the prices on a bunch of items. Bottled water and soda are cheaper now, as are a few food items."

As the festival prepares to open, Waterbury is ready for another busy year. "We are going to keep expanding, and it's going to pay off. It takes 1,700 people to put this show on, and we're here to make the absolute best show possible."



 
Lady Amy of York/CaptainAmy of FeistyLady pirateship
Cheiftess Feisty of Clan O' Doinn
HF:Sterling

irish

That is a great article, isn't it? Hats off to all the people behind the faire!!!!   ;D
irish~ren ~
Cruise Director ~
Clan O'Doinn (Sterling) ~
Irish Penny Brigade (New York)

Aaroncois

Great find there, Lady Amy! The original article can be found here if anybody's interested. There's a picture of the new Festival Stage (which is where the old Pub Stage used to be), though Tazworth's pics are bigger.

Tazworth

I was on site again today. Was able to wander and watch all the vendors moving back in, last minute construction, stocking of food booths, fresh coats of paint everywhere and of course the BTM's rehearsing. Mostly what I saw though was smiles, laughter and the joy of reacquainting with old friends. Almost reminded of the Heathrow Airport scenes in the beginnning and end of Love Actually. It is a magical place I tell you. You can feel the rebirth as you wander the grounds. I am so proud to call the magic that is Sterling home.
*************************
Brett aka Tazworth
Founder of Family of Faire