With the arrival of television in the 1950s, movie attendance dropped dramatically, prompting producers to scramble for ways to lure audiences back into the theaters. The solution: bigger, better, splashier, widescreen extravaganzas. For the next two decades, Hollywood churned out Bible epics, sweeping Westerns, and especially road-show musicals—lavish productions that featured all the glittering trimmings of a touring Broadway show, complete with star-studded casts, elaborate sets, and unforgettable scores. Thanks to the magic of CinemaScope and Technicolor, movie fans around the world could now see film adaptations of the big stage musicals they had only read about or imagined while listening to cast albums. The silver screen had become a grand stage of its own.
South Pacific
Gigi
My Fair Lady
The Sound of Music
Oliver!
Mary Poppins
Vincente Minnelli
Stanley Donen
Julie Andrews
Barbra Streisand
Curtain Talks & Cocktails are an exclusive benefit for Tobin Center Members and Signature Series Subscribers, provided to you free of charge. The series is also open to the public for $10 per session or $35 for all four. Each lecture is a standalone presentation, so join us for one or all!
Join Tim Hedgepeth for a captivating journey through the dazzling world of film musicals in this entertaining lecture. From the early days of Hollywood to the modern classics, Tim brings the history of song, dance, and cinema to life with his trademark wit and passion. Discover the groundbreaking moments, iconic stars, and unforgettable tunes that made musicals a cornerstone of Hollywood’s golden age. Packed with fascinating insights and fun anecdotes, this lecture is a celebration of the genre’s lasting impact and its magical ability to entertain, inspire, and move audiences through the power of music and film.
Tim Hedgepeth is a San Antonio-based theatre teacher, director, sometimes actor, and collage artist.
He recently retired from the Drama faculty at Northwest Vista College (Associate Professor) where his courses included Theatre History, Intro to Film, Acting 1, Acting 2, and Theatre Appreciation. Recent productions include Romeo and Juliet, The Crucible, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Baby with the Bathwater, and The Bacchae. He is the co-founder and Artistic Director of Allegro Stage Company and a guest director for San Antonio-based theaters including The Public, The Cellar, The Woodlawn, and The Classic Theatre.
He received his BA in Drama from Trinity University and his MFA in Theatre and Drama/Directing from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Tim is the recipient of twelve Globe awards for excellence in directing and acting from the Alamo Theatre Arts Council and a Production Fellowship from the San Antonio Artists Foundation. Favorite local productions include Les Miserables, The Boys in the Band, Mame, Marriage Play, The History Boys, Red, Company, Private Lives, End of the Rainbow, and A Chorus Line.
Before returning to San Antonio, Tim was the Executive Director of the Mississippi Arts Commission, overseeing statewide arts-based initiatives for capital improvements, community development, arts education, and advocacy in partnership with the state legislature, the National Endowment for the Arts, The Lila Wallace Foundation, and Southern Arts Foundation.
He has served on the board of directors for the Alamo Theatre Arts Council, The Woodlawn Theatre, and NVC Friends of the Arts, as well as the Arts Funding Committee for the San Antonio Arts Commission.
Tim and his husband Rene' Paul Barilleaux reside in San Antonio, Texas.
