Cheboygan Opera House Volunteer Opportunities

Usher Orientation: How to Become a Phantom

November 16th 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm

Free

By Kathy King Johnson

When you come to the Opera House for any performance, you will be greeted by a smiling face, a kind person dressed in black and white. That person will hold the door for you, send you the right way on the great maze that is the Opera House, find your tickets at Will Call, answer your questions, direct you to your seats and light the way for you should you have to get up during a performance. Your safety and comfort are their greatest concerns.

These are the men and women of Northern Michigan, polite, hardworking and extraordinarily dedicated to the Opera House. They come from miles around in the worst of weather, dressed in suits and dresses, shoes shined and pants pressed, to volunteer as ushers at the Opera House. They are known as the Phantoms.

Phantoms are quiet and unobtrusive. In fact, they are so unobtrusive, I can’t find any pictures of them for this article. You might never even notice them, but you probably know them. They stand tall and do not lean against the walls. They are never in the way but never out of the way. Some of them, like Ben Lilley and Alice Barron, have ushered at the Opera House for decades. Rosetta Humphrey told me she stopped ushering when she was 92. But she still comes to the Opera House for the shows.

How long has this great tradition been around? As long as the Opera House has held shows, from 1877, the best of our community have dedicated their time to helping the patrons of the Opera House, guaranteeing us safe transport to the magical world of lights, theater and music.

If you would like to become a Phantom, please attend the orientation this week.

NEW USHER ORIENTATION - from 6 to 7:30 p,m. on Thurs. Nov. 16. There will be an Orientation meeting for anyone interested in becoming an Usher at the Cheboygan Opera House. This is for new ushers only.

In addition to the joy of volunteering and the honor of serving, Phantoms also get the best seats in the House to the finest entertainment in Cheboygan. Please join us.

Volunteer opportunities are available in the following areas:

House Staff Positions (Ushers, Ticket Takers, Greeters, Cafe', etc.)
Stagehands
Box Office Sales Staff
Facility Care, Maintenance
Fundraising
Poster Delivery
Tour Guides
At-Home Telephoning
Mailing Committees
CAAC Committees

For more information call or email 231-627-5432 kathy@theoperahouse.org