News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The Cumberland County Playhouse and the local theater community mourning the loss of longtime Musical Director Ann Crabtree.
Cumberland County Playhouse Producing Director Bryce McDonald said many people knew Crabtree as “Miss Annie”. McDonald said Crabtree honored live musicians with one of her signature sayings as they would not have the chance to be applauded at the end of shows.
“Every show Annie was at Annie stayed until the end of the exit music and at the end of the exit music as the orchestra comes to a close you hear from the back of the house “Yay Band!”,” McDonald said. “And a huge eruption of screams and applause and that’s always from Annie.”
McDonald said Crabtree not only served as the musical director but was always willing to fill in the gaps by filling in as an actor or playing the piano. McDonald said Crabtree’s passing has been tragic and that she leaves a hole that can’t be filled. Crabtree passed away at the age of 77.
“I mean just an unbelievable presence of good and someone that you want to kind of shape your life after,” McDonald said. “I saw a quote that someone said you should be the person that you miss so much, you should try to reflect all of them and there was just not a better soul than Annie.”
The Cumberland County Playhouse has dedicated a production of The Wizard of Oz to Crabtree. McDonald said the Cumberland County Playhouse’s first production was in 1966 and was The Wizard of Oz.
“What a better thing to do in her memory than this fantastic show which is all about the playhouse’s history,” Mcdonald said. “She a little gland of the good witch to all of us in there so we thought it was most appropriate to do that for her.”
McDonald said Crabtree contributed to a lot of the playhouse’s success. McDonald said Crabtree has left a lasting impact on the Cumberland County Playhouse and that Crabtree was a reminder that all we have is each other so we should be good to each other.
