NEWBERRY — The Newberry Opera House started a new tradition prior to their opening show on Saturday, hosting a ribbon cutting to celebrate the new season.
The ribbon cutting took place prior to Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder taking the stage, as a way to kick off and celebrate the 22nd season. Ricky Skaggs cut the ribbon to officially open the 2019-20 season.
“We have a new season and fresh look — notice all the beautiful posters hanging around, they were designed by our staff. Thank you to Anne Pinkney Smith, our new development director on staff, for the wonderful signs for our sponsors as well,” said Molly Fortune, executive director of the Newberry Opera House.
Along with the new posters decorating the walls, the bar has also been relocated — giving guests two places to buy beverages during a show.
Les Hipp, chairperson for the Newberry Opera House Foundation Board, took the opportunity during the festivities to highlight a Newberry Opera House volunteer who has been volunteering for the past 22 seasons.
“This is very exciting, first time we’ve had a season opening ribbon cutting like this. I’m here to especially recognize not only you, but someone that has been very special for this establishment since it started,” he said. “I was here for the opening show 22 years ago, there were three opening acts — the first was Dixie Carter and Hal Holbrook, then there was Lou Rawls. The third opening act that weekend was Mot Derrick.”
Hipp explained that Martha “Mot” Derrick has been with the Newberry Opera House for 22 years, all in support of the organization.
“She has invested more than 15,000 volunteer hours. Mot was a school teacher for 32 years, and she brought a lot of experience into this group. She became not only the lead usher, but she coordinated volunteers throughout this time,” Hipp said.
Hipp told a recurring story for Derrick — which called on her teaching experience.
“Mot generally would be at her position at the right of the stage by the door, for many of the acts you are not allowed to record the acts with a smart phone — this is where Mot’s teaching experience comes into play, because there are always kids who don’t obey the rules,” Hipp joked. “Mot would catch-em, I could sit there and when I saw a smart phone go up, the record light go on, I’d see Mot go to work. She’d come down with the most gentle southern way possible, the nicest smile anyone could ever want to see, lean over and ask them to please not do that. Now, I never saw anybody challenge her or object to that because behind that beautiful pleasant demeanor, what they saw and heard was, ‘if you do that again I’m gong to break your arm’ and they believed it.”
After a good laugh, Hipp thanked Derrick for her wonderful years of service to the Newberry Opera House.
“The Newberry Opera House is more than brick and mortar, it is the people here, the volunteers, it is Molly and her staff, it is the people who support us by buying tickets, by sponsoring. Most of all with volunteers, the Newberry Opera House would not be here without Mot Derrick — thank you Mot,” he said.
