The Soper-Reese Community Theatre is bursting with outstanding programs in December.

The first of these took place on Saturday, Dec. 1, when the theater hosted another benefit for youth music programs, featuring the music students from Clear Lake High School.

The concert raised funds to support CLHS music students to attend a special week-long education program at the Disney facilities in Los Angeles. The program provides hands-on experience, including performance and production experience.

The concert was highly successful in raising funds for the trip, but there is much more to raise before the students meet their goal.

We encourage more contributions to this great opportunity for our young musicians. The concert was another example of Soper-Reese and the Lake County Arts Council’s commitment to arts education.

Looking back to the month of November, there were six outstanding programs at the Soper-Reese Community Theatre.

Young Music Masters featured up-and-coming musicians, and is destined to become an annual event in support of the Allegro Music Scholarship Program.

On Nov. 11, the theater hosted a benefit for Operation Tango Mike’s Christmas packages for troops over-seas.

This event featured the Funky Dozen in their first performance at the Soper-Reese. From the reaction of the audience, this high energy group will be back. There were requests that evening to enlarge the dance floor, and people had to be pushed out the door at the end of the evening.

Other programs in November included the Lake County Symphony Orchestra’s Fall Concert featuring a Mozart Piano Concerto by the talented pianist Elena Casanova; Third Friday Live brought back the very popular Twice As Good; and Lake County Live was its usual sidesplitting self, with guests that included one of Santa’s Elves, My Divas and Andy Rossoff.

Coming events in December:

• The Lake County Symphony Orchestra’s annual Christmas Concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 16, will include a special performance by “The Men of the Soper-Reese.”
• New Year’s Eve at the Soper-Reese, with the LC Diamonds starting at 8:30 p.m. Those who did not attend last year missed a great event. Please join us to bring in the New Year at the Soper-Reese.
• The Second Tuesday Classic Movie series will feature “Treasure Island,” on Tuesday,  Jan. 8.

A special announcement:

• There will be a very special Third Friday Live on Jan. 18. “Celebrating 30 Years of Bill Noteman and the Rockets,” is a show you should not miss. This marks the third year that Bill Noteman and the Rockets have been featured at Third Friday Live in January.

Tickets are available at The Travel Center in the Shoreline Shopping Center, Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., the theatre box office will be open again on Fridays from 10:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. starting on June 22 and is always open to hours before show time on the day of any event. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.soperreesetheatre.com .

For all the latest in information, tickets and more go to www.soperreesetheatre.com , and we’ll see you at the theater.

Kathy Windrem and Mike Adams are part of the large volunteer group that run the Soper-Reese Community Theatre in Lakeport, Calif.