5th Ave Managing Director to Retire

5th Avenue Theatre Managing Director Announces Retirement
Marilynn Sheldon, leader of Seattle’s Premiere Musical Theatre Company, to leave day-to-day duties by end of year

SEATTLE, WA –Marilynn Sheldon, Managing Director of the 5th Avenue Theatre since 1988, will be stepping down from her position by the end of this year. She will continue to advise the board and management until her current contract expires at the end of 2010.

Marilynn Sheldon began her career at The 5th in 1980 as box office treasurer, then became the General Manager in 1984 before becoming Managing Director in 1988. During her time with the company she has seen it grow from a presenting house featuring 354 performances annually to a full resident company that is recognized as a national leader in musical theatre, employing over 600 artists, technicians, and administrators annually and with a subscription base of over 25,000.

In the 30 years of her involvement with the theatre, she has worked to bring more than 150 shows—touring, local, and co-produced—to the stage of the 5th. She was instrumental in establishing The 5th Avenue Musical Theatre Company, an arm of the non-profit theater organization that produces regional musical theatre, as well as developing the Adventure Musical Theatre Touring Company, which presents original shows to kindergarten and elementary-school students in Washington State.

Sheldon gives credit to the success of the organization to “the most incredible staff imaginable,” including Producing Artistic Director David Armstrong and Development Director Bernadine Griffin. She also notes the Theatre’s role in co-producing original musicals. “I take great pride in becoming a producer of such shows as Hairspray and The Wedding Singer that have gone on to Broadway success and taken this theatre to a new level of achievement,” she says in her letter of resignation. “And we’ve done it while surviving the rollercoaster economy that, even now, makes running any kind of business challenging and stressful.”

Sheldon’s tenure has also been remarkable for the development and sustaining of The 5th’s status as a non-profit theatre and thoughtful community leader. “We continue to expand our presence in the community in a variety of ways, including the Adventure Musical Theatre, Fridays at The 5th, and the 5th Avenue High School Musical Theatre Awards, among other things.”

“During my tenure here, I have considered myself the guardian of the mission of this theatre,” she says, “protecting and preserving this magnificent facility; then, presenting and producing entertaining musical theatre; and finally making arts education and outreach priorities for the community.”

“Marilynn has been the constant of the 5th Avenue, and have guided us through three incarnations, which is extraordinary for any organization,” says David Armstrong. “Most companies don’t have the smarts or wherewithal to do this. She provided what we needed to make that happen.”

“I’ve been involved in the theatre since its renovation in 1980, and I’ve known Marilynn since that time,” says former board member Bruce Pym. “It would be hard to imagine anybody who contributed more to the theatre than she did. She’s a very special person.”

“For me, she’s provided the soul of the theatre,” says board member Bill Krippaehne. “That’s meant that she’s had to tell us things that we didn’t want to hear at times, but she was always working to bring us back to our fundamental mission.”

Norm Rice, Chairman of the 5th Avenue’s Board, says, “While there are those who pass torches and those who light the way, Marilynn’s torch is in the lights of the theatre, on our stage and in our rehearsal halls and in the marquee. Every place you look around you’ll see the lights that Marilynn lit, and these lights will never dim at the 5th Avenue.”

Ms. Sheldon has served on the board of several arts organizations, and is currently a member of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre, the League of American Theatres and Producers, Independent Presenters Network, and Washington State Arts Alliance. She is also active in the Rotary Club of Seattle and CityClub.

After her retirement, she and Bob plan to travel and develop other interests. She concludes her letter with this statement: “This theatre will always be a part of my life and my wish is that it will continue to flourish and grow. It is an amazing part of Seattle’s fabric that makes this community so special. And it always comes down to the people—the incredible staff, stage personnel, the artistic teams, an ever-caring board and most of all the audiences who have made my career here a dream-come-true.”

The 5th Avenue Theatre is Seattle’s premier musical theater. In 1980, the non-profit 5th Avenue Theatre began producing and presenting top-quality live musical theater for the cultural enrichment of the Northwest community. The 5th Avenue Theatre maintains a subscription audience of over 25,000 and an annual attendance of more than 287,000. It ranks among the nation’s largest and most respected musical theater companies. The Theatre is committed to encouraging the next generation of theatergoers through its Educational Outreach Program which includes: The Adventure Musical Theatre Touring Company, The 5th Avenue High School Musical Theatre Awards, the Student Matinee Program and Spotlight Nights. Unique in its Chinese-inspired design, the exquisite theater opened in 1926 as a venue for vaudeville and film. Today, under the leadership of Managing Director Marilynn Sheldon and Producing Artistic Director David Armstrong, The 5th Avenue Theatre continues to achieve the highest standards in all aspects of artistic endeavors and facility operations, while preserving its artistic, architectural and historic legacy. Visit www.5thavenue.org.