Red Mountain Theatre Welcomes Rotary for a Holiday Extravaganza
Rotarians get in the holiday spirit at Red Mountain Theatre
This week, Rotary Club of Birmingham members visited the Red Mountain Theatre Arts Campus for a special offsite lunch meeting and performance. Rotarian and RMT Executive Director Jennifer Jaquess welcome members and guests before they moved into the theatre. RMT Artistic Director Roy Lightner served as emcee for a spectacular holiday celebration featuring highlights from the theatre’s holiday performance.
RCB members got in the holiday sprit by wearing festive attire and ringing the Salvation Army Red Kettle Bell to encourage fellow Rotarians to support the mission to sustain struggling individuals and families.
Bio for Jennifer Jaquess
Jennifer Jaquess joined the staff of RMT in 2012 as the Director of Development, then Managing Director. She now serves as Executive Director. Over her tenure, the organization has experienced year-over-year growth in every area, including a $28 million capital campaign which resulted in a new 60,000 square foot Arts Campus. She frequently participates on conference panels for the National Alliance for Musical Theatre and joined their Board of Directors in 2022 as Co-Chair of the Development Committee and then Vice President. Jennifer is a graduate of the Leadership Birmingham Class of 2023.
Bio for Roy LIghtner
Roy Lightner is an award-winning theatre creator, director, choreographer, and educator born and raised in Kansas City. Prior to his tenure at RMT, Roy served as the Associate Artistic Director for the Transcendence Theatre Company, and also on the Musical Theatre Faculty of Ithaca College. Additionally, Roy has taught courses at Arizona State University and Cornell University. His work as a creator, director, and choreographer spans internationally, including productions and immersive events for Google, Lincoln Center, the Stephen Sondheim Center, Transcendence Theatre Company, MTWichita, and many more.
Bio for Keith Cromwell
When Keith took the helm of Red Mountain Theatre as Executive Director in 2003, he brought 25 years of global directing and performing experience to Birmingham. Under his leadership, the organization experienced year over year growth, becoming one of the top 10 arts organizations in the state. In 2021, he led the opening of a decades-long dream and cultural asset – this 60,000-square-foot Arts Campus in the burgeoning Parkside District.
Beyond Birmingham, Keith has put RMT on the national artistic map with its participation on Broadway as part of the producing team of multiple Tony-nominated and winning musicals including The Bridges of Madison County, Once on This Island, Moulin Rouge, New York New York, and Back to the Future. Keith is a longstanding member of Actors’ Equity Association, The Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers, The American Guild of Variety Artists, and The Screen Actors Guild. He has served on the board of the National Alliance for Musical Theatre as Development Chair, is actively engaged in the National Fund for New Musicals and is a member of the Broadway League.
Keith has been a powerful force in developing the arts and cultivating leadership in Birmingham, most recently serving The Birmingham Business Resource Center and pitch coaching for the city’s rapidly growing entrepreneurial sector, including Techstars, EDPA Launchpad and Innovation Depot. He is a graduate of Leadership Birmingham and Leadership Alabama and was the recipient of the National Conference for Community and Justice’s 2017 Brotherhood Award. Believing in the power of the arts to support Birmingham’s renaissance, Keith has worked tirelessly to bring the community together with bright hope for the future.