Nights at the Theater

"Balcony Theater"

2,445 pieces  |  Funwhole: F9056

Assembled by Sarah Wilkinson, Hunter Williams; January 2025

Interaction Rating: 3 / 5 (interaction with the set is okay, but only with help from an adult)

April 22, 2023

This incredibly detailed theater set reminded Sarah and Hunter of several theaters they've been to in Richmond, including the Byrd Theatre, the Altria Theater, the Dominion Energy Center, and the Robinson Theater. Stories from each theater are included throughout the museum, but this story centers on the "Romantic Chopin" concert with the Richmond Symphony Orchestra that the couple attended at the Dominion Energy Center, just over a year into their relationship. Neither Sarah nor Hunter is knowledgeable about classical music (to the point where they both kept pronouncing it "chop-in" instead of "show-pan"), so they didn't know much about what they were listening to and the story behind it, but they knew it was beautiful.

Their favorite part of the concert was when Michelle Cann, the 2022-23 Florence Robertson Givens Guest Artist for the Richmond Symphony, played an awe-inspiring solo on the piano. She is a beautiful Black woman who wore bright colors and her hair in locks that evening, and her stage presence filled the room with palpable energy. It was a compelling representation in a field that is predominantly white. During the performance, Sarah spotted a woman on stage playing what she believed (but couldn't be sure) was a cello who looked incredibly similar to her sister, Emma. She couldn't take her eyes off this doppelganger once she noticed her, and was fascinated by how even her movements were similar to Emma's. Alas, Emma doesn't live a double life as a cellist for the Richmond Symphony Orchestra, but altogether, it made for a very memorable experience.

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Michelle Cann. Credit: Titilayo Ayangade