Auditions for the 2016 Tulip Festival Night Show, “West Side Story,” are scheduled for three dates in January. Individuals age 16 and up are invited to audition.

Auditions for the Night Show will take place Jan. 12 and Jan. 14 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. and Jan. 16 from 9 a.m. to noon. All auditions will take place at the Orange City Town Hall. Those wishing to try out do not need to prepare any material prior to the auditions, but are asked to bring their schedules from February through May.

The cast of “West Side Story” will consist of 35 to 40 people, including Tony, Maria, Riff, Bernardo, Chino, Anita, Officer Krupke, Doc, members of the Sharks and Jets, and many more. Non-singing roles are also available for males in the production.

Tickets for the Night Show will go on sale for $20 each on Monday, Feb. 1 at 9 a.m. at the Orange City Tulip Festival/Chamber of Commerce office. The show will take place May 18-21 at the Unity Christian Knight Center. Questions can be directed to the Tulip Festival office at 712-707-4510, and more information can be found at www.octulipfestival.com.

“West Side Story” is based on a conception of Jerome Robbins. Book by Arthur Laurents. Music by Leonard Bernstein.  Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Entire original production directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins. Originally produced on Broadway by Robert E. Griffith and Harold S. Prince by arrangement with Roger L. Stevens.

“West Side Story” is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. 421 West 54^th Street, New York, NY 10019. Phone: 212-541-4684. Fax: 212-397-4684. www. MTIShows.com

The 2016 Tulip Court (L-R): Kaylee Puttmann, Maddie Christy, Queen Ava Grossmann, Grace De Haan and Kelsey Lang

Ava Grossmann was crowned the 2016 Tulip Festival Queen on Monday, Nov. 16. Grossmann will reign over the 76th annual Tulip Festival, set for May 19, 20 and 21, 2016.

A senior at Unity Christian High School in Orange City, Grossmann is the daughter of Jonathan and Glenda Grossmann.

Grossmann is joined on the 2016 Tulip Court by court members Maddie Christy, daughter of Greg and Michelle Christy; Grace De Haan, daughter of Brent and Patti De Haan; Kelsey Lang, daughter of Chris and Sherry Lang; and Kaylee Puttmann, daughter of Shannon and Kristen Puttmann.

Grossmann and her court members spent Monday afternoon interviewing with judges Madison Mayberry Hofmeyer, Richard Buman and Juliana Else.

A pageant was held for the public in the evening. Each of the candidates answered questions on various topics and gave an individual presentation. Grossmann was crowned queen as a conclusion to the evening.

Grossmann and her court will serve as ambassadors for the Orange City Tulip Festival as they travel in the spring, making several media and public appearances

The 2016 Tulip Court Election will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2015.

 

Voting for the 2016 Tulip Court will take place from 2 to 8 p.m. at Stadscentrum, located on the corner of Central Avenue and Second Street North in Orange City.

 

Eligible voters are adults with an Orange City address and 7^th through 12^th grade students at MOC-Floyd Valley, Unity Christian High School, and Orange City Christian School.

 

The 2016 Tulip Court will be announced after 10 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 10.

 

Candidate eligibility and general questions can be directed to the Tulip Festival office by email at tulip@orangecitycomm.net or by phone at 712-707-4510.

The annual Author’s Corner event taking place during the 75^th annual Orange City Tulip Festival will feature authors and cartoonists from the Midwest and the Netherlands.

 

Several local authors will join the Saturday event with their published works, including Orange City authors Renae B. Vander Schaaf, author of “A Place of Refuge,” and Lee and Bonnie Meier, authors of “Letters from Ralph.” Award-winning author James Schaap of Alton, Iowa, will also join the event with many of his books, including his most recent work entitled “Up the Hill.”

 

Bill Kalsbeek, an Orange City native and current-part time resident of the community, will join the event with his book, “Celebrating Our Dutch Heritage: The Story of the Orange City Tulip Festival.” Kalsbeek wrote the book to commemorate the festival’s 75^th anniversary.

 

Cartoonists Ken Alvine of Sioux Falls, S.D., and Dave Carpenter of Emmetsburg, Iowa, will also join the event with their books entitled “Cartoons and Rhymes for Senior Times” and “The Best of Senior Moments.” Alvine’s “How to Draw Cartoons” books and videos are distributed across the nation to schools and libraries. Carpenter’s cartoons regularly appear in well-known publications including The Wall Street Journal, Reader’s Digest magazine, and Better Homes and Gardens magazine, among others.

 

Mark Zegeling, a publisher and author based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, will visit Orange City during his international tour in both the United States and Canada.  In addition to joining Author’s Corner, Zegeling will give lectures at the Orange City Public Library at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 15, and Saturday, May 16.

 

Zegeling’s book, “Little Kingdom by the Sea, a Celebration of Dutch Cultural Heritage and Architecture,” is considered a walking guide through history in the Netherlands. In his book, Zegeling tells the stories of the Netherlands houses that are replicated in Delft Blue miniature houses and given to Business Class passengers on KLM Royal Dutch Airlines.

 

Author’s Corner will take place in conjunction with Tulip Festival’s ArtBurst event on Saturday, May 16. The events will take place on the lawn of the Sioux County Courthouse from 9 a.m.to 4:30 p.m. The events are free to attend, and attendees are welcome to visit with and purchase pieces from the authors and artists.

The Orange City Tulip Festival will host a cruise-in car show during its 75^th anniversary celebration on Saturday, May 16.

 

Individuals who own and maintain classic cars are welcome to join the event. Pre-registration is not required for the cruise-in. There is no entry fee for the show, and a freewill donation will be collected for the local Relay for Life chapter.

 

The annual cruise-in car show, a long-standing event at Tulip Festival, will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the corner of Central Avenue and 4^th Street North. Participants are invited to drive their classic cars in the Saturday evening parade as well, beginning at 6 p.m.

 

Questions about the cruise-in car show can be directed to the Tulip Festival office at 712-707-4510.