Taste of Western!!!

Tickets for The Taste of Western are currently on sale. If you have never had the oppurtunity to come to this wonderful event, The Will Rogers Theatre is hosting the 7th annual event on Thursday October 29th from 6-9pm. Sample a collection of Your favorite wines and foods from Western Avenue's Premiere Restaurants! Participating Restaurants include: Will Rogers Theatre, Sushi Neko, Musashi's, VZD's, The Metro, 42nd Street Candy Company, Iron Starr Urban BBQ, Tokyo Japanese, Big Sky Bread, Bin 73, Deep Fork Grill, Cafe Nova, The Wedge, Chica's Mexican cafe, The Coach House Restaurant, Saturn Grill, Hideaway Pizza, Kyle's 1025, 51st Street Speakeasy and Flip's! Music will be provded by Brian Smith of Chameleon Entertainment. There will also be a silent action and you will be able to purchase tickets for the Napa Valley trip and wine pull. Tickets are $40 online at www.visitwesternavenue.com, or $50 at the door. Join us for this fun and fantastic event. Your taste buds will thank you!

Fall is here!

And, what a way to start it out! Congratulations to Chris and April Jones on your wedding yesterday! With a beautiful pallete of fall colors, reds, oranges and browns, the room was transformed into a fall harvest reception! Burnt Orange, Chocolate Brown and Terra Cotta (Thanks to Todd of the French Tulip for the suggestion!) Tablecloths were adorned with leaves and pumpkins to create a beautiful start to one of the most beautiful seasons. We are seeing a trend in weddings nowadays. It is not just about being a "spring bride", but about having a wedding and reception year round! With the colors of the seasons, not to mention the addition of the color wash lighting system we have added to the theatre, you can really have that special day anytime throughout the year and have it be as beautiful and special as it could be during the spring. If you have a wedding during the off peak season of spring, you will find more of your friends and loved ones will be able to come and enjoy the special day because they haven't already commited to the 15 other weddings they are going to in the spring. As your wedding receptions coordinator, I can work with you on the colors of the season to make your reception, no matter what the season, a unique and memorable experience for you, your family and everyone who has joined to bless you in your marriage! FALL IS HERE!

End of Year Bookings!

After our recent remodel of the inside of the Theatre, we are starting to book up quickly for the end of the year. We do have a few more Saturday's available until the end of the year!
October 10th
October 17th
October 31st
November 14th
November 28th

We also still have plenty of Friday nights open! If you are planning a party, the Will Roger's Theatre is the place to have it! If it has been awhile since you have visited the theatre, stop on by! You will be amazed by the new Art Deco Bar, along with the state of the art lighting system! We are looking toward the future with the construction of the addition to the Theatre, which will include The Tasting Room!

December is getting close to being booked up, so if you have a party to plan for your company, hurry up and give us a call before your perfect date is taken!

Also, Westminster is continuing their contemporary worship service in the Theatre every Sunday at 11. Come in and enjoy some great worship with some REALLY great people. We would love to have your smiling face here to worship with us and to praise his name.

Mark your Calendars for Thursday October 29th @ 6:00 for our annual taste of Western. If you are unfamiliar with the taste of western, you will be sampling the finest foods from the best restaurants on the Western Avenue stretch of road, including our very own Will Rogers Theatre, Sushi neko, Musashi's and much much more! I will be posting more information as details become available. And, if you haven't added us to your twitter yet, go ahead and add us! This will keep you up to date to all the fantastic events that are open to the public that we hold here in the Theatre. If you ever have any questions, please don't hesitate to call us @ 604.3015.

It might be rainy and gloomy outside, but it didn't stop the party inside the Theatre! Tonight was Chris and Ashley's wedding reception. Beautifully decorated with Ivory linens, Chocolate brown and orange, yellow and pink touches made for a very beautiful reception. It was fun working with Ashley on the colors for the room wash and really made those beautiful accent colors POP! I was fortunate to be abke to see Ashley's parents, Mary and Bill quite a bit throughout the time they booked and tonight, as they are regulars at the Lobby Bar. Mary definetly kept me on my toes (she gave me fair warning!) Everyone in the family were so great to work with and once again I feel totally blessed to be in the position I am in. Thanks so much for making my job GREAT!

Thirst for a Cure

Tonight was the 1st Annual Thirst for a Cure benefitting 'Restaurants & Rackets', A charitable foundation that provides aid to employees fo the restaurant and Club Industry. Guests were able to sample food from Oklahoma City's best and most respected restaurants, including our very own Sushi Neko, Musashi's and the Lobby Bar. Their taste buds wer quenched with the taste of over 150 wines from all around the world. The Will Rogers theatre was happy to host this event for such a worthy cause. If you missed it this year, make sure to keep your eyes peeled for it to roll around next year. Visit their website at www.thirstwine.com.

And, We're OFF!!!

It has begun! The addition to the WRT is under way. We are going to be adding bathrooms, a kitchen and another event center, "The Tasting Room" which will have a demonstation kitchen and will hold approximately 50-60 guests! We are so excited! It is going to completely change the outside of the east side of the theatre. I call this phase three of the Western Concepts transformation (as, I know we will continue to better this amazing building that has brought so many people, so many happy memories!) We all know how construction is. It is not ideal. But, we are going to work hard to make it as easy on our customers as we can. We broke ground on Friday. It was a surprise to me to come in and see a fence surrounding the construction site. I was worried that Amy would be in total shock. I went through the whole day without a single person saying one thing about the construction site. What I did hear was, "Wow! This place looks amazing", "It is so beautiful in here!" and such wonderful comments like that. I promise to my brides that the construction isn't going to make for the most wonderful first impression as your guests enter the parking lot. But, as soon as they walk in the door, they are going to be ABSOLUTELY wowed by the Theatre. With the addition of the new bar, lights and other renovations we have done to the Theatre, your guests will not remember the construction, but will remember what an amazing evening it was and how they really enjoyed the food, the drinks and the embeance of the Theatre! I ask for my brides and their fiance (along with their family and friends) to have complete faith that it WILL be the best night and they will have so many fond memories of it. Maybe in another 50 years, the person who works in my position, will be hearing YOUR memories about how you had your reception during PHASE THREE of this process and how it was one of the best nights of your life! Because it will be. I promise! Just as Amy! (Congratulations you two! Lots and Lots of love for you! Thanks for making the first weekend of construction a GREAT one! You were such a dream to work with!)

Justo and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Wedding..

Lighting is one of the most important details in your wedding reception. My bride Shelly Britten and her family and I had a lot of fun playing with the new lighting system! With classic black and white, we changed the wall washes every 15 to 30 minutes which created a fun event with LOTS of color! It was such fun for me and made for such a unique wedding reception. there was blue, red, yellow, orange, green and every other color in the spectrum. I am once again blessed to work with such a great family! Congratulations to the happy couple, Shelly and Steve! Thanks for making my job as wonderful as it is. It could never be the same without people like you. There is so much love in my heart for you and my deepest regards and congratulations! They had the key to the perfect wedding reception. You have to learn to enjoy the process and know that your guests are going to be completely satisfied and at home here at the Will Rogers Theatre!

FAST TIME AT WILL ROGERS!

Foundation of Oklahoma city Schools

Women in Communication ( AWC )

AD CLUB

American Marketing Association

Shelly Britten's wedding

Royal Order of Jesters


ALL IN ONE WEEK PHEW !!!!!!

Also never to forget our partnership with everyone's favorite service The Vine held at the WRT on SUNDAYS

I just found this old Pic of the theatre from years gone by. You can REALLY see how we have changed, but how we can NEVER forget our past. I am always reminded by wonderful people of their memories of the theatre. From coming to a movie back in the 40's to coming and seeing "The Rocky Horror Picture Show", we can only wonder, If these walls could talk. Through the amazing vision of Carl and Anita Milam, The Will Rogers Theatre is creating new memories for the people who step through the doors. I hope in 50 years, my couples will be able to come back to the Theatre and be able to share their memories! It is great to see how Oklahoma City is really cherishing their landmarks, and The Will Rogers Theatre is one of the most beloved sites that marks our amazing state. As an actor, I owe much respect and gratitude to pioneers like Will Rogers who paved a path and truly changed what an actor can and could be. There are many more memories to be made and I am so glad to be a part of it! Let's keep our history alive. As a patron of any of the Western Concepts incredible restaurants, you can help assure that we will keep it alive! So, come on in and be a part of history. Just think of the stories you will be able to tell 50 years from now when you step through the doors again!

***JustO***

When a door closes...

Hey everyone! It's Justo, The WRT wedding events coordinator. We are saddened that Jessica has left our amazing team (But, we know her son Max will be happy to have mommy home more often) but we are happy that Joseph Major has joined our team! He has a lot of great ideas and I am excited to work with him and Ben to take the Will Rogers Theatre to the next level. If it has been awhile since you have been to the theatre for an event, you are going to be BLOWN away by the renovations and the upgrades to the bar, lighting and sound. Joseph and I will be working on getting some pictures for you soon. Joseph is a photographer and we will be posting lots of pics as we can. Last night was another wedding reception. It was a bit hectic but a wonderful event. I am truly blessed to work with the best brides, grooms and really the entire family, and Nicole and Charles were no exception. Congrats to the newlyweds. I know you will have many, many happy years ahead of you!! Every new couple I work with, I end up saying, "They are my favorite couple to work with!" And, it is true. I have lots of love and admiration for my past, present and future brides. I could never pick a favorite because they are ALL my favorites. So, a door has closed but we are looking forward to what is in store next for us. We will be breaking ground before long on an expansion to the theatre. So, Western Concepts has a few tricks up our sleeve to be able to provide the best experience for our hosts and guests alike. If you are starting to plan your wedding reception, I am your man and the Will Rogers Theatre is your destination! With the best Chefs, Coordinators and Staff around, you will soon see why we are your premiere destination for any of your events. If there is anything I can help you with, please don't hesitate to drop me an email at Justinl_wrt@kaizenmg.com. Joseph and I will work in tandum to keep you up to date on everything going on in the theatre! So, check the blog often!

The Beginning of the End

Hello to everyone out there,

It's Jessica at the Will Rogers Theatre! I felt the need to post on the blog that I am leaving. My last day here at the Will Rogers Theatre will be Friday July 31st. It has been an interesting and memorable journey over the past years and there are definitely moments that I will cherish. I have had the privilege of working with 100's of Oklahoma City's finest brides and their families. I have a wonderful team that I am incredibly proud of. I have loyal and smart business customers who have put their trust in the team here at the WRT to take care of their event needs from start to finish. It has been a journey filled with highs and a few lows but never a journey that I regret taking.

My successor will be Joseph Major and I am sure he will be updating the blog with his unique perspective and experiences working here at the WRT. I hope that you will welcome him warmly and continue to follow our blog as well as our feeds on twitter and facebook so you can stay current with all that the Will Rogers Theatre has to offer.

Have a fantastic summer, and don't forget to get your fall and winter events on the calendar. It's been a busy 2009 and I fully expect for it to stay that way.
Always,
Jessica Conder
Event Coordinator
2005-2009

Just a FEW Fall Dates left!

In case you didn't know we have been undergoing some incredible remodels over the past two months. We now have a brand new, state of the art sound system and a new sound booth in the room. If you have been at the theatre before you know we used to control all the sound and lighting from upstairs. It was such a hassle! Now everything is easily controlled within the room and with all new equipment.

In fact, some of my best guys from Cory's AV stated that we are "concerting out" the theatre because of our excellent sound system. We don't do a ton of concerts, because we prefer providing full service events to our clients, things like weddings, seated dinners, incredible receptions, parties, fundraisers, those are right up our alley. The new sound is AWESOME! Many of our monthly customers have already commented on how much better it sounds in the theatre, and we are still waiting on more speakers to be installed.

In addition to all new sound we are also getting all new LED lighting features. These lights are simply divine. If you love to look of specialty lighting, custom color washes and unique room ambience achieved with lighting then look no further for your next event. We are still waiting on installation for these beauties but they are going to be FABULOUS when they are done!

All of this comes in right after our beautiful new bar! Rich wood, custom sconces, LED lighting, vintage detailing and black granite make this bar the showstopping feature of the room!

Stop by if you want to see everything that is happening at the WRT, we always welcome visitors!
Always,
Jessica

A Winter wedding in the Spring?

Hello all!!

It's Justo, the wedding coordinator! I am finally getting into putting up stuff on our blog like I should be. We are glad it is spring, but who knew we would have this winter weather?? Once again I feel truly blessed to have the job that I do and to have the wonderful opportunity to work with the BEST brides in Oklahoma City. My beautiful bride tonight, Rachel McFarland is a dream! Her reception has come together without a hitch. I attribute this to her positive attitude and her planning. In the two years that I have been doing this job, I have come to realize that this is what makes for a great reception. Be positive! If you are so worried about things going wrong, they are going to go wrong. Just remember, your guests are probably not going to know if anything does go wrong, so why worry about it. Enjoy your day, because marriage is such a beautiful thing. I am hoping I can get one of her bridal portraits to add to the page. It looks like it came right out of Vogue! I still have a few hours before the reception starts and I am so looking forward to it! Oh, and if you have not been by the Theatre yet to see the new bar, you are going to have to. It is the new crowning glory of the Theatre. A replica of the newly renovated Lobby Bar, it is quite a site to behold! So, stop by and say hi and look at the many renovations we are currently doing to our historic site. Imagine the possibilities of having YOUR wedding reception here and then being able to have your 50th wedding anniversary here as well, as the theatre has been here for over 60 years, and we want to keep this beautiful landmark here for at least another 60! We will be posting new pics of the bar as soon as we can!!

Exciting Things are Happening at the WRT!

I am listening to the sound of exciting things happening here at the WRT!

We are remodeling in the theatre! We are completely gutting the bar area and installing a brand new, BEAUTIFUL bar that fits the room to a tee. It is art deco in style with gorgeous wood detailing and a black granite countertop. It is beautiful!

We are also getting ready to do a complete overhaul of the sound and lighting in the theatre. We are getting LED's, color washes, new sound system and the best part is that everything will be controlled from a top of the line sound booth inside the room. We are super excited about this change because it will be a huge improvement for all of our customers!

I will keep the blog updated so you can come by and see the WRT once it is completed and looking great!
Always,
Jessica

Will Rogers Theatre Chef Jeffrey Khowong to participate in Chefs Feast

We are once again participating in the Chefs Feast to fight Childhood Hunger. It is an amazing event that is put on by the Regional Food Bank each year and features some of OKC's best chefs showcasing their extraordinary talent!

The restaurants participating in this years events are
The Coach House, The Catering Company, Buy For Less, Casady, Cheevers Cafe, Chefs from UCO, Chefs Requested Foods, Gopuram Taste of India, Ideas in Ice, Iguana Grill, Integris Southwest, Kam's Kookery and Guilford Gardens, Nonna's Ranch Steakhouse, Red Prime Steak, Sodexho Catering, The Mantel Wine Bar and Bistro, The Renaissance Hotel, The Sheraton, The Skirvin, Trattoria Il Centro, OUHSC and yours truly, the Will Rogers Theatre!

Mark your calendar for Thursday April 9th from 7:00PM-10:00PM at The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum (formerly known as the Cowboy Hall of Fame)

Patron Tables for 10 are a steal at $140 and individual tickets are $120. Contact Angie Gains at againes@regionalfoodbank.org to get your tickets today!

Beautiful Brides

WOW! Look at a BEAUTIFUL WRT Bride, Tamara Williams Griffin and her gorgeous couture dress by Meg Guess Couture located right here in OKC. Photo credit to Kevin Paul. Check out Meg Guess Couture at www.megguess.com, dress, veil and jewelry. Makeup and Hair by Sharon Tabb

Candyland Fantasy

We had Alex's Bat Mitzvah a few weeks ago and just got back some awesome pictures from the talented JoAnn Smith. The theme was obviously Candyland and we think it turned out SO cute!

We are now on Facebook!

The Will Rogers Theatre now has a business page on Facebook. Check it out by searching Pages for The Will Rogers Theatre. There are pictures, links and even the chance for you to become a Fan.

Always,
Jessica-Lead Event Coordinator and Manager

Gypsy Jazz Concert!

We have an awesome concert coming up here at the WRT on February 12th. It is called Gypsy Jazz and will feature the talented Kyle Dillingham with New York City Artists Stephane Wrembel with accompanying artists Koran Hasanagic and Cassidy Holden.

It should be a great evening with a bar and lots of great music.

You can purchase tickets here at the Will Rogers Theatre, The Lobby Bar or by calling us here at 604.3015!

Always,
Jessica

Client Rave!

"Dear Jessica and WRT Staff,

We at West Business Services wanted to thank you for your great work and all your help yesterday! Our client, Office Depot, was very impressed with the location, catering and Service! If you can stand to have our LOUD group again, we would look forward to using your location in the future. You guys were great! Thanks a million!
Kord"

We love making our customers happy and their lives easier! And yes, we would welcome this LOUD group back again.

Always,
Jessica

Cutest Bat Mitzvah in Town!

Mazel Tov! to Alexandra Segell on her Bat Mitzvah Party here at the Will Rogers Theatre. The theatre was completely decked out in a Candyland theme with tons of colored feather boas, specialty lighting, linens in every candy color under the sun and lots of special sweets for all the guests.

It was a super fun event and we were more than happy to work with the Segell family again this year. They are such wonderful customers and they make our job just what it is meant to be, fun!

Congratulations Alex! We can't wait to see another Segell girl here at the Will Rogers Theatre!

Always,
Jessica

What a Year!

Thank you to all of our wonderful business customers and our beautiful weddings who helped us end 2008 as another fabulous year here at the Will Rogers Theatre.

We are SO ready to get started with 2009! It is going to be such a busy and productive year and we are also revealing some exciting changes that will make the Will Rogers Theatre even more perfect for any type of event you are planning!

See you in the new year!
Jessica-Event Coordinator