What began as an outing to see a touring Broadway show turned out to be an amazing afternoon of surprises for the Reyner family of Athens.
When Stephanie Reyner bought four tickets to see the May 15 matinee of “Mary Poppins,” she envisioned a day trip into the big city with a minor milestone: introducing her 12- and 8-year-old children to the Fox Theatre.
At the door of the theater, they were asked to take a quick marketing survey about how they found out about the show, when they bought tickets and where they were sitting. At intermission, the family realized it was more than a survey.
“We were seated way up in the balcony, but they found us and told us we were winners,” Reyner said. “We weren’t even sure what we’d won. But they brought us down to the orchestral level and we watched the second half of the show just a few rows from the front.”
As delighted as the Reyners were to have stellar seats, they were even more amazed when the curtain calls ended and they were invited to go up on stage with the cast.
“We still didn’t know what we’d won, and then we were on stage,” Reyner said. “We didn’t have time to be nervous. They just pulled us up and told us what we’d won.”
The family finally learned that, according to meticulous counting by the show’s parent company at Disney, that one of them had achieved a major milestone as the millionth guest to see the touring production since it began in Chicago in March 2009.
“As a matter of course we track attendance figures and knew that we would hit 1 million attendees during that particular matinee performance,” said Jack Eldon, vice president of domestic tours for the Disney Theatrical Group. “This is a very exciting milestone for the tour. The entire Atlanta engagement had nearly 60,000 attendees during its three-week run, which is the second-best of all the show’s three-week runs to date. ”
For being the millionth (plus three) show-goer, the entire family won a “Disney on Broadway” package of airfare and a hotel stay in New York City; tickets to “Mary Poppins” and “The Lion King” on Broadway; and tickets to upcoming Fox shows, including overnight accommodations at the Georgian Terrace Hotel.
“They also gave us programs, hats and T-shirts, so we have Mary Poppins stuff all over our house now,” Reyner said with a laugh. “We got to meet Mary Poppins and the whole cast backstage, and they were so sweet. Now we’re really excited about getting to see it on Broadway.”
Amy Reyner, 12, couldn’t wait to get home to spread the news of the family’s good luck. She started calling friends from the back seat of the car as they headed home.
“It was really cool to see the Fox; I loved it, especially the ceiling," she said. "Then when we found out we were the millionth people to see the show, it was even better. I’m excited about going to New York and seeing the show again. My friends all want to come, and I told them they could -- if they could fit into my suitcase.”
Reyner, an occupational therapist, and her husband, an investment analyst for Regions Bank, plan to make the New York trip this summer, when they’ll mark another family first.
“We’ve never been to New York, but it’s somewhere I’ve always dreamed of going,” Reyner said. “This is huge. Who would have thought that just going to the theater, all this would happen? To have been given this chance is just amazing.”
"Milestones" covers significant events and times in the lives of metro Atlantans. Big or small, well-known or not -- tell us of a Milestone we should write about. Send information to hm_cauley@yahoo.com; call 404-514-6162; or mail to Milestones, c/o Jamila Robinson, 223 Perimeter Center Parkway N.E., Atlanta, GA 30346.
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