Revisit the spectacular history of the moon landing with “Shoot for the Moon,” a 
50th anniversary salute to a historic American achievement hosted by Emmy- and Peabody-award-winning producer and interviewer Charlie Grinker. The adventure begins at 2 pm, July 24 at the Clermont Performing Arts Center’s Black Box Theater, 3700 S. U.S. Highway 27. Music will be provided by Jay Rubin and Jazz-4-Ever Dance Band with America’s all-time favorite moon songs.
Grinker will entertain and inform the audience as he discusses the history of space and the Apollo missions, honoring the first moon landing and the incredible efforts it took to get there.
The show takes off with “A Trip to the Moon,” the 1902 motion picture classic and the first movie to become an international hit. Enjoy highlights from Grinker’s collection of rare videos. The film was created by the legendary George Melies, who produced it, wrote it and starred as the commander of the 1902 spacecraft. Here’s how Melies envisioned the journey beginning with a huge rocket that fires a well-equipped craft into space, travels to the moon, lands safely on the lunar surface, has a run-in with moon warriors and returns to a joyous celebration on planet Earth.
Remarkable 1920s motion pictures of rocket testing in Massachusetts and New Mexico move us forward on our journey to the moon. They were filmed by Esther Goddard, the wife of Robert Goddard, America’s Father of Space. With her wind-up camera, she captured her husband’s work from the 1920s through World War II, including the lift-off of history’s first liquid-fueled rocket in 1926, the direct descendant of the rocket that sent Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins to the moon in July 1969. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland honors Professor Goddard.
“Shoot for the Moon” then brings us together with our first astronauts, known as The Mercury Seven, including John Glenn, who in 1962 became the first American to orbit the Earth in space. In 1998, Glenn again made history, this time as a crew member of the space shuttle Discovery. We’ll be aboard to see and hear from him at age 77, as he becomes the oldest person ever to travel in space.
The climax of “Shoot for the Moon” begins at breakfast with Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins. We witness their historic journey into human history as they share their thoughts while walking on the lunar surface. Grinker also asks some of our favorite Americans to share their memories of that unforgettable day. They remember it well – Tom Brokaw, Betty Ford, Oprah Winfrey, Mickey Mantle, Maya Angelou and Neil Simon. It was a once-in-a-lifetime event for everyone.
Get your front row seat. It’s sure to be out of this world. Buy your tickets for “Shoot for the Moon” today at www.ClermontPAC.com. The box office is open 1-5 pm. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, as well as two hours before showtime. Questions? Call 352-394-4800.
