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Strand Theatre: Weekly Newsletter - 3/28/2025
March 28, 2025 Strand Theatre
Weekly Newsletter
Shelby County's Performing Arts CenterVolume 19 Number 11
Our 18th Season
...Building an Audience, One Seat at a TimeShare this NEWSLETTER with your friends, they can sign up to get it delivered directly to their inbox too!Dear Strand Fan,
BUDDY HOLLY TRIBUTE on Saturday Night! Kenny James and Rave On will be onstage for their tribute to Buddy Holly.
Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and the Big Bopper performed the "Winter Dance Party Tour" at the Surf Ballroom at Clear Lake Iowa. Buddy finished his set, waved to the audience and left the stage late in the evening of February 2. The three musicians went to the airport and boarded a Bonanza 35 for the overnight flight to their next show. The cost for each passenger was $36.
The 21 year old pilot and three musicians took off in light snow, a ceiling of 3,000 feet with sky obscured, visibility six miles and winds from 20 to 30 mph. Deteriorating weather was reported along the planned route. The Bonanza crashed a few miles later in the early hours of February 3, 1959, which became the night the music died.Relive Buddy Holly's music on our stage on Saturday night March 29, 2025. Plenty of tickets are available at the door. The concert starts at 7:30pm.
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Tonight the Strand presents our second night of Captain America Republic Serials. We will show Chapter 8-15. These are short films that were shown each week starting in February 1944.These shorts feature Captain America's sidekick Bucky Barnes. According to the Marvel canon, James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes Jr. was born in Shelbyville, Indiana in 1925. The City of Shelbyville is celebrating the 100th birthday of Bucky Barnes.Bucky is also known as the Winter Soldier. He is a significant character in Marvel Comics. His story has undergone a dramatic evolution, beginning as Captain America’s teenage sidekick during World War II and later transforming into a brainwashed assassin before ultimately redeeming himself.
Bucky Barnes first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 in 1941, created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby. In his original incarnation, Bucky was a young orphan who served as the mascot of an army base. He discovered that Steve Rogers was Captain America and was trained to fight alongside him. As Captain America's trusted partner, Bucky engaged in numerous battles against Nazi forces, particularly against villains such as the Red Skull and Baron Zemo.
In 1945, during the final days of World War II, Bucky and Captain America attempted to stop a bomb-laden plane from reaching its target. During the mission, Bucky seemingly perished when the plane exploded over the North Atlantic, and Captain America was frozen in ice. For decades, Bucky was presumed dead, and his legacy remained that of a fallen hero.
Bucky Barnes was resurrected in the modern Marvel world through the Winter Soldier storyline, introduced in Captain America (Vol. 5) #1 in 2005 by writer Ed Brubaker and artist Steve Epting. It was revealed that Bucky had survived the explosion but had lost an arm. He was later discovered by the Soviet Union and HYDRA, who brainwashed him into becoming the Winter Soldier, a deadly assassin with a cybernetic arm.
As the Winter Soldier, Bucky was kept in cryogenic stasis between missions, which allowed him to operate covertly for decades without aging significantly. Under Soviet control, he carried out numerous assassinations of political figures and high-profile targets. His past as the Winter Soldier made him one of the most feared operatives in the world.
Bucky's history as the Winter Soldier came to an end when he was confronted by Captain America who used the Cosmic Cube to restore his memories. The Cosmic Cube is a powerful artifact in Marvel Comics, capable of altering reality according to the desires of its wielder. It is one of the most formidable objects in the Marvel Universe. Bucky, overwhelmed by guilt, sought redemption for his past actions.
Following the apparent death of Steve Rogers (Captain America) in Captain America #25 (2007), Bucky took up the mantle of Captain America. He wielded both the iconic shield and a firearm, bringing his own brutal efficiency to the role. During his time as Captain America, Bucky faced numerous challenges, including battles against the Red Skull, Baron Zemo, and the Superhuman Registration Act.
Eventually, Steve Rogers was resurrected, and Bucky returned to his role as the Winter Soldier. Instead of remaining in the public eye, he chose to operate in the shadows, using his skills to take down threats before they could emerge.
Recently, Bucky Barnes has continued to act as a covert operative, working to protect global security. He has played a significant role in groups such as the Secret Avengers and the Thunderbolts, often taking on morally ambiguous missions that others could not. His work cemented him as a formidable anti-hero, capable of doing what Captain America could not.
In the storyline Captain America: Sentinel of Liberty, Bucky uncovers a secret organization known as the Outer Circle, which has manipulated world events for decades. To dismantle it from within, Bucky infiltrates the organization and becomes one of its leaders. His willingness to sacrifice his own reputation for the greater good highlights his complexity as a character.
Unlike Steve Rogers, Bucky does not possess the Super Soldier Serum. The Super Soldier Serum is a powerful biochemical formula in Marvel Comics, designed to enhance the physical and mental abilities of an individual to peak or superhuman levels. The Super Soldier Serum was created by Dr. Abraham Erskine, a German scientist working under the codename "Professor Reinstein." It was developed as part of Project Rebirth, a U.S. government initiative to create the ultimate soldier during World War II.
However, Bucky Barnes has been enhanced through Soviet experimentation, making him a peak human athlete. His cybernetic arm grants him enhanced strength and advanced technological capabilities, such as hacking and electromagnetic pulse (EMP) functions. Bucky is also a highly skilled marksman, martial artist, and hand-to-hand combatant. His training in espionage and stealth makes him one of the most dangerous spies and assassins in the Marvel Universe.
Bucky Barnes shares a deep and enduring friendship with Steve Rogers, who serves as both his mentor and moral compass. His relationship with other Marvel characters such as the Black Widow, Natasha Romanoff, is also significant. The two share a complicated romantic history from their time in Soviet operations. Bucky has long standing rivalries with villains such as the Red Skull, Baron Zemo, Dr. Doom, and HYDRA, all of whom have played roles in his past as both an ally and an adversary.
Once regarded as a forgotten sidekick, Bucky Barnes has evolved into one of Marvel’s most compelling and complex anti-heroes. His transformation from an innocent soldier to a feared assassin and eventually to a redeemed hero has made him an essential figure in Captain America’s mythology. His ongoing struggles with his past and his attempts to atone for his actions continue to shape his journey in modern Marvel Comics.
Shelbyville, Indiana, remained a part of older Marvel Comics canon, it has become a largely forgotten detail in modern interpretations of Bucky Barnes' character...until now.
Marvel published "Thunderbolts Doomstrike" in March 2025. Yes, that's this month!Dr. Doom first appeared in Marvel comics in 1962. In this series Doom took over the world, and our own Bucky Barnes helped him do it.To atone for Bucky's unwitting role in Doom’s triumph, Bucky assembles a team to dismantle Doom’s empire from within. Their rebellion ignites a brutal conflict as Doom moves to crush their resistance, proving that revolutions often end in bloodshed.Doom takes aim at Bucky, destroying his hometown...yes that is Shelbyville, Indiana! In the comic you can see our town, public square and familiar buildings all being burned as a nuclear warhead explodes on us. The news anchor says "America - and the world - grieve together tonight as the death toll of the Shelbyville Event reaches 20,000."So there you have it, Shelbyville is back, albeit what might seem briefly, in the Marvel Universe! Grab a copy of the comic, you will be glad you did. We will see you tonight at the Strand.(editor's note: with research help from ChatGPT and Wikipedia)
***BLAZING SADDLES (1973). "What is a dazzling urbanite like you do in a rustic setting like this?" "No, I said Hedly!" "Drive me off this picture." Those iconic lines and more will be on our screen on Tuesday April 1 for our Tuesday Night Film Series. Get ready to laugh. The movie starts at 7pm and tickets are available at the door.
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Our COMMUNITY TREASURE SERIES returns for 2025 this Wednesday April 2. Donna Dennison from the Shelby County Public Library will be presenting a program on THE LAWS OF SHELBY COUNTY and INDIANA. This is a free event and starts at 7pm.
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This past week our film guru Jason H. was at a convention and could not attend Friday NIght Frights. Not to worry, Jason was on our movie screen introducing our feature!
***Thank you for the support. See you at the Strand!If you would like to volunteer for an event reply to this email, join our Facebook Volunteer Group, or call 317-395-3318
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