astor street opry company

The Astor Street Opry Company (ASOC) was created in 1983 as a 501(c) (3) tax-exempt organization from a grassroots effort to enrich the cultural opportunities for patrons and performers in the greater Astoria area.

The vision of ASOC was to bring a unique theater experience to Astoria, celebrate local culture, engage the audience with the actors, and provide opportunities for people of different generations to interact and collaborate, and be uniquely “Astorian”.

The first performance was the Broadway-Style musical melodrama “Shanghaied in Astoria.” This locally written play is part-vaudeville, part-soap opera, and part 1950’s style Hollywood musical – all combined into a fun and entertaining look at traditional Astoria cultural folklore.

What originated as a celebration of traditions in Astoria has now become a tradition itself. Next summer will celebrate the 24th year that the award winning “Shanghaied” has been performed in Astoria.

Accomplishments

The ASOC have been a very important part of the performing arts community for over Twenty-four years, earning many awards including the Oregon Arts Commission’s “Recognition of Excellence” for our outstanding programming for youth and young adults, along with SHANGHAIED IN ASTORIA being honored by the Oregon Governor’s Office and Astoria City Council as a “Regional Treasure” worthy of preserving .

We not only provide a venue for performing artists of all ages, experiences, and backgrounds, but also a family friendly cultural tourism that entertains as it shows visitors the heart of our community through its history and folklore.

We have also developed over 200 other Performing Arts Programs in which, as many as750 volunteers have performed to over 70,000 audience members, generating more than $1,500,000 in tourism dollars for our North Coast region.

This includes patrons, volunteers, actors, and backstage workers from all areas of our community no matter what their age, of experience, or limitations. Our program has become a well-known, out-of-school arts and cultural programs which serve students ages 13-17, many of whom are “at-risk’ youth.

Our programs of distinction include: Family Stage Musicals, Dinner Theaters, Independent Showcases, Astoria High School Senior Projects, Children’s Theater, Puppet Theater, Vaudeville Style Variety Shows, Regional Performing Arts Gatherings, Workshops and Classes in conjunction with Clatsop Community College and other local Performing Arts groups.