When Hollywood came to town a year and a half ago, Michigan’s Great Southwest was abuzz, and the buzz is about to get considerably louder and more exciting as the finished product — Moondance — is coming to Celebration Cinema! this Sunday afternoon, March 15th, starring St. Joseph’s own Carolyn Rabbers. The movie also features The Vickie Page Band, which will be both live in the theater and on the big screen that day.
Pegged as, “A love story wrapped in a musical wrapped in a behind the scenes documentary,” the promise is, “Moondance is unlike any film you’ve ever seen.” Plus, you may see yourself or some of your friends in the movie when it premiers locally this weekend. 
The movie stars Carolyn Rabbers of St. Joseph. Rabbers, a dancer at Wellspring Dance Co in Kalamazoo, is an alumni of Lakeshore High School and graduate of Western Michigan University currently working on her MFA at the University of the Arts, and currently residing in St. Joseph.
Moondance was shot in Kalamazoo and across the region in September and October of 2018 with scenes being shot at Rupert’s Bar, Kalamazoo Beer Exchange, The Kalamazoo State Theater, The Radisson Hotel, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park among other locations.
The film was written and directed by Cooper Flannigan and produced by Chase Crawford and Flannigan. The film has been described as a zany musical comedy that follows a rogue director that turns a run of the mill Hollywood love story into a big band musical with the help of his crew and the out of the loop actors.
The 20 city limited theatrical release includes screenings throughout the area including Celebration Cinema’s Kalamazoo, Benton Harbor and Grand Rapids (Woodlawn) locations. The film is also set to play in LA, New York City and Chicago over its three week run.
The Vickie Page Band was the band for the street dance in Moondance. Namesake for the band, Vickie Page has a small part in the film and is listed in the credits as an actress on the big screen. Her fellow bandsmen include Steve Kampe, Kelly Kalinas, Brandon Dinges and Rusty Kraklau.
Vicki says, “My band will be playing live in Theater #10 at Celebration in Benton Harbor starting at 3pm, and the movie starts at 4pm.”
Flannigan puts it in the genre of a musical comedy, and is proud that it is in theaters all across the Midwest this weekend, including in Benton Harbor, Paw Paw, Three Rivers, Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, Fort Wayne and others. 
Moondance, an original musical comedy filmed locally in Southwest Michigan is hitting theaters this Friday, with the Benton Harbor release on Sunday, and select engagements over the next two weekends.
