Saint Vincent Summer Theater announces upcoming productions
Share this post:
Three audience-favorite musicals are on tap for the 52nd season of the Saint Vincent Summer Theatre.
The schedule includes Roger Bean’s off-Broadway musical comedy, “The Marvelous Wonderettes,” May 21-31; Rodgers’ and Hammerstein’s Tony Award-winning classic, “The Sound of Music,” June 25-July 5; and “Million Dollar Quartet,” featuring the music of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins, July 30-Aug. 9.
“Doo-wop takes center stage in ‘The Marvelous Wonderettes,’” says producing artistic director Greggory Brandt. “Set in 1958 at Springfield High School, four girls with hopes and dreams perform classic songs such as ‘Lollipop,’ ‘Dream Lover,’ ‘Stupid Cupid,’ ‘It’s My Party’ and more than 20 other hits. The first act takes place at the girls’ prom, while the second act follows a decade later at their high school reunion.”
“The Marvelous Wonderettes” debuted in 1999 and was awarded the 2007 Franklin R. Levy Award for Musical Intimate Theatre at the Los Angeles Ovation Awards and best ensemble performance at the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award.
Set in Austria in 1938, “The Sound of Music” tells the story of the widowed Captain von Trapp, his seven children and their postulant nun-turned-governess.
“Climb Ev’ry Mountain,” “Do-Re-Mi” and the title song are among the well-known songs in this classic musical. The original Broadway production opened in 1959 and won five Tony Awards. It was adapted into a 1965 film starring Julie Andrews, which took home five Academy Awards.
The Tony Award-nominated “Million Dollar Quartet” documents a chance 1956 meeting of four of the biggest musical acts of the 1950s at a recording studio in Memphis, Tenn.
“Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley assembled at the Sun Records studio,” Brandt says. “Soon, a jam session breaks out with each star opening with a verse from one of his most famous songs, such as ‘Blue Suede Shoes,’ ‘Who Do You Love?,’ ‘Folsom Prison Blues,’ ‘Long Tall Sally’ and “I Walk the Line.’
“This production will blow the roof of the theater,” Brandt adds. “It’s a great balls of fire, don’t-want-to-miss show.”
Ticket sales
Summer theater cast members will include professional actors from Actors’ Equity Association, along with other regional professional actors. Shows are staged in the Performing Arts Center in the Robert S. Carey Student Center on the Saint Vincent College campus.
The theater also offers after-performance cabarets, with live music, popcorn, hot dogs and beverages.
Seats are reserved at all performances except Thursday evening preview shows, which are general admission.
Individual tickets are $15 for preview performances, $27 on Tuesday or Wednesday evenings, $30 for Thursday, Friday or Saturday evenings, and $25 for Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday matinees. Group, senior citizen and student rates are available.
The 31st annual Saint Vincent Summer Theatre Gala is scheduled June 26 in the student center. For details, call 724-805-2922.
Theater tickets: 724-537-8900 or stvincent.edu/svst