The Ivoryton Playhouse opens its doors on March 13 for another year of live theatre. There is something for everyone this season with the productions being variously upbeat, hilarious, original and even a little naughty!
From March 13 to 30, the Playhouse will take you back to the 50’s with some of the classic doo wop melodies you danced to at the sock hop. Life Could Be a Dream features classic oldies Tears on My Pillow, Unchained Melody, The Great Pretender and, of course,Life Could Be A Dream.
In Other People’s Money (April 17 to May 5), a corporate raider threatens a hostile take-over of a New England “Mom & Pop” company (… sounds familiar?) What follows is a snowballing plot of financial manipulations, unlikely alliances and a surprising twist at the end.
The Playhouse opens the summer with a brand new play from Mike Reiss, one of the writers of The Simpsons. I’m Connecticut is a wacky, fast-paced, sweet romantic comedy about Marc, a Connecticut native who struggles with relationships and feelings of inadequacy – why? Because he comes from Connecticut – land of steady habits, sanity and politeness. This is a must-see comedy for anybody from the Nutmeg State and runs from June 5 to 23.
From July 3 to 28, one of the most explosive movie musicals of recent times bursts onto the live stage. Footloose is the heartfelt story of a father longing for the son he lost and of a young man aching for the father who walked out on him. The rockin’ rhythm of the Top 40 score includes Let’s Hear it for the Boy, Almost Paradise, and, naturally, Footloose.
A smash Broadway musical, Dreamgirls, captures the spirit and hope of Motown when a girl group from Chicago makes it big. In a business controlled by men, the female trio fights for recognition, fellowship and love as superstardom challenges their musical and cultural identity. Dreamgirls sizzles with sparkling dance and R&B soul and features the hit songsDreamgirls; And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going and One Night Only. The show runs from Aug. 7 to Sept. 1.
I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change (Sept. 25 to Oct. 13) is a hilarious revue that pays tribute to those who have loved and lost and lived to try again. Conceived with catchy tunes and witty lyrics, this affectionate look at love and marriage is as amusingly appropriate today as when it first opened in New York in 1996.
The season closes with a famous farce from the fifties, The Seven Year Itch, (Oct. 30 to Nov. 17). The play takes a humorous look at the problems of a typical married man, whose wife and son have gone to the beach for the summer, when he is suddenly confronted by a stunning, new, upstairs neighbor, who was played in the original screen version by Marilyn Monroe.
Subscriptions are on sale now. Single tickets go on sale Feb. 14, 2012. Visit www.ivorytonplayhouse.org or call (860) 767 7318 for the latest ticket information.