Saint Michael's Playhouse Announces 2010 Season, Runs 6/15-8/7

Four rousing, high-spirited, big productions will fill the stage of the Saint Michael's Playhouse on the campus of Saint Michael's College for the 63rd season of professional summer theater, June 15 to August 7. Saint Michael's Playhouse has been named "One of the best regional theater companies in America" by The Drama League of New York City and hailed by Yankee Magazine as "The Best of New England."

From its beginnings in 1947, Saint Michael's Playhouse has blossomed into an award-winning, highly-regarded equity theater company. The Playhouse features talent from Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regional theaters nationwide, presented right here in Vermont. Housed in the Saint Michael's College McCarthy Arts Center, one of the finest theater facilities in the state, The Playhouse attracts approximately 16,000 theatergoers each season.

Saint Michael's Playhouse is a professional theater company operating as an auxiliary enterprise of Saint Michael's College. The Playhouse is Greater Burlington's only Actors' Equity resident theater company and as such operates under contract with Actors' Equity Association in New York City. At the same time, Saint Michael's College students have the opportunity to learn from the pros through internships in technical theater, costuming, lighting, set construction, and publicity.

"Casting for the summer is complete, and we couldn't be more pleased with the caliber of our 2010 Acting Company," said Chuck Tobin, Playhouse Producing Artistic Director. "Greater Burlington is certainly in for a treat this summer with some of the best actors in the business performing on The Playhouse stage," Tobin said.

The Saint Michael's Playhouse 2010 season:

THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE, June 15 - 26
Music and lyrics are by William Finn with book by Rachel Sheinkin. Conceived by Rebecca Feldman, the show is directed and choreographed by Keith Andrews, whose previous Playhouse credits include Big River, The Pirates of Penzance, Suds, and Breaking Up Is Hard To Do. This Tony Award-winning Broadway blockbuster is a tuneful, offbeat and smart musical. Six whiz-kids in the throes of adolescence learn that winning isn't everything and that losing doesn't necessarily make you a loser. This side-splittingly funny musical boasts lovable characters, ingenious songs, and audience participation. The New York Times hailed the show, saying, "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is riotously funny and remarkably ingenious. Gold stars all around!"

AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS, June 29 - July 10
A comedic adaptation of Jules Verne's novel written by Mark Brown and directed by Kathryn Markey. Hold onto your seats for the original Amazing Race. Jules Verne's thrilling novel comes to life before your eyes in this wildly theatrical adaptation. Join fearless adventurer Phileas Fogg and his resourceful servant Passepartout as they race the clock and set out to circle the globe. Danger, romance, and comic surprises abound in this whirlwind of a show as five actors portraying 39 characters traverse seven continents in one of the great adventures of all time.

BLITHE SPIRIT, July 13 - 24
A delightfully enchanting farce written by Noel Coward and directed by Thomas Ouellette breezes onto The Playhouse stage. Charles, a successful writer and his second wife, Ruth, decide to hold a séance as research for an upcoming mystery novel. An eccentric medium, Madame Arcati, arrives to conduct the session and to Charles' (and Ruth's) surprise, the ghost of his glamorous and delightfully mischievous first wife, Elvira appears. The evening quickly devolves into chaos as doors start slamming and vases go flying. An enchanted comedy for a lighthearted summer evening!

ALWAYS . . . PATSY CLINE, July 27 - August 7
Written by Ted Swindley, this most frequently requested musical is directed and choreographed by Keith Andrews. Always...Patsy Cline is based on the true story of the legendary country singer's unlikely friendship with a Houston housewife, Louise Seger. This smash-hit musical and Playhouse favorite offers old fans and new ones a chance to see, through Louise's eyes, the American original and dazzling star that was Patsy Cline. An intimate look at the woman behind the legend, as only a true friend could tell it, filled with all of Patsy's greatest hits including Anytime, Walkin' After Midnight, I Fall To Pieces, She's Got You, Sweet Dreams and Crazy. Featuring Lucy Sorensen as Patsy Cline and Sarah Carleton as Louise.

Ticket information:
All shows have a limited run of two weeks only, performing Tuesday - Saturday evenings at 8 p.m. and Saturday matinees at 2 p.m. SEASON TICKETS go on sale Monday, May 3 at 10:00 a.m. at the box office in the McCarthy Arts Center on the campus of Saint Michael's College. Box Office hours are Monday - Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

SEASON TICKETS (4 Shows) save 20% over the single ticket price. A series of four evening shows is $112; a series of 4 matinee shows is $92. Single tickets are not available until June 1. Single evening tickets are $35; single matinee tickets are $29. Season tickets may be purchased online www.saintmichaelsplayhouse.org (24 hours a day, 7 days a week) or at the Saint Michael's Playhouse walk-up window. Beginning Tuesday, May 4, Subscriptions Series Tickets may be purchased by calling our box office at 802.654.2281. Visit www.saintmichaelsplayhouse.org for more information.