Bucks County Playhouse & ShopRite to Honor Local Volunteers Throughout Holiday Season

Bucks County Playhouse (BCP) has announced that this December, before every evening performance for Meet Me in St. Louis: A Live Radio Play (December 4th -December 29th), The Playhouse will light its permanently planted holiday tree in The Playhouse's courtyard.

The ceremony will begin 30-minutes prior to curtain time when ShopRite, the official sponsor of Meet Me in St. Louis: A Live Radio Playwill honor dedicated community volunteers (ShopRite "Angels") who have impacted the lives of others this past year. Theater tickets are not required to attend the tree lighting ceremony. An updated list of honorees can be found at bcptheater.org.

"We are pleased to be continuing this newly created tradition in celebration of those dedicated volunteers who make a difference," said Producing Director Jed Bernstein. "We are also excited to bring the audience and community together each night to light The Playhouse's holiday tree during the run of Meet Me in St. Louis: A Live Radio Play."

"At this time of year, we at ShopRite are especially proud to recognize our neighbors, friends, associates and customers that make a difference in our communities," said Joseph Colalillo, president of ShopRites of Hunterdon County, which owns and operates the ShopRites of Greenwich, Flemington and Clinton, NJ. "We are delighted to once again partner with The Playhouse to help honor these 'angels' for their dedication to the community and their unwavering support of those in need."

In addition, ShopRite will be spearheading a food drive at The Playhouse during the run of the show that will benefit Fisherman Mark's Food Pantry and the Delaware Valley Council of Churches. Patrons are encouraged to bring non-perishable items to drop in the bins at The Playhouse throughout the entire run.

Meet Me in St. Louis: A Live Radio Play adapted by Joe Landry features direction by Gordon Greenberg and choreography by Lorin Latarro (both BCP alumni). The cast includes Broadway's Geoff Packard, Jay Russell, Broadway and BCP alumni Garth Kravits, Lauren Molina and Chelsea Packard, and Victoria Cook (Into the Woods at the Public). The creative team includes Rob Bissinger (Original Set Design), Jared W. Rutherford (Scenic Design Consultant), Nicole V. Moody (Costume Design), Paul Miller (Lighting Design), Ed Chapman (Sound Design), and Phil Reno (Music Direction).

Based on The Kensington Stories by Sally Benson and the MGM motion picture Meet Me In St. Louis starring Judy Garland, Meet Me In St. Louis: A Live Radio Play will feature songs by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blaine, including the classics such as: "The Boy Next Door," "Skip To My Lou," "The Trolley Song," "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" and "Meet Me in St. Louis." The 2013 Radio Play is adapted by another Playhouse veteran, Joe Landry from the book by Hugh Wheeler.

Performances run from Wednesday, December 4th through Sunday, December 29th at the Bucks County Playhouse (70 South Main Street in New Hope, PA).

Tickets are on sale now. For a complete schedule and to purchase tickets for Meet Me in St. Louis: A Live Radio Play visit bcptheater.org, call 215-862-2121 or visit the box office at 70 South Main Street New Hope, PA (7 Days : 12pm-5pm).

Meet Me Is St. Louis: A Live Radio Play is generously sponsored in part by ShopRite and licensed by Tams-Witmark Music Library.

ShopRite is the registered trademark of Wakefern Food Corp., a retailer-owned cooperative, based in Keasbey, NJ and the largest supermarket cooperative in the United States. With more than 250 ShopRite supermarkets located throughout New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware and Maryland, ShopRite serves more than five million customers each week. A long-time supporter of key community efforts, ShopRite is dedicated to fighting hunger in the communities it serves. Through its ShopRite Partners In Caring program, ShopRite has donated more than $30 million to 1,700 worthy charities and food banks since the program began in 1999. For more information, please visitwww.ShopRite.com.