Tony Award-Winning 1776 Comes to Lake Country Playhouse

Hartland's Lake Country Playhouse is thrilled to announce the Lake Country premiere production of 1776, with music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards and book by Peter Stone. 1776 is directed by past LCP Board Member Rebecca Schilling, with music direction by LCP favorite Catherine Pfeiler.

Performance dates are July 6 - 23, 2017. Tickets range $18-25 and are available online at www.lakecountryplayhousewi.org. For a full performance calendar, please visit www.lakecountryplayhousewi.org/1776.

Director Becky Schilling says, "These are some of the finest actors I have worked with in our community, and I hope that our production of 1776 will encourage people to look back and remember what it is that we are truly celebrating as we cheer for those bright showers of fireworks in the sky."

1776 features past LCP Board President Bob Hurd as "John Hancock," and LCP veterans James Skiba as "John Adams," Scott Prox as "Samuel Chase," Marty Graffenius as "Benjamin Franklin," Scott Stenstrup as "Andrew McNair," Jake Koch, and Scott Stenstrup. Full cast includes Jon Jones, Peter Garton, Kelly Vance, Paul Lipinski, Jeff Anderson, Noah Maquire, Anne Elise Richie, Goo, Duane Lawson, Jeffrey Seelig, Noah Chudy, Rob Carroll, Mitch Haycock, Jim Halverson, Larson Seaver, Cayla Anderson, Matt Brown, and Don Lambert.

The production team includes Sharon Jahneke, production manager; Dawn Beeler-Mudry, light board operator; Jake Koch, assistant stage manager; Ami Majeskie, choreographer; Ron Ehrlich, set construction; Heather Patterson, costume design; Nancy Hurd, hair and wig design; James Skiba, scenic and properties design; Verne Thieme, scenic painting; Brenda Nemec, stage manager; and Katie Davis, assistant to the stage managers.

The band for 1776 includes Tammy Tissiccino, principal piano; Yeng Thao, cello; Eric Chesney, violin; Julie Fraleigh, pianist; Keith Fraleigh, bass guitar; and Christian Memmo, percussion.

ABOUT THE SHOW
LAKE COUNTRY PREMIERE PRODUCTION!
It's the summer of 1776, and the nation is ready to declare independence...if only our founding fathers can agree to do it! 1776 follows John Adams of Massachusetts, Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania, and Richard Henry Lee and Thomas Jefferson of Virginia as they attempt to convince the members of the second Continental Congress to vote for independence from the shackles of the British monarchy by signing the Declaration of Independence. 1776 is funny and insightful with a striking score and legendary book that garnered three Tony Awards, including Best Musical. American History blazes to life this summer in Lake Country.

SPECIAL EVENTS
LCPinCONTEXT
Sunday, July 9 following the 2pm matinee
Join director Becky Schilling, and members of the cast and creative team behind 1776 for an in-depth conversation surrounding the world of the play, what it's like to work on a piece with such historical significance. Free and open to the public, following the 2pm matinee.

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR, Rebecca Schilling
Becky has been performing and directing with Lake Country Playhouse since 1991, playing numerous memorable roles in productions here, including Oliver!, Into the Woods, West Side Story, Godspell, Evita, Nunsense, Company, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof and Love, Loss and What I Wore. However, her real focus for many years has been directing. Past directing efforts include Play On!, Love Letters, Mame, Crazy For You, Incorruptible, The Underpants, Leading Ladies, The Foreigner, Epic Proportions, Stuck, Fox on the Fairway and Spamalot. By day, Becky is a genetic research Lab Manager at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

ABOUT LAKE COUNTRY PLAYHOUSE
In its 58th Season, Lake Country Playhouse is committed to providing exceptional theatre to the Lake Country area, as well as a wide range of educational opportunities to hundreds of students each year. With focused artistic vision and fiscal stewardship, we nurture young artists, develop new works, and redefine the classics in our intimate signature style.

Located in the heart of downtown Hartland, Lake Country Playhouse is a cleverly converted Masonic Lodge that houses an 80-seat black box theatre, scenic, paint, and costume shops, and The Playhouse Performing Arts Academy. Together, this facility serves as a vibrant artistic hub in Lake Country which produces compelling dramas, powerful classics, full scale musicals, an annual production of A Christmas Carol, and exceptional youth programming in an intimate, signature style. Under the leadership of the Board of Directors, Lake Country Playhouse aims to entertain, educate, and engage audiences as the recognized home for theatre in Hartland.

For more information about Lake Country Playhouse, please visit www.lakecountryplayhousewi.org.