Huntington Slates Special Events Alongside Starry MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG

In conjunction with its upcoming production of Merrily We Roll Along, Huntington Theatre Company will host several special events and post-show conversations.

Admission to onsite post-show events is free with a ticket to Merrily We Roll Along, available at huntingtontheatre.org/merrily, by phone at 617 266 0800, or in person at the Huntington Avenue Theatre (264 Huntington Avenue) and Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA (527 Tremont Street) box offices. Tickets start at $25. Performances begin Friday, September 8, 2017 at the Avenue of the Arts / Huntington Avenue Theatre.

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35 BELOW AFTER PARTY
Tonight, September 8 following the 8pm performance

A post-show party for the region's culturally minded ages 35 and below featuring backstage access, free refreshments, and live entertainment. Mingle with members of the cast, creative team, and Huntington staff.

The Merrily We Roll Along 35 After party is inspired by the Hollywood glamour of the 1970s and features music by jazz musician Sahil Warsi. 35 Below tickets are available at all performances to patrons 35 and under for just $30.

COOLIDGE CORNER SCREENING OF BARTON FINK
Monday, September 11 at 7pm
Tickets: $14, available at coolidge.org/films/barton-fink

New York playwright Barton Fink (John Turturro) comes to Hollywood to write a wrestling picture. Staying in the eerie Hotel Earle, Barton develops severe writer's block when his neighbor, jovial insurance salesman Charlie Meadows tries to help, but a bizarre sequence of events distracts him even further. This 1991 comedy/film noir/mystery/horror/drama mash-up by the Coen Brothers is often considered one of their best films and earned three awards at the Cannes Film Festival. After the film, Huntington Playwriting Fellows Miranda and John Adekoje and Director of New Work Charles Haugland will host a talkback on shared themes in Merrily We Roll Along and Barton Fink.

Barton Fink is part of the Stage & Screen series, a collaboration between the Huntington Theatre Company and the Coolidge Corner Theatre.

HUNTINGTON COMMUNITY MEMBER RECEPTION
Thursday, September 14 at 6pm

Huntington Community Members are invited to a free pre-show reception on Thursday, September 14. There will be complimentary food and drinks, and attendees will have an opportunity to learn about the Huntington season as well as meet other interested theatregoers. Tickets to the 7:30pm performance should be purchased separately.

The Huntington Community Membership Initiative is a program designed to reduce the cost barrier of attending live theatre for those with limited income. The program's goal is to diversify audiences to better represent the city of Boston. Community Members can purchase tickets to any available seat at any performance without restriction for just $20.

BOSTON GLOBE EVENT WITH ARTS REPORTER MALCOLM GAY AND DIRECTOR Maria Friedman
Thursday, September 14 after the 7:30pm performance

Boston Globe arts reporter Malcolm Gay and director of Merrily We Roll Along Maria Friedman will lead a post-show discussion about after the 7:30pm performance on September 14. Boston Globe subscribers save $15 with discount code.

Malcolm Gay covers visual and performing arts for The Boston Globe. Before joining the paper in 2015, he wrote frequently for The New York Times, while also contributing to The Atlantic, Time, and several other publications. Named an Alicia Patterson Fellow in 2013, Mr. Gay has won numerous national journalism awards, including top honors from the James Beard Foundation, the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies, and the National Association of Black Journalists. His first book, The Brain Electric, was published by Farrar, Straus & Giroux in October 2015.

Maria Friedman made her directorial debut with her highly acclaimed production of Merrily We Roll Along which opened at the Menier Chocolate Factory in November 2012 and transferred to the West End in May 2013. The production won Best Musical at the Evening Standard Awards in 2013, Oliver Awards in 2014 (for which Ms. Friedman was also nominated for Best Director of a Musical), and the Critic's Circle Award in 2013. She went on to direct High Society at The Old Vic in 2015, which was equally well received and then directed Stepping Out which toured in 2016, opening in the West End in the spring of 2017. Ms. Friedman is best known as a four-time Olivier Award-winning star of the musical stage. The heart of her career has been centered around the love and work of her dear friend Stephen Sondheim. She has played Dot in Sunday in the Park with George at the National Theatre, Fosca in Passion at the Queen's Theatre (Olivier Award), Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd at the Royal Festival Hall with Bryn Terfel, and Mary in Merrily We Roll Along at the Leicester Haymarket. In concert she has played Sally in Follies and both Charlotte and Petra in A Little Night Music. Ms. Friedman was honored to sing for Stephen Sondheim at his 80th birthday celebrations in New York and Washington, as well as at the special all-Sondheim BBC Prom. Her many international concert appearances include three sell-out seasons at New York's prestigious Café Carlyle, and many concerts with Michael Legrand and the late Marvin Hamlisch. Most recently, she premiered her new cabaret show Lenny and Steve with musical director Jason Carr at the Hippodrome's Matcham Room. Her most recent recording is Maria Friedman Sings the Great British Songbook (on Sepia Records). In addition to winning four Olivier Awards, she has received nine Olivier Award nominations and has won an Evening Standard Award.

SEASON OPENING CELEBRATION
Saturday, September 16
huntingtontheatre.org/merrily-we-roll-along/season-opening-celebration/

Kick off the Huntington's 36th season in style at the Season Opening Celebration on Saturday, September 16. Guests will walk the red carpet, enjoy a glass of champagne, and experience the critically acclaimed production of Merrily We Roll Along. The Season Opening Celebration will include a pre-show dinner with West End and Broadway star and director of Merrily We Roll Along Maria Friedman and an after party with the cast following the show with music by Boston's most in-demand DJ - DJ Rick DiMare. The event is black tie optional.

LENNY & STEVE: THE MUSIC OF BERNSTEIN & SONDHEIM
A SPECIAL ONE-NIGHT ONLY CONCERT EVENT WITH Maria Friedman
Monday, September 18 at 7:30pm

West End and Broadway star and director of Merrily We Roll Along Maria Friedman brings her critically acclaimed solo show Lenny & Steve to the Huntington for a one-night-only concert event. Exploring the genius of Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim, three-time Olivier Award winner Ms. Friedman will compare songs from their separate catalogs, as well as their joint masterpiece West Side Story. This beguiling evening of songs and anecdotes includes "New York, New York," "I Can Cook, Too," "Losing My Mind," and "Send in the Clowns."

ACTORS FORUMS
Wednesday, September 20 after the 2pm performance
Thursday, September 28 after the 10am performance (student matinee)
Thursday, October 5 after the 7:30pm performance

Meet participating members of the cast of Merrily We Roll Along and ask them your questions at the Actors Forum following the performance.

A CONVERSATION WITH DRAMATURGY AND ACTING PROFESSOR STUART HECHT
Saturday, September 23 after the 2pm performance

Join Stuart Hecht, associate professor of dramaturgy and acting at Boston College, and Assistant to the Director Stephanie LeBolt for a discussion about Merrily We Roll Along in relation to Sondheim's body of work after the 2pm performance on September 23.

Dr. Stuart Hecht received his bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan and a master's and doctorate from Northwestern University. He worked on the artistic staff of the Goodman Theatre and was resident dramaturg for the Wisdom Bridge Theatre, both in Chicago. He has worked with a range of prominent theatre artists, including Bob Falls, Gregory Mosher, David Mamet, Wole Soyinka, Frank Galati, and Del Close, to name a few. Dr. Hecht is an American theatre historian who has worked extensively in Chicago theatre history and more recently on assimilation and the American musical. He has published over thirty scholarly articles, both here and abroad, as well as chapters in four major books. He is the long-standing editor-in-chief of New England Theatre Journal, sits on the board of the New England Theatre Conference, and is an officer of the American Theatre and Drama Society. He has worked at Boston College since 1986 where he has taught classes in directing, playwriting, dramatic literature, and theatre history.

HUMANITIES FORUM WITH EMERSON MUSICAL THEATRE PERFORMANCE PROFESSOR Scott LaFeber
Sunday, September 24 after the 2pm performance

Join Scott LaFeber, head of the Department of Performing Arts' Musical Theatre BFA program at Emerson College, and Assistant to the Director Stephanie LeBolt for a discussion about the experience of a Sondheim musical after the 2pm performance of Merrily We Roll Along on September 24. Humanities Forums are presented in conjunction with all Huntington productions.

Scott LaFeber has performed on Broadway in Corpse! and The Golden Age and Off Broadway with Ensemble Studio Theatre and Circle-in-the-Square. He has also acted in London, regionally in the US, on television (including two years on daytime's "Search for Tomorrow"), in feature and industrial films, and for narrative/character voice-overs (including an Emmy Award-winning segment for PBS). He has directed across the country, including productions in New York, Utah, Florida, and the North Carolina Theatre where he directed three-time Tony Award nominee Terrence Mann in Sweeney Todd and Peter Pan. Mr. LaFeber has taught at universities and conservatories for over 20 years. In addition to freelance directing, he is an associate professor in the department of performing arts at Emerson College where he currently heads the BFA musical theatre program.

STUDENT MATINEE
Thursday, September 28 at 10am
For students in grades 9-12. Tickets: $15. Includes pre-show in-school visit, curriculum guide, post-show Actors Forum, and Dramatic Returns card for each student. Call 617 273 1558 for more information.

AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE-INTERPRETED PERFORMANCES
Thursday, September 28 at 10am (student matinee)
Friday, September 29 at 8pm

The Huntington Theatre Company offers ASL interpretation for the Deaf/deaf/hard-of-hearing at designated performances.

Seating for each ASL-interpreted performance is located in the orchestra, house left. Tickets are $20 for each Deaf patron and an additional $20 ticket can be purchased for a guest. To reserve tickets, contact Access Coordinator Meg O'Brien at mobrien@huntingtontheatre.org.

AUDIO-DESCRIBED PERFORMANCES
Thursday, September 28 at 10am (student matinee)
Saturday, September 30 at 2pm

The Huntington Theatre Company offers audio description for blind and low-vision patrons at designated performances.

Tickets are $20 for each patron and an additional $20 ticket can be purchased for a guest. To reserve tickets, please contact Access Coordinator Meg O'Brien at mobrien@huntingtontheatre.org or 617 273 1558.

A CONVERSATION WITH THEATRE HISTORIAN CHRIS CAGGIANO
Saturday, September 30 after the 2pm performance

Join Chris Caggiano, professor of theatre history at Boston Conservatory and local theatre blogger, and Director of New Work Charles Haugland for a discussion about the history of Merrily We Roll Along and Sondheim after the 2pm performance on September 30.

Christopher Caggiano joined Boston Conservatory in 2004, where he is a full-time faculty member and teaches theatre courses in musical theatre history and musical theatre dance history and liberal arts courses in arts criticism, among other topics. Mr. Caggiano is the author of the popular theatre blog "Everything I Know I Learned From Musicals." He is a member of the Outer Critics Circle and the Drama League and is a founding member of the Independent Theater Bloggers Association (ITBA). A journalist, Mr. Caggiano spent 13 years as a reporter, writer, and editor at Inc. magazine. Following that, he was a senior writer at CMO magazine and senior editor for Deliver magazine. As a freelancer, he has written articles that have appeared in the Advocate and artscope, as well as on AmericanTheatre.org, TheaterMania.com, About.com, and ZEALnyc.com. Additionally, he has written the liner notes for the PS Classics releases Life Begins at 8:40 and Noël and Cole.

A CONVERSATION WITH THEATRE PROFESSOR Scott Edmiston
Saturday, October 7 after the 2pm performance

Join Scott Edmiston, chair of theatre at Northeastern University and local director, and Director of New Work Charles Haugland for a discussion about the themes explored in Merrily We Roll Along after the 2pm performance on October 7.

Scott Edmiston has been teaching and directing throughout the Northeast for more than 30 years. Since relocating to Boston in 1997, he has directed more than 60 productions at theatre and opera companies across New England including SpeakEasy Stage Company, Lyric Stage Company, American Repertory Theater, Underground Railway Theatre, New Repertory Theatre, Opera Boston, Nora Theatre, Gloucester Stage, and the Tony Award-winning Huntington Theatre Company where he was an artistic associate and production dramaturg for more than 30 productions. In 2011, he received the Elliot Norton Award for Sustained Excellence for his theatrical body of work and contributions to the cultural life of Boston. Mr. Edmiston began his teaching career at the University of Michigan in 1983. For many years he served on the faculty at Boston University's School of Theatre Arts and led their MFA directing program. He has taught directing at Brown University/Trinity Rep and dramatic literature at Brandeis University where he was the inaugural Director of the Office of the Arts for 11 years. His areas of scholarship include American and European modern drama, queer theatre, Tennessee Williams, and Eugene O'Neill. As a professional dramaturg, he has researched and written on topics ranging from the Harlem Renaissance to Stephen Sondheim; and worked with playwrights such as August Wilson and Jon Robin Baitz. He is the founding editor of State of the Arts magazine. Among his many articles and publications, he is the author of "Acting Misbegotten: The Creative Journey to Eugene O'Neill" in the anthology Critical Insights: Eugene O'Neill (Salem Press, 2012).

A CONVERSATION WITH COMPOSER, CONDUCTOR, AND MUSICAL THEATRE PROFESSOR ALLEN FEINSTEIN
Date to be determined

Join Allen Feinstein, Director of Bands and Music Department Head at Northeastern University for a discussion about the music of Stephen Sondheim.

Allen Feinstein has led many ensembles as a conductor in accompanying silent films and has served as music director for numerous musical theater productions. As music director of the Northeastern University band program he has led multi-media concerts, children's concerts, and themed musical events, and hosted numerous guest composers and soloists, including five members of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Feinstein has coached many student conductors, and collaborated with dozens of student soloists. He teaches courses in musical theatre, conducting, and music theory. He has written a number of pieces for narrator and orchestra that have been performed widely, including The Little Engine That Could. The Akron Symphony and Grand Rapids Symphony performed the work a total of 13 times in 2017. Mr. Feinstein composed and conducted his scores accompanying silent films on the National Film Preservation Foundation's DVD compilation Treasures 3, which looked at how early filmmakers addressed social issues. The DVD set was on many 'best of' lists for 2007, including those of The New York Times, Time Magazine, and The New Yorker. He is completing a new musical about the early silent film era titled Plotnik's Moving Picture Palace, and he is writing the book as well as the music and lyrics for this show.

POST-SHOW AUDIENCE CONVERSATIONS
After the first Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evening performances most Saturday and Sunday matinee performances and one Wednesday matinee.

This is an opportunity for audience members to discuss Merrily We Roll Along led by members of the Huntington staff.

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MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG runs tonight, September 8, through October 15, 2017, playing Select Evenings: Tues. - Thurs. at 7:30pm; Fri. - Sat. at 8pm; select Sun. at 7pm; and Matinees: Select Wed., Sat., and Sun. at 2pm. Press Opening is Wednesday, September 13, 6:30pm. RSVP online. All performances run at Avenue of the Arts, Huntington Avenue Theatre, 264 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA.

Single tickets starting at $25 and FlexPasses are on sale: online at huntingtontheatre.org; by phone at 617 266 0800; or in person at the Huntington Avenue Theatre Box Office, 264 Huntington Ave. and the Calderwood Pavilion at the BCA Box Office, 527 Tremont St. in Boston's South End. Select discounts apply: $5 off: seniors; $10 off: subscribers; $30 "35 Below" tickets for patrons 35 years old and younger (valid ID required); and $20 student and military tickets (valid ID required).

Photo Credit: Nile Scott Shots/Nile Hawver