Stoneham Theatre Presents The Young Company's Summer Festival 8/5-15

Stoneham Theatre presents the young company's Summer Festival. Running from August 5 through 15. Tickets per performance: $15 regular admission, $10 for students; $5 discount on regular admission if purchased by July 30. Festival passes also available. Stoneham Theatre, 395 Main Street, Stoneham. Wheelchair accessible. For advance tickets and information, visit or call the Box Office at 781-279-2200 (hours Tues.-Sat., 1-6pm) or log onto www.stonehamtheatre.org.

Through the creation of inspiring live theatre, the young company at Stoneham Theatre develops confidence, self-discipline and collaboration to prepare young actors for future success. The young company offers diverse year-round programs for students grades 1 through 12 taught in a professional theatre environment. Introducing live theatre to young people is one of great importance in the Stoneham Theatre's mission. The young company gives students the chance to explore the experience of performing in a friendly, fun environment. Throughout the year, students may participate in workshops, rehearsals, and performances designed to develop important skills like teamwork and self-confidence.

The Summer Festival line-up [* denotes an alumnus from the young company's training program]:

Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
[Act 1 Musical]
Friday, August 6, 10:00 am;
Saturday, August 7, noon;
Sunday, August 8, noon
Directed and choreographed by Bryan Miner*, Liza Nagle* and Allison Russell*.
Cast:
Allison Collier (Medford), Monica Courtney (Stoneham), Natalie Daniels (Stoneham), Dalilah Degen-Portnoy (Stoneham), Jacob DeGuzman (Stoneham), Nicholas Doucette (Melrose), Michela Fleming (Stoneham), Francesca Foti (Stoneham), Mia Gage (Methuen), Molly Geaney (Lynn), Gracie Goddard (Woburn), Tarvis Hintlian (Winchester), Claire Kiewra (Winchester), Anastasia Kranz (Winchester), Jennifer Lerman (Stoneham), Casey Moriarty (Stoneham), Brooke O'Keefe (Stoneham), Joseph Pizzano (Stoneham), Edmund Pizzano (Stoneham), Joshua Ramirez (North Reading), Katie Roeder (Malden), Antonia Rosati (Medford), Lucy Russell (Reading), Isabella Saracco (Melrose), Michael Saracco (Melrose), Michael Sticca (Stoneham), Nicole Valliant (Stoneham), Andrew Vontzalides (North Reading), & Rachel Walsh (North Andover).
Synopsis:
In this rip-roaring stage version of the popular MGM movie, Millie is a young bride living in the 1850s Oregon wilderness whose plan to civilize and marry off her six rowdy brothers-in-law to ensure the success of her own marriage backfires when the brothers, in their enthusiasm, kidnap six women from a neighboring town to be their brides.

Annie, Get Your Gun!
[Act 1 & Act 2 Musical]
Friday, August 6, 7:00 pm;
Saturday, August 7, 3:00 pm;
Sunday, August 8, 3:00pm
Directed by Andrew Barbato* and choreographed by Bradley Jensen*.
Cast:
Bernie Baldassaro (Peabody), Bianca Baldassaro (Peabody), Nicole Barry (Wilmington), Eliza Batty (Winchester), Paige Bromander (Stoneham), Renee Carraggi (Saugus), Catherine Cray (Melrose), Miranda Degen-Portnoy (Stoneham), CJ DiOrio (Wilmington), Phillip Dragone (Stoneham), Ellis Gage (Methuen), Melissa Gilson (Stoneham), Molly Goddard (Woburn), Oriel Hiser (Lexington), Jessica Horwitz (Winchester), Nicolina Jackson (Stoneham), Catrina Johnston (Stoneham), BriAnna Johnston (Stoneham), Cassi Kacoyannakis (Stoneham), Lily Kiewra (Winchester), Cameron Lemay (Stoneham), Madeline Liakos (Wakefield), Jakob Michaels (Stoneham), IsaBelle Miller (Melrose), Riley Moriarty (Stoneham), Emily Pinto (Stoneham), Andrew Sack (Reading), Taylor Schon (Stoneham), Olivia Scioletti (Melrose), Julia Talbot (Melrose), Joanna Tarlach (Stoneham), Julia Techler (West Newton), Oonagh White-Spunner (Stoneham), & Rebecca Zama (Melrose).
Synopsis:
A Wild West show-within-a-show framed by the ageless "Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better" - a love story of sharpshooters Annie Oakley and Frank Butler. The show features hit after hit like "There's No Business Like Show Business" and "You Can't Get a Man with Gun." Jensen and Barbato most recently teamed up on last summer's Oliver! with the young company.

Footloose
[Act 2 Musical]
Thursday, August 5, 7:00pm;
Saturday, August 7, 7:00pm;
Sunday, August 8 7:00pm
Directed by Anika-Seidman-Gati*; choreographed by Laura Graczyk*; musical direction by John Howrey.
Cast:
Alyssa Bene (Danvers), Emma Blumsack (North Andover), Alexis Bromander (Stoneham), Autumn Brown (Methuen), Dorie Campbell (Stoneham), Jake Coffey (Winchester), Bryan Conry (North Reading), Stephanie Cresta (North Reading), Chris DePalma (Stoneham), Steven Doucette (Melrose), Emily Edwards (Stoneham), Joe Ferri (North Reading), Jill Harrison (Melrose), Benjamin Hull (Billerica), Victoria Isotti (Melrose), Justin Katz (Stoneham), Becca Kranz (Winchester), Lexa Leadbetter (Winchester), Rebecca Lerman (Stoneham), Olivia Lombardo (Stoneham), Lindsey Moran (Billerica), Claudia Namaroff (Wenham), Lexi Orphanos (Lynnfield), Rachel Peterson (Stoneham), Chadam Pires (Medford), Francesca Rizzo (Melrose), Stefanie Sack (Reading), Sydney Soucy (Melrose), Natessa Storm (Melrose), Molly Sullivan (Melrose), & Megan Wholley (Melrose).
Synopsis:
Exploding on to the stage with classic 80s anthems like "Holding Out for Hero", "Almost Paradise" and "Let's Hear it for the Boy" is this dance- packed musical. Life in small-town Bomont is peaceful until city slicker, Ren, arrives. Breaking every taboo, Ren brings dance back to the heart of a small town held back by the memory of a tragedy.

columbinus
[Act 3 Play]
Thursday, August 12, 8:00 pm;
Saturday, August 14, 5:00 pm;
Sunday, August 15, 8:00 pm
Directed by Weylin Symes.
Cast:
Tyler Hrynyszyn (Melrose), Alex Leaden (Wilmington), Devin McCall (Melrose), Olivia Miller (Melrose), Brianna Moran (Reading), Tyler Rosati (Medford), Jeff Siegel (Stoneham), & Gwen Squires (Melrose).
Synopsis:
Sparked by the April 1999 events at Columbine High School in Littleton, CO, this play is a blend of fact and fiction that illuminates the realities of adolescent culture by exploring the events surrounding the shootings. The play weaves together excerpts from discussions with parents, survivors and community leaders in Littleton as well as police evidence to bring to light the dark recesses of American adolescence.
Play contains adult language and situations.

Crazy For You
[Act 3 Musical]
Friday, August 13, 8:00 pm;
Saturday, August 14, 2:00 pm;
Sunday, August 15, 2:00 pm
Directed and choreographed by Chris Carcione,
Cast:
Taylor Aspeslagh (North Reading), Nicole Cerullo (Stoneham), Alexandria Cunha (Melrose), Emma Feinberg (Lexington), Julianne Ferguson (Stoneham), Gabrielle Fox (Melrose), Mary-Ling Gregory (Wakefield), Jennifer Hui (North Reading), Kristen Jennings (Wakefield), Adele Leikauskas (Stoneham), KerriAnn MacDonald (Woburn), Alicia McCormick (Melrose), Angelo McDonough (Stoneham), Shaelyn McGrory (Reading), Zoey Michaels (Stoneham), Nick Preziosi (Stoneham), Gabrielle Ramirez (North Reading), Rebecca Reynolds (Peabody), Sarah Ried (Melrose), Sarah Smith (Winchester), Sophie Sparrow (Winchester), Julie Webb (Wakefield), Ted Wiesen (Melrose), & Kristina Woolf (Melrose).
Synopsis:
Bobby Childs, Manhattan playboy and heir to a banking fortune is sent to close a theatre in Deadrock, Nevada. Once there, he falls in love with the owner's daughter. This tap-happy Gershwin musical won the 1992 Tony award and features beloved songs like "Someone to Watch Over Me" and "Nice Work if You Can Get It". Chris Carcione most recently directed Les Miserables and Sweeney Todd for the young company.

Bat Boy: The Musical
[Act 3 Musical]
Friday, August 13, 5:00 pm;
Saturday, August 14, 8:00 pm;
Sunday, August 15, 5:00 pm
Directed by Josiah George.
Cast:
Kyle Arrington (Stoneham), Nadia Barker (Reading), Daniel Begin (Medford), Samantha Cunha (Melrose), Raquel Doucette (Melrose), Ashlyn Edwards (Stoneham), Anne Harney (Stoneham), Steven Holevas (North Reading), Bill Jenkins (Stoneham), Rachel Lerman (Stoneham), Clara Logan (Melrose), Alyssa LoGrasso (Stoneham), Melissa Morris (Melrose), Amanda Rosa (Melrose), Kathryn Skeldon (Wakefield), & David Travis (Melrose).
Synopsis:
This musical comedy horror tells the tale of a half-boy/half-bat who is discovered in the caves of West Virginia. He is brought to the home of the town veterinarian, Dr. Parker, where he is taught to act like a "normal" by the vet's wife and daughter. But when the Bat Boy tries to fit in with the narrow minded people of the town, his newly built life begins to crumble in this darkly comic fable!

Background information:

Stoneham Theatre is located at 395 Main Street, Stoneham, MA 01890, in the center of town and close to several exits off of Routes 93 and 95. More information regarding Season 11 can be obtained by calling the Stoneham Theatre Box Office at (781) 279-2200, open Tuesday through Saturday 1-6 pm, or online at www.stonehamtheatre.org.

Stoneham Theatre, a professional non-profit theatre, produces a rich mix of high quality work that appeals to the diverse tastes and interests of the region, provides year-round comprehensive arts education for young people, and offers everyone the opportunity to examine the world through the experience of live theatre.

Through the creation of inspiring live theatre, the young company at Stoneham Theatre develops life skills of confidence, self-discipline and collaboration, preparing individuals for future success. Theatre professionals teach diverse year-round programs for students grades 1 through 12, in an inclusive professional theatre environment.

As a nonprofit performing arts organization, Stoneham Theatre depends on the support of individuals and organizations to fulfill its mission of providing quality, affordable and accessible performing arts and educational opportunities to our communities.

Currently running at Stoneham Theatre:
"Always ... Patsy Cline"; created by Ted Swindley and starring Becky Barta.
Runs July 8-25, 2010.
For details, www.stonehamtheatre.org/patsycline09.html

Stoneham Theatre is also home to the Atelier Gallery, a satellite gallery of the Griffin Museum of Photography, showcasing fine art photography. For more information on the exhibition schedule, log onto www.griffinmuseum.org/exhibitions_atelier.htm. The Atelier Gallery at Stoneham Theatre is open Tuesdays through Saturdays, 1-6 p.m., and one hour before each theater performance. The gallery can be accessed through the theatre's lobby; free and open to all.

Weylin Symes serves as the Stoneham Theatre's Producing Artistic Director. www.stonehamtheatre.org