The Forestburgh Theatre Arts Center at the Forestburgh Playhouse announced today that it will open its Main Stage 2011 season with the original musical IDAHO!, winner of the Best of Fest Audience Prize at the New York Musical Theater Festival in 2008. Starring Austin Miller ("Grease: You're The One That I Want"), Jessica Hershberg (Little House on the Prairie), and Paul Vogt (Broadway's Hairspray, "MadTV"), the original musical, with a book and lyrics by Buddy Sheffield and music by Sheffield and Keith Thompson will run at the Forestburgh Playhouse from June 1st through 12th. IDAHO! will be directed by Matt Lenz (Associate Director of Broadway's Hairspray and Catch Me If You Can).
Tater country is turned spud-side-up when a mail-order bride comes to town and falls in love with the wrong man. Born (out of wedlock) from the golden age of musical comedy comes a new love story...a twisted tale of wife stealin', spud peelin' and double dealin' at a time when men were men and Aunt Pearlie carried the shotgun. Oklahoma! meets Spamalot in IDAHO!, a new musical comedy - with the accent on comedy.
"I think my love of theatre, especially the musicals of the ‘Golden Age,' is what really shines through in IDAHO!," said Sheffield. "Sure, I make a lot of jokes at the theatre's expense, but at the root of it, IDAHO! is a love letter to the great musicals, the great composers and anyone else who ever did a hitch kick, belted a high C, painted a flat, manned a dimmer board, sewed a bustle - or anything else - that helped to bring a big, lusty, story-driven musical to the stage."Joining Miller, Hershberg, and Vogt on stage in IDAHO! is a cast of 16 including Belinda Allyn, Austin Babin, Romelda Teron Benjamin, Grace Flaherty, Meggan Herod, Alle-Faye Monka, Susan Mosher, Max Nussbaum, Elliot O'Rourke-Peterson, Zoe Raphael, Jay Rogers, Dustin Smith and Will Taylor. Choreography is by Michele Lynch (Everday Rapture, The Coast of Utopia), with set design by Michael Carnahan (The Marvelous Wonderettes), costume design by David Withrow (Perez Hilton Saves the Universe), and sound design by Lewis Mead (Urinetown).
The Forestburgh Playhouse is currently in its 65th year, making it the oldest professional summer theatre in New York state. For the past 20 years, Norman Duttweiler has served as Managing Director.IDAHO! marks the very first time the Forestburgh Theatre Arts Center at the Forestburgh Playhouse is presenting a brand new, original musical as part of its summer season."We've never done anything like this at The Playhouse before - that is, present a new musical, something that has not already been a hit on Broadway," said Duttweiler. "But IDAHO! is just irresistible and so very funny, and I think it will particularly appeal to our patrons who love classic Broadway musicals."Tickets for IDAHO! go on sale May 21st, and are available through the Forestburgh Theatre Arts Center at the Forestburgh Playhouse box office (39 Forestburgh Road, Forestburgh, NY), by phone at 845-794-1194, or by going online at www.FBplayhouse.org. The playing schedule for IDAHO! is as follows: Tuesday through Saturday at 8pm with matinees on Wednesday at 2pm and Sunday at 3pm.
IDAHO! is produced by the Forestburgh Theatre Arts Center at the Forestburgh Playhouse (Norman Duttweiler, Sarah Norris). Richard Winkler, SHARON A. CARR, and Janet Pailet / P2 Creations serve as consulting producers.For more information on the Forestburgh Theatre Arts Center at the Forestburgh Playhouse: http://www.fbplayhouse.org/
