Kander & Ebb, Porter, Etc. Part of Westport '07 Season

Westport Country Playhouse has announced the productions for the 2007 season, including two musicals, two comedies, a world premiere drama, a thriller and a love story, from April through October. Artistic director Tazewell Thompson will host a preview of the seven-play subscription series on Tuesday, December 5, 6 p.m., at the Playhouse for current and potential subscribers.

Kicking off the historic theatre's 77th season on April 10 will be the new Kander and Ebb musical, All About Us, based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play, The Skin of Our Teeth by Thornton Wilder, with book by Joseph Stein. "From the talented musical duo, John Kander and Fred Ebb, who wrote the award-winning Broadway shows Cabaret and Chicago, and the legendary Joseph Stein, author of Fiddler on the Roof, comes a new musical with a dazzling profusion of themes, including the importance of family.  A wild, humorous, poignant and emotional journey, All About Us is the story of the bewitched, befuddled and becalmed Antrobus family who have survived a thousand calamities by the skin of their teeth. The musical, playing through April 28, is a tribute to their indestructibility and a testament of faith in humanity," as press notes describe the show.

Souvenir by Stephen Temperley, May 31 through June 16," is a funny and poignant story of the musical career of Florence Foster Jenkins, a wealthy Manhattan society eccentric of the 1930s and '40s. Ms. Jenkins believed herself an Opera Diva of the highest caliber, but she couldn't hit a single note on key.  This true story reveals a remarkable woman whose love and passion for music – when paired with her conviction and drive - catapult her to fame and the realization of her dreams."

Mary's Wedding by Stephen Masicotte, June 21 through July 7, "is a sweet and innocent love story set in 1918 Canada.  Charlie, a young, naive soldier, is about to join a horse regiment on the front lines of World War I.  He leaves behind Mary, who shares his hopes and dreams for a future together.  Ripped apart by the war, the two cling to the memories of their time together.  With wit, beauty and grace, this romantic drama weaves an evocative tale of the frailty of young love and the exhilarating power of dreams to give us reason to live and go on."

Relatively Speaking by Tony Award-winning playwright Alan Ayckbourn, July 12 through July 28, is "a riotous, witty comedy.  An unidentified pair of slippers found under a bed leads to a series of hilarious misunderstandings, mistaken identities and alibis between two young lovers and a middle-aged married couple until no one is certain who's in love with whom."

The world premiere of Sedition by David Wiltse, Westport Country Playhouse's playwright in residence, will be staged August 2 through August 18. "With their country in war, Americans discover their ability, and inability, to voice their opinions. In this true story, a man is forced to stand up in defense of the freedom of speech – and pays the price for his courage. Wiltse's stunning new play questions and demands with razor sharp dialogue – and not without a sense of humor – what it means to be an American patriot."

A world premiere musical revue, Being Alive! - Sondheim Meets Shakespeare, August 23 through September 8, is "conceived and directed by award-winning musical theatre performer Billy Porter. Being Alive! blends the songs of Stephen Sondheim with the poetry of William Shakespeare to tell the universal story of man's seven ages in African American musical idioms including soul, jazz, R&B, hip-hop and gospel."

The Turn of the Screw, adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher from the story by Henry James, October 11 through October 27, is "a chilling thriller about a young, naļve governess who journeys to a lonely English manor house to care for two recently orphaned children of a mysterious man.   Strange apparitions and unexplained occurrences escalate and reveal the house's extraordinary, chilling past."

The performance schedule for the 2007 season will be Tuesday at 8 p.m., Wednesday at 2 and 8 p.m., Thursday and Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 4 and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. 

Special series will feature the popular TalkBack Thursdays and Symposium Sundays. On TalkBack Thursdays, members of the company return to the stage after the performance on the third Thursday evening for a lively discussion with the audience.  The 2007 Sunday Symposia, a series of seven discussions following the Sunday matinee performance during the first week of each production, bring authorities on the themes of the plays to provide the audience with insights on historical and dramatic context.  Other special series are preview performances, opening nights and open-caption performances.

Special events, including music, comedy, films, readings of short fiction and new plays, and a Family Festivities series will be announced at a later date. Westport Country Playhouse is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. 

Subscriptions range from $133.75 to $388 each for 5-play, 6-play and 7-play series.  Subscription benefits include discounted prices and preferred, renewable seating.  All subscription orders will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis. 

Single tickets, on sale beginning March 5, start at $30.

Students and educators are eligible for 50% discounts.  Groups of 10 or more save up to 30% off the regular ticket price.  For group sales information call (203) 227-5137, x120. 

Subscriptions are available by fax or mail, or by visiting the Playhouse. For an order form or for more information, call the box office at (203) 227-4177, or toll-free at 1-888-927-7529, or visit the box office at 25 Powers Court, off Route 1, Westport. Information about the Playhouse is also available at www.westportplayhouse.org.