LUCKY STIFF, MAME and More Slated for Stoneham Theatre's 17th Season

Stoneham Theatre is pleased to announce its Mainstage programming for Season 17. Kicking off the season is the musical murder mystery farce, Lucky Stiff, followed by an exploration of artificial intelligence in the science fiction play Uncanny Valley. Broadway musical Mame, starring Kathy St. George, fills the holiday season and then in February is the epic musical journey Jonah and the Whale, re-imagined from the Old Testament. Next is the rafter-raising musical comedy Altar Boyz, and then the mysterious WWII drama Gabriel. Our Mainstage season concludes with the mouth-watering comedy, I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti.

"This really feels like a kind of greatest hits season of shows we've never done before. It's such a great mix of fun, fresh, exciting plays and musicals. Every one of them feels like something special. We try to pick stories that we think will specifically resonate with our suburban audiences. Audiences often say they want familiar things - shows they've seen before (and we do that with show like Mame) - but in my experience nothing delights audiences more than discovering their new favorite show. As we say, every old favorite was brand new once," shares Producing Artistic Director Weylin Symes.

Memberships are now on sale for Stoneham Theatre's Season 17. All Access, Flex Pass, 6-Show, 4-Show, Senior Matinee and Contributing Memberships are available from $75-$300. For more information or to purchase a Membership, call Stoneham Theatre's Box Office at 781-279-2200, or visit www.stonehamtheatre.org.

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STONEHAM THEATRE'S SEASON 17 MAINSTAGE SHOWS:

LUCKY STIFF
September 8-25, 2016
Book and Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens
Music by Stephen Flaherty
Based on "The Man Who Broke the Bank At Monte Carlo" by Michael Butterworth
First Produced by Playwrights' Horizons Inc. Off-Broadway in 1988
Directed by Caitlin Lowans

MUSICAL MURDER MYSTERY FARCE THAT WILL LEAVE YOU DYING OF LAUGHTER!

When mild-mannered Harry Witherspoon discovers he stands to inherit six million dollars from a recently deceased uncle he never met, there's only one catch: he has to bring his embalmed uncle on a vacation to Monte Carlo. With the speed of a runaway train, Lucky Stiff has adventure, mistaken identity, slapstick, romance, and dogs. If you loved Something's Afoot, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, or Weekend at Bernie's, you won't want to miss this musical comedy.

UNCANNY VALLEY
October 6-23, 2016
By Thomas Gibbons Featuring Nancy E. Carroll*
Directed by Weylin Symes New England Premiere

HOW WILL WE BE REMEMBERED IF WE NEVER LEAVE?

Meet Julian, the robotic product of a life extension laboratory, and Claire, the neuroscientist tasked with teaching him to be human. This mesmerizing examination of the future travels to the ethical heart of humankind's bid to outrace mortality. Filled with moral ambiguity, this taut, smart drama asks how far are we willing to go to forget, while insisting on never being forgotten?

MAME
November 25-December 23, 2016
Book by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee Music and Lyrics by Jerry Herman
Based on the Novel by Patrick Dennis
and the Play AUNTIE MAME by Lawrence and Lee
Starring Kathy St. George* as Mame
Directed and choreographed by Ilyse Robbins

THE "WE NEED A LITTLE CHRISTMAS" MUSICAL

This unforgettable Tony Award-winning classic Broadway musical centers on the irrepressibly eccentric Mame Dennis, who lives a carefree life in 1920s New York until she unexpectedly becomes the guardian to her 10- year-old nephew, Patrick. Rather than change her ways, Mame introduces Patrick to all the wonder of her wild bohemian world while discovering the joy of having a family of her own.

JONAH AND THE WHALE: A NEW MUSICAL
February 23-March 12, 2017
Book by Tyler Mills
Music and Lyrics by David Darrow and Blake Thomas
East Coast Premiere

A MUSICAL FABLE

Join us on an epic musical journey that re-imagines one of the strangest and most familiar stories in the Old Testament. Jonah and the Whale is an unforgettable story of faith, loss, and survival against unbeatable odds. Featuring an exciting ensemble cast and a completely original pop/folk score, this new musical will thrill kids and adults alike.

ALTAR BOYZ
March 23-April 9, 2017
Book by Kevin Del Aguila
Music and Lyrics by Gary Adler and Michael Patrick Walker
Conceived by Marc Kessler and Ken Davenport

SINFULLY SPECTACULAR MUSICAL!

Altar Boyz is a foot-stomping, rafter-raising, musical comedy about a fictitious Christian boy band on the last night of their national 'Raise the Praise' tour. The Boyz are five all-singing, all-dancing heartthrobs from Ohio: Matthew, Mark, Luke, Juan, and Abraham. With their tight harmonies, tight pants, and spectacular choreography, these boyz won't rest until they lift the soul of every single member of the audience.

GABRIEL
April 27-May 14, 2017
by Moira Buffini
New England Premiere

WARTIME INTRIGUE AND ROMANCE

WWII. 1943. Guernsey, UK. 10-year-old Estelle and her family struggle to survive the German occupation of their island and keep hidden the Jewish identity of Estelle's sister-in-law. When they discover a mysterious naked man washed up on the shore who has no memory of who he is and can find no way to determine if he is a Nazi or an ally, the family must decide whether to shelter this lost stranger or turn him over to the authorities.

I LOVED, I LOST, I MADE SPAGHETTI
June 8-June 25, 2017
Adapted by Jacques Lamarre
From the memoir by Giulia Melucci

DISH WITH GIULIA!

For Giulia, an Italian New Yorker trying to navigate life as a single gal, a new date is the perfect opportunity to show off her home cooking. While preparing a three-course dinner from scratch, she recounts stories of good Italian food and bad boyfriends. Her superior cuisine far surpasses her inferior taste in men in this mouth- watering new comedy. Eight audience members at each performance can even purchase seats to join Giulia on stage and be served the dinner she is cooking during the show!

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Now in its 16th Season of live theatre in Stoneham, MA, the mission of Stoneham Theatre is to keep the art of professional theatre and dramatic education thriving in the suburbs. Each season, we produce seven Mainstage shows, present a series of Special Events, and run year-round classes, lessons, and fully staged productions through the young company for students in grades 1-12.