'Show Boat' Begins Tonight, 9/23 at NSMT

North Shore Music Theatre (NSMT) has announced that one of the most critically acclaimed musicals of all time, SHOW BOAT, will perform from September 23 to October 12, 2008.  Press Night is scheduled for September 25th at 7:30 pm. This project has been made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts as part of American Masterpieces: Three Centuries of Artistic Genius.

"SHOW BOAT is one of the most influential musicals of the 20th century and is an opportunity for audiences to see an American masterpiece unfold in front of them," said Barry Ivan, NSMT's Artistic Director and Executive Producer. "It contains the best that musical theater has to offer - a great story, moving lyrics, timeless score, and topics that are still relevant in today's society."

With book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and music by Jerome Kern, SHOW BOAT is based on a best-selling 1926 novel by Edna Ferber about life on the Mississippi River. The story, which spans almost 50 years, starts in the 1890s and follows the lives and loves of the troupe that works aboard the Cotton Blossom, one of the many American riverboats that featured traveling shows. The Cotton Blossom is where dashing men and beautiful women go to be entertained, forget their troubles and fall in love, but under the surface there's a darker side of gambling, racial tension and heartache. The unforgettable score includes "Only Make Believe," "Ol' Man River," and "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man."

SHOW BOAT stars several actors familiar to NSMT audiences including Ron Bohmer as Gaylord Ravenal, Philip Lamar Boykin as Joe, Terry Burrell as Julie, Jim Walton as Frank and Teri Dale Hansen as Magnolia.  It also stars Edwin Cahill as Steve, Melinda Cowan as Ellie, James Coyle as Windy, Audrie Neenan as Parthy Ann, Gordon Stanley as Cap'n Andy, and Sharon Wilkins as Queenie.

The cast features Shari Adams (Ensemble), Allison Blackwell (Ensemble/Lady on the Levy), Corey Bradley (Ensemble), Heather Davis (Ensemble), Michelle Dyer (Ensemble), Jenny Florkowski (Ensemble), Regina Gatti (Ensemble), Karl Hudson (Ensemble), James Jackson, Jr. (Ensemble), Ian Laskowski (Ensemble), Christopher Lengerich (Ensemble/Jake), Will Mann (Ensemble), Erica Sweaney (Ensemble/Kim), Jet Thomason (Ensemble/Pete), Patryce Williams (Ensemble), John Williford (Ensemble), Natalie Wisdom (Ensemble/Dance Captain), and Ron Wisniski (Ensemble/Vallon/Jim/Backwoodsman).  Blackwell, Dyer, Florkowski, and Wisniski have also appeared on the NSMT stage before.

The creative team for SHOW BOAT includes Glenn Casale (Director), Ron Gibbs (Choreographer, recreating the Tony® Award-winning choreography of Susan Stroman), Brian Cimmet (Music Director), Evan Bartoletti (Scenic Designer), Marty Vreeland (Lighting Designer), John A. Stone (Sound Designer), Gerard Kelly (Wig & Hair Designer),and  Brent Sawyer (Assistant Musical Director).

Tickets for SHOW BOAT are priced from $77 to $40 with a special Opening Night ticket price of $35 available on Thursday, September 25 only. Senior & Youth Discounts and Rush Tickets are available. Also check out www.nsmt.org for special ticket packages, including "Date Night," "Girl's Night Out" and a new "Dinner Theater Package." Performances are September 23 to August 12, Tue - Thurs at 7:30 pm, Fri & Sat at 8 pm, matinees Wed, Sat and Sun at 2 pm.  For tickets: www.nsmt.org, (978) 232-7200, or in person at 62 Dunham Rd., Beverly.

 

Additional Free Audience Enrichment events: Meet the Theatre:  post-show audience discussion with the artists on September 30 after the 7:30 pm performance and October 11 after the 2 pm performance; Spotlight on History, a free pre-show discussion focusing on historical issues related to the performance (co-presented by the Wenham Museum) on October 5; Out at the North Shore, an evening for the Gay and Lesbian Community with a post-show reception on October 9.

 

Operating since 1955, NSMT has evolved into the largest non-profit producing theater in New England, with approximately 300,000 patrons annually.  NSMT has gained a national and regional reputation for artistic achievement, specifically in the areas of developing new works and providing outstanding theater arts and education programs.  NSMT has received numerous industry awards including The Elliot Norton Award, The Rosetta Le Noire Award from Actors' Equity, and The Moss Hart Award.  NSMT annually produces a six musical subscription series and an acclaimed concert series. With its celebrated Theatre for Young Audiences program, a school touring program, and year-round classes for children, NSMT has become one of the region's leading providers of theater arts and education.

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