Stoneham Theatre Presents SUNFISH, Closes 2/27

Stoneham Theatre presents Sunfish.  Directed by Caitlin Lowans, with musical direction by John Howrey.  Performances end February 27. Tickets: $38-$44 regular admission; senior discounts apply; all student tickets $20.  Student/senior discount matinees available.  [Special pay-what-you-can Thursday performances: Feb. 10, Feb. 17, & Feb. 24.]  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.

Created by Hyeyoung Kim (music, book) and Michael L. Cooper (lyrics, book), Sunfish's story reveals the plight of a poor, blind man whose devoted daughter Aheh is offered a miraculous cure to restore her father's sight.  But she must go through fantastical lengths for that miracle to occur.  With fearless resolve, Aheh leaves her small village and embarks on a magical adventure which takes her to the bottom of the sea and beyond, facing death then life then death at every turn.  Her journey is beyond belief, but in the world of storytelling - and theater -- anything can and does happen.

Sunfish, a new musical based on one of Korea's most famous folktales "Sim Chung, the Dutiful Daughter (hyo nuy sim chung)," is a story of family - or more specifically, it is a multicultural musical tale which speaks to the power of family, the love that is shared, and the sacrifices that often need to be made no matter the consequences.  Sunfish was selected for the prestigious ASCAP Foundation Musical Theatre Workshop, and has also been work-shopped at Yale University, New York University's "WriteAct" Festival, and the TRU Voices Series.

For Stoneham Theatre's world premiere, Sunfish will feature the following performers: Rocio Valles (as Aheh, a Stoneham Theatre young company graduate and last seen in Stoneham Theatre's Pal Joey); David L. Jiles Jr. (as Father); Vanessa Schukis (as Madame Bang Duk Omi); and storytellers Danny George; Lovely Hoffman; Eve Kagan (last seen in Stoneham Theatre's The Cutting, How Many Miles To Basra, and Gypsy); Austin Ku (also as Monk); Ara Morton (also as King); Matthew Spano (last seen in Stoneham Theatre's Dinosaur Musical and Frog And Toad); and Meredith Stypinski (last seen in Stoneham Theatre's Dinosaur Musical and My Fair Lady).  The accompanying 5-piece band, conducted by musical director John Howrey, will include the following instrumentation: piano, violin, cello, electric bass, and percussion.  The artistic support team for Sunfish is rounded out by Oran Eldor (orchestrator), Christopher Ostrom (scenic & lighting design), Nancy Leary (costume design), Matthew Waldron (puppet design/props), and John Stone (sound design).

The MelRose Cooperative Bank is the sponsor for the three special Pay-What-You-Can Thursdays of Sunfish.