Aspen Theatre Opens Season With AVENUE Q Tonight, 6/25

Theatre Aspen begins its 29th summer season with the Tony Award-winning musical comedy Avenue Q tonight, June 25th, followed by the musical How I Became a Pirate, based on the beloved children's book by Melinda Long (July 10th – Aug 18th) and the film noir thriller The 39 Steps (July 25th – Aug 18th).

Artistic Director Paige Price said, "This year we really went for variety in our programming – from the saucy Avenue Q to the sweet How I Became a Pirate. The 39 Steps has been a hit everywhere it's played and I think it's a perfect show for our summer audience. It's both silly and smart and we have an expert cast to put it over."

Avenue Q, with music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx and a book by Jeff Whitty, will star Jeffrey Correia, Julie Kavanagh, Erin Maguire, Ben Liebert, Regina Fernandez, Bradley Beahen and Danielle K Thomas. Recent Carbonell Award winner Mark Martino will direct and choreograph.

TA will also offer the family musical How I Became a Pirate (book, music and lyrics by Janet Yates Vogt & Mark Friedman), directed by Marjorie Mae Treger, returning to TA for her third season on the heels of last year's successful production of Annie. The musical features Danielle Erickson, Tom Erickson, Rodney Lizcano, Tatum Shane, Peggy Wilkie, Thadd Krueger, Kyle Dean Steffen and Jeffrey B. Duncan as "Braid Beard."

The 39 Steps, adapted by Patrick Barlow, from the novel by John Buchan, stars David Hess (Annie Get Your Gun, SweeneyTodd) and Joan Hess (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Mamma Mia), with Patrick Richwood (Pretty Woman) and Bjorn Johnson as the clowns. David Hess will direct.

The 2012 design team includes Reuben Lucas and R. Thomas Ward (sets), Paul Black and Colin Riebel (lighting), Kevin Brainerd (costumes), David Thomas (sound). Production Stage Manager is Vernon Willet.

Theatre Aspen was awarded the "Outstanding Regional Theatre" Henry Award in Denver in 2009 and Alison Luff (Ghost) won a Best Supporting Actress Denver Post Ovation Award for her work as Olive in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Recent Ovation nominees included Joan Hess, Beth Malone, Aaron Rhyne, Julia Foran and Sandy Duncan.

Productions take place in the new Hurst Theatre in Rio Grande Park and will be underwritten by season sponsor ANB Bank, with the generous support of Premier Health Alliance, The City of Aspen, Hays Private Client, Soledad and Bob Hurst, Mandy Gray and Randy Work, Dan and Maureen Holman, The Aspen Club and Spa and Les Dames d'Aspen.

Theatre Aspen School summer classes and theatre workshops are underway, and registration is open for July and August programming
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For further information contact Theatre Aspen at 970-925-9313 x200. www.theatreaspen.org