HAIRSPRAY to Launch 2017 Theatre Aspen Season

Theatre Aspen announced the lineup for its 34th season today. The Hurst Theatre opens with the Tony Award-winning musical HAIRSPRAY, running in repertory with Laura Eason's popular play Sex with Strangers, and a new version of the musical The World According to Snoopy. The organization also announced the return of the Aspen Theatre Festival for new work at the end of August.

Carbonell Award winner and Theatre Aspen favorite Mark Martino will direct and choreograph Hairspray. With a book by Tom Meehan and Mark O'Donnell and music and lyrics by Marc Shaimanand Scott Wittman, the musical will run in repertory through August 19th. Hairspray won eight Tony Awards and featured Harvey Fierstein in the role of Edna Turnblad.

The season also features Sex with Strangers, by Laura Eason, directed by Denver-based Christy Montour-Larson, whose work has been recognized with multiple awards and honors from the Colorado Theatre Guild Henry Awards, The Denver Post Ovation Awards, Marlowe Awards, Denver Examiner Awards and True West Awards.

The Theatre for Young Audience series opens in July with the new(ish) musical The World According to Snoopy, based on the comic strip "PEANUTS" by Charles M. Schulz (lyrics by Hal Hackady and music by Larry Grossman). The show is based on a revised book by Kaitlin Hopkins, Adam Cates and Larry Grossman. Hopkins directs, with choreography by Adam Cates. The musical will play weekends from July through mid-August.

Theatre Aspen's 3rd annual Aspen Theatre Festival continues this year, featuring new plays and musicals being developed for the stage. The festival lineup and schedule will be announced in the spring.

All productions take place in the Hurst Theatre in Rio Grande Park. Passes and tickets will be available for purchase early in 2017.

For further information contact Theatre Aspen at 970-925-9313 or visit www.theatreaspen.org.