UGLY LIES THE BONE, THE SPITFIRE GRILL, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST and More Set for Penobscot Theatre Company's 2017-18 Season

Penobscot Theatre Company announces its 44th Season, a fresh array of plays of musicals to be staged at the company's historic home, the Bangor Opera House.

The season will kick-off in fabulous fashion just after Labor Day and extend into early July with a surprise seventh show, to be announced at a later date.

"In the spirit of our exciting holiday production, Beauty and the Beast, we invite area residents and visitors to be our guest," said Producing Artistic Director Bari Newport. "Join our growing family of subscribers and experience the beauty and the magic of theatre all year long!"

With packages starting at $115 per adult ($65/student), the full subscription series includes:

The Fabulous Lipitones by John Markus and Mark St. Germain (September 7-24, 2017) is an a cappella musical comedy that offers a timely reminder of the many paths to perfect harmony. A MAINE PREMIERE

Misery by William Goldman (October 12-November 5, 2017) is a faithful adaptation of Stephen King's chilling thriller involving romance novelist Paul Sheldon and his "Number One Fan." A MAINE PREMIERE

Escanaba in da Moonlight by Jeff Daniels (February 1-18, 2018) is a hunting story to beat all hunting stories, rowdy and ribald with a shimmer of magic. A MAINE PREMIERE

Ugly Lies the Bone by Lindsey Ferrentino (March 15-April 1, 2018) tells the story of a young woman, after three tours in Afghanistan, healing through a pioneering virtual reality therapy. A MAINE PREMIERE

The Spitfire Grill, music and book by James Valcq, lyrics and book by Fred Alley (April 26-May 13, 2018), is a folk musical based on the 1996 film by Lee David Zlotoff about a parolee who finds food for her soul and hope for the future at a rural diner.

Among the most prized benefits of subscription are discounted tickets to PenobscotTheatre Company's special holiday production. This year's offering, running December 7-30, is Disney's Beauty and the Beast, a tale as old as time with delightfully enchanting (and enchanted) characters, unforgettable songs, and lush costumes. The run will include four matinees especially for students and extra matinees for general audiences.

A variety of flexible and affordable subscription packages are available, including three-show subscriptions for those who live elsewhere for a portion of the year, and FlexPasses, four- or six-packs of tickets patrons may use to see what they like when they like. "We understand that people are busier than ever these days, so our subscriptions are designed with flexibility in mind," said Executive Director Mary Budd. "Subscribers are always free to exchange their tickets once per production at no charge if something comes up."

Adding to the excitement at Penobscot Theatre Company are plans to replace the audience's seating with new state-of-the-art chairs this summer. "We have been fundraising for months to address the dire condition of our poor seats," said Budd, "and thanks to the generosity of our patrons, it looks like next season's audience will be sitting pretty--and much more comfortably!" Patrons have supported the seat replacement campaign through new seat sponsorships of $350 per seat (or $650 for two). The new seats will feature engraved brass plaques on the armrests recognizing seat sponsors. Limited opportunities to participate remain.

For more information about the 2017-2018 season and the seat campaign, please call the box office at 207-942-3333. The new season will be on sale to the general public starting April 10 for purchase through the box office or online at www.penobscottheatre.org/box-office/subscribe.

Penobscot Theatre Company is America's Northeastern-most professional, year round theatre company, owners of the historic Bangor Opera House,a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, producing a wide variety of plays and musicals each season. For a complete list of show times, pricing and more information about the season visit www.penobscottheatre.org.