Richard Pletcher News

Amish Acres will close after the fireworks finale of the New Year's Eve Celebration and Cabaret which concludes its 50th anniversary year. The founding Pletcher is retiring. The historic farm and heritage resort includes a 400-seat restaurant, 400-seat performing arts theatre, and numerous shops. They are all created from authentic structures moved to the site that include pre-Civil War log buildings and hand-hewn barns. The farm's land and buildings will be sold at auction by Schrader Auction Co. from Columbia City, Indiana. A January date will be announced soon.

A tale as old as time in this Disney classic that tells the tale of an enchanted prince in the shape of a hideous beast and the intelligent woman who enters his life and must learn to love him if the curse is ever to be broken. Join the Beast, Belle, Gaston, Lefou, Lumiere, and friends as they embark on a grand journey filled with adventure, cheer, and learning to love. With the classic songs, a?oeBe Our Guest,a?? a?oeSomething There,a?? and a?oeBeauty and the Beast,a?? this will be a musical experience the whole family can share and enjoy.

The Sunshine Boys tells the story of Al Lewis and Willie Clark, two faded stars of the Vaudeville circuit, once beloved and now mostly forgotten. At their height, Lewis and Clark made multiple appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show and headlined all the major performance venues.

Audiences of all ages will fall in love with Anne in this refreshing, contemporary telling of the classic story. Stern Marilla and her warm-hearted brother Matthew hoped to adopt a boy to work on their farm. But the orphanage sends young, befreckled Anne by mistake and changes their lives forever!  This coming of age

Richard Pletcher, founder of the Amish Acres Arts & Crafts Festival and Jennifer Pletcher Wysong, Marketplace Coordinator are pleased to announce the judges for the 57th Annual Arts & Crafts Festival.

The 57TH annual Amish Acres Arts & Crafts Festival will be held Thursday through Sunday, August 1 - August 4, 2019 on the grounds of Amish Acres, an 80 acre historic Amish farm listed in the National Register of Historic Places. It is one of the longest running festivals dedicated to arts and crafts in the nation.

Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a musical that retells the wonderful, family adventures of Huck Finn and the slave Jim, as they ride the Mississippi! Their shared journey of discovery proves humorous, suspenseful and heartwarming. This is a coming-of-age story about equality, acceptance, standing up for what is right, faith, heart, and freedom.

In the musical "Freaky Friday" the plot's main twist, a mother and a daughter magically switching bodies, is a nightmare for the characters, but a dream come true for the actors! Imagine -- establishing one character then getting to switch with a fellow actor and playing a totally different character.

Sarajane Mullins (Miss Hannigan in 2019's Annie) returns to The Round Barn Theatre as Katherine Blake, an overworked mother on the eve of her wedding day. During one of her frequent arguments with her contrary teenage daughter, Ellie, (played here by Megan Arrington making her RBT debut) the two magically swap bodies. They have just one day to put things right again before Mom's big day. 

Plain and Fancy will begin its 33rd  Anniversary season at The Round Barn Theatre at Amish Acres on Wednesday, May 15th at 8:00.  With over 3,700 performances before more than 355,000 patrons, it has become one of the longest running musicals anywhere.

The award-winning jukebox musical, Life Could Be a Dream, opens the 2019 Round Barn Theatre Season. Meet fledgling doo-wop singing group Denny and the Dreamers as they prepare to enter the Big Wopper Radio contest and realize their dreams of making it to the big time.

The Round Barn Theatre at Amish Acres, Nappanee, Indiana, and Executive Producer Richard Pletcher, Artistic Director Jerry O'Boyle and Managing Artistic Director Ryan Schisler, are seeking resident company members for its nine month 2019 season of rotating repertory theatre Nappanee, Indiana March 9 & 10, 2019.  The ensemble will include dozens of non-union actor/singer/dancers and technical staff.  The 2019 season will include Plain and Fancy, Life Could Be a Dream, Freaky Friday, Big River, Anne of Green Gables, The Sunshine Boys and Beauty and the Beast.

The Round Barn Theatre at Amish Acres, Nappanee, Indiana, and Executive Producer Richard Pletcher, Artistic Director Jerry O'Boyle and Managing Artistic Director Ryan Schisler, are seeking resident company members for its nine month 2019 season of rotating repertory theatre Nappanee, Indiana March 9 & 10, 2019.  The ensemble will include dozens of non-union actor/singer/dancers and technical staff.  The 2019 season will include Plain and Fancy, Life Could Be a Dream, Freaky Friday, Big River, Anne of Green Gables, The Sunshine Boys and Beauty and the Beast.

The Round Barn Theatre first produced "Annie" in 1996, its first year of repertory theatre. Nine year old Sarajane Morse Mullins captured the hearts of that first year's audience as the world's most famous redhead. Now twenty-two years later, Sarajane returns as Miss Hannigan on the same stage she began her professional career. Annie's red dress has been passed to Maddi Reese Ames, the next generation of budding starlets. It promises to be a special homecoming and debut for the two actresses and audiences.

It's the biggest night in the history of the Cleveland Grand Opera Company. World-famous tenor, Tito Merelli, is to perform Pagliacci at the 50th Anniversary season opener.

The Round Barn Theatre at Amish Acres presents the premiere of a new musical, 'The White Buggy,' Book and Lyrics by Frank Ramirez, Music and Lyrics by Steve Engle, Conceived by Richard Pletcher. One Night Only, Monday, September 17, at 8:00 PM. Tickets $15, groups of ten or more $10, special Haystack Dinner $9.95 served 6:00 - 7:00 PM. For reservations and information call the box office at 800-800-4942.

Happy days are here again with Richie, Potsie, Ralph Malph and the unforgettable 'king of cool' Arthur 'The Fonz' Fonzarelli. Based on the hit Paramount Pictures television series, Happy Days-A New Musical reintroduces one of America's best loved families, the Cunninghams- yes, Howard, Marion and Joanie are here too- to a whole new generation of kids and parents. The famed drive-in malt shop and number one hangout, Arnold's, is in danger of demolition. So the gang teams up to save it with a dance contest and a TV-worthy wrestling match. Even Pinky Tuscadero, Fonzie's childhood sweetheart, returns to help and- lo and behold!- they rekindle their old flame.

Richard Pletcher, founder of the Amish Acres Arts & Crafts Festival and Jennifer Pletcher Wysong, Marketplace Coordinator are pleased to announce the judges for the 56th Annual Arts & Crafts Festival.

Barry Manilow's unforgettable hit song is brought to life onstage in this entertaining nightclub spectacle. 'Her name was Lola. She was a showgirl....' So begins this tale of romance and stardom that has captivated audiences across the globe. With sensational originality, Barry Manilow's Copacabana is a show that will leave you breathless.

Jerry O'Boyle, returning Artistic Director, will open the 32nd annual production of "Plain and Fancy" at The Round Barn Theatre at Amish Acres reprising his role playing the part of Jacob Yoder for the first 3 weeks of the May 23rd through October 13th run. O'Boyle has played the family's patriarch and pivotal character over 800 times in the Locke Township Meeting House and on the Joseph Stein Stage. He has been associated with the flagship production for the last three decades. After seven years as Artistic Director, he spent four years on the international tour of the Broadway hit "Hairspray" playing Edna Turnblad the frazzled mother of her full of life daughter Tracy. During the four year stint, he once again played the musical's pivotal character over 800 times-200 performances per year.