Hale Centre Theatre to Present OVER THE RIVER AND THROUGH THE WOODS, 4/17-5/22

"Love is the tie that binds," so they say, but sometimes family ties are a little too tight for young adults who are trying to leave home and make their way in the world. Hale Centre Theatre's next live theatre offering, Over The River and Through the Woods, explores how two very loud sets of grandparents connive to keep their 29-year old grandson, Nick, from transferring from New Jersey, to a dream job in Seattle. Tickets are on sale now for the uproarious comedy slated to run April 17 through May 22 in West Valley City.

"I would guess that almost every parent or grandparent has faced the bittersweet dilemma of wanting to keep their grown-up offspring close by or letting them fly," said Sally Dietlein, HCT vice president and executive producer. "This Off-Broadway gem, written by renowned playwright Joe DiPietro, features hilariously scheming grandparents who use every trick in the book to keep their grandson in New Jersey - preparing his favorite home-cooked meals and setting him up with the perfect girl."

DiPietro's 1998 off-Broadway comedy, Over the River and Through the Woods, played the John Houseman Theatre for 800 performances over two years. DiPietro, is also known for I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, which ran for twelve years off-Broadway; All Shook Up, which won the 2010 Tony Award for Best Musical; the off-Broadway hit The Toxic Avenger, which won the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Musical; and Memphis, which won the 2010 Tony Award for Best Musical. His book for Nice Work If You Can Get It, was nominated for Tony Awards in 2012, and won the Drama Desk Award for Best Book for a Musical.

Dietlein reported that HCT's unique theatre-in-the-round staging "makes you feel like you're part of the family," as you listen in on the conversations that take place around the Sunday dinner table. "Just like life in your own family, you'll wipe away tears of laughter and sadness while experiencing this tender family story."