The Cape Playhouse Opens
80th Anniversary Season June 19th!
"Moonlight and Magnolias," "The Rink," "Guys and Dolls,"
"The Beard of Avon," "Pete 'n Keely" and "Sylvia"
Early casting includes:
Linda Dano, George Dvorsky, Jason Graae, Liz Larson, Sally Mayes,
Janet Metz, Brad Oscar, Colleen Quinlan and Leslie Uggams
America’s longest running professional summer theatre, The Cape Playhouse will celebrate its 80th Anniversary Season starting June 19th and will feature six main-stage productions with performances slated through September 9th. Under the artistic direction of Evans Haile, the summer season will celebrate theatre---“from backstage to center stage!” and will kick off with the recent Off-Broadway hit play “Moonlight and Magnolias,” the hilarious backstage peek about the making of the legendary film “Gone with the Wind.”
Set in Hollywood in 1939 and inspired by real events, “Moonlight and Magnolias,” is a behind-the-scenes account of the frenetic collaboration between film producer David O. Selznick, director Victor Fleming and screenwriter Ben Hecht as, in a mere five days, they struggle to write the screenplay for “Gone With the Wind.” With performances set to begin on June 19th, the play will star Brad Oscar direct from his starring role in Broadway’s “The Producers” and is written by Ron Hutchinson and directed by James Brennan. (June 19th through July 1st)
From one of Broadway’s most celebrated musical teams –John Kander and Fred Ebb, “The Rink” with a book by Terrance McNally, follows up on July 3rd filled with show stopping songs like “Colored Lights” and “We Can Make It.” This newly revised version about a mother who is reunited with her grown-up daughter will star the incomparable Leslie Uggams in her Cape Playhouse debut. “The Rink” will be directed by Michael Unger, choreographed by Jennifer Lee and Andrew Gerle will serve as musical director. (July 3rd through 15th)
The season continues with what has been called the greatest of all great Broadway musicals “Guy and Dolls,” with an immortal score by Frank Loesser and a timeless book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. Damon Runyon’s mythical group of saints and sinners come to life when they sing and dance from floating crap games in Times Square to the chic cafes of Havana. Tony Award-winner Liz Larson and Broadway regular Jason Graae will be top cast and the production will be directed by Mark Martino and choreographed by John McGinnis. (July 17th through 29th)
From a totally sold-out run last season in New York, Amy Freed’s jocular comedy “The Beard of Avon” begins July 31st and explores the “who-wrote-Shakespeare's-plays debate”--- one of Shakespeare’s more learned contemporaries? An earl? A scholar? Another playwright entirely? You don't have to be a Shakespeare aficionado to appreciate the fun and the genius in the comedy about the authorship of 37 plays, whoever is responsible! The New England premier is directed by Russell Treyz. (July 31st through August 12th)
The musical cocktail “Pete ‘N’ Keely” turns back the clock to 1968 and invites audiences starting August 14th, to tune in, as America's swingin' sweethearts - Pete Bartel and Keely Stevens - reunite for a live television special re-living their illustrious musical career on TV. With glamorously designed costumes by Bob Mackie, “Pete 'n' Keely” stars Tony-nominee Sally Mayes and Cape favorite George Dvorsky as the singing duo who find themselves back on the rollercoaster that got them where they are today...divorced! This production reunites the cast for the first time since their hit Off Broadway engagement! Written by James Hindman and directed by Mark Martino. (August 14th through 26th)
The season concludes with “Sylvia,” a clever canine fantasy about mid-life crisis by one of the Playhouse’s favorite playwrights A. R Gurney. Directed by Pamela Hunt and starring Linda Dano and Colleen Quinlan, the plot unleashes a tale about an upper eastside couple who open their hearts to a flirtatious stray mutt whose collar identifies her as "Sylvia." The non-stop laughter ensues because Sylvia is portrayed not by a dog but by a vivacious young woman! (August 28th through September 9th)
For eighty years, the legendary Cape Playhouse has been bringing Broadway actors and creative talent to Cape Cod. Often referred to as the “Birthplace of the Stars”, the Cape Playhouse has attracted a long litany of famous actors since its inception in 1927. The list reads like a veritable ‘who’s who’ of stage and screen. Over the years, the Cape Playhouse has gained a reputation for producing quality, professional entertainment and each year thousands continue to enjoy superb shows at “America’s Oldest Professional Summer Theatre.”
On summer mornings, the Cape Cod Center for the Arts presents Children’s Theatre on the stage of the Cape Playhouse and is a terrific way to introduce young people to joys of live theatre. From July 6 through August 25, 2006, the Children’s Theatre, will present performances on Thursday and Friday mornings in July, and Friday mornings in August. Performances are 9:30 and 11:30 AM with different performers each week. Tickets are $8 and $7; group discounts (15+ persons) are available.
For more information and box office phone toll free—877-385-3911; locally 508-385-3911 or visit the theatre’s website at www.capeplayhouse.com. The Cape Playhouse 820 Main Street, Route 6A, Dennis, Massachusetts. Box office opens on May 1st for individual ticket sales. Gift certificates and subscriptions are always available. Performances are Monday through Saturday at 8PM with matinees on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Tickets are $45 to $25; group discounts (20+ persons) are available for non-musicals.
# # #
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Board of the Raymond Moore Foundation is pleased to announce that the Center Stage Café is open for the 2006 season. The restaurant management has been passed from Victoria Scaltsas and Patricia Regan of Pavian, Inc. to Mark and Kelley Bartle of Crucian Confusions, Inc. After several successful seasons, Vicky and Tricia are moving on to other ventures, paving the way for Mark and Kelley to step in. Mark and Kelley say they are “excited to add our personal flair and experience to an already flourishing business”. Mark and Kelley are hands-on partners. Mark is the executive chef, while Kelley manages the front of the house. Their plan is for continued first class food and service presented at moderate prices in a relaxed atmosphere, all coupled with a large variety, which is what, they feel, keeps the Cape Playhouse’s patrons as well as Cape Cod residents and visitors coming back.
Crucian-born Chef Mark W. Bartle has spent the 20 years of his career in kitchens throughout New England and on St. Croix. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, he spent the years after being graduated working in seashore communities in New Hampshire and Connecticut. On the Shoreline of Connecticut, as the Executive Chef of the Waters Edge Inn and Resort he led his young culinary team to a silver medal in the ACF culinary Competition while maintaining the highest food service standards in this very large a la carte and Banquet resort operation. Moving to St. Croix in the mid-90’s he took over the food service operations at the Buccaneer Hotel and Beach Resort, one of Conde Nast’s top fifty tropical resorts. Four and a half years later came the opportunity to purchase a newly opened restaurant with his fiancé. They brought in another couple to round out the operation and for the past 6 years at RumRunners he has applied classic techniques to the local ingredients of the Virgin Islands, and beyond, to produce the Award Winning Cuisine found at the waterfront eatery. Chef Bartle has been twice voted Best Chef on St. Croix in the yearly Best of the VI readers’ poll.
Cape Code native Kelley Keefe Bartle began her career in restaurants at the age of 15. Kelley is a graduate from the University of Connecticut, Storrs, where she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management. After graduation she moved to St. Croix and became the Special Events Coordinator and Assistant Food and Beverage Manager at the Buccaneer Hotel. She left the Buccaneer to become the General Manger of RumRunners Restaurant for one year before becoming a co-owner. Kelley is versed in all front-of-the house operations as well as bookkeeping and money management.
Center Stage Café
Cape Cod Center for the Arts
36 Hope Lane
Dennis, MA 02638
Phone: 508-385-7737
###
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~