Goodspeed's 2007 Season Brings 'Rain,' 'Shoes' and 1776

Goodspeed Musicals has announced its 44th season of shows, all of which will be presented at the Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, CT.

The season will kick off with a production of Singin' in the Rain, based on the classic MGM movie musical, and running from April 20th through July 1st, 2007.  Set in a Hollywood transitioning from silents to talkies, the musical comedy recounts the romance between swashbuckling silent star Don Lockwood and chorus girl Kathy Selden.  The musical features a book by Betty Comden and Adolf Green (who adapted it from their screenplay), as well as songs by Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown.  Roy Roderick will direct.

The nostalgic 1947 musical High Button Shoes, with a score by Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn and a book by Stephen Longstreet, will be presented from July 13th through September 22nd.  The show--originally directed by George Abbott and choreographed by Jerome Robbins--"is a peek back at the Model T era as the stage bursts with bathing beauties and fraternity brothers, Keystone Kops chasing madcap robbers — and even a dancing gorilla," state Goodspeed notes on the show, which will be directed by Greg Ganakas.  The show's score famously includes "Papa Won't You Dance with Me" and "I Still Get Jealous."

1776, which won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 1969, will play from September 28th through December 2nd.  The musical, with a book by Peter Stone and music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards, is set before the American Revolution, as historical American figures such as John Adams, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson argue in favor of going to war against the English.  Gary Griffin (The Apple Tree, The Color Purple) will direct the musical.

"Goodspeed Musicals was formed in 1959 to restore the 19th century Goodspeed Opera House and reactivate it as a professional theatre in 1963. Under the direction of Michael P. Price since 1968, Goodspeed has achieved international acclaim as the home of musical theatre. Dedicated to the preservation and advancement of musical theatre and the development of new works to add to the repertoire, Goodspeed pioneered the practice of rethinking, restoring and revitalizing America's musical theatre heritage."

The 2007 productions for Goodspeed's Norma Terris Theatre--which houses new works rather than revivals--have not yet been announced.

Visit www.goodspeed.org for more information.