Official: LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE to Open at Second Stage in November 2013

Second Stage Theatre (Carole Rothman, Artistic Director) has announced that the new musical comedy, LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, with book and direction by James Lapine and music and lyrics by William Finn, will kick off the theatre's 35th anniversary season this fall. James Lapine and William Finn return to Second Stage Theatre where they most recently collaborated on The 25thAnnual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Previews for LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE begin October 15, 2013 with an official opening in mid- November. Casting, full creative team, and opening night date will be announced at a later date.

On life's twisty road, sometimes you need to pull over and change direction. When the coveted title of "Little Miss Sunshine" is unexpectedly within her reach, young Olive Hoover convinces her family to make the 800 mile trek to the pre-teen pageant of her dreams. Along the way, a series of mishaps threatens to derail the group's quest for the crown, until they realize a young girl's far-fetched goal may actually hold the key to the family's happiness. From the Tony Award-winning team of James Lapine and William Finn comes LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, a new musical comedy about one modern family's unexpected route to brighter days.

"I am thrilled to kick off our 35th Anniversary Season with LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE and to welcome back William Finn and James Lapine, two artists who have significant histories with Second Stage, most recently with our production of their musical, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee," said Carole Rothman, Artistic Director. "It seems appropriate to kick off this landmark season with a musical about optimism and resiliency, two qualities that are crucial for any not-for-profit theatre celebrating its past while also looking to its future. I can't wait to introduce this exuberant, funny, and sophisticated new musical to our audience."

William Finn and James Lapine's previous collaborations include the Tony-winning hits Falsettos and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. William Finn is also the composer of In Trousers, Romance in Hard Times, and A New Brain. James Lapine is the book writer/director of the musicals Sunday in the Park with George, Into the Woods, andPassion, among others.

LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE is based on the film, Little Miss Sunshine, written by Michael Arndt.

For subscription or ticket information, please call the Second Stage Box Office at 212-246-4422 or visit the company's website, www.2ST.com. All performances are staged at Second Stage's Tony Kiser Theatre, 305 West 43rd Street (just west of Eighth Avenue).

4-play subscription tickets are available now and begin at $150. Packages include Nobody Loves You, by Itamar Moses and Gaby Alter as well as Erica Lipez's The Tutors and Joe Kinosian and Kellen Blair's musical Murder for Two, the two productions in Second Stage's acclaimed summer Uptown series and Little Miss Sunshine. Subscription packages may be purchased by phoning 212-246-4422 or online at www.2ST.com.