WAITING FOR SPRING Set for Kitchen Theatre, Now thru 6/17

Veteran Kitchen Theatre artistic collaborators Rachel Lampert & Larry Pressgrove's Waiting for Spring is an expansion of Act 2 of their well-received Comfort Food. The production boasts a cast of Broadway veterans. Opening Night is tonight, June 2nd. It runs for three weeks, closing June 17th, 2012.

It's a snowy day a few days after New Year's Eve 2006, and Estelle is preparing a perfect dinner. It's been three years since Estelle's husband Joe passed away, and every year since, she and her old best friend Stephanie have gotten together on the anniversary to reminisce, laugh and maybe cry a little. But Estelle's vegetable chopping and appetizer arrangements are interrupted when a visitor from the past unexpectedly shows up at her front door. Saul was hoping to see Joe, but instead he meets his widow. Snow piles up outside and stories of the past are revealed inside as Estelle and Saul discover that they both have been waiting for Spring.

"The characters in the play have recently taken some direct hits in their lives. They are both hoping for change, but not quite sure how it will happen or who will help it happen. That's what we started with, and it has been fun to figure out where they end up," says writer Rachel Lampert.

This world premiere musical sports a score from the musical arranger of [title of show] and the recent Now. Here. This., Larry Pressgrove, with book and lyrics from KTC Artistic Director, Rachel Lampert. Directing Waiting for Spring is NYC director and Kitchen Theatre newcomer Barry Kleinbort. Kleinbort has directed and/or written material for Petula Clark, Marvin Hamlisch, Regis Philbin, Penny Fuller, Tony Roberts, Anita Gillette, and many others. Joining Barry from the city and starring are Broadway veterans Carole Schweid* (an original cast member of the Pulitzer Prize winning A Chorus Line, among many other credits) and Mark Zimmerman* (seen in the recent Broadway revival of West Side Story).

Musical direction for Waiting for Spring is by Richard Montgomery. Alexander Woodward is the Set Designer, Tyler Perry is the Lighting Designer, Lesley Greene is the Sound Designer, and Lisa Boquist is the Costume Designer. The Production Stage Manager is LaShawn Keyser. Performances will be at the Kitchen Theatre, located at 417 W. State / Martin Luther King, Jr. Street in downtown Ithaca, NY.