Olney Theatre Institute Presents FOREVER PLAID, Now thru 9/15

Don't let this summer end without seeing "America's Favorite Original Boy Band"! Olney Theatre Institute presents a limited return engagement of Forever Plaid today, August 24 through September 15 on Olney Theatre Center's Historic Stage.

You only have one chance to make a first impression. Unfortunately for The Plaids, who tragically died on their way to their debut gig in 1964, that shot at stardom would have to wait! A smash hit when it debuted in 1990, Forever Plaid has been delighting audiences around the world ever since. You'll be dancing in the aisles as you follow Sparky, Jinx, Smudge and Frankie on their final chance at musical glory with songs including "Three Coins in the Fountain", "Heart and Soul," and "Love is a Many-Splendored Thing."

"The Plaids" include Olney Theatre Center veterans: Austin Colby (Cinderella, Spring Awakening), David Landstrom (Spring Awakening), and Chris Rudy (Spring Awakening), as well as Olney newcomer Brandon Duncan.

In addition to his work with Olney, local audiences will know Mr. Colby from his performances in Signature Theatre's productions of Spin and Lost Songs of Broadway. He has recently performed at Toby's Dinner Theatre as Link in Hairspray and Warner in Legally Blonde. Mr. Duncan just finished working on a new musical with Carleton Carpenter in Vermont, and has performed in Picasso at the Lapin Agile, Kiss Me, Kate, Oklahoma!, and Arcadia among others.

Recently, Mr. Landstrom appeared in Studio Theatre's production of The Rocky Horror Show. He has also worked with Imagination Stage, Factory 449, Steel River Playhouse, Source Theatre, and Washington Savoyards. Mr. Rudy has appeared in a number of Toby's Dinner Theatre productions includingThe Sound of Music, Grease, and Chicago. He was also in the ensemble for Studio Theatre's production of The Rocky Horror Show.

At the helm of Forever Plaid is director/choreographer Bobby Smith. Mr. Smith directed the hit musicals Grease and Cinderella for Olney Theatre Center's 2011 and 2012 seasons.

Forever Plaid, written and originally directed and choreographed by Stuart Ross, with musical continuity supervision and arrangements by James Raitt, will run at Olney Theatre Institute with Director/Choreographer Bobby Smith and Musical Direction by Joel DeCandido, August 24 - September 15, 2013.

Performances are today, August 24, August 31 and September 14 at 1:30pm and 7:00 pm; Sunday, August 25 at 1:30pm and 7:00pm; Sunday September 1 and 15 at 1:30pm; Thursday, August 29 and September 12 at 7:00pm; Friday, August 30, and September 13 at 7:00pm. Tickets are $25-$35. Discounts available for groups, seniors, military, and students.

Bobby Smith (Director/Choreographer) Broadway: Crazy for You. Off-Broadway: Forever Plaid (original cast), Kander and Ebb's The World Goes 'Round, and the revival of George Gershwin's Of Thee I Sing. National tours include Brigadoon and The World Goes 'Round. DC Area: Studio Theatre: A Class Act [Helen Hayes Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Resident Musical], The Long Christmas Ride Home, Caroline or Change, Grey Gardens; Studio 2ndStage: Reefer Madness, [Helen Hayes Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Resident Musical], Jerry Springer: The Opera; Ford's Theatre: Elmer Gantry, LiberTy Smith, 1776; Round House Theatre: A Year with Frog and Toad [Helen Hayes Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Resident Musical]; MetroStage: Girl in a Goldfish Bowl, Musical of Musicals [Helen Hayes Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Resident Musical], Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris[Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Resident Musical]. The Kennedy Center: The Happy Prince, The Flea and the Professor; Signature Theatre: See What I Wanna See, Showboat, Company. Olney Theatre Center: The Sound of Music (Max Detweiler) [Helen Hayes Award Nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor], Grease (Director), Annie (Rooster Hannigan) [Helen Hayes Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Resident Musical], Forever Plaid (Director). He has performed with The National Symphony Orchestra; The Richmond Symphony under the direction of George Manahan, The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Jack Everly Conductor and can be heard on recordings of Ben Bagley's Rodgers and Hart Revisited and Resnois' Gershwin. He directed and choreographed for colleges and regional theaters across the nation including Alley Theatre, Denver Center, Philadelphia Theatre Company, Seaside Music Theatre, Wayside Theatre.

Joel DeCandido (Music Director) DC Area: Twelfth Night (Folger Theatre); Joseph.. Dreamcoat (Toby's Dinner Theatre); Fiddler on the Roof (Summer Dinner Theatre). Music Direction/Piano: Sing Down the Moon (Atlas Theatre); Pippin (Imagination Stage); Nine (Catholic University of America). Education: BM, Musical Theatre, Catholic University of America.

Jeanne Bland (Costume Coordinator) toured extensively from 1982-2001 as a Wardrobe Supervisor for over 50 shows around the nation. Highlights include Can-Can with Chita Rivera, Ron Holgate and The Radio City Rockettes and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat with Deborah Gibson, Patrick Cassidy and The Osmonds Second Generation. Jeanne spent five years as Costumiers/Costume Shop Manager with Phoenix Entertainment before joining the Olney staff as Costume Shop Manager in 2006. ( ... and yes, I did wash The Jacksons' -as in Michael and brothers- underwear in my washing machine!)

HannaH Jean Crowell (Original Production Scenic Designer) designed the original production of Forever Plaid at Olney Theatre Institute in 2010. Other Scenic Design work with Olney include the set for National Players Tour 62 productions of A Midsummer Nights Dream and Scarlet Letter, Tree Boy andAin't Misbehavin'. Other scenic design credits include Locomotion and the 2012 US National Tour of Locomotion (Kennedy Center Theatre for Young Audiences), In Darfur (Theatre J), the US National Tour remount design for Nobody's Perfect (Kennedy Center Theatre for Young Audiences), If You Give A Cat A Cupcake, Spot's Birthday Party, Holes and If You Give A Mouse A Cookie (Adventure Theatre), The Receptionist (Studio 2nd Stage),Kafka's Dick and House of Yes (Washington Shakespeare Company) and associate scene design work on Black Peart Sings (Fords Theatre), and Shalom Aleichem: Laughter Through Tears(Theatre J). Recent projects include Art Direction for the music video for Human Cannonball by The David Mayfield Parade directed by Austin Elston of Born Lucky Studios and working as the Exhibition Coordinator for the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts in Boone, NC coordinating, planning, and assisting in the design of 12 exhibitions over the past year. HannaH received her degree from North Carolina School of the Arts.

Max Krembs (Sound Designer) Selected Regional Credits: The Submission (Olney Theatre Center), The Rivals (Illinois Shakespeare Festival), As You Like It (Asso. Sound Designer, Illinois Shakespeare Festival), Othello (Asso. Sound Designer, Illinois Shakespeare Festival), The 39 Steps (Asso. Sound Designer, Heritage Theatre Festival), Recovery (Capital Fringe Festival).

Gary Slootskiy (Lighting Designer) Previous Olney Theatre Center credits include National Players productions of Animal Farm, Romeo and Juliet andThe Odyssey. Other recent designs include Words, Razors and the Wounded Heart (Less Than Rent), Very Very (Gibson Showroom), The Animals (Ars Nova), Mary's Wedding, To Kill a Mockingbird (Bristol VAlley Theatre), and Orpheus in the Underworld (Boston Opera Collaborative). He has assistant designed projects with the Vineyard Theatre, Lincoln Center Theatre, Playwrights Horizons, the Public, NYTW, Second Stage and Roundabout.

Ben Walsh (Stage Manager) Previous Olney Theatre Center credits include: Little Shop of Horrors, Over the Tavern, Cinderella, Spring Awakening, Neville's Island, and The Submission (ASM). DC AREA: Red Branch Theatre Company: Urinetown: The Musical, Seussical: The Musical, Web of Deceit (SM), The Secret Garden, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (ASM); Victorian Lyric Opera Company: H.M.S. Pinafore (SM); Silhouette Stages: Rutheless! (SM); The Arts Collective @HCC: The Biz, A Funny Thing...Forum (ASM). EDUCATION: BA in Arts Administration from University of Kentucky, AA in Technical Theatre from Howard Community College, James W. Rouse Scholars. Ben is an alumnus of Olney Theatre Center's Apprentice Training Program in Stage Management.

Austin Colby (Frankie) is happy to be back at Olney Theatre Center. Previous Olney Theatre Center credits include: Cinderella (Ensemble/Prince Christopher US) and Spring Awakening (Hanschen/Melchior US). REGIONAL: Cortland Repertory Theatre: Joseph...Dreamcoat (Joseph), White Plains Performing Arts Center: Hair (Claude), Papermill Theatre: On the Town (Gabey), Smokey Joe's Café (Michael), and Altar Boyz (Matthew), DC AREA: Signature Theatre: Spin (Trevor), Lost Songs of Broadway: 1970s Cabaret (Soloist), 21/24: American Musical Voices Project: The Break (Mark Lerner), Toby's Dinner Theatre: Hairspray (Link), Legally Blonde (Warner), ArtsCentric: Delilah (Akron). EDUCATION: BM in vocal music education from James Madison University.

Brandon Duncan (Smudge) is thrilled to be making his Olney debut with such a fun and rewarding show. A native Virginian turned New Yorker, he is currently based in Queens. He just finished working on a new musical with Carleton Carpenter in Vermont and is headed to Nebraska for a touring production of A Christmas Carol over the holidays. Favorite credits include Gaston (Picasso at the Lapin Agile), First Gangster (Kiss Me, Kate), Ali Hakim (Oklahoma!), and Bernard (Arcadia). Thanks to friends and family for their support! Training: BA in musical theatre at James Madison University.

David Landstrom (Sparky) is excited to be back at Olney Theatre Center with Forever Plaid! He was last seen at Olney as Ernst in Spring Awakening.REGIONAL CREDITS: Studio Theatre: The Rocky Horror Show. LOCAL: Imagination Stage: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe; Factory 449: The Ice Child; Steel River Playhouse: La Cage Aux Folles; Montgomery Playhouse: Miracle on 34th Street; Source Theatre: Source Festival; Washing­ton Savoyards: The Music Man. EDUCATION: BA in musical theatre from American University.

Chris Rudy (Jinx) is pleased to be returning for his second production at Olney Theatre Center. His previous credit at Olney Theatre Center was in Spring Awakening (Georg). DC Area: Studio Theatre: The Rocky Horror Show (Ensemble); Toby's Dinner Theatre: The Sound of Music (Rolf), Grease (Doody),Chicago (Mary Sunshine). FILM: The Red Phone, Ghost. EDUCATION: BS in theatre from Towson University. Chris would like to thank Christine, his family and friends for their continued love and support.

Olney Theatre Center, celebrating its 75th Anniversary in 2013, is an award-winning, nonprofit, Equity theatre. Located just north of Washington, D.C. in arts-rich Montgomery County, Maryland, Olney Theatre Center offers a diverse array of professional productions year-round. Olney Theatre Center is situated on 14 acres in the heart of the beautiful Washington-Baltimore-Frederick "triangle," within easy access of all three cities. Olney Theatre Institute is the educational wing of Olney Theatre Center. For more information visit www.olneytheatre.org.

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