Merry Go-Round Playhouse & Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival Launch Season with SINGIN' IN THE RAIN

The Merry Go-Round Playhouse and Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival kicked off its season on May 29 with "Singin' in the Rain" at the Merry-Go-Round Playhouse in Auburn, N.Y.

"With tap-dance favorites like 'Good Mornin' and' 'Singin' in the Rain,' this show is a great way to open this musical theatre season," said Ed Sayles, producing director of the Merry-Go-Round Playhouse and Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival. "This is the first of a seven-show, 235-performance season and one of many productions opening in rapid succession for an exciting start to the season.

The first four shows are "Singin' in the Rain," when Hollywood makes the leap into the "talkies"; "The Great American Trailer Park Musical," a comedy about a new tenant at Florida's most exclusive trailer park; "Legally Blonde: The Musical," a musical comedy based on the hit movie; and the world premiere of "Neurosis: A New Musical," the story of the lovable loser Frank and his best friend, his very own Neurosis.

June also marks the opening of "The PiTCH," a showcase of 10 new musicals presented in their earliest stages of development. This series invites the audience to participate in the creative process, welcoming audience feedback during and after each performance. "The PiTCH," which features one new production each week, runs from June 13 to Aug. 17 at Theater Mack at the Cayuga Museum.

Tickets are now available including: single-show tickets; "Go, Downtown Passes," which include one ticket to each show at MGR Downtown at Auburn Public Theater and an option to add tickets to The PiTCH; Merry-Go-Round Playhouse subscriptions, which include one ticket to the first four shows at the Merry-Go-Round Playhouse; and Flex Passes, which allow for flexibility in selecting up to seven musicals at any of the three theaters. Group rates and an "early bird/night owl special" are also available. Visitwww.FingerLakesMTF.com/tickets or call 1-800-457-8897 for more information.

Tickets can also be purchased at the new festival box office at 2 E. Genesee St. in Skaneateles, N.Y.

2013 Merry-Go-Round Playhouse and Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival Schedule

Merry-Go-Round Playhouse at Emerson Park

6877 East Lake Road, Auburn, N.Y. 13021

• "Singin' in the Rain" (May 29 to June 19)
• "Legally Blonde: The Musical" (June 26 to July 17)
• "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" (July 24 to Aug. 14)
• "CATS" (Aug. 21 to Sept. 11)
• "Hank Williams: Lost Highway" (Sept. 18 to Oct. 5)

MGR Downtown at Auburn Public Theater

108 Genesee St., Auburn, N.Y. 13021

• "The Great American Trailer Park Musical" (June 6 to July 14)
• "Neurosis: A New Musical" (July 18 to Aug. 10)

Theater Mack at the Cayuga Museum

8 Exchange St. at Genesee Street, Auburn, N.Y. 13021

• "THE PiTCH" (June 13 to Aug. 17)

The Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival, produced by the Merry-Go-Round Playhouse in Auburn, N.Y., is an annual summer-long festival featuring professional musical productions along with new musicals, presented in their earliest stages of development, in a series known as "The PiTCH." The festival offers productions at three different venues just minutes away from each other. As the festival continues to grow in the upcoming years, organizers anticipate the festival to annually draw 150,000 attendees, generate a $30 million boost to the local economy and help create 400 new jobs. For more information on the festival or to purchase tickets, visitwww.FingerLakesMTF.com. Find Merry Go Round Finger Lakes Music Theatre on Facebook or follow FingerLakesMTF on Twitter.

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