Flat Rock Playhouse Presents OVER THE RIVER AND THROUGH THE WOODS, Now thru 6/21

The Flat Rock Playhouse 2015 season will continue with the hit comedy Over the River and Through the Woods which will run from tonight, June 4th through the 21st at the Playhouse Downtown in historic Downtown Hendersonville.

The uproarious family comedy tells the story of Nick, a single Italian-American from New Jersey whose parents have retired and moved to Florida, but he still sees both sets of his somewhat overbearing grandparents for every Sunday dinner in Hoboken. When he is offered his dream job in Seattle, his grandparents begin a series of schemes to keep him around, including introducing him to a potential local girlfriend. What ensues is heartwarming hilarity in this comedy about family, faith and food.

From the Tony Award winning Joe DiPietro, the author of I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, All Shook Up and the smash musical Memphis, this long running Off Broadway smash returns to Flat Rock Playhouse for the first time since its box office breaking run in 2001.

Over the River and Through the Woods will be directed by Scott Treadway who starred as Nick in the initial Playhouse production fourteen years ago. Says Treadway, "It was one morning back in 2000, I remember hearing Robin Farquhar laugh out loud. He was sitting in the front room of the Lowndes House reading a play, I walked in and I said, 'Is there a part for me?' Jokingly and he said, 'Oh yeah, this is going to become one of your favorite plays.' And that was exactly what happened. We had Barbara Bradshaw, Peter Thomasson, Michael Edwards and Suzi Bass, God bless her. It was one of those special experiences you never forget."

Longtime Vagabonds Bradshaw and Thomasson will be reprising their roles of Nick's grandparents Emma and Nunzio in this production of Over the River and Through the Woods. Also featured in the cast are Rebecca Koon and Warren Katz as Nick's other set of grandparents Aida and Nick. New York based actor Joshua Marx will make his Flat Rock Playhouse debut as Nick alongside Carly Zien as Caitlin, the "bait" that Nick's grandparents introduce to him to in hopes of keeping him in New Jersey.

As the central theme of Over the River and Through the Woods is family, Treadway and scenic designer Chris Mueller have devised an interesting scenic element that is sure to delight audiences. "I wanted to create an intimate atmosphere that invited the audience to feel like they were a part of this home," says Mueller. "To accomplish this intimacy, we surrounded the space with enlarged photos representing fond family memories. We decided to put a fun spin on this project by asking the Playhouse staff to contribute their own visual experiences to this 3D family album."

"I love this play so much. It's so sweet and hilarious, but also sentimental and just a little heartbreaking," says Treadway. "It's a perfect blend of everything that we love about a good play, how it makes us feel during and for a long time after."

The production staff for Over the River and Through the Woods includes stage manager Connie Silver with lighting designed by CJ Barnwall. Kurt Conway will provide sound direction. Rebecca Conway will design the costumes with Paul Feraldi designing the props.

Over the River and Through the Woods is presented by Flat Rock Playhouse Downtown Series Sponsor Rug & Home with Boyd Chevrolet Cadillac Buick and Horizon Heating and Air Conditioning serving as Executive Producers.

Over the River and Through the Woods will run June 4th through 21st at the Flat Rock Playhouse Downtown. Performances Wednesday through Friday evening at 8 PM, matinees Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday Saturday at 2 PM. Tickets are $15 - 40 and can be purchased by calling the Playhouse box office at 828-693-0731, toll-free at 866-732-8008 or online at www.flatrockplayhouse.org. Flat Rock Playhouse Downtown is located at 125 S Main Street Hendersonville, NC, 28792.

In 1937, a group of struggling performers, led by Robroy Farquhar, organized themselves as the Vagabond Players. The Vagabonds worked in a variety of places over the course of three years, and in 1940 found themselves in the Blue Ridge region of Western North Carolina. The local and tourist community welcomed them with open arms when they presented their first summer season of plays in a 150-year-old grist mill they converted into The Old Mill Playhouse at Highland Lake. So successful was that summer, they returned in 1941. After WWII, the Vagabond Players reorganized, came back to the region and opened a playhouse in nearby Lake Summit. The Lake Summit Playhouse thrived during the post war years and soon the Vagabond Players were looking for a larger and permanent home. In 1952, the troupe of performers, and a newly formed board of directors, made an offer to buy an 8-acre lot in the Village of Flat Rock. This new home made the Vagabonds "locals" and a rented big top gave birth to Flat Rock Playhouse. As the beautiful Western Carolina region continued to grow, so did the Playhouse and in 1961, by Act of the North Carolina General Assembly, Flat Rock Playhouse was officially designated The State Theatre of North Carolina. What began as a few weeks of summer performances in 1940 is now a nine-month season of plays including Broadway musicals, comedy, drama, and theatre for young audiences. The Playhouse's dual mission of producing the performing arts and providing education in the performing arts includes a professional series; a summer and fall college apprentice and intern program; and Studio 52, year-round classes and workshops in theatre and film for students from kindergarten through adults. Flat Rock Playhouse now hosts over 98,000 patrons annually and is a significant contributor to the local economy and the Arts in North Carolina.

To post a comment, you must register and login.