Peter Simon Hilton Leads Drury Lane Theatre's THE 39 STEPS, Now thru 8/26

Drury Lane Theatre presents the Tony Award-winning Broadway and West End smash hit THE 39 STEPS, opening tonight, July 12 at 8 p.m. and running through August 26.

THE 39 STEPS stars Peter Simon Hilton as “Richard Hannay.” A U.K. native, Hilton starred as "Curly" in the multi-million dollar production of OKLAHOMA!, directed by Tony Award-winning director Christopher Renshaw, which had a year-long National Tour in the U.K., and was “Enjoras” in the U.K.’s first National Tour of LES MISERABLES. Hilton appeared in the U.S. National Tour of FROST/NIXON with Stacey Keach, and starred as “Professor Higgins” in MY FAIR LADY at Maine State Music Theatre, as “King Arthur” in SPAMALOT at the Patchogue Theater for the Performing Arts, as "Mark Anthony" in JULIUS CAESAR, and "Benedick" in MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING at The Alabama Shakespeare Festival. He also sang “Henry Higgins” in concert with a full 47-piece symphony orchestra at the American Music Theater, directed by Marc Robin. THE 39 STEPS is directed by multi-Jeff Award nominee David New (Drury Lane Theatre’s BROADWAY BOUND, Sarah Siddons Award Winner and former Associate Artistic Director at Steppenwolf Theatre).

Based on the 1915 novel by John Buchan (the “father of the spy novel”) and the 1935 Alfred Hitchcock film, THE 39 STEPS is a fast-paced comedy thriller that introduced the “man on the run” genre to Hollywood. Adapted for the stage by Patrick Barlow, the production is the winner of two 2008 Tony Awards, a 2008 Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatrical Experience, and the 2007 Olivier Award for Best Comedy.

Set in England and Scotland in 1935, THE 39 STEPS is the riveting story of Richard Hannay, who inadvertently embarks on a chaotic adventure full of narrow escapes after trying to help a female spy. When he wakes up to find her dead in his apartment, he flees from the police and an espionage organization, desperately trying to discover the truth and clear his name. Featuring four actors that bring more than 140 characters to life throughout the play, the whirlwind story requires ingenious theatrical devices to instantly transport audiences to a chase scene on a train, to a plane crash, to a luxurious Scottish manor, then to a London flat, and on to The London Palladium.

The cast for THE 39 STEPS also features multi-Jeff Award nominee and Ostrander Award Winner Angela Ingersoll as “Annabella”/”Margaret”/”Pamela” (RICHARD THE III, MACBETH and THE COMEDY OF ERRORS at Chicago Shakespeare Theater); Jeff Award and Helen Hayes Award winner, Jeff Dumas (National Tour of SPAMALOT, WICKED at the Ford Center/Oriental Theatre, THE MERRY WIDOW at the Lyric Opera of Chicago) and Paul Kalina (ANIMAL CRACKERS at the Goodman Theatre, 2006 recipient of the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers National Directing Fellowship at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and founding member of 500 Clown, which has performed throughout the U.S. and England) as “The Clowns.”

An English Music Hall full of theatrical inventions and surprises is brought to brilliant life by Jeff Award-winning Set Designer Kevin Depinet (The Sound of Music, Sweeney Todd, Ragtime and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers at Drury Lane Theatreand set designer for the film Public Enemies). Sound Design is by Michael Bodeen and Rob Milburn of MILBOMUSIC, Costume Design is by Tracy Dorman, Wig Design is by Rick Jarvie, Props Design is by Nick Heggestad, Cecille O'Reilly is the Dialect Coach and Lighting Design is by Rita Pietraszek.

The performance schedule for THE 39 STEPS is as follows: Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m. ($35), Thursdays at 1:30 p.m. ($35) and 8 p.m. ($40), Fridays at 8:30 p.m. ($45), Saturdays at 5 p.m. ($45) and 8:30 p.m. ($46) and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. ($45) and 6 p.m. ($40). Lunch and dinner theater packages range from $49.75 to $68 depending on the day of the week. Group rates for Student tickets start as low as $20 and Senior Citizen tickets start as low as $30 for matinees and $44.75 for a matinee luncheon package.

For reservations, call the Drury Lane Theatre box office at 630.530.0111, call TicketMaster at 800.745.3000 or visit www.drurylaneoakbrook.com.

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