Costa Mesa Playhouse Presents BLITHE SPIRIT 9/2-25

The Costa Mesa Playhouse launches its 46th season of bringing quality theatrical presentations to the community with Noël Coward's classic 1941 comedy, Blithe Spirit, running September 2 - 25, 2011. The show is directed by David A. Blair.

A smash hit on London and New York stages when it premiered in 1941, and recently revived on Broadway with Angela Lansbury, this delightful ghostly romp from the outrageous mind of playwright-director-actor-composer-singer and flamboyant wit Noël Coward spins the tale of novelist Charles Condomine, whose late first wife, Elvira, is summoned during a séance by eccentric clairvoyant Madame Arcati. Seen only by Charles, Elvira's mischievous spirit remains to haunt him and disrupt his current marriage.

According to Coward, he wrote Blithe Spirit in only five days. The play was first seen in London's West End in 1941, and set a new long-run record for non-musical British plays of 1,997 performances. The play opened on Broadway later that year and ran for 657 performances. Coward adapted the play for a 1945 film version starring Rex Harrison, and directed a musical adaptation called High Spirits on Broadway in 1964. It was also adapted for television in the 1950s and 1960s and for radio. The play enjoyed severAl West End and Broadway revivals in the 1970s and 1980s and was revived again in London in 2004. It returned to Broadway in February 2009.

Blithe Spirit stars Paul Griffiths, Jennifer Pearce, Dan Henry, Norma Jean Riddick, Judy Jones, Emily Price and Danielle MacInnis.
Performances are Fridays & Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m., Sept. 2 through Sept. 25, 2011. Tickets are $18 general admission, $16 for students and seniors (and for all seats at the Sept. 2 preview performance), $23 for the Sept. 3 opening night gala which includes a catered reception, and $13 per person for groups of ten or more.
Tickets can be purchased on-line at www.costamesaplayhouse.org or by calling 949-650-5269. The Playhouse is located at 661 Hamilton Street in Costa Mesa.

PERFORMANCES

Preview
Friday, September 2 at 8 pm

Gala Opening Night
Saturday, September 3 at 8 pm

Regular run
September 4 - September 25

Friday & Saturday evenings at 8 pm
Sunday afternoons at 2 pm

Ticket Prices
Preview: $16
Gala Opening Night: $23
General Admission: $18
Students & Seniors: $16
Groups of 10 or more: $13 per person

Information
(949) 650-5269
www.costamesaplayhouse.org

Costa Mesa Playhouse / 661 Hamilton Street / Costa Mesa, CA / 92627

ABOUT THE COSTA MESA PLAYHOUSE
The Costa Mesa Playhouse is a 73-seat, not-for-profit theater that has been serving the Orange County community for more than 45 years. The Playhouse is dedicated to presenting affordable, quality, live theater in a comfortable and intimate setting, and to offering actors, singers, dancers, and stage craftspeople a welcoming environment in which to practIce Their craft. The Playhouse offers a diverse five-play season that runs from August through June and includes notable musicals, comedies and dramas. Located on the campus of Rea School, the Costa Mesa Playhouse receives no monetary support from the city or school district. All revenues come from ticket sales, subscriptions, and the generous donations of patrons, and are directed back into the productions at The Playhouse and toward general operating costs.

 

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