DM Playhouse Counting Down to 100th Anniversary with Song

The Des Moines Community Playhouse is approaching its 100th anniversary, and is starting the celebration early with a special fundraising performance to be held each year leading up to the big day.

On Apr. 21-22, The Playhouse will continue the trip down memory lane with "Countdown to 100: Musicals of the '80s and '90s." The program celebrates Playhouse and Broadway musical theatre history. "Countdown to 100" is presented by Hubbell with support from Workiva, Foster Group, Dr. James and Mary Ellen Kimball, Julie and Marshall Linn and Thrivent Financial.

The 1980s was an era of pop-influenced musicals with large casts, including shows like "Little Shop of Horrors," "The Phantom of the Opera," and "Les Misérables." "Countdown to 100" will feature songs from these shows, as well as from Playhouse musicals of that decade including "The Pirates of Penzance," "Chicago," and "Godspell."

The 1990s ushered in a new generation of Broadway composers, who created musicals such as "Ragtime," while established composers continued to produce shows like "Crazy For You" and "State Fair." In the '90s, The Playhouse produced "Funny Girl," "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," "Guys and Dolls," and more.

The cast for the evening features past and present Playhouse performers including Dani Boal, Douglas Cochrane, Gina Gedler, Linda Juckette, Ann Kramer, Mark Morrison, Charlie Reese, Maxwell Schaeffer, Jackie Schmillen, Pauletta Tonilas, and Wicker Van Orsdel. The company will also perform the title song from "42nd Street," which will feature tap dancers Cindy Beschel, Kate Fitzgerald, Megan Helmers, Tamara Kenworthy, and Carol Palmer. The Master of Ceremonies is Steve Berry.

The celebration begins at 6:30 PM on Friday, Apr. 21, with hors d'oeuvres and drinks, followed by the musical revue at 7:30 PM. The revue will be repeated at 7:30 PM on Saturday, Apr. 22. The Playhouse lobby will be transformed into a piano lounge following the performance both nights.

Tickets are available online at dmplayhouse.com and at The Playhouse ticket office, 515-277-6261. Patron and sponsor packages are available by contacting Nikki Syverson, Playhouse director of advancement, at 515-974-5370.

"Countdown to 100: Musicals of the '80s and '90s"
Apr. 21-22, 2017
6:30 PM Friday, Apr. 21
7:30 PM Saturday, Apr. 22

"Countdown to 100" Tickets
Friday tickets include the hors d'oeuvres reception and drinks: $98
Saturday tickets: $35-98

To purchase tickets, go to dmplayhouse.com, call 515-277-6261 or visit Des Moines Community Playhouse Ticket Office, 831 42nd St., Des Moines, IA 50312. Ticket Office Hours: Noon - 6 PM, Tuesday - Friday, and two hours prior to curtain time.

The Playhouse is one of the oldest and largest community theatres in the US. Located at the 42nd Street exit of I-235, the theatre has presented a full season of shows since 1919 and also offers a wide variety of educational experiences including classes for ages 4 to adult, theatre trips to New York, and volunteer opportunities onstage and backstage.

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