HIGH SOCIETY Set for G&L Theatre, 2/6-16

Prepare yourself for a glorious night of vintage Hollywood as you're invited to the wedding of the year, and what a swell party it is gonna be!

High Society, the upper crust musical comedy, skips into town in February as TheatreZone, Naples' Equity theatre group, brings the second production of its ninth season "Year of the Composers" to the G&L Theatre. The musical runs February 6 through February 16, 2014.

With music and lyrics by Cole Porter and book by Arthur Kopit, High Society - The Musical is based upon the play "The Philadelphia Story" by Phillip Barry, revolving around the imminent wedding of a socialite whose ex-husband arrives with mischief planned to get the attention of the woman he still loves. Of course, the reporter covering the wedding falls for the bride, too, just to stir the complexity.

Artistic Director Mark Danni today announced that real life husband-and wife actors Gerritt VanderMeer and Carolann Sanita have been cast in the lead roles of ex-husband Dexter Haven and former wife socialite Tracy Lord. Michael Lundy will play the charming reporter Mike Connor.

"It's the classic 1939 romantic drawing room comedy about life among the rich and charming that chronicles the comeuppance of Tracy Lord, a young and beautiful American aristocrat of glacial comportment and little tolerance for human frailty," explains director Danni. In the course of preparing for her wedding to a man for whom she is ill suited, Tracy Lord is pulled from her pedestal, a process that lets her learn to bend and acquire a human heart, he adds.

In fact, the role of Tracy Lord was expressly created by Barry for actress Katharine Hepburn, who turned it into a personal triumph onstage and in the 1940 film, which also starred Cary Grant and James Stewart.

"This is an uplifting and sparkling production that proves Porter's classic musical style and fizzing wit will always be in fashion," promises Danni.

Cast members include Karen Molnar as society reporter Liz Imbrie, Tracy's grumpily precious younger sister Dinah will be played by newcomer Charlotte Atkins, Charles Fornara is fiancé George Kittredge -- the dullest man on earth, and absent-minded Uncle Willie will be played by returning TheatreZone fan favorite Wayne Morton, well known for his comedic talents on MaMa's Family. Actors David Goguen as Seth Lord, Tracy's father and Mary Sytsma as matriarch Margaret Lord are also returning TheatreZone alumni.

High Society will be directed by Mark Danni with music direction by Michael Horsley and choreography by Karen Molnar. The production team features Kathleen Kolacz (costume design), Anne Carncross (lighting design), Tim Frank (multimedia/sound design), and Danielle Ranno (stage manager).

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