CRAZY FOR YOU, THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA & More Set For MSMT New Season

Maine State Music Theatre will open its doors to musical theatre fans for the fifty-first time on June 3rd, 2009. The season will include four award-winning musicals new to the MSMT stage along with three children's musicals and a special concert appearance by Grammy-nominated a capella group, Toxic Audio.

The summer will begin with "The Light In The Piazza" followed by the Gershwin extravaganza, "Crazy for You," the hilarious "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" and ends with the acclaimed "The Drowsy Chaperone." Children's titles include "A Year With Frog and Toad," "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," and "Schoolhouse Rock Live!" Single tickets to all performances go on sale Wednesday, April 29th at 10am by calling the MSMT Box Office at (207) 725-8769 and online at www.msmt.org. All performances are presented at Pickard Theater on the campus of Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. Tickets range from $29 to $52 dollars for the main stage musicals, $7 to $11 for children's shows, and $15 to $28 for Toxic Audio.

"The Light In The Piazza" was the winner of six Tony Awards when it opened on Broadway in 2005. Included was an award for the romantic score by Adam Guettel, grandson of the famed Richard Rogers. The story centers around Margaret and Clara, a mother and daughter traveling through Italy and discovering what it means to be loved. The music will remind audiences of classic Broadway musicals and the story will resonate with everyone. Tickets to the show are also being promoted as a great Mother's Day gift for the show opens just a couple weeks after the holiday. The show runs from June 3rd until June 20th.

"Crazy for You" contains nearly two-dozen Gershwin classic tunes including Embraceable You, I Got Rhythm, Someone to Watch Over Me and Naughty Baby. All are woven into an enjoyable tale about a New York banker who decides he wants to be a tap-dancing Broadway star. The story is set in the 1930s and takes the audience from New York City to Deadrock, Nevada allowing for a delightful blend of tap-shoes and cowboy boots. This is great classic Broadway for the whole family to enjoy. This show runs from June 24th until July 11th.

"Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" is based on the Michael Caine/Steve Martin motion picture of the same name. Following the same storyline as the film, the musical is full of adult humor as two swindlers in the French Riviera compete to see who can out-swindle unsuspecting wealthy women. This show is full of great songs by composer, David Yazbek who also wrote the score to the wildly successful "The Full Monty" and will be presented from July 15th until August 1st.

"The Drowsy Chaperone" is a musical within a comedy about a hilariously agoraphobic man who tells the audience delightful tales about his favorite Broadway musical. As his storytelling progresses, the scenes begin to act out right in his own living room. The stage then transforms into an array of settings and plays host to an exciting cast of characters. Great music, funny sight gags and exciting dance numbers will close MSMT's season with gusto. "The Drowsy Chaperone" will run from August 5th until August 23rd.

MSMT's children's musicals are open to children of all ages. This season has been expanded to include three musicals for young audiences instead of two, which has been the past tradition at MSMT. In past years MSMT's children's productions have sold out due to their enormous popularity, so the decision was made to offer more programming. Group sales are available for schools, summer camps and any youth organizations interested in educational and entertaining quality theatre. Call the MSMT Box Office for details. "A Year With Frog And Toad" will be presented on Monday, June 8th at 10am and 1pm. "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" will be presented, in conjunction with TheatreWorks USA, on Friday, June 12th at 10am, 1pm and 3pm. "Schoolhouse Rock Live!" will be onstage Wednesday, August 19th at 11am and 2pm.

Toxic Audio will return to MSMT on Monday, July 27th at 7:30pm. This will be their fifth season at MSMT delighting everyone with their unique vocal sounds that mimic many bands of today and yesterday without using a single instrument. They are bringing new sights and sounds, different from years past, but they are expected to deliver some of their favored classics. They are always a unique and entertaining spectacle when the come to Brunswick.

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