IT HAD TO BE YOU, 4000 MILES, 'TOM SAWYER' and More Set for KWP Productions' 2016-17 Season

KWP Productions has an ambitious season planned for 2016 - 2017. The company will produce 6 'adult' plays and 3 children's productions at the Bhetty Waldron Theater at Actor's Rep in West Palm Beach.

"I'm delighted to finally be able to announce our upcoming season," says the company's Managing Director, Kimberly Rommel-Enright. "We're changing it up this year, and going back to basics. While our mission remains the same - to produce high quality theater for all ages - we are broadening the genre of our productions. We will still have wonderful children's productions - performed by children. But in addition, we'll have more adult comedies, dramas, and musicals, all to be performed in an intimate black box setting. I'm really looking forward to sharing this new and exciting journey with our audiences."

The complete list of KWP's 2016-2017 production schedule, along with dates, times, prices, and other relevant information, can be found below.

All performances will take place at the Bhetty Waldron Theater at Actor's Rep, located at 1009 North Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach, Florida, 33401.

Tickets are available for purchase online at kwpproductions.com or by calling 561-339-4687.

KWP Productions is dedicated to inspiring the next generation of performers and theatre goers. "We love working with professional actors and young people to create shows for young and old alike. Through our productions we strive to teach our young actors about the craft of acting as well as the process it takes to create a full scale production. Our auditions are open to the public. For those who come to see our shows we hope to instill a lifelong love of theatre. We endeavor to create a magical experience they will remember for years to come."

KWP Productions also provides a full range of theatrical classes for children, teens and adults. For more information, call 561-339-4687.

---

KWP Productions 2016-2017 Production Schedule:

Black Box Series:

It Had to Be You
August 19 - September 4, 2016
By Renee Taylor and Joseph Bologna
Directed by Helen Buttery
Tickets: $21

Performance Schedule:
Friday, August 19 - 8 pm
Saturday, August 20 - 2 pm
Saturday, August 20 - 8 pm
Sunday, August 21 - 2 pm
Saturday, August 27 - 2 pm
Saturday August 27 - 8 pm
Sunday, August 28 - 2 pm
Friday, September 2 - 8 pm
Saturday, September 3 - 8 pm
Sunday, September 4 - 2 pm

It Had To Be You is an absurd, fast-paced comedy about Theda Blau, a zany, eccentric, ex-Hollywood B movie actress and 'wannabe' playwright seeking love and/or a writing partner in New York City. She meets TV producer-director Vito Pignoli when she (unsuccessfully) auditions for one of his commercials. Vito is charmed by Theda's offbeat take on life. After the audition they share a cab, and Vito, the nice guy that he is, helps Theda carry her Christmas packages to her door. She invite's Vito in, hoping he will read her latest 'masterpiece' and help connect her to a producer. Vito happily accepts the invitation, but he has other things on his mind. What happens there, on that fateful snowy Christmas Eve in Theda's East Village apartment is the basis of this laugh-out-loud madcap comedy.

The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)
October 14 - 23, 2016
By Adam Long, Daniel Singer, and Jess Winfield
Directed by Kimberly Rommel-Enright
In collaboration with Steve Enright
Tickets: $21

Performance Schedule:
Friday, October 14 - 8 p m
Saturday, October 15 - 8 p m
Sunday, October 16 - 8 pm
Wednesday, October 19 - 8 pm
Thursday, October 20 - 8 pm
Saturday, October 22 - 8 pm
Sunday, October 23 - 2 pm

How on earth can three men do the impossible: act through William Shakespeare's entire canon - 37 plays - in 97 minutes? By summarizing the canon through football plays, rap songs, and outrageously condensed comedy, mash-up titles (like Four Weddings and a Transvestite) of course! The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) hilariously summarizes all of Shakespeare's plays using reenactments and audience participation. It is famous for holding the (self-proclaimed) record for the shortest production of Hamlet at 43 seconds. An extremely popular play that ran in London for nine years and has enjoyed countless productions in various languages throughout the world, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) entertains and teaches audiences facts about Shakespeare while ensuring them a rollicking good time.

Tick Tick... Boom!
By Jonathan Larson
November 4 - 11, 2016
Directed by Kimberly Rommel-Enright
Tickets: $23

Performance Schedule:
Friday, November 4 - 8 pm
Saturday, November 5 - 8 pm
Tuesday, November 8 - 8 pm
Wednesday, November 9 - 8 pm
Thursday, November 10 - 8 pm
Friday, November 11 - 8 pm

Before Rent, there was Tick, Tick... Boom! This autobiographical musical by Jonathan Larson, the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning composer. Tick, Tick... Boom! Is the story of a composer and the sacrifices he made to achieve his big break in theatre. His girlfriend wants to get married and move out of the city; his best friend is making big bucks on Madison Avenue, yet Jon is still waiting tables and trying to write the great American musical. Set in 1990, this compelling story of personal discovery is presented as a rock musical filled with instantly appealing melodies and a unique blend of musical theater styles.
Containing fourteen songs, ten characters, and three actors, Tick, Tick... Boom takes you on the playwright/composer's journey that leads to a Broadway blockbuster.

4000 Miles
By Amy Herzog
February 3 - 12, 2017
Directed by Kimberly Rommel-Enright
Tickets $21

Performance Schedule:
Friday, February 3 - 8pm
Saturday, February 4 - 8pm
Sunday, February 5 - 2pm
Wednesday, February 8 - 8pm
Thursday, February 9 - 8pm
Friday, February 10 - 8pm
Saturday, February 11 - 8pm
Sunday, February 12 - 2pm

Ninety-one-year-old political activist Vera Joseph's solitary existence is entirely shaken when her grandson, Leo, appears at the door in the middle of the night. Leo is fresh from a cross-country bike ride, and assures Vera that he won't stay long. Leo, however, is in crisis, confused by an on-again, off-again romance, furious with his mother's incessant meddling, and grieving deeply for his best friend and biking partner, Micah, who is recently deceased. While Leo seeks solace in his grandmother, Vera finds companionship in another person since the loss of her husband, Joe. A finalist for the 2013 Pulitzer Prize in Drama, Amy Herzog's 4000 Miles is a compassionate, intimate, and frequently funny play that examines the love of family we can choose, the family we can't, and the healing power of trust.

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Conceived by Rebecca Feldman; additional material by Jay Reiss
Music and Lyrics by William Finn
Book by Rachel Sheinkin
March 3 - 12, 2017
Director: TBA
Tickets: $23

Performance Schedule:
Friday, March 3 - 8pm
Saturday, March 4 - 8pm
Sunday, March 5 - 2pm
Tuesday, March 7 - 8pm
Wednesday, March 8 - 8pm
Thursday, March 9 - 8pm
Friday, March 10 - 8pm
Saturday, March 11 - 8pm
Sunday, March 12 - 2pm

An eclectic group of six-graders arrives at The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, each eager to win for very different reasons. Sweet and shy Olive brings only her best friend (the dictionary) with her to the bee; Bold and hyper-allergic speller William Barfee uses his "magic foot" to propel him to greatness; former champion Chip is struggling with his burgeoning puberty; easily distracted Leaf is unconvinced that he's smart enough to be a challenger; overachiever Marcy is disappointed by her consistent success; and politically aware Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre only wants to impress her gay dads. In hilarious, touching, and catchy songs, each speller reveals his/her hopes, struggles, and passions as they make their way through the competition. With an engaging, tuneful score by William Finn and a sweet, funny book by Rachel Sheinkin, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee causes audiences to fall in love, both with the show itself and its "perspicacious," "jocular," and "effervescent" spellers.

Barefoot in the Park
By Neil Simon
April 7 - 16, 2017
Director: Jim Tyminski
Tickets $21

Performance Schedule:
Friday, April 7 - 8pm
Saturday, April 8 - 8pm
Sunday, April 9 - 2pm
Tuesday, April 11 - 8pm
Wednesday, April 12 - 8pm
Thursday, April 13 - 8pm
Friday, April 14 - 8pm
Saturday, April 15 - 8pm
Sunday, April 16 - 2pm

Corie and Paul are newlyweds, fresh from their honeymoon. Corie is still enthralled by her recent sexual awakening and the adventure that comes with youth and marriage. She wants their passionate romantic life to continue at full speed. Paul, however, feels it is time to focus on his burgeoning career as an up-and-coming lawyer. When they don't see eye-to-eye about their apartment, their neighbors, and their sex drive, the new marriage experiences its first patch of rough weather.

Children's Series

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
By Tim Kelly
Music and Lyrics by Bill Francoeur
August 5 - 7, 2016
Director: Sean Gogan
Tickets: $15

Performance Schedule:
Friday, August 5 - Sold Out
Saturday, August 6 - 1 pm Sold Out
Saturday, August 6 - 6 pm
Saturday, August 7 - Sold Out

All our old friends, plus a few new ones, are here in this marvelous musical adaptation. We'll meet the captivating Princess Snow White, the prince, the evil queen, and, of course, the seven mischievous dwarfs - Sarge, Gabby, Gloomy Gus, Ticklish, Spritely, Snore, and Slowpoke. There's also a hilarious palace cat and an enchanted vixen - a fox, you could say! Following the traditional storyline, the fairy tale is brought to life with an eclectic score of toe-tapping tunes.

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Based on the Mark Twain Classic
Adapted by Dave Barton and Matt Bond
December 15-17, 2016
Director: Sean Gogan
Tickets: $15

Performance Schedule:
Thursday, December 15 - 7pm
Friday, December 16 - 7pm
Saturday, December 17 - 7pm

Enjoy the humor, action and excitement of life in Missouri in the late 1840s. All of Tom Sawyer's famous adventures are included, climaxing with the life-or-death battle with Injun Joe in the cave. It's easy to see why Twain's 'Life on the Mississippi' will forever be an American favorite

The Legend of Pocahontas
By Vera Morris
May 12 - 14, 2017
Director: Sean Gogan
Tickets: $15

Performance Schedule:
Friday, May 12 - 7 pm
Saturday, May 13 - 7 pm
Sunday, May 14 - 1 pm

Hi-ya-ya-hi-ya. Listen to the tom-tom drums and the message spoken by the "Wordspinner" that opens and closes this charming adventure suitable for all age groups. The name Pocahontas, belonging to the daughter of the powerful Algonquin Chief Powhatan, means "She-Who-Likes-To-Be-Mischievous." It's a fitting name, because the princess enjoys playing tricks and games, especially with Wolf, Raven and Squirrel... her playmates in the forest. She also makes friends with the English settlers in the struggling community of Jamestown. They have no food, and sickness has almost wiped them out. Pocahontas would like to help them, but Thundercloud, the medicine man, forbids it. When Captain John Smith, the leader of Jamestown, comes to the Indian village, he is condemned to death. In a thrilling scene, Princess Pocahontas saves his life and finds a way for the Indians and the settlers to live in harmony and friendship. This colorful play features a wonderful cast of characters: Little Running Rabbit, Brave Eagle, Aunt Morning Star, Forest Spirits, Mother Earth and the people of Jamestown. Filled with Native American lore and true to the original legend, it's an entertaining and fascinating page from our country's history that glows with excitement and warmth.

To post a comment, you must register and login.