Hope Summer Repertory Theatre Announces 2010 Season

The Hope Summer Repertory Theatre announces a 39th season that will be full of music and heart. This season features productions that will warm your heart, make you laugh and want to sing along, so be sure to fit HSRT's productions into your summer calendar! The season begins on June 18th and runs through August 14th at three locations: DeWitt Theatre, the Knickerbocker Theatre, and our Studio Theatre.

Opening the season on June 18th is Into the Woods: at long last the genius of Stephen Sondheim comes to our stage, in his most beloved work. Drawing from the classic tales of Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Ridinghood and Rapunzel, Sondheim's great music weaves their stories together in this intricate grown-up version. While charming and funny, these familiar characters may answer your own questions about why your life doesn't seem to be as easy as a fairy tale. Actions have consequences and wishes may not be granted as expected, but each hero learns something valuable in the end. This production is not recommended for children under 13. Performances are at 8:00 p.m. on June 18, 19, 24, 29, July 1, 7, 14, 16, 22, 27, and 31 in the DeWitt Theatre.

I Do! I Do!, with book and lyrics by Tom Jones, and music by Harvey Schmidt, features two of HSRT's favorites - Susan Erickson and David Colacci and opens on June 25th. Twenty years ago the couple followed their spring wedding with a summer at HSRT performing this beloved musical, which follows a young couple from the bliss and uncertainty of the wedding night, through parenthood, mid-life crisis and growing old together in the early 20th Century. Now we join them in celebrating their anniversary with a second honeymoon, as they revisit this jaunt through a married life from a new perspective. Additional performances are at 8:00 p.m. on June 26, 30, July 2, 6, 8, 28, August 4, 7, and 10 in the Knickerbocker Theatre.

The season continues with An Italian Straw Hat by Eugene Labiche and Marc-Michel. A bridegroom anticipating his wedding day, a future father-in-law looking for a way to stop the progress of that day, a wandering horse that takes a big bite out of a lady's tempting straw hat, the frantic quest to replace that rare hat, the growing crowd that joins in the search: it's a classic and hilarious French farce! As the quest for the hat and the hour of the wedding become intertwined, the laughs embrace the whole city of Paris as well as the audience. Performances are on July 9, 10, 15, 17, 21, 30, August 5, 12, and 14 at 8:00 p.m. in the DeWitt Theatre.

Winner of the 1997 Tony Award for Best Play, and written by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Driving Miss Daisy, opening July 23rd, The Last Night of Ballyhoo by Alfred Uhry is a charming and bittersweet comedy set in Atlanta on the day of the Gone with the Wind premiere in the pre-WWII era. Meanwhile, a segment of Atlanta's elite is more concerned with who will be attending Ballyhoo, the social event of the season. The arrival of a handsome stranger from New York forces the Freitag family to deal with who they really are as they are pulled apart and mended again with plenty of gentle comedy, sweet romance, and unexpected turns. Performances continue on July 24, 29, August 3, 6, 9, 11, and 13 in the DeWitt Theatre.

Goodbye cabaret and hello to our new family friendly special event! A Year of Frog and Toad has been nominated for 3 Tony awards, including best Broadway musical. These two well-loved characters from Arnold Lobel's books will take you on a musical journey through the joy and sharing of the simple pleasures of friendship. Join us downtown at the Knickerbocker Theatre and turn this new event into a special evening for your whole family. It's a limited run, so make your reservations early-and, if you can't bring a kid, bring a friend. Performances begin at 8:30 p.m. on August 2, 3, 6, 9, 11 and 13.

Look for our upcoming Children's Troupe shows opening on June 24th. CPT will be performing Busytown the Musical by Richard Scarry on June 23, 28, 30, July 2, 7, 12, 26, 30, August 4, 9, and 13 at 10:30 a.m. and August 6 and 11 at 1:30 p.m. A Brand New Kid by Katie Couric is at 10:30 a.m. on July 14, 16, 19, 21, 28, August 2, 6, and 11 and 1:30 p.m. on August 4, 9, and 13. Both performances are in the Studio Theatre in the DeWitt Center.

Tickets are now on sale through the DeWitt and DeVos Fieldhouse ticket offices. Prices range from $10-$26 for musicals, and $8-$19 for plays as well as season tickets, ranging from $48-$85, are also available. A Family Four Pack including tickets for two adults and two children is also available this year for $55.

The ticket office is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Beginning June 14 the ticket office is open on Saturday's at noon. On performance dates, the DeWitt Ticket Office will be open through intermission. The ticket office is located in DeWitt Cultural Center at 12th Street and Columbia Avenue. For tickets call the ticket office at 616-395-7890. For more information visit the HSRT website at www.hope.edu/hsrt.

The DeWitt Theatre is located at 141 East 12th street. The Knickerbocker Theatre is located in Holland's downtown on 8th street.

HSRT is now on facebook! Keep up to date with what's happening this season by searching Hope Summer Repertory Theatre on www.facebook.com.

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