Musicals Tonight!, the Obie-winning company dedicated to the revival of neglected musicals, under the leadership of
Mel Miller, presents the Obie-winning musical Little Mary Sunshine, with performances March 4 through 16 at the Lion Theatre (410 W 42nd Street) on Theatre Row.
With book, music, and lyrics by
Rick Besoyan, and billed as "a musical about an old operetta"- Little Mary Sunshine gently spoofs such old-time favorites like
Rose Marie and Naughty Marietta - but has a personality all its own. The plot is a little bit of everything: Colorado Rangers led by stalwart Captain Jim (
Jacob L. Smith); the lovely Mary Sunshine (
Sarah Ziegler), her 'naughty' maid Nancy (Savannah Frazier); a chorus of giggling schoolgirls and the ominous but benevolent Indian chief (
Ryan Hilliard).
Directed by
Thomas Sabella-Mills, with music direction by
James Stenborg, the cast also includes
Lawrence Asher,
Joan Barber, Lee Hollis Bussie,
Lynn Craig,
James Erickson,
Devin Ilaw, Kevin
Patrick Martin, Chelsie Nectow, Jay Paranada, Rachel Rhodes-Devey, Catie Shelley,
Ryan Speakman, and
Michael Jayne Walker.
The New York Times called the musical "a merry and sprightly spoof of an era when 'justice always triumphed'" and won an Obie Award for Best Musical of the Season.
The original Off-Broadway production premiered in 1959 at the Orpheum Theatre with
Eileen Brennan in the title role and ran 1,143 performances. Little Mary Sunshine has not been seen in New York for 45 years.
The season will continue with George &
Ira Gershwin's For Goodness Sake (March 18 - 30) directed by
Thomas Sabella-Mills, with music direction by
David Bishop; and
Rodgers & Hart's America's Sweetheart (April 1 - 13) directed by
Thomas Sabella-Mills, with music direction by
James Stenborg.
Performances of Little Mary Sunshine are Tuesday through Sunday at the Lion Theatre at Theatre Row Studios, 410 West 42nd Street. Tickets are $25 (plus $1.25 facility fee) and available through Telecharge at 212-560-2186 or
www.telecharge.com.
Musicals Tonight! also hosts the popular At This Performance! concert series designed to showcase talented Broadway standbys and understudies to sing their shows' current musical hits. The 2013-24 series dates of At This Performance! are March 10, 23, and April 7 at 7pm at the Lion Theatre. Tickets are $25.
For more information on the season, tickets and subscriptions visit
www.musicalstonight.org.
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