CityRep Opens Season Eight With SPELLING BEE On 10/10

It's "back to school" with CityRep!  They're partnering again with UCO, who joined them in closing last season with Zombie Prom, and they're rocking the house and opening their eighth season with The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee!  Tickets are on sale now for this Oklahoma Premiere of the Tony-nominated Broadway hit musical.  Click here to purchase your tickets online NOW, or call the CityRep Ticket Hotline at 405.848.3761.

Join the Board and Staff of Oklahoma City Repertory Theatre for a pre-show reception for the opening of the 2009-2010 Season and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee on Saturday, October 10 at 7:00 pm in the lobby outside the CitySpace Theatre in the basement of the Civic Center Music Hall.  "Special" refreshments will be provided by Irma's Burger Shack.  Tickets can be purchased by calling the CityRep Ticket Hotline at 405.848.3761.

Oklahoma City-Oklahoma City Repertory Theatre (CityRep), with producing partner the University of Central Oklahoma's Department of Opera and Music Theatre, presents The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.  Tony-winning composer William Finn created endearing and playful tunes that burst out of Rachel Sheinkin's laugh-filled book.  With it's enormously appealing cast of lovable misfits, nerds, neurotics (and no jocks), The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee hilariously, tunefully-and perfectly-captures the angst, exhilaration and heartache that makes growing up so painful and so wonderful.  Please note-the production is rated PG.
 
Each performance will include volunteer and "celebrity" spellers that are recruited to add to the fun.  A partial list of the "celebrity" spellers includes former Governor David Hall, Edmond Mayor Patrice Douglas, UCO President Roger Webb, and Oklahoma Arts Council Executive Director Suzanne Tate.
 
Appearing in the CityRep/UCO co-production are Renee Anderson, Matthew Bergman, Erin Stockwell Bowman, Terren Wooten Clarke, Erin Clemons, Desmond Dansby, Michael Jones, Angela Lansdown, Justin Larman, Lance J. Overdorff, Haley Jane Pierce, Brandt Sterling and Michael Stewart.
 
Guest Director/Choreographer for the production is Ann Nieman.  Ms. Nieman's performing credits include the Broadway company and 1st National Tour of Me and My Girl; 1st National Tour of 42nd Street; 1st National Tour of Singin' in the Rain, and National Tour of Hello, Dolly! with Carol Channing. As a director/choreographer, Ms. Nieman has worked with such theatres as Circa '21 Dinner Playhouse, Virginia Musical Theatre, The Theatre at 224 Waverly Pl. (NYC), Prather Entertainment, Country Dinner Playhouse, Cortland Repertory Theatre, Wayside Theatre, Surflight Theatre, New London Barn Playhouse, Bucks County Playhouse, and Lyric Stage, among others. Ms. Nieman was the recipient of the Dallas Theatre League's Leon Rabin Award for Outstanding Choreography for Sweet Charity at Lyric Stage, which she also directed. Most recently Ms. Nieman was the choreographer for Lyric Stage's production of The King and I which was produced in cooperation with the Rogers and Hammerstein organization and featured newly-restored orchestrations and a 35-piece orchestra.  Musical Director is Mariann Searle.  Set Design is by Donald Jordan, Lighting Design by Don Childs, Costume Deign by Aaron Patrick Turner, Sound Design by Will Burns and Properties Design by Josh Cain.  Production Stage Manager is Steve Emerson.
 
CityRep, as one of only two professional Equity theatres in the entire state, serves a vital need through their co-producing efforts with local universities and arts organizations.  Co-producing partners have included Oklahoma City University, Oklahoma Children's Theatre, Pollard Theatre, and the University of Central Oklahoma.  "We are thrilled with this partnership, and with the opportunities it offers our students," said Dr. Greg White, Director of Music Theatre at the University of Central Oklahoma.  "Our students gain invaluable experience working with the professional actors and artistic team, earn a professional credit for their résumés', and get to be a part of the 'real world' of the working actor.  This enhances their educational experience in a way that wouldn't be possible without CityRep's involvement."
 
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee will play in the CitySpaceTheatre at the Civic Center Music Hall at 201 N. Walker in downtown Oklahoma City.  Previews begin on Friday, October 9 at 8:00 pm, with a matinee preview on Saturday, October 10 at 4:00 pm.  The Opening Night is Saturday, October 9 at 8:00 pm and the production runs for twelve performances through Sunday, October 25, closing with a 2:00 pm Matinee performance on that day.
 
Tickets are $8 (Student Rush Tickets), $15 (groups of ten or more), $25 (matinees) and $30 (evening performances), and may be purchased by calling the CityRep Ticket Hotline at 405-848-3761, the Civic Center Music Hall Box Office at 1.800.364.7111 or 405.297.2264.  Tickets may be purchased online through the CityRep website at www.cityrep.com, or through the Civic Center Music Hall Box Office website at www.okcciviccenter.org.  The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is supported by Production Sponsors the Oklahoma Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts.