Morgan Fairchild Headlines Judson Theatre Company's BUTTERFLIES ARE FREE in March

Judson Theatre Company continues its eleventh season with a new production of Leonard Gershe's classic Broadway comedy, "Butterflies are Free”, starring Emmy and Golden Globe Award nominee Morgan Fairchild. Opening night is Thursday, March 7, 2024 at Bradshaw Performing Arts Center's Owens Auditorium on the campus of Sandhills Community College (3395 Airport Rd., Pinehurst, NC 28374).

The performance schedule is as follows:

• Thursday, March 7 at 7:00 pm (Opening night, Early curtain)
• Friday, March 8 at 8:00 pm
• Saturday, March 9 at 2:00 pm (Post-show talkback)
• Saturday, March 9 at 8:00 pm
• Sunday, March 10 at 3:00 pm (Closing matinee)

Tickets can be purchased at JudsonTheatre.com or TicketMeSandhills.com. Reserved seating is available at three price levels, and Group discounts are available for groups of 10 or more.

“Butterflies are Free” is set in New York City against the backdrop of 1960s counterculture. As young singer-songwriter Don Baker embarks on his quest for independence, he encounters his delightfully eccentric next-door neighbor, aspiring actress Jill Tanner. Just as their love story begins to unfold, Don's well-meaning but meddlesome mother (Mrs. Baker) arrives from Scarsdale, determined to disrupt Don and Jill's unlikely love connection. “Butterflies are Free” is a heartwarming and hilarious exploration of freedom, self-discovery, and the beauty that emerges when we finally spread our wings.

Renowned Emmy and Golden Globe Award nominee Morgan Fairchild takes the stage as Mrs. Baker. Fairchild most recently appeared in this year's Lifetime Christmas movie "Ladies of the 80s: A Divas Christmas.” She is also well known for her work as Chandler's mom on "Friends," as Jordan Roberts on "Falcon Crest," as Constance on "Flamingo Road," as well as her guest appearances on a multitude of classic and contemporary tv series. Additional casting will be announced at a later date.

Leonard Gershe (Playwright) was a prolific playwright and Academy Award nominated screenwriter, best known for the screenplays for the films “Funny Face” with Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire, and “Silk Stockings” with Astaire and Cyd Charisse. “Butterflies are Free” was his most successful play, opening at Broadway's Booth Theatre in 1969 and running for 1,128 performances over nearly three years. The original cast included Keir Dullea, Blythe Danner, Eileen Heckart, and Michael Glaser. Heckart won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress reprising her stage performance as Mrs. Baker in the 1972 film adaptation, also scripted by Gershe, which starred Goldie Hawn and Edward Albert.

Judson Theatre Company is the 501(c)(3) not-for-profit Professional Theatre Company in Residence at Bradshaw Performing Arts Center.  JTC is the recipient of the North Carolina Theatre Conference (NCTC) George A. Parides Professional Theatre Award for excellence in professional theatre, and multiple Broadway World Raleigh Awards. Several times yearly, noted talent from Broadway and Hollywood comes to Pinehurst to perform in a series of professional productions designed to enrich the cultural fabric of the Sandhills region. Previous productions include “Gaslight” starring Maxwell Caulfield, “The Mousetrap” starring Alison Arngrim, “Driving Miss Daisy” starring Michael Learned, “Love, Loss, and What I Wore” starring Sally Struthers, and “Plaza Suite” starring Eve Plumb and Rex Smith.

For more information and to purchase tickets to “Butterflies are Free”, visit JudsonTheatre.com or TicketMeSandhills.com.

 

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