TOOTSIE Comes to Theatre By The Sea

In celebration of 91 years of Theatre By The Sea, owner and producer Bill Hanney will present the Tony® Award-winning musical Tootsie, which will be presented from June 26 – July 20, 2024.

“When I saw Tootsie on Broadway, I found myself laughing much more than I had at a show in quite some time! It was easy to understand why the book won the Tony® Award,” said Bill Hanney. “It was also one of the best examples of drawing inspiration from source material that I had ever seen. They didn’t just put the movie on stage. They created an all-new stage show which felt very fresh yet was comfortably familiar. I am really looking forward to feeling the barn shake with non-stop laughter throughout the run!”

This laugh-out-loud love letter to the theatre has been called “musical comedy heaven” (Rolling Stone) and “the most uproarious new musical in years!” (The Hollywood Reporter). Based on the 1982 award-winning film starring Dustin Hoffman, this Tony® Award-winner tells the story of Michael Dorsey, a talented but difficult actor who struggles to find work until one show-stopping act of desperation lands him the role of a lifetime. Featuring a hilarious book and an outrageously clever score, Tootsie is a joyful delight which is packed with so many punchlines, it should be called a joke box musical! Tootsie with music and lyrics by David Yazbek and book by Robert Horn is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. www.mtishows.com.

Making his Theatre By The Sea debut as Director and Choreographer is NYC/London based Richard J. Hinds, who served as the Associate on the Broadway productions of Company, Come From Away, Disney's Newsies, Jekyll and Hyde, Il Divo: A Musical Affair, as well as the West End production of Elf and The National Theatre’s productions of Here Lies Love, and the National/UK Tours of 9 to 5 and Disney’s High School Musical. He will be joined by Tommy Iafrate, who is thrilled to return to TBTS where he made his professional debut in 2001’s Bye Bye Birdie. The 22-member cast features the talents of Kyle Nicholas Anderson, who will be making his Theatre By The Sea debut in the dual roles of Michael Dorsey and Dorothy Michaels. Joining him and making their TBTS debuts will be Joann Gilliam as Julie Nichols, Brooke Jacob as Sandy, Jeff Brooks as Ron, Dean Marino as Jeff Slater, Crystal Sha’nae as Rita Marshall, and Jadon Webster as Max Van Horn. Returning to the Theatre By The Sea stage after a 30 year absence is local favorite Fred Sullivan, Jr., who will be portraying Stan Fields. Completing the cast are Connor Barton, Zoe Gillis, Bailey Reese Greemon, Marcus Henson, Chase McCall, Henry H. Miller, Zachary Nieman-Macak, Elle May Patterson, Erica Peréz-Gotay, John Reed, Mario Rizzi, Kimmy Sessions, Taryn Smithson, and Emma Stricker.

The creative team includes resident scenic designer Kyle Dixon, costume designer Dana Pinkston, lighting designer Weston Wilkerson, along with Rachel Padula-Shufelt (Wig and Hair Design), Tom Blushi (Production Stage Manager) and Sydnei Williams (Assistant Stage Manager). Tootsie is being produced for Theatre By The Sea by Bill Hanney (Owner/Producer), Kevin P. Hill (Producing Artistic Director), and Thom Warren (Associate Producer).

Audiences are invited to enhance their theatre experience by dining at the on-site restaurant, Bistro By The Sea, which has recently reopened under new management by Mark & Alicia Brysonof Duck Press in Wakefield. Reservations are strongly recommended and can be made online at www.theatrebythesea.com/menu or by emailing bistrobythesea4@gmail.com. Before or after the meal theatergoers can enjoy the lush seaside gardens, which contain over 300 varieties of perennials, grasses, shrubs and climbing plants, which offer a magical environment for flower lovers of all ages.

Tootsie will be presented from June 26–July 20, with preview performances on June 26 and 27 and opening night scheduled for June 28. Performances are scheduled for Tuesday through Saturday evenings at 8:00 pm, Thursdays and Saturdays at 2:00 pm, and Sundays at 5:00 pm, with special performance times on Sunday, June 30 at 2:00 & 7:00 pm and a special added Wednesday matinees on July 3 and July 17. The theatre is located at 364 Cards Pond Road, Wakefield. Tickets for preview performances, Wednesday, June 26 and Thursday, June 27 are $62, and $65 - $91 for all other performances (additional fees may apply). In celebration of the 91st Season, tickets for the 8pm performance on Wednesday, July 4, will be specially priced at 2 for $91. Discount rates are available for groups of 10 or more by calling (401) 782-3800 x112. Tickets are on sale at the box office Monday through Saturday from 11:00 am – 5:00 pm and performance days from 11:00 am until curtain, (performance Sundays 12 noon until curtain), online 24-hours-a-day at www.theatrebythesea.com and via telephone during normal box office hours by calling (401) 782-TKTS (8587).

To post a comment, you must register and login.