Showtunes Theatre Company produced its first musical in concert on January 22, 2000 at Town Hall in Seattle. That first show was Anyone Can Whistle, a Stephen Sondheim/Arthur Laurents cult favorite that showcased 30+ local performers and musicians and enjoyed a sold-out-one-night-only performance. Now, 20 years and one month to the day, Showtunes has produced 40 musicals in concert, multiple cabarets and special events produced in and around Seattle since January of 2000 on the very stage it all began - Town Hall Seattle.
It's rare that an arts organization reaches a 20-year anniversary, so Showtunes is returning to Town Hall for a gala celebration. The company is deeply grateful to the dedicated leadership over the years that has brought them to this milestone, as well as to the hundreds of artists that created the many enduring and talked-about performances over the last two decades. Showtunes is thrilled to announce that many of these people will be appearing on stage at this special event.
The show will feature special appearances by many Showtunes alumni, including Billie Wildrick (Light In The Piazza, director of Unsinkable Molly Brown), Cayman Ilika (Finian's Rainbow), Frances Leah King (Anyone Can Whistle, Do I Hear A Waltz), Rich Gray (A Man Of No Importance, director of the upcoming La Cage Aux Folles), Alexandria Henderson (Legally Blonde, Spitfire Grill), Mark Rabe (A Man Of No Importance, music director for many concerts), Tori Gresham (The Spitfire Grill) and Greg Allen (The Bridges of Madison County). Victor Pappas, director of the first Showtunes concert (Anyone Can Whistle) and Kelly Kitchens, director of the most recent concert (The Light In The Piazza), will both appear.
In addition to presenting songs from past shows, this concert of music and memories will introduce a new song written for the occasion by Showtunes alumnus Tom Orr (Fiorello!, Out Of This World), and will unveil behind-the-scenes videos from award-winning producer Josephine Cheng, showcasing the origins of Showtunes and its importance in the Seattle arts scene. Another Showtunes alum, David Silverman (Fiorello, Falsettos), is donating his auctioneer acumen for our raise-the-paddle efforts that evening.
General Admission single tickets are $20 and available exclusively through Showtunes Theatre's online Arts People portal: http://bit.ly/ShowtunesTurns20. This season Showtunes celebrates its 20th Season by offering $20 tickets across the board, with the goal of making musical theater more accessible and sharing the love of musicals to a wider audience. For this 20th Anniversary show, $100 VIP tickets are also available, and include a pre-show 6:30pm cocktail reception and priority seating.
Showtunes 20th Anniversary Gala has only one performance: Saturday, February 22, 2020 at 8pm
Doors open at 7pm, Show at 8pm. Pre-show VIP cocktail reception at 6:30pm.
Venue: Town Hall Seattle, 1119 8th Avenue, Seattle, WA 98101
Based in Seattle and founded in 1999, Showtunes Theatre Company exists to amplify the voice of the Broadway canon and the artists who bring it to life. We give a voice to rarely produced musicals, and sometimes we help them be heard in a fresh way. We create a platform for the voice of Seattle's professional artists, providing an opportunity for newcomers to be discovered and for veterans to be seen in a new light. Led by Matt Wolfe (Artistic Director), Nathan Young (Associate Artistic Director) and company founder Maggie Stenson Pehrson (Executive Producer), the company is celebrating its 20th Season! Pulling from the area's vast array of musical theatre and production talent, Showtunes has staged 40 concert productions of rare and reimagined musicals to date.
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