Stages St. Louis Presents STATE FAIR, 9/3-10/3

As State Fairs take place around the country, Stages St. Louis concludes its 24th season with Rodgers and Hammerstein's Tony Award-winning Broadway musical State Fair at The Robert G. Reim Theatre in Kirkwood from September 3 - October 3, 2010.

With a soaring score by Rodgers and Hammerstein, State Fair takes us back to a simpler time when winning Blue Ribbons for prized boars, serving up mincemeat, and finding true romance on the midway were annual rites of "Spring Fever." State Fair invites you to travel with the Frakes as they leave behind the routine of the family farm for three days of adventure at the annual Iowa State Fair. Featuring the buoyant melodies of "It's A Grand Night For Singing," "All I Owe Ioway," and the Academy Award-winning song "It Might As Well Be Spring," State Fair is a tuneful treat for the entire family.

The 11th addition to the Rodgers and Hammerstein's catalog, State Fair opened on Broadway at the Music Box Theatre in 1996 after a National Tour, which began at the 1995 Iowa State Fair. Winning the Tony Award for Best Original Score, State Fair features five of the original songs from the 1945 film, one additional song from the 1962 remake, with the remainder of the score selected from the Rodgers and Hammerstein library for the Broadway stage production.

Direction and musical staging are by Stages St. Louis Artistic Director Michael Hamilton, with choreography by Dana Lewis and musical direction by Lisa Campbell-Albert. Completing the artistic team are Scenic Designer James Wolk, Costume Designer Lou Bird, Lighting Designer Matthew McCarthy and Orchestral Designer Stuart M. Elmore.

Starring in the production are St. Louis Resident and Actress Kari Ely as Melissa Frake, who recently was seen in Promises, Promises and Disney's The Aristocats at Stages St. Louis . Earlier this year, Ely appeared in Christopher Durang's Why Torture is Wrong and the People Who Love Them for HotCity Theatre; Broadway Actress Hollie Howard as Emily Arden returns to Stages St. Louis, having most recently played Sandy in the 2006 production of Grease. Her Broadway credits include the original Broadway Companies of Hairspray and Mamma Mia! Broadway Actor Jim Newman as Pat Gilbert will make his Stages St. Louis debut. His Broadway credits include the original Broadway companies of Curtains, Minnelli on Minnelli and Steel Pier. Other Broadway credits include Sunset Boulevard and The Who's Tommy and New York Actor Christopher Vettel as Abel Frank will make his Stages St. Louis debut. Among Vettel's numerous National Tour credits are The Radio City Christmas Spectacular, the 30th Anniversary tour of Annie and Sunset Boulevard starring Petula Clark.

Also starring are Broadway Actress Julie Hanson as Margy Frake, who most recently played Esther Smith in Meet Me In St. Louis Stages St. Louis. Her Broadway credits include Christine Daae in The Phantom of the Opera and New York Actor Preston Ellis as Wayne Frake will make his Stages St. Louis debut. His regional credits include La Cage Aux Folles, Altar Boyz and West Side Story.

Also in order of appearance are Mark Roland as Gus/Fairtone/Roustabout; Whit Reichert as Dave Miller/Judge Heppenstahl; Lani Corson as Eleanore/Fairgoer; Colin Israel as Harry; Zak Edwards as Uncle Sam/Charlie; Joseph Torello as Clay; Taylor Pietz as Vivian/Fairgoer; and Lisa M. Ramey as Jeanne/Fairgoer; Darin Wood as The Hoop-La Barker/Fairgoer; Shaun Sheley as Stralenko/The Chief of Police; Zoe Vonder Haar as Mrs. Edwin Metcalf; John Flack as Lem; Mike Dowdy as Hank Munson/Fairgoer; Abigail Isom as Violet; Andrew Laudel as Fairtone/Fairgoer; Nic Thompson as Fairtone/Fairgoer/Roustabout; Matthew Winnegge as Fairtone/Fairgoer; Stephanie Brown as Fairgoer; Laura Ernst as Fairgoer and Lisa Christine Fahey as Fairgoer.

The Corporate Sponsor of Rodgers & Hammerstein's State Fair is Edward Jones. The 2010 season is made possible with financial assistance from the Missouri Arts Council and the Regional Arts Commission. Stages is also funded in part by the Arts & Education Council.

Rodgers & Hammerstein's State Fair will run for a total of five weeks with evening performances Tuesdays through Saturdays at 8 PM, Sundays at 7:30 PM and matinees on Wednesdays at 2 PM, Saturdays at 4 PM and Sundays at 2 PM. For more information and to purchase tickets call 314-821-2407 or visit www.stagesstlouis.org.

Tickets prices range from $15 - $49. Stages performs in the intimate, 384-seat Robert G. Reim Theatre at the Kirkwood Civic Center, 111 South Geyer Road, 63122.

The recipient of twenty Kevin Kline Awards over the past five years, including six in 2010, Stages was founded in 1987 and has become the leading company for musical theatre performance and education in the Midwest.

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