Asolo Rep to Stage U.S. Premiere of HETTY FEATHER

Asolo Repertory Theatre proudly announces the final production of its 2015-16 season, the U.S. premiere of the U.K. phenomenon HETTY FEATHER, Jacqueline Wilson's wildly popular U.K. novel adapted into a thrilling theatrical masterpiece by Emma Reeves. A 2015 Olivier Award nominee for Best Family Entertainment, HETTY FEATHER will have one preview on Thursday, June 2 at 7pm, open Friday, June 3 at 7pm and run through Sunday, June 26 in the Mertz Theatre, located in the FSU Center for the Performing Arts. Asolo Rep's production will feature the entire West End cast, starring Phoebe Thomas as Hetty. Sally Cookson, who directed the West End production, will direct Asolo Rep's production.

Charles Dickens meets Orphan Annie meets Cirque du Soleil in this smashing new play that has taken the U.K. by storm. Based on Jacqueline Wilson's best-selling novel, Hetty Feather is a feisty young 19th century redhead with an indomitable imagination and a zest for adventure. Left at the not-so-tender mercies of the Foundling Hospital as a baby, Hetty's quest to find her true home takes her from the English countryside to the traveling circus to the mean streets of London, all by way of thrilling aerial and circus feats, live music and spectacular story-telling. A true celebration of the random nature of life, this is a must-see theatrical adventure for all ages.

"I have been producing theatre in the West End and around the English provinces for 25 years and no other production of mine has ever had such fantastic reviews," said Kenny Wax, producer of HETTY FEATHER. "We have now played two West End Summer seasons, both hugely successful, and by the time we arrive in Sarasota, we will have toured to every major city in the U.K. To have the opportunity now to bring our extraordinary show over to play at Asolo Rep is very special indeed, made even more exciting by Sarasota's historic association with the Ringling Brothers Circus. I don't think a story about a feisty little girl who wants to run away to join the circus could find a more suitable home in the U.S. in which to premiere."

"It is very exciting to present the U.S. premiere of HETTY FEATHER, a beloved U.K. theatre sensation now completing a hugely successful run on London's West End," said Asolo Rep's Producing Artistic Director Michael Donald Edwards. "We look forward to welcoming families and patrons of all ages to this coming-of-age story filled with music, circus magic, and a lot of heart."

Tickets for HETTY FEATHER will go on sale on Friday, December 11, 2015 at 10am online and at the Asolo Rep Box Office. Tickets start at $18. There will be a special family ticket package discount, with 15 percent off tickets for a family of four. Two tickets must be for patrons under the age of 18. Throughout the run, all Saturday morning (10:30am curtain) performances will also be discounted.