Weston Playhouse Theatre Company's 2016 Season to Include MAMMA MIA! & More

Vermont's Weston Playhouse Theatre Company is turning 80, and in anticipation of a remarkable 2-year celebration, it has unveiled the plans for its 2016 MainStage season in American Theatre magazine. Audiences can expect a line-up distinguished by groundbreaking partnerships, collaborations with major stars, and the Vermont Premiere of one of Broadway's longest-running hits. Producing Artistic Director Steve Stettler comments, "We've pulled out all the stops for our 80th anniversary, and this sneak peek at the four productions that will grace the Playhouse stage is just the beginning."

Weston's MainStage will open with Man of La Mancha, in a fresh new production starring Treat Williams and directed by Wayne Cilento. Williams, whose stage and screen career was launched with the Broadway production of Grease and the film version of Hair, will return to the musical stage as Cervantes/Don Quixote under the direction of Tony winner Cilento (The Who's Tommy, Wicked). Performances will run June 28 - July 16.

In an historic collaboration with Vermont's Dorset Theatre Festival and Northern Stage, Weston will produce Round and Round the Garden, the third play in British playwright Alan Ayckbourn's celebrated comic trilogy, The Norman Conquests. The three companies will share a cast and creative team in bringing the trilogy to life, encouraging audiences to follow the exploits that take place in and around an English country house on a summer weekend. Performances in Weston run July 21 - 30.

Known for bringing the latest Broadway hits to Vermont audiences, Weston has secured the rights to Mamma Mia!, one of the longest running shows in Broadway history. Based on the songs of ABBA, the musical promises to be the feel-good production of the summer. Director Tim Fort (42nd Street, Les Miserables) reunites with choreographer Michael Raine (Guys and Dolls, A Chorus Line) to deliver this blockbuster from August 4 - August 20.

Continuing its five-year commitment to American Masters, Weston celebrates Arthur Miller's 100th birthday with his classic drama, All My Sons. Award-winning director Mary B. Robinson (Weston's Copenhagen) will be at the helm of this Tony-winning play. As an American Masters production, All My Sons will include lectures, a statewide teachers workshop, school matinees, and a performance at the Flynn Center in Burlington, VT. Weston performances run August 25 - September 4.

In honor of its 80th Anniversary season, the theatre will be introducing Weston 101, a series of lecture/discussions with Producing Artistic Director Stettler and other artists that will explore each production in advance of the summer season. Weston 101 will be available individually and as a series both live and on interactive video. For further details about the Weston 2016 season, sign up for the company's eNews at westonplayhouse.org.

The Weston Playhouse Theatre Company received the 2015 Rosetta LeNoire Award from Actors' Equity Association for its contributions to diversity and the 2001 Moss Hart Award from the New England Theatre Conference for the Best Production in New England. The company is in the midst of a $10 million capital campaign to create a year-round cultural center for retreats, workshops, and performances on its village campus in Southern Vermont.

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