STORMING HEAVEN: THE MUSICAL & THE 39 STEPS Headline WVPT's Summer 2019 Season

After being voted West Virginia's Theatre of the Year in the 2018 BroadwayWorld Regional Awards, West Virginia Public Theatre (WVPT) is thrilled to announce their new summer season: Storming Heaven: The Musical (June 6-9, 11-16) and Patrick Barlow's The 39 Steps (June 26-30).

Following a sold-out staged reading in January, Storming Heaven: The Musical returns to Morgantown for its fully-staged world premiere. Based on the award-winning novel by Denise Giardina, Storming Heaven was adapted for the stage by Katy Blake and Peter Davenport (book, music, and lyrics), with additional music and lyrics by country star Tracy Lawrence and Flip Anderson.

A tale deeply rooted in the history of Appalachia, Storming Heaven centers on Carrie Bishop (Alison McCartan), the mine doctor's nurse and sister of the mine superintendent, who finds herself unwittingly in the middle of a love triangle with Albion Freeman (Luke Halferty), her husband and preacher to the miners, and Rondal Lloyd (Rick Mugrage), a charismatic Union organizer. Carrie's journey of self-discovery - a woman at the turn of the twentieth century struggling to find her own identity and power - parallels the miners' struggle for basic human rights.

The season will conclude with Patrick Barlow's wildly popular stage adaptation of The 39 Steps, which has played in over 40 countries worldwide. Adapted from the John Buchan novel and Alfred Hitchcock film of the same name, this Tony, Drama Desk, and Olivier Award-winning comedy is a fast-paced, laugh-a-minute whodunit with a virtuosic cast of four (Tim McGeever, Nancy McNulty, Liam Michael Holton, and Jared Munson) playing nearly 50 characters. Mix a Hitchcock masterpiece with a juicy spy novel, add a dash of Monty Python, a few secret agents (and double agents), handcuffs, ham sandwiches, and some good old-fashioned romance, and you have an unforgettable night at the theatre!

All performances will take place in the Gladys G. Davis Theatre (WVU Creative Arts Center), with a start time of 7:30pm EXCEPT for Sunday performances, which begin at 2:00pm. There are also additional 2:00pm matinees (as well as regular 7:30pm evening performances) of Storming Heaven on Saturday, June 8 and Saturday, June 15.

The run time of both shows is around 2 hours, including one intermission. Storming Heaven is recommended for ages 12 and up, and The 39 Steps is recommended for ages 10 and up. Tickets are $25, or $15 for children 17 and under or groups of 10 or more. Tickets are available for purchase online through Ticketmaster, by calling 293-SHOW, or at the CAC or Mountainlair box offices from 10am today (Thursday, April 18th). For more information, please visit our website, www.wvpublictheatre.org or find us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram (@wvpublictheatre | #WVPT2019).

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