Peter Pan marks 10th annual show for Venice Theatre SummerStock; Performers getting ready to fly to Never, Never Land

Comment Off 241 Views
Peter Pan marks 10th annual show for Venice Theatre SummerStock
Performers getting ready to fly to Never, Never Land
Venice, FL, June 24, 2016 – Venice Theatre’s SummerStock program (a “boot camp” for students interested in pursuing careers in professional theatre) will present Peter Pan — its 10th annual musical — on the theatre’s MainStage Thursday, July 21 through Sunday, Aug. 7, 2016. Performances are Thursdays through Saturdays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. A special weekday matinee will also be presented on Friday, July 29 at 1 p.m. Tickets for regular performances are $27 for adults, $17 for college students, and $15 for children and teens through 12th grade. They are on sale now at VeniceStage.com, by calling 941-488-1115, or in person at the box office located at 140 W. Tampa Ave. in Venice. Summer box office hours are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and one hour before show time. Friday matinee tickets can be purchased by contacting Kristofer Geddie at 941-584-0639 or [email protected].

Director/Choreographer Brad Wages and Music Director Michelle Kasanofsky are currently in rehearsals with a cast of  27 “SummerStockers” for the beloved musical version of the classic play about the boy who would not grow up. Booker High School graduate Savannah Clair stars in the title role before she heads to the Manhattan School of Music’s Musical Theatre Program. She is joined by grade school, middle school, high school and college students as well as a couple of recent college graduates to portray the wide variety of characters that Peter meets on his adventures in Never Never Land.

Director/Choreographer Brad Wages has a long history with the musical. He choreographed the early ’90s Broadway production and served as Cathy Rigby’s understudy.

He says, “I never get tired of this show. It’s an enchanting journey filled with adventure, toe tapping music and larger-than-life characters.  While the story of Peter Pan thoroughly entertains younger audience members, it has the ability to transport even the oldest audience members back to a time when anything was possible if you just chose to believe.”
Audiences seem to agree, never tiring of the character and story that was created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie in 1902. His play Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up premiered in London in 1904. There was a silent film in 1924 and the beloved Disney animated film came out in 1953. Mary Martin was well-known for portraying Peter in the televised version of the 1950’s Broadway musical. There was the popular live-action sequel, Hook in 1991 and a 2003 dramatic/live-action film. In 2014 NBC aired Peter Pan Live! These examples are only a handful of the many re-tellings of the original story. Venice Theatre is delighted to keep the tradition alive.
Again, tickets for Peter Pan are available now at VeniceStage.com,by calling 941-488-1115, or in person at the box office located at 140 W. Tampa Ave. in Venice. Also on sale are 2016-2017 season subscriptions, and single tickets for the 4th Annual Summer Cabaret Festival, the doo-wop group THE GOLDTONES, R.P.M.’s 30th anniversary concert, and Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone. Single tickets for the entire 2016-2017 season go on sale July 5, 2016. Peter Pan is generously sponsored by the Edmund and Elizabeth Campbell Family and Education Foundation and co-sponsored by Boone, Boone, Boone, & Koda P.A.
###
Peter Pan
A Musical Based on the play by Sir J.M. Barrie
Lyrics by Carolyn Leigh
Music by Morris (Moose) Charlap
Additional Lyrics by Betty Comden & Adolph Green
Additional Music by Jule Styne
Originally directed, choreographed and adapted by Jerome Robbins
Production Team
Director/Choreographer: Brad Wages
Rehearsal Musical Director: Michelle Kasanofsky
Production Musical Director: Teresa O’Connell
Stage Manager: Lisa Million
Assistant Stage Managers: Brianna Packer and Jennifer Woodford
Technical Director/ Lighting Designer: John Andzulis
Scenic Designer: Christian Londos
Costume Designer: Jonathan Hall
Sound Designer: Jaclyn Ledoux
Cast
Mr.Darling/Captain Hook: Nethaneel Williams
Mrs. Darling: Morgan Graves
Wendy: Bea Kelly
John: Ben Hoermann
Michael: Charles Shoemaker
Peter Pan: Savannah Sinclair
Tiger Lily: Anna Sand-Lambert

Pirates: Beckett Phanmiller, Jonah Duchene-Shaw, Scott Sampson, Jacob Osborn, Alberto Gonzalez, Noah Rodrigues, Ben Dubin

Indians: Megan Hartnett, Leah Henry, Maricel Cumbo, Haley Rosenthal, Bailey Scott, Patty McGuire, Sarah Johnson, Kristina Marier

Lost Boys: Cole McOmber, Casey Berkery, Jackson Carney, Natalie Taylor, Liam McGuire

More about the SummerStock Program
VT SummerStock began in 2007 with a production of Footloose. It is a high-energy musical theatre “boot camp” where company members are immersed in all areas of the craft. The program is designed for students planning to move into the professional world of theatre. Venice Theatre strongly believes it has a responsibility to expose students to the kind of material they will face on the professional stage.  Through SummerStock, the theatre fulfills its mandate as a theatre educator to help students transition from high school to college and beyond.
While enrolled in the program, students will develop and strengthen their singing, dancing and acting skills while also working backstage in areas such as set building, costume construction and marketing. Participants will be trained by professionals to professional standards via workshops, classes and the rehearsal process.
Students attend the nine-week program at the theatre Mondays through  Fridays from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m.  The program culminates with a musical on the MainStage.
Director and Choreographer Brad Wages and Musical Director Michelle Kasanofsky have both been with the SummerStock program since 2008.
Additional information can be found at www.venicestage.com or by calling Sandy Davisson in the Education and Outreach Department at 941-486-8679.
About Venice Theatre
Venice Theatre is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to making a dramatic impact on all stages of life. The second-largest of 10,000 community theatres in the United States, it is located at 140 W. Tampa Ave. in Venice, FL. Its MainStage offers seating for 432 patrons and features musicals, plays, concerts and special events.  Its Yvonne Pinkerton Theatre seats 90 patrons and is home to the theatre’s “Generations,” Stage II and Cabaret Series. In addition to providing entertainment to the community, Venice Theatre offers a wide range of education and outreach programs for children and adults.

 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

About the author

Editor of Don411.com Media website.
Free Newsletter Updated Daily