South Coast Rep Puts on "An Italian Straw Hat"

Tony Award-winning South Coast Repertory has commissioned its first musical, An Italian Straw Hat: A Vaudeville, which will have its world premiere at the Costa Mesa, CA theater September 5 through October 5.

SCR has a strong history of developing new plays. Notable premieres include Margaret Edson's Wit, Craig Lucas' Prelude to a Kiss, and Richard Greenberg's The Violet Hour (one of the many productions I've enjoyed at SCR).

An Italian Straw Hat was inspired by Eugene Labiche's 1851 French vaudeviste, Un chapeau de paille d'Italie. John Strand wrote the book and lyrics. Music is by Dennis McCarthy. Stefan Novinski directs. Dennis Castellano is the musical director.

The show stars Daniel Blinkoff as a hapless bridegroom whose horse has eaten a young lady's hat. He must replace the hat in order to save his wedding.

Other cast members are Alan Blumenfeld, Patrick Kerr, Damon Kirsch, Kasey Mahaffy, Richard Doyle, Michelle Duffy, Matthew Koehler, Melissa van der Schyff, and Erika Whalen.

I'm looking forward to seeing this one.

Source: Playbill

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Legendary Broadway Theater Sold for $30 Million

Second Stage Theatre announced it is purchasing the Helen Hayes Theatre for $30 million.

With 597 seates, the Helen Hayes is the smallest theater on Broadway. It was built in 1912 by Winthrop Ames and original called the Little Theater.

Notable productions include: The Subject Was Roses (1964), Torch Song Trilogy (1982), Prelude to a Kiss (1990), By Jeeves (2001), and Xanadu (2007).

The new owners plan to present three American plays each season at the Helen Hayes, which is one of the last independently owned theaters on Broadway.

Source: Bloomberg.com

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