FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FOUNTAIN HILLS COMMUNITY THEATER IS PROUD TO ANNOUNCE THE OPENING OF THE MODERN CLASSIC MUSICAL

INTO THE WOODS

Fountain Hills Community Theater is proud to announce the opening of the modern classic musical Into the Woods.
Into the Woods: An ambivalent Cinderella? A blood-thirsty Little Red Riding Hood? A Prince Charming with a roving eye? A Witch...who raps? They're all among the cockeyed characters in James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim's fractured fairy tale. When a Baker and his Wife learn they've been cursed with childlessness by the Witch next door, they embark on a quest for the special objects required to break the spell, swindling, lying to and stealing from Cinderella, Little Red, Rapunzel and Jack (the one who climbed the beanstalk). Everyone's wish is granted at the end of Act One, but the consequences of their actions return to haunt them later, with disastrous results. What begins as a lively irreverent fantasy in the style of “The Princess Bride” becomes a moving lesson about community responsibility and the stories we tell our children.  One of Sondheim's most popular works, this timeless yet relevant piece is a rare modern classic.
Into the Woods opened on December 4, 1986 at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego and ran for 50 performances. Many of the performers from that production were in the Broadway cast.  Into the Woods opened on Broadway at the Martin Beck Theatre on November 5, 1987, closed on September 3, 1989, and played 764 performances. It starred Bernadette Peters, Joanna Gleason, Chip Zien, Kim Crosby, Ben Wright, Danielle Ferland, Chuck Wagner, Merle Louise, and Robert Westenberg. The original production won the 1988 New York Drama Critics' Circle Award and the Drama Desk Award for Best Musical, and the original cast recording won a Grammy Award. Joanna Gleason won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical, as did James Lapine (book) and Stephen Sondheim (original score).
Into the Woods is produced by Steve Mancarella and directed by Peter J. Hill. Choreography by Noel Irick and Musical Direction by Flora Mogerman. 

FHCT is proud to announce that soprano Kathleen Berger is returning to the valley from Spain to portray The Witch in Into the Woods.  This Arizona native recently appeared as the first American artist to perform with Compañía Lírica Dolores Marco in Madrid, in the zarzuela spectacular El Gran Género Chico, celebrating the centennial of composer Federico Chueca. She then traveled to Écija, Spain, to give a recital as part of the festival ¨Música en los Palacios.” Stateside, her most recent success came when she stepped in with only twenty-four hours notice to replace an ailing soprano as Violetta in the Jefferson County Performing Arts Society’s production of La Traviata, a role she has sung more than twenty times in the last year.

Into the Woods also features Sandi Atkinson, Jesse Berger, Kathleen Berger, Marty Berger, Rebekah Burnham, Darren Scott Friedman, Lacey Garcia, Sandy Gulledge, Jason Lee McDonald, Aya Nameth, Loen Orson, Sean Owen, Erin Ryan, Janine Smith, Val Stasik, George Wall, Laura Webb and Tyler Wise.
          
Into the Woods will play September 12 through October 5, 2008.  Performances are Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings at 8:00 P.M. and Sunday afternoons at 2:00 P.M. Individual tickets are $25.00 for Adults and $20.00 for children 17 and under. Group rates and student rush discounts are available.  All performances are at Fountain Hills Community Theater on its Mainstage at 11445 N. Saguaro Blvd. (The Corner of Saguaro and Rand). Tickets are available through the theater Box Office at (480) 837-9661 x3.  Box Office Hours are 10:00 AM-5:00 PM Tuesday through Saturday.

For publicity photos, please contact Fountain Hills Community Theater Publicity, Patty Torrilhon at (480) 837-9661 or visit our website at www.fhct.org for production photos.

For additional information not contained in this press release, please call Fountain Hills Community Theater Artistic Director, Peter J. Hill at (480) 837-9661 EXT. 7.

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Download Press JPG Caption: Laura Webb and Kathleen Berger

Download Press JPG Caption: Janine Smith, Laura Webb, Kathleen Berger, Sandy Gulledge and Tyler Wise

Download Press JPG Caption: Kathleen Berger, Janine Smith and Darren Friedman