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WVPT summer season: a proud tradition

By Diana Lasko dlasko@heraldstandard.Com 4 min read
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West Virginia Public Theatre (WVPT), under new leadership, opened its 2015 summer season this month sharing music, dance and a tale as old as time.

“We are proud to continue the tradition of entertaining family and friends through our high-quality summer productions. From our beginnings in a tent at Lakeview Resort, to our current home at Morgantown’s own Metropolitan Theatre, we are honored to be a part of the cultural fabric of West Virginia. We are also thrilled to be back at the WVU Creative Arts for two of our shows this season,” said WVPT Executive Director Larry Mabrey.

Mabrey took the reigns in late 2014 with the help of new staff, new interns and new ideas. According to Mabrey the group has a concerted effort to re-engage the local and regional community for its 31st season while providing many opportunities to see more local performers gracing the stages of WVPT productions.

In addition to Morgantown and its surrounding West Virginia communities, this year’s shows by WVPT will feature musical theater performers from Southwestern Pennsylvania and Western Maryland as well,” Mabrey said.

The season is underway, at the Lyell B. Clay Concert Theatre at West Virginia University’s College of Creative Arts, with “A Grand Night for Singing,” a musical revue from the ever-popular Rodgers & Hammerstein. This show features hit songs from some of their greatest musicals: “Cinderella,” “Carousel,” “Oklahoma!” and South Pacific along with some other pleasant surprises on stage through July 12.

In 1994, ‘A Grand Night’ opened on Broadway garnering lots of attention and two Tony nominations including Best Musical for its reimagined staging great R&H songs. A diminutive admirer asks a towering beauty to take a spin on the dance floor with “Shall We Dance?” A lovelorn lad poses the musical question “How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?” And a lavish sultry Andrew Sisters-esque performance of “I’m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair” gives new flavor to popular stage musical classics.

The WVPT season continues to jump July 15-19 with “Footloose,” at the historic Metropolitan Theatre, a stage adaptation based on the 1984 hit film starring Kevin Bacon, as rebellious teen, Ren who shows the importance of enjoying youth, dancing, cutting loose and learning to love throughout this musical.

In addition to the toe-tapping familiar songs from the film, “Holding Out for a Hero,” “Let’s Hear it for the Boy” and “Footloose,” a dozen new songs were written for the stage musical including “On Any Sunday,” “The Girl Gets Around,” “I Can’t Stand Still,” “Can You Find it in Your Heart” and “Dancing is Not A Crime.”

The third show in the WVPT line up is a bluegrass gospel musical that shares the tale of the Sanders family — “Smoke on the Mountain” will be on stage at the Lyell B. Clay Theatre July 22-26.

After a five-year hiatus, the Saunders family begins touring but finds themselves trying to modernize a local church by ‘witnessing’ important events from their lives. By the evening’s end, the Sanders Family has endeared themselves by revealing their weaknesses and allowing us to share in their triumphs.

The off-Broadway musical hit the stage in 1990, featuring mostly old hymns as production numbers including “I’ll Fly Away,” “Built on the Rock,” “Jesus is Mine” “Bringing in the Sheaves,” “Whispering Hope” and “Smoke on the Mountain.”

The well known, tale as old as time will close WVPT’s summer season. Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” will be at the Metropolitan Theatre July 29 through Aug. 2.

Belle, a young woman from a provincial French town, and Beast, a prince under a spell who becomes bewildered by Belle’s beauty.

Beast needs love to return to he and his enchanted castle to their true form.

A family favorite for it’s film songs “Be Our Guest,” “Gaston,” “A Change in Me” and “Beauty and the Beast,” the stage musical also features “Home,” “If I Can’t Love Her,” “Something There” and “Human Again.”

“This season we have made a dedicated effort to attract some of the finest talent in the region to grace our stage and work behind the scenes. Our commitment to providing topnotch Broadway shows will only be enhanced by showcasing the finest local talent available,” Mabrey said.

For any other questions and to view future updates please visit the WVPT recently updated website at www.wvpublictheatre.org or our new blog at www.wvpublictheatre.wordpress.com.

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