MEDIA CONTACT:
Joshua Ford
Director of Marketing and Communications
jford@olneytheatre.org
OLNEY THEATRE CENTER’S APPLAUSE SERIES EXPANDS WITH CONCERTS OF PIPPIN AND BRIGADOON
Classic musicals get recital presentations on back-to-back weekends in April
Olney, MD — March 21, 2022 — Olney Theatre Center announced the full ensemble for its two-weekend concert presentations of Pippin (April 1-3) and Brigadoon (April 8-10). Christopher Michael Richardson and Eymard Cabling are featured as the Leading Player and Pippin respectively, in the musical of the same name, directed by Eleanor Holdridge. The following weekend Kevin McAllister stars as Tommy Albright in Brigadoon alongside Patricia Hurley as Fiona MacLaren, Rachel Zampelli as Meg Brockie, and Kurt Boehm as Jeff Douglas, directed by Bobby Smith. With the exception of Cabling, all actors appear both weekends, so in Pippin, McAllister will play Charlamagne, Hurley plays Fastrada, Zampelli plays Catherine, and Boehm joins the ensemble. DMV theatre legend Donna Migliaccio plays Berthe in Pippin the first weekend of the repertory, and Lundie in Brigadoon the following week. Both concerts feature choreography by Tara Jeanne Vallee and music direction by Christopher Youstra. Tickets are $60 and are available at olneytheatre.org or via the box office (301-924-3400).
“This is an opportunity for our audiences to enjoy two great musicals and for these incredibly talented performers to sink their teeth into some great roles,” said Christopher Youstra.
Youstra serves as the Artistic Director for Olney’s Applause Series, which produces new and classic musicals in lightly-staged concert versions. Since beginning in 2018 as a one-night-only event, the Applause Series has grown in popularity,, and this edition is the first to expand into a multi-performance, two-week engagement. Maestro Youstra has been busy having just completed music directing the successful run of A.D. 16 and the March 11 Applause Series concert of the new musical Lautrec at the St. James.
Also joining the Pippin/Brigadoon ensemble are Matthew August (ensemble/Harry), Kelli Blackwell (ensemble), Nick Lehan (ensemble/Charlie), Robert Mintz (ensemble/Frank), MK Sagastume (Jane Ashton), Shawna Walker (Manson Dancer/Maggie), Julia Wilson (Thea/Jane) and Michael Wood (Lewis/Harry Beaton’s Dad). Kenneth Derby performs in Brigadoon as Andrew MacLaren.
Holdridge, Smith, Youstra and Vallee are supported by a set design by Misha Kachman and lights by Nancy Schertler. Josiane M. Lemieux is the Production Stage Manager. Pippin will have a 9-piece orchestra and Brigadoon, 10 pieces.
EVENT DETAILS
PIPPIN
Music and Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz
Book by Roger O. Hirson
Directed by Eleanor Holdridge
Music Direction by Christopher Youstra
Choreography by Tara Jeanne Vallee
Performances:
Friday, April 1 at 8:00 pm
Saturday, April 2 at 2:00 pm
Saturday, April 2 at 8:00 pm
Sunday, April 3 at 2:00 pm
BRIGADOON
Book and Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner
Music by Frederick Loewe
Directed by Bobby Smith
Music Direction by Christopher Youstra
Choreography by Tara Jeanne Vallee
Performances:
Friday, April 8 at 8:00 pm
Saturday, April 9 at 2:00 pm
Saturday, April 9, at 8:00 pm
Saturday, April 10 at 2:00 pm
Tickets: $60 available at olneytheatre.org or 301-924-3400 (Wed - Sun, 12:00 pm - 6:00 pm)
VACCINATION POLICY
Masks and proof of COVID vaccination are required to attend for all patrons. Exceptions may be made for those who are not vaccinated, such as children under 5, people with certain medical conditions preventing vaccination, or those with closely held religious beliefs. These patrons must provide proof of a timely negative Covid-19 PCR test taken within 48 hours or a professionally administered rapid antigen test taken within six hours of showtime. Please note, we do not accept home test results. Visit OlneyTheatre.org/vax for more information.
ABOUT OLNEY THEATRE CENTER
Mission
Olney Theatre Center for the Arts produces and curates theatrical performance for the diverse audiences in our community, and educates, learns from, supports and inspires a more inclusive generation of theater-makers.
Vision
We strive to become an arts and culture powerhouse, redefining the American regional theater movement by cultivating and sharing the creativity of our community.
History
Founded in 1938 as a summer playhouse, Olney Theatre Center (OTC) now produces world and American premieres of plays and musicals, and reimaginings of familiar titles year-round; presents the work of leading companies and artists; tours nationally and locally; teaches students of all ages; and mentors a more inclusive generation of theatremakers. For more than 8 decades, OTC has brought impactful theater performance and education to our community, helping to grow the vibrancy and vitality of our home in the Washington, DC region.
Over the years, some of the biggest names in theater and film have appeared on our stages, including Tallulah Bankhead, Helen Hayes, Jessica Tandy, Hume Cronyn, Bob Fosse, Phillip Bosco, Eve Arden, Eva Gabor, Burl Ives, Jose Ferrer, Carol Channing, Olivia d’Havilland, Tony Randall, Paulette Goddard, Dorothy and Lillian Gish, Jane Seymour, Anne Revere, Frances Sternhagen, Arthur Treacher, James Broderick, Olympia Dukakis, Sir Ian McKellen, Marica Gay Harden, John Colicos, Uzo Aduba, Alan Cumming, Cheyenne Jackson, Robin de Jesus, Wilson Jermaine Heredia, among many, many others.
Olney Theatre is now the cultural anchor of a rapidly changing region and serves one of the most diverse, best educated, and wealthiest counties in the country. Situated on the unceded land of the Piscataway-Conoy people, the Olney area was once a rural farming community with a unique Quaker heritage. Now the area is occupied by every kind of family that makes up 21st Century America, along with major corporations, shopping districts, civic associations, non profit organizations and a diverse collection of houses of worship. Montgomery County’s 1 million residents play a dynamic role in the Baltimore-Washington corridor, and are a driving force behind the region’s creative economy.
Olney Theatre Center employs 40 full time staff, 20 part-time positions, 26 early career apprentices and players, and more than 400 professional artists annually. The Theatre intends to continue expanding to better meet the needs of our community.
For more information, please visit olneytheatre.org/history
Follow Olney Theatre Center on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok @olneytheatre and on Facebook at facebook.com/olneytheatre.
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