COLDWATER – Children who want to experience the limelight as orphans
alongside a professional company of actors for Tibbits Summer Theatre’s production
of “Annie” can audition April 13 and 14. The show runs July 2 through 11.
With equal measures of pluck and
positivity, little orphan Annie charms everyone’s heart despite a
next-to-nothing start in 1930s New York City. Set during The Great Depression,
the feisty young Annie endures “a hard knock life” in the miserable orphanage
run by the cruel Miss Hannigan. In adventure after fun-filled adventure, she
spends a fairytale Christmas with billionaire Oliver Warbucks, befriends
President FDR, searches for her parents, and foils Miss Hannigan’s evil plans
to take advantage of Annie’s new life.
Already cast in the title role is local
Tibbits Young Audiences and Tibbits Summer Theatre alum Lexi Galliers. Girls
interested in joining Galliers as orphans need to attend auditions at Tibbits
Opera House, located at 14 S. Hanchett St. Auditions begin at 5pm each night,
and auditionees only need to attend one night. These auditions are open to girls
age 9 and older to be playing roles ages 5-15.
Children should bring a non-returnable
photo. Parents/guardians will fill out audition forms in the lobby of the
theatre. Children will audition on stage in small groups. Auditionees will be
asked to introduce themselves, read a selection of the script, sing a familiar
children’s song (ie: Row Your Boat) and possibly learn a simple dance
combination.
This professional production, sponsored
by Vandervoort, Christ and Fisher, P.C., has evening performances on July 2, 3,
9, 10 and 11 with matinee performances on July 2, 5, and 8. Children who are
cast must be available for all rehearsals and shows from June 14 through the
close of the show on July 11, even though they won’t be required to attend all
rehearsal times. Tibbits’ mainstage rehearsals run daily morning, afternoon and
evenings–including Saturdays and Sundays. A detailed schedule will be released
at a later date.
For questions, call Tibbits at 517-278-6029. More information can be found at Tibbits.org.
COLDWATER – With more shows and events in one season than ever before,
the 57th season of Tibbits Summer Theatre will once again offer
something for everyone with a slate full of music, dancing, comedy, romance and
drama.
Tibbits 2020 Summer Theatre Season begins with three musicals: the sassy
romp “Ain’t Misbehavin’”, the beloved “Annie”, and the impactful “Man of La
Mancha.” The main shows close with Ken Ludwig’s “A Comedy of Tenors”. In addition to the regular summer theatre
lineup which also includes five kid-friendly Tibbits Popcorn Theatre shows,
there will also be concerts, cabarets at area restaurants, and special showings
of the play “Love Letters”, a touching journey of love and friendship across a
lifetime.
Professional actors entertain Tibbits audiences in a performance of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat last summer. Gift certificates for the 2020 Tibbits Summer Theatre are currently on sale. The main season featuring the sassy, sultry musical celebration of legendary jazz great Fats Waller with Ain’t Misbehavin’, then the beloved family musical Annie, followed by the impactful musical Man of La Mancha, and closing with the hilarious farce full of mayhem and mistaken identity with Ken Ludwig’s A Comedy of Tenors.
“Ain’t Misbehavin’”, the Fats Waller musical show, opens the season and
runs June 18-20 and 25-27 with matinees on June 18 and 24. Relive the intoxicating, swingin’ music of
Fats Waller and the Golden Age of the Cotton Club. Winner of the 1978 Tony
Award for Best Musical, this delightful and energetic musical revue provides
great insight into a vibrant time in American history and music. The joint will
be jumpin’ as the versatile cast struts, strums and sings the songs that Fats
made famous in a career that ranged from uptown clubs to downtown Tin Pan Alley
to Hollywood and concert stages in the U.S., Canada and Europe.
Next, the stage will continue to be filled with music and dance with
the family-friendly “Annie,” which runs July 2-3 and 9-11 with matinees on July
2 and 5. With equal measures of pluck
and positivity, little orphan Annie charms everyone’s heart despite a
next-to-nothing start in 1930s New York City. Set during The Great Depression,
the feisty young Annie endures “a hard knock life” in the miserable orphanage
run by the cruel Miss Hannigan. In adventure after fun-filled adventure, she
spends a fairytale Christmas with billionaire Oliver Warbucks, befriends
President FDR, searches for her parents, and foils Miss Hannigan’s evil plans
to take advantage of Annie’s new life.
One of the longest running
Broadway shows of its time, “Man of La Mancha” runs July 23-25, 30-31, and
August 1 with matinees on July 23 and 29. Based on Cervantes’ epic 17th-century
novel, “Man of La Mancha” is a remarkable, poignant musical set in the context
of the Spanish Inquisition. An imprisoned Miguel de Cervantes gets his fellow
inmates to enact the story of his novel, “Don Quixote,” about an aged nobleman
who declares himself a “knight errant” out to do battle for good and the love
of a fair maiden. Through the story, all the prisoners – at least for a moment
– are transformed. “Man of La Mancha” features such stirring songs as
“Dulcinea” and “The Impossible Dream.”
The main season closes
with Ken Ludwig’s farce “A Comedy of Tenors,” which runs Aug 6-8 and 13-15 with
matinees on Aug 6 and 12. One hotel suite, four tenors, two wives, three
girlfriends, and a soccer stadium filled with screaming fans are the perfect
setup for this comedy. It’s 1930s Paris and the stage is set for the concert of
the century – as long as producer Henry Saunders can keep Italian superstar
Tito Merelli and his hot-blooded wife, Maria, from causing runaway chaos. Known
as the master of farce, comedic genius Ken Ludwig—playwright of “The Fox on the
Fairway,” “See How They Run,” “Moon Over Buffalo” and “Leading Ladies”— provides
another play full of mistaken identities, bedroom hijinks, and madcap delight.
Season tickets for the mainstage shows range from $113 to $130 (with fees) and will be on sale in January. Evening summer performances begin at 7:30pm with matinees at 2pm. Gift certificates are currently available for season tickets, individual shows, or for any denomination by calling 517.278.6029, visiting the administrative offices at 93 W. Chicago St., or going online to Tibbits.org. The historic Tibbits Opera House is located at 14 S. Hanchett St. in Coldwater, MI.
