Seven Brides For Seven Brothers October 20, 2010

Drury Lane Theatre continues their acclaimed “Year of the Director” by presenting a never-before-seen new version of the Tony Award-winning musical masterpiece SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS, directed by Bill Jenkins, Chair of Ball State University’s Department of Theatre and Dance. Featuring an all-star cast led by Steve Blanchard as “Adam” (who played “The Beast” for eight years in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast on Broadway, “Pa Ingalls” in the National Tour of Little House on the Prairie, and “Lancelot” in the National Tour of Camelot) and Abby Mueller as “Milly” (who played “Meg” in Marriott Theatre’s Little Women and “Constance” in Chicago Shakespeare’s The Three Musketeers), SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS previews October 14, opens October 20 and runs through December 19 at Drury Lane Theatre, 100 Drury Lane, Oakbrook Terrace, IL. Tickets are already selling briskly.

A sweeping, delightfully funny love story, SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS is based on the Academy Award-winning 1954 MGM film of the same name. A 1982 Broadway version received a Tony nomination for Best Original Score and the musical has been staged around the world, including Madrid and several successful London productions. The New York Times has praised the musical for its “humor” and “energy” and Variety raved that SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS is “A real gem of a show…the stage bursts with the kind of dancing joy not seen onstage in a long time.”

Drury Lane Theatre, with special permission from Music Theatre International, presents an exuberant new version that artfully combines elements from both the 1982 Broadway production as well as the successful Paper Mill Playhouse production. This revamped version features contemporary dialogue with an authentic, rustic feel while remaining true to the original. SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS has a book by Lawrence Kasha and David Landay, music by Gene de Paul, Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn, and lyrics by Johnny Mercer, Al Kasha and Joel Hirschhorn. The original script is based on the short story The Sobbin' Women, by Stephen Vincent Benét, which was initially based on the Ancient Roman legend of The Rape of the Sabine Women.

Set in Oregon in 1850, SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS is the tale of Adam Pontipee, an outdoorsman who ventures into town looking for a bride. He finds Milly working in a restaurant and convinces her to marry him. Milly's ecstasy quickly sours when she finds she is to also take care of Adam's six unkempt, burly brothers. Deciding to make the marriage work, Milly hatches a plan to marry off the brothers, which includes teaching them how to court women. This plan turns out to be much more difficult than originally anticipated and leads to a series of madcap events. A joyous celebration of romance, SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS is a hilarious and thrilling tribute to the glory days of the American musical.

SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS stars Steve Blanchard as Adam (who played the “The Beast” for eight years in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast on Broadway, making him the actor who appeared in the role the longest), Loren Connell as Carl, Matthew Crowle as Matt (Spamalot on Broadway, The National Tour of Dr. Doolittle), Jarret Ditch as Caleb (The Hot Mikado, Cabaret, Thoroughly Modern Millie, and Mame at Drury Lane Theatre), Kyle Donahue as Joel, Jackson Evans as Jeb (Pinocchio at Marriott Theatre), Don Forston as Mr. Bixby (five time Jeff Award nominee), Karl Hamilton as the Preacher (Porchlight Music Theatre’s Miracle on 34th Street), Katie Huff as Alice, Sean Michael Hunt as Luke (High School Musical at Drury Lane Oakbrook), Amanda Kroiss as Sarah (Hot Mikado at Drury Lane Theatre), Amber Mak as Liza (Cabaret at Drury Lane Theatre), Renee Matthews as Mrs. Bixby (Jeff Award winner Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical for The Full Monty, Over the River and Through the Woods), Hallie Cercone as Martha, Abby Mueller as Milly (Little Women at Marriott Theatre, The Three Musketeers at Chicago Shakespeare), Vanessa Panerosa as Dorcus (Sweet Charity at Drury Lane Oakbrook, Hairspray at Marriott Theatre), Cara Salerno as Ruth (Crazy for You at Theatre at the Center), Brandon Springman as Frank (Sugar at Drury Lane Theatre), Richard Strimer as Benjamin (Jeff Award winner for Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical for Singin’ in the Rain at Drury Lane Evergreen Park), William Travis Taylor as Daniel (Sugar at Drury Lane Theatre), Wesley Tucker as Zeke, Chris Yonan as Ephraim, and Zach Zube as Gideon (High School Musical at Marriott Theatre.) The production also features Joyee Lin, Kristy Luehm Hronick (Radio City Rockettes Christmas Spectacular tour), and Andrea Prestinario (Jeff Award for Actress in a Principal Role for Side Show at Bohemian Theatre Ensemble.)

Director Bill Jenkins leads the Artistic Team for SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS, making his directorial debut at Drury Lane Theatre. Past directorial credits include work in Chicago with Noble Fool Theatricals (Ruthless, Musical of Musicals: The Musical, Some Enchanted Evening, and Roasting Chestnuts), Famous Door Theatre Company (Assistant Director on The Living, which won the Joseph Jefferson Award for Production), and work with the musical theatre group Cabarrah including the 2006 Sondheim Celebration at Millennium Park, Illinois Shakespeare Festival (Complete Work of William Shakespeare Abridged, Knight of the Burning Pestle and Fifteen-Minute Hamlet, among others), the Clarence Brown Theatre (Violet and It’s A Wonderful Life: The Radio Play), Summer Studio Theatre Company at the Krannert Center (Last of the Red Hot Lovers, Educating Rita, Born Yesterday, This Property is Condemned, and An Unsatisfactory Supper), and Nebraska Repertory Theatre (Measure for Measure).
In addition to his work as a director, Jenkins serves as the Immediate Past-President of the Mid-America Theatre Conference (MATC) and is a recent recipient of the prestigious MATC Fellow Award in recognition of his contributions to both MATC and his profession. He is also active as an evaluator for the acting auditions through the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Regional Festival and at the University/Resident Theatre Auditions (U/RTA) in Chicago. Jenkins is the Chair of Ball State University’s Department of Theatre and Dance where he serves as an Associate Professor of Musical Theatre, Directing, and Acting. Since arriving at Ball State, he has directed The Laramie Project (which was selected as the national alternate for the KC/ACTF Competition), Noises Off, Songs for a New World, Going to St. Ives, A Flea in Her Ear, A Little Night Music, The Philadelphia Story, Cabaret, Thoroughly Modern Millie, and Orpheus in the Underworld. Jenkins also annually directs Ball State's "New York Showcase" with NY Casting Director Stephanie Klapper. He received his Master of Fine Arts degree in directing from Illinois State University, and also holds a Masters and Bachelors degree from Ball State University in speech communications and acting.

A stunning mountain range, a log cabin made of imported timber, a heart-rending avalanche and beautiful falling snow are some of the elements that epitomize the incredible naturalism of scenic design by Kevin Depinet (Jeff Award winner and designer for the film Public Enemies), which has an epic Pacific Northwest theme. Vibrant lighting by Jeff Award nominee Jesse Klug transports audiences to the vast skies and intimate frontier cabins of 1850s Oregon. The vintage-inspired costumes by Kathryn Rohe combine the charm of traditional calicos and plaids as well as historically accurate Western attire. The production’s intricate choreography is by Jeff Award winner and nine-time Jeff Award nominee Tammy Mader. Musical Director Roberta Duchak (Broadway’s Ragtime, Ravinia Festival) breathes new life into the snappy, energetic score that features brilliant toe-tapping musical numbers including “One Man,” “Love Never Goes Away” and “Spring Dance.” Props Design is by Greg Isaac, Sound Design is by Jeff Award winner Ray Nardelli, Fight Choreography is by John Tovar, and Costume Design is by Kathryn Rohe with Costume Manager Erika Senase.

The performance schedule is as follows: Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m. ($31), Thursdays at 1:30 p.m. ($31) and 8 p.m. ($38), Fridays at 8:30 p.m. ($45), Saturdays at 5 p.m. ($45) and 8:30 p.m. ($45) and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. ($45) and 6 p.m. ($40). Lunch and dinner theater packages range from $45.75 to $68 depending on the day of the week. Student tickets start as low as $19 and Senior Citizen tickets start as low as $27 for matinees and $41.75 for a matinee luncheon package. For reservations, call the Drury Lane Theatre box office at 630.530.0111, call TicketMaster at 800.745.3000, or visit www.drurylaneoakbrook.com.