March 28, 2024
Annapolis, US 48 F

ASGT Announces 2013 Season And Directors

ASGTThe Annapolis Summer Garden Theatre (ASGT) has announced their 2013 schedule. Running Memorial Day through Labor Day 2013, the theatre’s diverse three-show performance season includes the song-and-dance experience Swing!, the original musical comedy [title of show] (clean version), and Stephen Sondheim’s modern classic Into the Woods. Founded in 1966, ASGT is an all-volunteer community theatre performing outdoors “under the stars” at the City Dock in downtown historic Annapolis. Season tickets are $50 each and are on sale now through May 15, 2013.

Fats Waller defined the uniquely American form of popular music and dance known as “swing” as “Two thirds rhythm and one third soul”. Exploding out of pre-war Harlem’s hotbed of youth culture, swing swept the world, shattering ethnic and cultural barriers and generating specialty styles such as Jive, Swing, Lindy Hop, West Coast Swing, and Hip-Hop Swing. Opening ASGT’s season from May 23-June 15, 2013 Swing! celebrates this remarkable diversity to the beat of exhilarating songs of the period, including “It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)”, “Throw That Girl Around”, “Boogie-Woogie Bugle Boy”, “I’ll Be Seeing You”, “In The Mood/Don’t Sit Under The Apple Tree”, and “Stompin’ At The Savoy”.

Returning to ASGT as director and choreographer of Swing! is Patricia Golden, who previously directed 2008’s All Shook Up. A professional choreographer, dancer, and ballroom dance instructor, Patti created the off-off-Broadway company The Turnip Festival to develop and produce original works. Last year took top female honors at the Baltimore Dance Challenge. She’s presently teaching at That’s Dancing Ballroom and Dancesport Center in Jessup and has many contacts in the local swing dance community.

From June 27-July 20, 2013 ASGT will present the original musical comedy [title of show] (clean version). The show is a love letter to the musical theatre, following two aspiring but struggling writers who hear about a new musical theatre festival and decide to write a completely original show with the help of their friends. With the deadline for submissions a mere three weeks away, the pair chooses to write about what to write about. [title of show] – taken from a space on the festival’s application form – chronicles its own creation, following a group of friends as they throw together a musical in less than a month. In the span of 90 minutes they write and perform the show at the festival and learn lessons about themselves as people, friends and artists. Called “DELECTABLE ENTERTAINMENT!” by the New York Times, [title of show] received a Tony Award® nomination for Best Book of a Musical in 2009. Continued…

Marking her ASGT debut as director of [title of show] is Rachael Murray, a professional actor, director, writer and teacher who graduated from Virginia Tech with a B.A. in English and Theatre Arts. In the DC area, Rachael has directed and performed with VpStart Crow Productions, Source Festival, and Mystery Dinner Playhouse. In addition, she has taught at Capital Repertory Theatre’s STAR (Summer Theatre At the Rep) program, EMITT (Exploring Multiple Intelligences Through Theatre), and ImprovAffect.

Closing ASGT’s season with a five-week run from August 1-September 1, 2013 is Into the Woods, the fractured fairy tale musical by James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim. When a Baker and his Wife learn they’ve been cursed with childlessness by the Witch next door, they embark on a quest for special objects required to break the spell, swindling and stealing from Cinderella, Little Red, Rapunzel and Jack (the one who climbed the beanstalk). Everyone’s wish is granted and they seemed poised to live “Happily Ever After”, but the consequences of their actions return to haunt them later, with disastrous results. What begins a lively and irreverent fantasy becomes a moving lesson about community responsibility, the stories we tell our children, and what happens after happily ever after. Last produced at ASGT in 2001, Into the Woods won three 1988 Tony Awards® – including Best Score, Best Book (Musical), and Best Actress (Musical).

Darnell Morris returns to ASGT for a fourth summer to direct Into the Woods. Darnell previously directed 2012’s smash Avenue Q, as well as 2011’s Hairspray and 2010’s The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, both of which were honored as runner-up for Best Musical at the distinguished Ruby Griffith Awards. Darnell serves on the Kensington Arts Theatre’s Board of Directors as Production Manager, and is Artistic Director of KAT’s 2nd Stage.

Season tickets, which include one ticket to each show, are $50 each and are available now through May 15, 2013. Performances are at 8:30pm Thursdays-Sundays. The runs of Swing! and [title of show] each include one Wednesday night performance (June 12th, and July 17th). To purchase season tickets, send a check payable to ASGT and the performance dates of your choice to ASGT Box Office, 143 Compromise Street, Annapolis, MD 21401.

Single tickets for individual shows are $20 each and will go on sale April 1, 2013.

More information is available at www.summergarden.com or 410-268-9212. You can connect with ASGT on Facebook or Twitter (@ASGTAnnapolis).

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