With the beginning of the new academic year at Central Methodist University comes the anticipation of a new season of performances at the Little Theatre, and the 2021-22 lineup is sure to provide plenty of entertainment to the Fayette community and beyond.
Performers in last year’s shows met the unprecedented challenge of learning to act for both live audiences and cameras, as the performances were live-streamed over the internet for the first time. The experience gained by both the actors and the crew members will likely be a great asset this season as well.
The first Little Theatre shows for the fall semester are already being cast, with the first performance less than two months away. The full lineup for the season is as follows:
Carousel by Richard Rogers and Oscar Hammerstein II
Rodgers and Hammerstein’s second collaboration (after the successful Oklahoma!) cemented their reputation for soaring music and a riveting storyline. The time is 1873. The place, a small New England fishing village. Billy Bigelow, the handsome and swaggering barker for Mrs. Mullin’s carousel, meets Julie Jordan, a lovely young working girl at the nearby mill, when Julie and her friend Carrie Pipperidge come to the amusement park. Billy and Julie fall in love and are soon married, but not happily ever after. Their struggles, in contrast to the agitated bliss of Carrie and her Mr. Snow, carry forward into the afterlife and back.
Slated for October 14-17, the musical will be directed by Dr. Mark Kelty, with music direction by Dr. Susan Quigley-Duggan.
Boy by Anna Ziegler
Inspired by a true story, Boy explores the complicated terrain of trying to find love in a new body, and the inextricable bonds between doctor and patient. In the 1960s, a well-intentioned doctor convinces the parents of a male infant to raise their son as a girl after a terrible accident. Two decades later, the repercussions of that choice continue to unfold.
Professor Lonna Wilke will direct the show, scheduled for December 2-5.
The Little Prince by Aaron Randolph III
The Little Theatre will present live encore performances of the classic tale after the show originally ran last year. Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s classic tale of a young prince traveling around the universe is a favorite for children and adults because of its charming characters and its insights on life on our planet that we all deal with and perhaps are dealing with more intensely now.
The show, directed by Professor Chris Oliver, will be offered for elementary school audiences from March 2-4, with public performances schedule for March 5-6.
Lend Me A Tenor by Ken Ludwig
In this show, set in September 1934, Saunders, the general manager of the Cleveland Grand Opera Company, is primed to welcome world-famous singer Tito Merelli, known as Il Stupendo, the greatest tenor of his generation, to appear for one night only as the star of the opera. Tito arrives late, and through a hilarious series of mishaps, he is given a double dose of tranquilizers and passes out. His pulse is so low that Saunders and his assistant Max believe he’s dead - and in a frantic attempt to salvage the evening, Saunders persuades Max to get into Merelli's costume and fool the audience into thinking he's Il Stupendo. More complications arise and hilarity ensues.
The final show of the year will run from April 21-24, with Kelty again in the director’s role.
For CMU main stage productions, tickets are $8 for general admission, $5 CMU faculty and staff, CMU students free with ID. Check with the box office at 660-248-6281 for details.