Rock River Players

Rock River Players (RRP) presents a Summer Musical Theater Revue, July 17 to 24 at the Williamsville Hall.

Friday July 17, 7:30pm
Saturday July 18, 7:30pm
Sunday July 19, 2pm
Friday July 24, 7:30pm
Saturday July 25, 7:30pm
Saturday July 26, 2:00pm

With this dynamic collection of songs from the Broadway canon — timeless classics to contemporary gems — audiences can expect an evening of lightly-staged, mostly-memorized performances designed, according to director Walter Cramer, “to showcase the music and the exceptional talent of local performers.

“I proposed such an evening of musical theater songs to fill,” Cramer recalls, what he and RRP audiences have perceived as “a gap in local theater” offerings. Of the many community theaters in the area, “only two regularly produce full musicals. They’re expensive (license, sets, costumes, musicians’ fees); they require an extensive rehearsal schedule for the book, the music, and choreography, and they’re typically more complex on the technical side.”

In this format, Cramer explains, such an evening that showcases some highlights from the musical theater canon requires less time and money to produce while offering a great evening of entertainment for audiences and performers alike.

Cramer, who has been a mainstay in RRP winter cabarets for several years, adds: “My experience with similar programs as an undergraduate student at the University of Pittsburgh, as a staff member at a special residential community at Indiana University, and with a Friends of Guilford production in the 1990s, among others — and the positive reception these received — gave me the confidence that this could be successful here.”

Summer Musical Theater Revue brings a professional “Encores at City Center” feel to Vermont, Cramer adds. “’Encores’ started in New York City in 1994 to celebrate and preserve the legacy of American musical theater by staging concert versions of rarely revived Broadway classics.

The RRP program includes a diverse repertoire from legendary composers: Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jonathan Larson, among them. Featured numbers are from popular shows such as West Side Story, Bye Bye Birdie, and Company, and some lesser-known such as Destry Rides Again and Finding Neverland. Each number will be briefly introduced to provide theatrical context for the audience.

Dan DeWalt is music director and accompanist; Amy Donahue, Rock River Players’ Artistic Director, is producer; Jess Guerrero is technical director.

The cast includes Jonathan Benney, Walter Cramer, Susan Boyd Joyce, Addie Mahdavi, Addison Rice, Sea Rios, Jeff Seabaugh, Laura Stickle, Gwyneth Thomson and Marilyn Tullgren. “With minimal sets and costumes, the spotlight remains firmly on the music and the artistry of these local performers,” Cramer adds.

Performances are at 7:30 PM July 17, 18, 24 and 25 and at 2 PM July 19 and 26. Seating is cabaret-style at small tables.

Admission is on a sliding scale of $15 to $25, though no one will be turned away for lack of funds. Tickets are available at the door or online. Williamsville Hall at 35 Dover Rd., Williamsville, Vt.is ADA compliant and air conditioned.

Tickets are available at the door or by using the form below.

Sliding scale ticket range of $15-$25 for general admission,
with no one turned away for lack of funds (NOTAFLOF).

---

For more information or media requests, please contact info@rockriverplayers.org.