Monday, July 23, 2007
The New Harmony Theatre wraps up 20th anniversary season with “I Do! I Do!”
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The New Harmony Theatre, a professional Equity theatre produced by the University of Southern Indiana, wraps up its 20th anniversary season with “I Do! I Do!,” a musical about marriage by Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt, the team who penned the hit musicals, “The Fantasticks” and “110 in the Shade.” According to Lenny Leibowitz, artistic director, “`I Do! I Do!’ evokes the flush and blush of first love and the warmth of mature love all at once. It is a perfect synthesis of story, song, dance, and dialogue.” He continued, “All the elements of musical theatre and vaudeville are perfectly harmonized and harnessed in this show. It has an old-style charm that is all but lost in modern musicals.” The production runs July 27 through August 12 at Murphy Auditorium in New Harmony. “I Do! I Do!” follows Michael and Agnes through 50 years of marriage. They experience wedding day jitters, the joy of being newlyweds, and their first fight in a song called “Nobody’s Perfect,” when Agnes sings “You chew in your sleep,” and Michael responds, “You’re always late.” They raise children together as they sing “Love cannot pay for milk or put the satin ruffles on her party dresses…but love is what makes it sorta fun.” When things get tough, Agnes threatens to leave as an “emancipated lady” in the showstopper, “Flaming Agnes,” but the couple reconciles and looks forward to having the kids out of the house in “When the Kids Get Married.” As they age, Michael and Agnes reflect that “Marriage is a very good thing, though it’s never easy.” Life magazine called “I Do! I Do!” a “love duet to a happy marriage.” “I Do! I Do!” is based on a play called “The Fourposter” by Jan de Hartog. It premiered on Broadway in December, 1966. It was an instant hit and ran for 560 performances with Mary Martin as Agnes and Robert Preston as Michael. The cast of “I Do! I Do!” features Susan Derry as Agnes and Darrin Baker as Michael. Both are Broadway veterans; they performed together in the Broadway production of “Wonderful Town.” Baker’s Broadway credits include “Tarzan,” “Footloose,” “Sunset Boulevard,” “The Scarlet Pimpernel,” and “Laughing Room Only.” Derry recently completed a successful run as Gwendolen in The New Harmony Theatre production of “The Importance of Being Earnest.” The artistic team for “I Do! I Do!” includes Lenny Leibowitz, director; Tijana Bjelajac, scenic designer; Melissa Panzarello, costume designer; Craig A. Young, lighting designer; Laura Gnagey, sound designer; and Sherrie Dee Brewer, production stage manager. Tickets for “I Do! I Do!” are $24 for adults, $22 for seniors, $10 for anyone 25 or younger, and $5 for Posey County high school students. Group discounts are available for groups of 20 or more. For more information about The New Harmony Theatre’s 20th anniversary, contact the box office at 812/682-3115 or toll free at 1-877-NHT-SHOW (648-7469), or visit the theatre’s new web site at www.newharmonytheatre.com. |
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