Kelli O’Hara to Perform One-night-only Benefit Concert for Williamstown Theatre Festival – August 11
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, PLEASE
FIVE TIME TONY AWARD-NOMINEE
KELLI O’HARA TO PERFORM
ONE-NIGHT-ONLY BENEFIT CONCERT FOR
WILLIAMSTOWN THEATRE FESTIVAL
“AN ENCHANTED EVENING WITH KELLI O’HARA”
TO PLAY THE MAIN STAGE
MONDAY, AUGUST 11th
Williamstown, MA (July 10, 2014) – Williamstown Theatre Festival has announced that the magnetic five-time Tony Award nominee Kelli O’Hara returns to Williamstown to perform a special one-night-only benefit concert, An Enchanted Evening with Kelli O’Hara, on the Main Stage, Monday, August 11th at 7:30 PM. Hailed by The New York Times as “one of the most exquisitely expressive stars in musical theatre,” the luminous Broadway star will be joined by surprise guests, who will provide a sampling of songs from classic to contemporary musical theatre. More than just a concert, An Enchanted Evening will trace O’Hara’s journey to becoming one of Broadway's most sought-after leading ladies and will include songs from musicals including The Light in the Piazza, The Pajama Game, South Pacific, Far From Heaven, The Bridges of Madison County, The King and I, and many more.
A limited number of tickets ($40 – $80) will be available online at wtfestival.org, by phone at 413-597-3400, or in person at the ‘62 Center for Theatre and Dance Box Office at 1000 Main St (Route 2), Williamstown, MA 02167.
BIOS
Kelli O’Hara most recently starred on Broadway as Francesca in the Tony Award-winning musical The Bridges of Madison County, which earned her a fifth Tony nomination. Other Broadway includes Nice Work If You Can Get It (Tony, Drama Desk, Drama League, OCC nominations), South Pacific (Tony, Drama Desk, OCC nominations), Pajama Game (Tony, Drama Desk, OCC nominations), The Light in the Piazza (Tony and Drama Desk nominations), Sweet Smell of Success, Follies, Dracula and Jekyll & Hyde. Regional/Off Broadway includes: Far From Heaven (Playwrights Horizons and the World Premiere at Williamstown Theatre Festival), King Lear (Public Theater), Bells Are Ringing (City Center Encores!), Sunday in the Park with George (Reprise), My Life with Albertine (Playwrights Horizons). Concerts span from Carnegie Hall to Capitol Hill. Film/TV credits: Sex and the City 2, Scorsese’s The Key to Reserva, “Blue Bloods,” “Alexander Hamilton,” “Numb3rs” and the animated series “Car Talk.” She is a frequent performer on PBS’s live telecasts and the Kennedy Center Honors. Her solo albums, Always and Wonder in the World, are available on Ghostlight Records.
Since 1955, the Williamstown Theatre Festival has brought America’s finest actors, directors, designers, and playwrights to the Berkshires, engaging a loyal audience of both residents and summer visitors. Each WTF season is designed to present unique opportunities for artists and audience alike, revisiting classic plays with innovative productions, developing and nurturing bold new plays and musicals, and offering a rich array of accompanying cultural events including Free Theatre, Late-Night Cabarets, readings, workshops, and educational programs. While best known for its acclaimed productions, WTF is also home to one of the nation’s top training and professional development programs for new generations of aspiring theatre artists and administrators. Now in its 60th Season, WTF was honored with the Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre in 2002 and the Commonwealth Award for Achievement in 2011.
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WILLIAMSTOWN THEATRE FESTIVAL
2014 SEASON SUMMARY
MAIN STAGE
June Moon
July 2–July 13, 2014
By Ring Lardner and George S. Kaufman
Directed by Jessica Stone
With Jason Bowen, Nate Corddry, Diana DiMarzio, Holley Fain, Christopher Fitzgerald, Rick Holmes, Kate MacCluggage, Rachel Napoleon, Timothy Shew, David Turner
Earnest and gullible young lyricist Fred Stevens boards a train in Schenectady bound for the Big Apple, determined to make a name for himself in the thriving Tin Pan Alley scene. However, the life he’s imagined is rife with seductive distractions—namely dames—that threaten to derail his dream of penning the next big ditty. Both bitterly funny and deliciously literate, legendary humorists Ring Lardner and George S. Kaufman celebrate and skewer the perishable pop of yesteryear. Director Jessica Stone, whose WTF productions of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Last of the Red Hot Lovers left audiences convulsed with laughter, brings her special brand of glee back to the Festival stage.
Living on Love
July 16–July 26, 2014
By Joe DiPietro and Garson Kanin
Based on the play Peccadillo by Garson Kanin
Directed by Kathleen Marshall
With Anna Chlumsky, Renée Fleming, Blake Hammond, Justin Long, Scott Robertson, Douglas Sills
World-renowned soprano Renée Fleming takes the Festival stage as celebrated diva Rachel De Angelis. When her husband, the fiery and egomaniacal Maestro Vito De Angelis, becomes enamored with the lovely young lady hired to ghostwrite his long-delayed autobiography, Rachel retaliates by hiring her very own—and very handsome—ghostwriter to chronicle her life as an opera star. As the young writers try to keep themselves out of the story while churning out chapters, the high-energy—and high-maintenance—power duet threatens to fall out of tune for good. A sparkling new comedy from two-time Tony Award winner Joe DiPietro, adapted from a work by the revered Garson Kanin and directed by three-time Tony Award winner Kathleen Marshall.
The Visit
July 31–August 17, 2014
Book by Terrence McNally
Music by John Kander; Lyrics by Fred Ebb
Choreographed by Graciela Daniele
Directed by John Doyle
With Jason Danieley, Matthew Deming, Diana DiMarzio, David Garrison, Rick Holmes, Judy Kuhn, Christopher Newcomer, Tom Nelis, Aaron Ramey, Roger Rees, Chita Rivera, Timothy Shew
In her Festival debut, Broadway legend Chita Rivera embodies Claire Zachanassian, the oft-widowed richest woman in the world, who returns to the hardship-stricken town of her birth. The locals pray that her wealth will bring them a new lease on life, but the carefully plotted renewal she offers carries a dreadful price. Sardonic and morally complex, The Visit asks: What can your heart afford? Featuring Festival favorite Roger Rees and helmed by Tony Award-winning director John Doyle, this incendiary musical is one of the last collaborations between the incomparable John Kander and Fred Ebb, with a book by Tony Award winner Terrence McNally and choreography by the legendary Graciela Daniele.
NIKOS STAGE
A Great Wilderness
July 9–July 20, 2014
By Samuel D. Hunter
Directed by Eric Ting
With Mia Barron, Jeffrey DeMunn, Mia Dillon, Kevin Geer, Tasha Lawrence
After decades as the gentle-natured leader of a Christian retreat that endeavors to “cure” gay teens, Walt is packing up his life and preparing for a reluctant retirement. But when his final client quietly disappears into the remote Idaho wilderness, Walt discovers that his previously unwavering moral compass no longer points the way. With profound humanity and subtlety, Obie Award-winning playwright Samuel D. Hunter navigates complex moral terrain, exploring the shifting motives and inconstant strength of our personal convictions.
Fool For Love
July 24–August 2, 2014
By Sam Shepard
Directed by Daniel Aukin
With Christopher Abbot, Nina Arianda, Sam Rockwell, Gordon Joseph Weiss
Holed up in a seedy motel on the edge of the Mojave Desert, two former lovers unpack the deep secrets and dark desires of their tangled relationship, passionately tearing each other apart. Beaten down by ill-fated love and a ruthless struggle for identity, can they ultimately live with, or without, each other? Led by director Daniel Aukin, Williamstown veteran and enigmatic film star Sam Rockwell and 2012 Tony Award winner Nina Arianda bring an explosive intensity to Sam Shepard’s landmark myth of the new Wild West.
The Old Man and The Old Moon
August 6–17, 2014
By PigPen Theatre Co.
Directed by Stuart Carden and PigPen Theatre Co.
With Alex Falberg, Ben Ferguson, Curtis Gillen, Ryan Melia, Matt Nuernberger, Arya Shahi, Dan Weschler
The endlessly imaginative PigPen Theatre Co. comes to Williamstown with a luminously lo-fi spectacle that elevates traditional storytelling to high art. Their fantastical, song-filled tale takes us to the end of the world when an old man abandons his duty of filling the moon with liquid light to search for his missing wife. With a rollicking array of ever-changing characters, inventive theatrical effects, and an infectious contemporary folk sound, these seven young actor musicians transform the seemingly ordinary into sheer wonder.
FREE THEATRE
Robin Hood
July 16–19; July 22–25, 2014
FREE at Poker Flats Field at 7:30 PM
By Larry Blamire
Directed by Stella Powell-Jones
Dashing outlaw. Expert archer. Cunning wealth redistributor. Merry Man. The daring deeds of Robin Hood come alive in this fresh and funny adaptation of the traditional ballads and folklore. Brimming with spirited swordplay and tongue-in-cheek humor, it celebrates the well-known tale of Robin, Maid Marian, magically transformed into Sherwood Forest as sought-after director Stella Powell-Jones enlivens this legendary swashbuckling adventure on the outdoor Free Theatre stage. Bring the whole family and a picnic for a merry evening under the stars!
ADDITIONAL SPECIAL EVENTS
Living with Lewis | July 21, 2014 at 7:30 PM
An Evening of Stand-Up with Lewis Black
Main Stage
While this world of ours is no picnic, Williamstown’s favorite (adopted) son, Lewis Black, always manages to make a meal of it. From his standing-room-only Broadway runs to his eighteen seasons on The Daily Show, this Grammy Award-winning comedian makes our collective indignation not only delicious, but hilarious. And while he’s made countless fans around the globe, his WTF shows are legendary — something about the fresh air really gets him riled up. Don’t miss it.
The Skivvies | July 27 & July 28, 2014 at 7:30 PM
Center Stage
Less is definitely more at the sexiest, sassiest show of the summer! Sizzling musical comedy duo Lauren Molina (Ten Cents a Dance at WTF) and Nick Cearley (All Shook Up) – AKA The Skivvies – turn the heat way, way up as they perform stripped down mash-ups of pop songs and show tunes…in their underwear. The Wall Street Journal calls these wildly popular undie-rockstars “smart, sophisticated…ingenious” and Out Magazine declares that they’ve “managed to carve out a niche that we never knew existed: Part Weird Al parody and part sexy burlesque…an unusual explosion of satire and sultry.” Surprise musical guests will take the stage – and take it off – alongside the red hot duo. VIP tickets get you seats down front and access to an exclusive party after the show
Late Night Cabaret Series | July 10–12; July 24–26; August 7–9, 2014 at 10:30 PM
Goodrich Hall
The stars shine at night as WTF’s celebrated Late-Night Cabaret Series returns in 2014! Festival family, both established and emerging, sing, dance, and surprise you in these intimate and unforgettable evenings. Cabarets start at 10:30PM and are held in Goodrich Hall, just a few blocks from the Main and Nikos Stages. WTF Donors at the Sustainer level and above get first crack at tickets for our popular Cabarets. Unsold tickets go on sale to the public one week prior to each performance.