WILLIAMSTOWN THEATRE FESTIVAL’S “MOST HAPPY IN CONCERT” BEGINS PERFORMANCES TONIGHT
Press Contact:
Rick Miramontez / Aaron Meier / Briana Sanchez / Timmy Boyko
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ON WEDNESDAY, JULY 13, PLEASE
THE TONY AWARD®-WINNING
WILLIAMSTOWN THEATRE FESTIVAL’S
“MOST HAPPY IN CONCERT”
SONGS FROM FRANK LOESSER’S “THE MOST HAPPY FELLA”
BEGINS PERFORMANCES TONIGHT
MUSIC & LYRICS BY FRANK LOESSER
CONCEIVED & DIRECTED BY DANIEL FISH
CHOREOGRAPHY BY JAWOLE WILLA JO ZOLLAR
IN ASSOCIATION WITH FISHER CENTER AT BARD
Williamstown, MA (July 13, 2022) – Williamstown Theatre Festival (Jenny Gersten, Interim Artistic Director) celebrates tonight’s first performance of Most Happy in Concert, Tony Award-nominated director Daniel Fish’s reimagining of Frank Loesser’s critically adored score to the musical The Most Happy Fella, choreographed by Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, playing through Sunday, July 31 on the Main Stage.
The cast for Most Happy in Concert features Tina Fabrique, Maya Lagerstam, Erin Markey, April Matthis, Mallory Portnoy, Mary Testa, and Kiena Williams. Nicole Weiss will replace Mallory Portnoy for the July 19 and 20 performances, and Gwynne Wood has joined the cast as understudy.
This musical event provides thrilling and contemplative ways to experience and connect with this magnificent and lush score—a deep dive into love, desire, isolation, and connection. Most Happy in Concert is presented in association with Fisher Center at Bard.
The 2022 Festival Box Office is now open, and tickets may be purchased online at www.wtfestival.org or by calling (413) 458-3253. For production updates, please visit www.wtfestival.org.
During the 2022 Summer Season, a limited number of $30 tickets are available for every Festival performance as part of a new affordable-tickets pilot program, AccessTix. AccessTix is part of the Festival’s comprehensive ticket accessibility program, which includes $20 tickets for Massachusetts EBT and ConnectorCare Card to Culture members, as well as $30 Adult and $20 Youth Student “Rush” tickets that can be purchased at the Box Office two hours prior to each performance (subject to availability). More information about these programs can be found at www.wtfestival.org/shows-events/#BoxOffice.
As of July 8, The Berkshire Flyer provides rail service from New York City to Pittsfield in the Berkshires each weekend through Labor Day weekend. Tickets can be purchased at www.amtrak.com/Berkshire-flyer.
As previously announced on June 30, Williamstown Theatre Festival no longer will require proof of vaccination, boosters, or negative COVID-19 tests. Properly fitting masks are still required to be worn indoors at all times, regardless of vaccination status, for the safety of all theatergoers and members of the company. For updated policies and to plan your visit, please go to: www.wtfestival.org/plan-your-visit.
If you have additional questions regarding your visit, please contact the Williamstown Theatre Festival Box Office at (413) 458-3253 or by email to tickets@wtfestival.org.
ABOUT THE SEASON
Nikos Stage
Man of God | Through Friday, July 22
A Killer Comedy Thriller
By Anna Ouyang Moench
Directed by Maggie Burrows
with Shirley Chen, Emma Galbraith, Kristen Lee, Erin Rae Li, Albert Park, Helen J Shen, Ji-young Yoo
Scenic Design: Se Hyun Oh
Costume Design: Denitsa Bliznakova
Lighting Design: Lap Chi Chu
Original Music & Sound Design: Jonathan Snipes
Fight Director: Thomas Isao Morinaka
Production Stage Manager: Tia Harewood-Millington
Casting: Phyllis Schuringa, CSA
Additional Casting: The Telsey Office
Chaos ensues when four teenage girls on a mission trip to Bangkok discover a camera hidden by their pastor in their hotel bathroom. Do they leave it to God or take matters into their own hands? The pressure builds quickly in this suspenseful comedy that interrogates justice, privacy, religion, the patriarchy, and who you follow on Instagram. Juxtaposing girl power with teenage angst, the girls’ different ideals emerge as they discover what it takes to fight back.
Man of God is presented in association with Geffen Playhouse.
Main Stage
Most Happy in Concert | Wednesday, July 13 – Sunday, July 31
Songs from Frank Loesser’s The Most Happy Fella
Music & Lyrics by Frank Loesser
Conceived & Directed by Daniel Fish
Choreography by Jawole Willa Jo Zollar
with Tina Fabrique, Maya Lagerstam, Erin Markey, April Matthis, Mallory Portnoy, Mary Testa, Nicole Weiss, Kiena Williams, Gwynne Wood
Music Arrangements by Daniel Kluger and Nathan Koci
Vocal Arrangements by Nathan Koci and Daniel Fish
Orchestrations by Daniel Kluger
Music Director: Sean Forte
Scenic Design: Amy Rubin
Costume Design: Terese Wadden
Hair & Makeup Designer: Anika Seitu
Lighting Design: Thomas Dunn
Sound Design: Drew Levy
Music Contractor: Tomoko Akaboshi
Associate Director: Mikhaela Mahony
Associate Choreographer: Vincent Thomas
Associate Music Director: Jillian Zack
Production Stage Manager: Cyd Cahill
Casting: Taylor Williams, CSA
The Main Stage bursts back to life with this evocative meditation on an American musical masterpiece from the director of the boldly reimagined Tony Award-winning revival of Oklahoma! Drawing on a broad range of musical genres and performed by a company of 20 actors and musicians, Most Happy in Concert invigorates the musical concert form, inviting audiences to consider anew Frank Loesser’s exquisite score for The Most Happy Fella. Conceived and directed by Daniel Fish and with choreography by Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, this musical event provides thrilling and contemplative ways to experience and connect with this magnificent and lush score—a deep dive into love, desire, isolation, and connection.
Most Happy in Concert is presented in association with Fisher Center at Bard.
Nikos Stage
WORLD PREMIERE
we are continuous | Tuesday, August 2 – Sunday, August 14
A WTF Commission
By Harrison David Rivers
Directed by Tyler Thomas
With Leland Fowler, Tom Holcomb, Brenda PressleyScenic Design: dots
Costume Design: Devario Simmons
Lighting Design: Amith Chandrashaker
Sound Design: Mauricio Escamilla
Composer: Mykal Kilgore
Casting: The Telsey Office, Karyn Casl, CSA
Simon and his mother, Ora, have always been close. She’s been his champion, his defender, and his friend. But when a life-changing secret comes to light, can their bond survive? 2020 WTF Foeller Fellow Tyler Thomas directs this exquisitely-wrought WTF-commissioned play by Harrison David Rivers (Where Storms Are Born) that explores how people can change and how love can evolve.
we are continuous is a Williamstown Theatre Festival Commission.
Nikos Stage
Fridays@3
Abortion Road Trip | Friday, July 8
By Rachel Lynett
Directed by Jess McLeod
with Francis Benhamou, Carmen LoBue, Rami Margron, Emma Ramos, Shayna Small
Sisters Minnie and Lexa hire Driver to take them on a road trip from San Antonio to New Mexico for Lexa to get an abortion. While on their journey, the three women discuss the baggage they carry with them and how the circumstances leading to three very different abortions shaped them into who they are.
God Save the Queer | Friday, July 15
By Zackary Grady
Directed by Portia Krieger
with Sebastian Beacon, Carol Mazhuvancheril
In the year 2046, Prince George is now in his thirties, married to a man, and next in line for the British throne. But when he and his husband share news with his sister, Princess Charlotte, and his brother, Prince Louis, a sibling fight breaks out that could destroy not only their family but one of the last surviving monarchies in the world.
And Then We Were No More | Friday, July 22
By Tim Blake Nelson
Directed by Mark Wing-Davey
with David Aaron Baker, Quincy Tyler Bernstine, Bree Elrod, Henry Stram, Maura Tierney
A lawyer fights for the life of her client in a near future in which criminals deemed “beyond rehabilitation” become no more.
tiny father | Friday, August 5
WTF’s 2022 L. Arnold Weissberger New Play Award Winner
By Mike Lew (WTF’s 2022 Jay Harris Commission recipient)
Directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel
with Maureen Sebastian
After Daniel unexpectedly finds himself the father of a months-premature baby, his only guide to the strange purgatory of hospital life in the NICU is a grizzled, oversharing nurse named Caroline.
Main Stage – Special Event
Just For Us | Wednesday, August 3 – Saturday, August 6
Performed by Alex Edelman
Just For Us takes the audience through hilarious anecdotes from Alex Edelman’s life — his Olympian brother AJ, an unconventional holiday season, and a gorilla that can do sign language — but at its center is an astonishing and frighteningly relevant story. After a string of anti-Semitic abuse is directed at Edelman online, he decides to covertly attend a gathering of White Nationalists in New York City and comes face to face with the people behind the keyboards. The result is a hair-raising encounter that gives Just For Us its title and final, jaw-dropping twist.
Main Stage – Benefit Concert
Jimmy Naughton & Friends | Sunday, August 7
An afternoon of stories and songs
Join us for this exclusive benefit concert starring two-time Tony Award winner and legendary Festival actor and director James Naughton as he regales us with stories and songs, accompanied by surprise special guests! Known for his critically acclaimed award-winning performances in shows like Chicago and City of Angels, James has appeared in countless cabarets and more than 20 productions at the Festival, including The Rose Tattoo, The Crucible, and as director of The Price. Featuring songs from James’ repertoire and anecdotes from his storied career, Jimmy Naughton & Friends is a one-time-only musical event you won’t want to miss!
Proceeds from Jimmy Naughton & Friends will benefit Williamstown Theatre Festival.
ABOUT WILLIAMSTOWN THEATRE FESTIVAL
For seven decades, the Tony Award-winning Williamstown Theatre Festival has brought emerging and professional theatre artists together in the Berkshires to create a thrilling summer festival of diverse, world premiere plays and musicals, bold new revivals, and a rich array of accompanying cultural events.
Artists are drawn to Williamstown Theatre Festival to make great theater in an environment conducive to artistic risk-taking. Matthew Broderick, Audra McDonald, Dominique Morisseau, Mary-Louise Parker, Susan Stroman, Uma Thurman, and Blair Underwood are just a few of the luminous theater artists who have worked at the Festival. Many others, including Sterling K. Brown, Ty Burrell, Charlie Day, Paul Giamatti, Kathryn Hahn, Allison Janney, Brie Larson, Chris Pine, and George C. Wolfe, began their careers at the Festival.
Productions and artists shaped at the Festival fill theaters in New York City and around the world. Recently, Williamstown Theatre Festival was represented on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regionally by The Sound Inside, Grand Horizons, The Rose Tattoo, The Visit, Fool for Love, The Elephant Man, Seared, Selling Kabul, Unknown Soldier, and Lempicka, to name just a few. Cost of Living, which was developed and premiered at Williamstown Theatre Festival, was awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.
Learn more about Williamstown Theatre Festival at www.wtfestival.org.
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