Huron Playhouse announces its 2005 summer season

Now in its 57th season, the Huron Playhouse has booked an exciting lineup of performances for the summer. The five shows are sure to please audiences of all ages, and include “South Pacific,” “Enchanted April,” The Boy Friend,” “Wait Until Dark” and “Guys and Dolls.”

Curtain time for all productions is 8 p.m. in the McCormick School auditorium on Ohio Street in Huron.

For ticket information and reservations, call the box office at 419-433-4744, or write to The Huron Playhouse, P.O. Box 487, Huron, OH 44839. Season passes and individual show tickets are available.

South Pacific
The musical “South Pacific.” by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. will open the season at the Huron Playhouse, beginning June 28 and running through July 2.

Adapted from the novel Tales of the South Pacific by James A. Michener, and based on the book South Pacific by Hammerstein and Joshua Logan, the musical is set during World War II. Comedic characters convey the lighthearted atmosphere of an island paradise, while instances of the imminent loss and heartbreak of war provide a dose of reality.

Enchanted April
“Enchanted April” by Matthew Barber will run July 5-9. This new Broadway comedy is based on the novel Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim. The style of old-fashioned productions is reflected in the relaxed pace of the story of four Englishwomen, strangers to each other, who take a break from their everyday lives by renting a villa in Italy. In one another, the women find refreshing friendships that provide the support and clarity they have all been thirsting for. For some, the sojourn also yields the profound discovery of the meaning of love.

The Boy Friend
Running July 12-16, “The Boy Friend” will be the third of the playhouse’s summer productions.
A musical spoof by Sandy Wilson, “The Boy Friend” is a singing, dancing exposé of the Roaring ‘20s. Set in the French Riviera, “The Boy Friend” provides a comedic story of love pursued, won and lost by the ladies of Madame Dubonnet’s Finishing School. Humorous portrayals of 1920’s behavior convey the excitement and color of the decade.

Wait Until Dark
“Wait Until Dark,” which will run July 19-23,, is a suspenseful thriller by Frederick Knott.

Suzy Hendrix, a blind woman living in New York City, finds trouble when her husband, Sam, goes out of town after acquiring a doll from a strange woman. Alone in the Hendrix house, Suzy is visited by two ex-convicts who deceitfully gain her permission to search her home for the doll. Suzy has spent a lifetime in darkness, so when the lights go out, will she be prepared for what lies within the shadows?

Guys and Dolls
The final production put on at the Huron Playhouse for the summer will be “Guys and Dolls,” which will run from July 26-30.

“Guys and Dolls” is a musical comedy that has pleased all ages for decades. Based on Damon Runyon’s book The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown, the musical highlights the nightlife in Runyon’s New York City. The exciting tale of big city gamblers, gangsters and the women in their lives is an upbeat masterpiece written by Frank Loesser.