Based on Louisa May Alcott’s classic 1869 semi-autobiographical novel, it focuses on the four March sisters — brassy, tomboy-like, aspiring writer Jo, romantic Meg, pretentious Amy, and kind-hearted Beth — and their beloved Marmee, at home in Concord, Massachusetts while the family patriarch is away serving as a Union Army chaplain during the Civil War. Intercut with the vignettes in which their lives unfold are several recreations of the melodramatic short stories Jo writes in her attic studio.

This Springville Playhouse production is based on the Broadway version first performed in 2005 and is suitable for family audiences.

Friday, August 20th from 6 pm to 9 pm and Saturday, August 21st from 10 am to 12 pm at the Springville Playhouse (underneath the Library)

Cold reading from the script.

7 male roles (ages between 20 and 50)
6 female roles (ages between 20 and 40)
1 male/female (age between 7 and 10)

Bells Are Ringing is a high-energy show about Ella Peterson, a lovable hometown girl who gets herself into a pickle by meddling with the lives of her customers on Susanswerphone, a call-in answering service. Interspersed into the plot is an undercover bet booking operation, a suspicious detective, a musical dentist, lots of giggly girls, and, of course, love. Eric Johnson, who plays the seedy Sandor, sums it up by saying, “Really, the story is of Ella discovering herself and playing roles that are really her, but she doesn’t realize that until Jeff helps her.” The chemistry between Ella and Jeff is real, the songs are toe-tappin’, and the cast does a phenomenal job from start to finish.

The cast has really enjoyed their time together. As director Robinne Booth, who also plays Sue in the show, says, “The best part of theater is the new people you meet and the new friends you make!” The cast had to overcome obstacles like technical issues and learning to handle rapid scene changes throughout the rehearsal process, but they have come out on top. Robinne also notes that the magic of a show comes from “a lot of talented people coming together with one goal in mind and that is to perform.” It is clear that the helpful, supportive cast cares for each other. Cast members noted that David Smith, who plays Jeff Moss, has directed the musical efforts of many of his fellow cast members elsewhere, and much of this mutual affinity comes from cast members having done multiple shows together. Michelle Rotar, who plays Ella’s best friend Gwynne, agrees that the best part of the show is the people. She’s been directed by Robinne Booth before and says, “Robinne is such an amazing director. I would do any show she directed.”

Bells Are Ringing runs June 4 through 26 (Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday) below the Springville Library. Tickets (purchased at the door) are $8 for general admission, $7 for seniors. Discount tickets can be found on our web site, springvilleplayhouse.org.

Monday, Friday and Saturday
October 8 through 30
Tickets are $8, Students and Sr. Citizens $7

For years “Dracula” has thrilled audiences based on Bram Stoker’s famous novel of the same name.

You are cordially invited to join us for an evening of high suspense and terror as Professor Van Helsing and his brave comrades must hunt down and destroy the profoundly evil Count Dracula who is exceedingly resourceful, employing superhuman strength, psychic powers, and shape-changing to confound and frustrate his antagonists. Culminating in a wild and shocking confrontation between the King of Vampires and those who would rid the world of him, this adaptation is an action-packed, blood-soaked retelling of Bram Stoker’s classic tale of Horror.

Evenings 7:30 pm & Saturday Matinees at 2:00 pm

Ticket prices - $6 General, $5 Students, Seniors and Children under 12.

“The Tempest,” Shakespeare’s final play, is an enchanted tale filled with mystery, magic, love, friendship, suspense, and comedy. Prospero, exiled Duke of Milan, and his daughter Miranda live on an island paradise teeming with spirits and sprites. When Ariel, Prospero’s magical servant, creates a fierce storm at sea, King Alonso, his son Ferdinand, and others are shipwrecked. Will the evil brothers Antonio and Sebastian carry out their plot to murder the king? Will beastly Caliban and his buddies usurp control of the island? Will Ferdinand overcome obstacles and trials to win Miranda’s hand? Come see the YouthTheater’s production of Shakespeare’s most magical play!

Rehearsal and Show Schedule

BRIEF HISTORY
BELLS ARE RINGING played for 924 performances on Broadway at the Shubert and Alvin Theatres starring Judy Holliday and Sydney Chaplin. It was revived on Broadway most recently in 2001 with Faith Prince as Ella Peterson.

SYNOPSIS
This “Sweetheart of a Musical” opens with eight girls complaining about the doldrums—they’re just not getting enough telephone calls. The solution is simple announces an advertisement for Susan answer phone, a telephone answering service. Before the days of answering machines and high technology, the only choice was to hire a service to answer your phone when you weren’t home.
This particular answering service is owned and run by Sue, who employs her cousin Ella to answer the phones. Ella has a deplorable tendency to get involved in customers’ lives as she takes and delivers their messages. She even falls in love with one of the customers who she has never even met. In It’s A Perfect Relationship Ella describes her feelings for Jeff Moss, this unknowing customer. Now, Jeff is a writer who is having trouble getting to work on his next play, and Ella is determined to help him. Whether you call it curiosity or eavesdropping, one thing’s for certain, Ella’s busybody personality is entertaining!
A subplot involving Sue and Sandor unravels at the same time. Sue falls in love with Sandor, who runs a company called Titanic Records. Conveniently the record company sets up a branch office in Sue’s office space. The record company turns out to be a book-making concern, with an ingenious code which Sandor describes to his assistants in It’s A Simple Little System. Unknown to anyone, the police are already monitoring Susansweringphone, suspecting that it’s a front for a vice ring. Ella takes on a new identity, goes to Jeff’s apartment, and convinces him to rework his new play. In the number Hello, Hello There! she teaches him about friendliness. Jeff invites Ella out for the evening, and a friend teaches her the cha-cha in the sizzling Mu-Cha-Cha dance. Eventually Jeff meets her in Central Park and explains that he has grown to love her. He takes her to a party where Ella sings Drop That Name when she finds herself at a loss for conversation. She doesn’t think that she’s up to Jeff’s social status, and sadly slips away as she sings the great ballad The Party’s Over. Jeff still doesn’t know who Ella really is.
Meanwhile, Sue and Sandor plan a trip abroad, as he tries to borrow money from her to cover some racing debts. Two other answering service subscribers who Ella has also befriended coincidently meet the despondent Jeff in a nightclub. The songs in the club’s floor show are written by one of the subscribers who is a musical dentist. The three men discover that Ella’s good deeds have helped them all, but not one of them realizes she is the answering service girl. As the police close in on the bookies from the “record company,” the three men set off to find Ella. Just as she decides to run away, she is reunited with Jeff. We have a classic happy ending.

CREDITS
Book and Lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolf Green
Music by Jule Styne
Entire Original Production Directed by Jerome Robbins
Dance and Musical Numbers of Original Production
Staged by Jerome Robbins and Bob Fosse
Produced on the Broadway Stage by The Theatre Guild

QUICK REVIEW
This show takes us back to a time before answering machines and high technology, when a real person answered your ringing telephone for you, if you couldn’t do it yourself. Welcome to Susanswerphone, where the lines are blurred between doing a job and eavesdropping. The story and musical numbers are delightful and uplifting. Just in Time, Better Than a Dream, Drop That Name and A Simple Little System keep actors and audiences smiling.

AWARDS (1956-57)
2 Tony Awards for Best Actress and Best Featured Actor