Forecast is for a 'Lovely Night' at The Herb Strauss Schoolhouse Theater

Forecast is for a 'Lovely Night' at The Herb Strauss Schoolhouse Theater


"Lovely Night: The Music of Oscar Hammerstein"
Running Oct. 15 through Nov. 7
The Herb Strauss Schoolhouse Theater

2200 Periwinkle Way

The Herb Strauss Schoolhouse Theater will welcome back its legion of loyal patrons tonight, Oct. 15, in celebration of the opening of its 2009-10 season.

The evening will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a delicious selection of hors d'oeuvres and beverages being served on the President's Patio. At 7 p.m., a dedication ceremony honoring the theater's past presidents - whom the new garden and patio are dedicated to - will take place.

Honorees include former theater leaders Keith Trowbridge, Steve Brown, Ginny Fleming, Art Cassell and Chuck Ketteman. Hosting the ceremony will be current Schoolhouse president Steve Klug.

Then, the Schoolhouse family will kick off the first show of the season - "Lovely Night" - at 8 p.m. Tickets for the Oct. 15 performance are sold out.

"Lovely Night" is a rousing tribute to the glorious music of Oscar Hammerstein II. This lively musical revue stars five actors, all of which will be making their Sanibel debuts: Amanda Hunt, Pamela McKenna, Joshua Noble, Kevin Rose and Elizabeth Urbanczyk. Credits among them include "The Fantasticks," "The Music Man," "Godspell," "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" and "Footloose."

Also debuting tonight will be The Herb Strauss Schoolhouse Theater's numerous other renovations completed over the summer, including new carpeting throughout the lobby and theater, a new lobby bar, exterior and interior paint, some additional stage lighting equipment and upgraded landscaping throughout the property.

"Lovely Night," sponsored by Henderson Franklin, Attorneys at Law, will run through Nov. 7. The remainder of the 2009-10 season schedule includes:

"Plaza Suite" by Neil Simon - Sponsored by Bank Of The Islands and Royal Shell Vacations, this play offers one of Simon's most hilarious works based upon the trials and tribulations of relationships. Running Nov. 12 through Dec. 5

"Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!)" - Sponsored by Brian Johnson VIP Realty and Pinocchio's Original Italian Ice Cream, the production features a trio of actors performing a side-splitting rendition of every Christmas tale, guaranteed to be an evening of holiday merriment and laughter. A play written by Michael Carleton, James FitzGerald and John K. Alvarez. Running Dec. 15 through 31

"Unnecessary Farce" - Sponsored by 'Tween Waters Inn, this comedic farce from Paul Slade Smith follows two inexperienced police officers who try to catch the mayor in an embezzlement scandal. Too bad that everything that could go wrong actually does! Running Jan. 14 through Feb. 6

"Fly Me To The Moon: A Tribute to The Rat Pack" - Sponsored by Lily & Co. and the Bell & Beggs Team, this musical revue features the unforgettable music made famous by Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr. Running Feb. 18 through March 20

"Something's Afoot" - Sponsored by Congress Jewelers, this British musical farce by James McDonald, David Vos and Robert Gerlach offers a colorful assortment of characters thrown together in a murder mystery... where everybody is a suspect! Running March 25 through April 24

All performances begin at 8 p.m.

The Herb Strauss Schoolhouse Theater is located at 2200 Periwinkle Way. Call the Box Office at 472-6862 or check out their Web site at www.TheSchoolhouseTheater.com and sign up for their "green" newsletters.