Foot Stompin’ Blue Grass Musical

Opens Cultural Center’s 2000-2001 Theatre Season

The Montgomery County Cultural Center opens the year 2000 theatre season with Alfred Uhry’s rousing blue grass musical adaptation of Eudora Welty’s novella, THE ROBBER BRIDEGROOM. Produced by two of the Center’s resident companies, The Centre Theater Company and The Vagabond Acting Troupe, the production is the third such collaboration between the two companies in the last three years. Both companies also present independent work at the Center.

A bluegrass pickin’ tall tale about the ancesters of modern-day Rodney, Mississippi, THE ROBBER BRIDEGROOM is the engaging romantic yarn about Jamie Lockhart, Gentleman Bandit and Rosamund Musgrove, daughter of the wealthiest planter on the Natchez Trace. Throw in a jealous old buzzard-eyed step-mother, and the two-thief Harp Gang — one who never can find his knife when he needs it and the other who happnes to be a head in a trunk — and the stage is set for a country celebration of old time shenanigans. Time Magazine called this colorful musical, “A Broadway romp of innocent bawdry and high jinks.”

Featuring the work of some of the Philadelphia area’s most talented professional actors, the production is headed up by Jason Stockdale as the roguish robber and Rebecca Gallatin as the winning Rosamund, who’s beauty could “heat up the moon.” Joining the lovers are Barrymore award-winning actor Rob Rosiello as the thief who’s head was severed for his crimes and Dan Porto (who appeared in last year’s production of Charlie Brown as the precocious pup, Snoopy) as his scheming brother, Little Harp. Chuck Wilson, the show’s choreogrpaher, trades in his trousers to take on the demanding role of Rosamund’s evil stepmother, Salome. He is joined by Philadelphia regular, Frank Ferrara as Clemment Musgrove, the richest, and possibly dumbest planter in frontier Mississippi. Shai Linne plays the skulking goat-boy turned assassin, Goat. Also featured are Faye DeBonis, Jackie Knox, Natalie Bonnacci, Hannah Sassaman and Amy Freeman. “It’s such a pleasure to work with such a talented bunch of actors on ROBBER, the Center’s fifth musical since opening the fourth floor theatre in 1996,” says Executive Director, Fran Doyle. “Many of the cast are returning from past productions with either the Centre Theater Company or The Vagabond Acting Troupe.”

“One of the Montgomery County Cultural Center’s missions when it was developed was to form a community of artists,” notes Aileen McCulloch, Managing Artistic Director of the Vagabond Acting Troupe, about the collaboration between two of the Center’s resident companies. “The three resident theatre companies work together all the time behind the scenes — and this collaboration is just an extension of our daily working arrangement.”

Doyle and McCulloch co-direct the production. Fred Crumrine returns after last year’s production of YOU’RE A GOOD MAN CHARLIE BROWN to music direct, while Chuck Wilson is the company choreographer.

The Centre Theater and Vagabond Acting Troupe bring to town this bawdy tale of love, lust, greed and good ol’ folks, October 20 to November 12, 2000. A Pay-What- You-Will Press Preview opens the run on October 20, with opening night scheduled for October 21. There is a grand gala celebration October 21 including a pre-show dinner at 6 p.m., show at 8 p.m. and after show reception. Tickets for the gala dinner and show ticket combined are $35 each. All other shows run Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for students. Group rates are available. Call 610-279-1013 for ticket and reservation information.