Tag: Straw Hat Theatre

Final performances of “Fly On” today and tomorrow!

May 4 at 7:30 p.m., May 5 at 2 p.m.
Call (440) 964-3396 for tickets, or order online.

Win a season pass to Straw Hat Theatre at the Spring Dance Concert this weekend

Come and see Fly On this weekend, and you might win a season pass to Straw Hat Theatre 2019! We’ll draw two season pass winners at each performance of the spring dance concert this weekend. Fly On runs May 3-5, Friday & Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Sunday at 2 p.m. For tickets, call (440) 964-3396 or order online. Fly On features choreography styles ranging from classical ballet to contemporary dance to musical theater, set to music by Chromatics, Coldplay, Shostakovich, Philip Glass & Blondie, and more. This is the show that demonstrates everything dance can be, in all its varied, innovative, and beautiful forms.

Announcing Straw Hat Theatre 2019!

We are excited to announce our 2019 Straw Hat Theatre season! Auditions for Straw Hat will be Sunday, March 17 from 5-7 p.m., Saturday, March 23 from 11 a.m.- 1 p.m. and Sunday, March 24 from 6-8 p.m. Appointments are strongly encouraged; drop-ins welcome. Come prepared with 32 bars of a song from the music theater genre. Sheet music is preferred; if you use prerecorded accompaniment, it must be instrumental only – no vocals.

Onto the shows!

CARRIE
June 7-9, 14-16, 20-22
Music by Michael Gore, Lyrics by Dean Pitchford, Book by Lawrence D. Cohen, Based on the Novel by Stephen King
Directed by Kimberly Godfrey
Carrie White is a misfit. At school, she’s an outcast who’s bullied by the popular crowd. At home, she’s at the mercy of her cruelly over-protective mother. But Carrie has just discovered she’s got a special power, and if pushed too far, she’s not afraid to use it.
CARRIE the Musical is presented through special arrangement with R& H Theatricals: www.rnh.com

SHREK JR
June 28-30, July 5-6
Based on the DreamWorks Animation Motion Picture and the Book by William Steig, Book & Lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire, Music by Jeanine Tesori
Directed by Lisa Lowery
When his peaceful swamp is inundated with displaced fairy tale creatures, surly ogre Shrek makes a deal with tiny tyrant Lord Farquadd: if Shrek rescues the Princess Fiona from the dragon holding her captive, he’ll get his home back. What follows is a hilariously twisted tale of mistaken identity, self-acceptance, and, of course, true love.
SHREK THE MUSICAL JR is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). www.MTIShows.com

FREAKY FRIDAY
July 12-14, 19-21, 25-27
Book by Bridget Carpenter, Music by Tom Kitt, Lyrics by Brian Yorkey, Based on the Novel by Mary Rodgers & the Disney films
Directed by Christy Seymour
Overworked mother Katherine and her teenage daughter Ellie are having a tough time connecting when they find themselves magically switched into each other’s bodies during an argument. Now they have one day to figure out how to get back where they belong – and it isn’t going to be easy.
“Freaky Friday” is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). www.MTIShows .com

LUCKY STIFF
August 2-4, 9-11, 15-17
Book & Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, Music by Stephen Flaherty, Based on “The Man Who Broke the Bank at Monte Carlo” by Michael Butterworth
Directed by Stephen Rhodes
A box full of embezzled diamonds. A murder mystery. A corpse in a wheelchair. The dull life of shoe salesman Harry Witherspoon is upturned with the arrival of some shocking news: he stands to inherit a fortune if he can pass the body of his dead uncle off as alive in Monte Carlo.
LUCKY STIFF is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). www.MTIShows.com

Tickets available for “The Anastasia Trials in the Court of Women”

Rescued from the Mess and Theater on the Edge present The Anastasia Trials in the Court of Women by Carolyn Gage, directed by Marti Dixon, on stage at Straw Hat Theatre July 20-21 & 27-28. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m. For tickets, call (440) 964-3396 or visit http://ashtabulaartscenter.org/schedule/#tabs-schedule-tab-4

Described as “a feminist Noises Off,” The Anastasia Trials is a farce with intense audience participation. Engrossing, controversial courtroom drama, where the audience must serve as judge and jury, deciding motions and verdict, in a case against the five women who betrayed the Grand Duchess Anastasia Romanov, the last surviving daughter of the Tsar of Russia. The format is a play-within-a-play, where a radical feminist theater company comes together in order to perform a courtroom drama. The play is shaped by the audience decisions to overrule or sustain the attorneys’ motions, and every night’s audience sees a different play.

Sensory-Friendly “Into the Woods Jr” on Thursday, June 28

Into the Woods Jr opens next week with a sensory-friendly performance on Thursday, June 28th! Sensory-friendly performances are adapted for audience members on the autism spectrum, or with other sensory-processing issues. You can learn more here. Purchase tickets by calling (440) 964-3396 or get them online.

Be careful what you wish for — the road to happily ever after is full of twists and turns in this student-friendly version of the fun, fractured fairy tale from Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine. Into the Woods Jr is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International, MTIShows.com

Summer Concerts on the Lawn are back!

We’re excited to announce that our Concerts on the Lawn series is back this summer! Concerts on the Lawn are free events, open to the public. Bring lawn chairs or a picnic blanket and relax on the lawn outside Straw Hat Theatre. Concessions will be available; outside refreshments are welcome. All  concerts begin at 6:30 p.m.

Concerts on the Lawn is sponsored by

Wednesday, July 18: Broadway Night
The stage belongs to the ladies in this journey through Broadway, as Emily Baker, Hannah Sowry, and Caitlyn Dubeansky perform hits from shows including Wicked, The Sound of Music, and Waitress. At the end of the day, it’s just three talented women belting Broadway.

Wednesday, July 25: Dennis Ford
Ford has been playing in bands since age 12. He has been with Soul Expressions, Good Question, and Quiana. He has performed with top entertainers including Tommy James and the Shondells, Chubby Checker, and more. He has written and recorded four patriotic songs, three of which have been published by Hilltop Records. He plays many local venues and has become an audience favorite.

Wednesday, August 8: Hampshire Moon
“We are a 4-piece group: CC up front with her fabulous vocals, Pete on drums, Jerry on guitar and Brian on bass. We love what we do and it shows in our music. We work hard to keep it fresh and promise it will always be fun – come on out and see for yourself!”

Wednesday, August 15: Darren Frate Group
Darren Frate Group is an instrumental band based in Cleveland. Sax player Dave Kasper, drummer Dave Black, and bass player Darren Frate perform original compositions, drawing influences from bands like The Weather Report and The Jeff Coffin Mutet. Their music includes jazz, world music, R&B, and reggae.

Straw Hat season subscriptions available through June 9th

Don’t forget to order your Straw Hat Theatre season subscriptions by June 9th!

A subscription allows the holder four admissions to Straw Hat 2018, which can be used towards any combination of shows.
Adult – $52 (or $47 for donors)
Senior/Student/Military – $45 (or $41 for donors)
Children 2-12 – $38 (or $34 for donors)

Call (440) 964-3396 to purchase. Get information on our 2018 Straw Hat lineup here.

Donate to local organizations and get half off tickets this summer at Straw Hat

See a Straw Hat show for half price and lend a hand to those who need it in Ashtabula County! The Arts Center will be holding two special donation events this summer, and you can get tickets for that day’s show half off with each donated item.

Beatitude House: donate and get half off the regular price of a ticket to the Sun., June 10^th performance of 9 to 5 the Musical 
Beatitude House Wish List: trash bags (13 & 30 gal.), plastic sandwich bags, tin foil and plastic wrap, sponge mops & buckets, feminine products, diapers (esp. size 3 & up), children’s socks & underwear, toilet paper, paper towels, batteries, dish soap, all-purpose cleaner, bleach, HE liquid laundry detergent, glass cleaner, first aid kits, bath & kitchen towels, kitchen utensils, dishes, pots, & pans, plastic shower curtains & rings

Ashtabula County Animal Protective League: donate and get half off the regular price of a ticket to the Sun., July 15^th performance of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
APL Wish List: canned cat food, dry cat chow, kitten chow, dry dog food, paper towels, Dawn dish soap, cat & dog toys, gently-used blankets, towels, & sheets, bleach

Please note: you must bring your items in when you purchase your tickets. Call (440) 964-3396 for more information.

Open Call Straw Hat Auditions

There will be an extra set of auditions for the Straw Hat Theatre shows 9 to 5, Into the Woods Jr, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and Forever Plaid this weekend; Saturday, March 24 from 10 a.m.-noon, & Sunday, March 25 from 6-8 p.m. Open call – no appointments are needed for this weekend.

Now scheduling appointments for Straw Hat Theatre auditions

We’re now scheduling appointments for Straw Hat Theatre 2018 auditions. Call (440) 964-3396 to make an appointment. Auditions will be held Saturday, March 17 & Sunday, March 18, and are open to anyone, newbies and veteran actors alike! Please come prepared with a short song and a list of calendar conflicts for the directors — commitment is important!

Straw Hat Theatre 2018 show lineup:
9 to 5 – June 8-10, 15-17, 22-23
Into the Woods Jr – June 28-July 1, July 5-7
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat – July 13-15, 20-22, 26-28
Forever Plaid – August 3-5, 10-12, 16-18