Pittsfield, Massachusetts - Whitney Center for the Arts presents Fuddy Meers by David Lindsay-Abaire, a fully staged comedy, directed by Patrick Toole, July 7-15th and The Fabulous Lipitones, a fully staged Musical, directed by Monica Bliss with Musical Director Jeff Hunt with Choreographer Ruslan Sprague, August 10-19th.
Fuddy Meers is an American comedy by David Lindsay-Abaire. It tells the story of an amnesiac, Claire, who awakens each morning as a blank slate. Each day, her husband and teenage son must remind her of the facts of her life. One morning Claire is abducted, following which oddball, bizarre mayhem ensues.
New York Times called Fuddy Meers a "dark, sweet and thoroughly engaging comedy" and TheaterMania said "...what contemporary playwriting has long been missing-and what Lindsay-Abaire serves up in dopamine-deprived abundance--is an unhinged sense of playfulness and whimsy. Theater, my friends, is fun again."
Fuddy Meers was nominated for the 2000 Outer Critics Circle John Gassner Playwrighting Award. David Lindsay-Abaire received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2007 for his play Rabbit Hole, which also earned several Tony Award nominations. He wrote the book and lyrics for the musical Shrek the Musical, receiving a 2009 Tony Award nomination for Book of a Musical. There will be six performances: Saturday, July 7th 8pm; Sunday, July 8th 7:30pm; Thursday, July 12th 7:30pm; Friday, July 13th 8pm; Saturday, July 14th 8pm and Sunday, July 15th 7:30pm. Tickets are $18 General Admission or $15 for students, seniors and groups. Tickets may be purchased online at www.thewhit.org or reserved by calling 413-443-0279. The Fabulous Lipitones, a musical comedy by John Markus and Mark St. Germain explores what happens when a barbershop quartet loses a key member to a heart-stopping high “B flat?” The three surviving members suddenly find themselves scrambling to find a tenor before the national competition. When the golden tones of “Bob” are heard through the phone the Lipitones are all ears… but when they meet him in person, he’s not quite what they expected. An uproarious comedy of misunderstanding, stereotypes and the path to perfect harmony. Choreographer Ruslan Sprague joins directing team Monica Bliss & Jeff Hunt to bring The Fabulous Lipitones to the Whitney Center for the Arts's stage.
New York Times said The Fabulous Liptones is “Barbershop goes Bollywood, a song stuffed comedy”. Broadway World said “It is said that music has the power to bring people together. This proves to be true in The Fabulous Lipitones.” And, Grigware called it "Deliciously funny".
Playwright John Markus is an Emmy Award-winning writer, playwright, director, and television producer. He work has earned an Emmy, a Peabody back-to-back Humanitas prizes, and a People’s Choice award for "The Greatest Sitcom of All Time." Playwright Mark St. Germain, whom Barrington Company's Stage 2, the St. Germain Stage is named after, wrote the Off Broadway Alliance Award winning Freud's Last Session and the Outer Critics Circle and the Lucille Lortel Award winning Camping with Henry and Tom.
This summer marks the theatrical directorial debuts for both Patrick Toole, film director, actor, educator, co-creator of the Whitdiots Improv Troupe and Emergent Ensemble Theater Company, and creator of New Myths Film and Theater Company; and Monica Bliss, opera and musical theater singer, actor and the Whit's Director of Performing Arts, a position to which she was appointed Fall of 2017. Directing team Monica Bliss and Jeff Hunt also direct the three-time sell-out holiday variety show, Christmastime in the City, which returns to the Whit this December.
Whitney Center for the Arts, Fridays August 10th and 18th at 8pm; Saturday August 11th and 19th at 8pm; and Sundays August 12th and 20th at 2pm. Tickets are $17-20. Tickets are available at the door, for sale online at www.thewhit.org or may be reserved by calling 413-443-0289.
Located at 42 Wendell Avenue in Downtown Pittsfield, the Whitney Center for the Arts, a presenting and producing arts center, has two world-class art galleries and presents Comedies, Drama, Musicals, Concerts, Opera Nights, Cabarets plus events for teens and children in an intimate, air-conditioned performance venue.