For Immediate Release: September 7, 2005
Media Contact: Jessica Calter, Arden Theatre Company, 215.922.8900 x49

Arden Theatre Company continues its eighteenth season with the new musical Winesburg, Ohio. Based on the classic by Sherwood Anderson, the book and lyrics were written by Eric Rosen with music and additional lyrics by Andre Pluess and Ben Sussman and was conceived by and developed in collaboration with Jessica Thebus. Directed by Terrence J. Nolen, Arden's Producing Artistic Director, Winesburg, Ohio begins previews on Thursday, October 6; opens Tuesday, October 11; and runs through Sunday, November 6.

Based on the American modernist classic by Sherwood Anderson, Winesburg, Ohio, is a startling and unconventional musical journey that explores what lies beneath the "normal" exterior of a small American town. Winesburg, Ohio was originally commissioned as a one-act piece by Steppenwolf Theatre Company's Arts Exchange Program and was then further developed with support from Steppenwolf in association with Rosen's About Face Theatre Company. In June 2004 Winesburg, Ohio received its world premiere at Steppenwolf and was nominated for six Jefferson Awards, including "Best Musical," "Best New Work," "Best Original Music" and "Best Adaptation," for which it won the award.

Most recently, Winesburg, Ohio was chosen to participate as one of only eight musicals in the prestigious National Alliance for Musical Theatre Festival for New Musicals in September, 2004. "Winesburg, Ohio was a stand-out in our 2004 Festival of New Musicals," says Meredith McDonough, New Works Program Director for the Alliance. "Sussman, Pluess and Rosen's haunting music and lyric writing are paving the way for a new generation of musical writers. The audience response was overwhelmingly positive, and theatres of all sizes expressed interest for future seasons."

Eric Rosen, co-founder and Artistic Director of About Face Theatre, who wrote the book and lyrics, explains why the musical format was used for this adaptation of Winesburg, Ohio. "I was committed to create a play based on Winesburg, Ohio and I knew there would be music in the show. I came up with a very simple lyric, repeated a thousand times in the show. It gave me new ideas for other kinds of songs – ballads, patter songs, lyric opera, art songs – as ways to tell all of the stories in the town. That gave us a way to depict the joy and suffering of a normal American town, in deep, powerful, emotional songs, without having the characters confess their inner thoughts to anyone else. So it became a musical."

Winesburg, Ohio is the most recent musical produced by the Arden following the hugely successful production of Sweeney Todd which garnered 13 Barrymore nominations. Director Terrence J. Nolen says, "When I first heard Winesburg, Ohio, I immediately wanted to produce this brilliant new piece at the Arden. In Winesburg, Ohio so many of my passions come together: it is a luminous adaptation by an exciting team of writers seeking to take the musical form in new directions. This Winesburg, Ohio is a beautiful telling of the most remarkable Sherwood Anderson stories, and we are thrilled to be producing the East coast premiere. We're also pleased that the writers will be in residence throughout the rehearsal process, continuing to refine their vision through this production."

A five-piece orchestra led by Thomas Murray (a Chicago-based musical director and winner of a Jeff Award) will accompany the 13-member cast that includes Derin Altay (James Joyce's The Dead), Kim Carson, Ben Dibble (Sweeney Todd, A Year with Frog and Toad), Dawn Falato, Tony Freeman (Into the Woods), Darren Michael Hengst, Brian Hissong, Elisa Matthews (Sweeney Todd), Peter Schmitz, Phoebe Silva, William Zielinski (Northeast Local, Coyote on a Fence) and original Winesburg, Ohio cast members Lesley Bevan and Andrew White who was last seen at the Arden in the 1989 production of Godspell. The design team includes scenic designer Daniel Ostling (whose set design for Metamorphoses was nominated for a Tony), costume designer Rosemarie McKelvey (Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead), lighting designer Dennis Parichy (The Arabian Nights) and sound designer Jorge Cousineau (Sweeney Todd, A Year with Frog and Toad).

Andre Pleuss and Ben Sussman, writers of the music and additional lyrics, are both Artistic Associates at About Face Theatre. They wrote the music for Metamorphoses and have received six Joseph Jefferson Awards and Citations, an L.A. Ovation Award and Drama Critics Circle Award and a Lortel nomination for composition and sound design.

Winesburg, Ohio is supported in part by a grant from the Philadelphia Theatre Initiative, a program funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts and administered by The University of the Arts.

Winesburg, Ohio begins previews on Thursday, October 6; opens Tuesday, October 11; and runs through Sunday, November 6. Individual ticket prices range from $27 to $45 and may be purchased by calling the Arden Box Office at 215.922.1122, online at www.ardentheatre.org, or by visiting the box office at 40 N. 2nd Street in Philadelphia. The Arden will host College Night on Thursday, October 6. College Night features $10 tickets for college students with valid student ID. Post-show discussions are scheduled on Sunday, October 16; Thursday, October 20; Wednesday, October 26; and Sunday, October 30. Discounted group rates for parties of ten or more are available through the box office.

The Arden is wheelchair accessible and provides assisted listening devices and large-print programs at every performance. Reservations are required for accessible seating and may be made by calling the Arden Box Office at 215.922.1122.

WHERE:
Arden Theatre Company
40 N. 2nd Street, Philadelphia

WHEN:
October 6 - November 6, 2005

REVIEWING PRESS: Will receive invitations to the opening night performance of Winesburg, Ohio on Tuesday, October 11 at 7 p.m.

Other members of the press: Are invited to see the show during the first week of the run (Wednesday, October 12 – Tuesday, October 18) by scheduling tickets through Jessica Calter, Director of Community Outreach, 215.922.8900 ext. 49.

WHO:
Book and Lyrics by Eric Rosen
Music and Additional Lyrics by Andre Pleuss and Ben Sussman
Conceived by and developed in collaboration with Jessica Thebus
Directed by Terrence J. Nolen
Musical Directed by Thomas Murray
Scenic Design by Daniel Ostling
Costume Design by Rosemarie McKelvey
Lighting Design by Dennis Parichy
Sound Design by Jorge Cousineau

Cast:
Derin Altay, Lesley Bevan, Kim Carson, Ben Dibble, Dawn Falato, Tony Freeman, Darren Michael Hengst, Brian Hissong, Elisa Matthews, Peter Schmitz, Phoebe Silva, Andrew White, and William Zielinski

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