Imagine that you're a poor English shoe salesman named Harry Witherspoon who dreams of a better life. Now suppose that you receive a telegram stating that your late uncle just left you six million dollars. Life would seem to be headed to easy street, but not so fast--there's a catch! In order to claim the fortune, Harry must transport Uncle Anthony--dressed to be alive--to Monte Carlo and accompany Anthony's corpse on a series of activities that most people don't get to experience while alive. But that's not all. Along the way, Harry encounters an eclectic group of characters--including a diamond embezzler, a charismatic yet enigmatic tour guide, a mysterious woman who is a dog lover, an optometrist who has a contract out on his life, and a voluptuous cabaret singer and dancer--who have various motives regarding him and the money. These plotlines and characters collide in the musical farce Lucky Stiff by Lynn Ahrens (book and lyrics) and Stephen Flaherty (music), which opens November 1 at GreenMan Theatre.
Ahrens and Flaherty previously teamed to create Ragtime, Seussical, and Once on This Island. Lucky Stiff, which won the Helen Hayes Award for Best Musical, runs four weekends at GreenMan from November 1-24. Friday and Saturday shows start at 7:30 PM & Sunday matinees begin at 2 PM. All performances take place in Asbury Hall at First United Methodist Church at 232 S. York in Elmhurst. Tickets are $18 for adults and $16 for seniors/students. Free parking is available. Tickets can be purchased at http://ticketpeak.com/gmtt or reserved at 630-464-2646. More information available at www.greenmantheatre.org.
Lucky Stiff is directed by Craig Gustafson. The musical director is Kathleen Dooley. The choreographer is Katy Smith. The assistant director and stage manager is Alice Rebecchi. The cast includes Kristin Arntzen, Stan Austin, John Corona, Dan Hitzemann, Aimee Kennedy, Amelia Kloskowski, Peter Lemongelli, Catharine McNamara, Jaime Sandoval, and Lars Timpa.
GreenMan programs are partially funded by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency. Financial support provided by the City of Elmhurst Community Grant Program.
