[NEohioPAL] King and I opens Apr 27 in Aurora

[Aurora Community Theatre]

*Aurora Community Theatre  *

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 9, 2018

Contact:

Christine Patronik-Holder

330-562-1818

*Shall We Dance?*

*THE KING & I **Opens Apr. 27*



The lush, captivating Broadway blockbuster, *The King and I*, opens Apr. 27
at Aurora Community Theatre, 115 E. Pioneer Trail. The 10-performance run
continues at 8 pm Fridays and Saturdays through May 17, plus 3 pm Sunday
May, 6 and 13.



The award-winning musical by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II
features such beloved songs as*: I Whistle a Happy Tune, Getting to Know
You, Hello, Young Lovers, *and* Shall We Dance?*



Set in 1862, *The King and I* explores the mysteries and cultural
challenges of East versus West as it tells the story of Anna, a British
schoolteacher brought by the King of Siam to help modernize his country.
Their relationship, marked by polite but potent cultural conflict, is
underscored by a love that neither can admit. The story is based on
Margaret Landon’s novel, “Anna and the King of Siam,” which is derived from
the memoirs of Anna Leonowens, who served as governess to the children
of King Mongkut of Siam (now Thailand).



*Dustin Oliver *directs *The King and I* with *Kristen Johnson*, music
director, and *Amie W. Gabel, *choreographer. *D. Keith Stiver* and *Marc
C. Howard*, are co-producers, with *Ann Nyenhuis, *stage manager/technical
director.



*Ellie Kelly *plays Anna Leonowens with *Owen Bass *as her son, Louis
Leonowens.  *Joey Cayabyab *takes on the role of The King of Siam with *Aiden
Hills *as his son and heir to the throne, Prince Chulalongkorn.



*Mari McCloud *will perform Lady Thiang, the King’s chief wife and mother
of Prince Chulalongkorn. *Paolo Parodi *will play Lun Tha, the young
scholar who falls in love with Tuptim, a Burmese slave brought to be a
junior wife to the King, performed by *Shelby Carlisle*.



Royal Children include:* Jane Gerdes, Kerrigan Riley, McKenzie Kaplan, Mia
Custer, Rose Zabik, Payton Griffith,* *Ashley Miller, Alayna Stachiw, Emma
Robb, Gianna Malie, Rachel Marzullo. *



Royal Wives will be performed by:* Liz Fuller, Theresa Benyo-Marzullo,
Evelyn DeLiso, and Amie W.Gabel.*



The cast also will feature:* Eric Grow *(The Kralahome), *Aurora
McCloud *(Princess
Ying Yaowalak), *Glen Johnston *(Captain Orton), *Scott Stachiw *(Sir
Edward Ramsay), *Oscar Waters *(Phra Alack and Uncle Thomas), *Jerry
Schaber* (The Interpreter). *Bernie Keister*, *Guy Custer *and *Ken Parsons*
will play the King’s slaves. Custer will also be seen on stage as the
palace guard and Parsons as a deckhand.



“The Small House of Uncle Thomas Ballet” will include: Robb, Malie, Gabel,
DeLiso, Custer and Parsons, featuring solo performances by Fuller,
Benyo-Marzullo, Griffith, Miller and Stachiw.



*April Lasich* is in charge of costumes, including the hugely hooped skirts
of Anna and the elegant, richly hued garments of the King, his wives and
court. *T.L. Codella* designed the lighting. *Maggie Hamilton *is in charge
of sound*.* *Laura Nosek* served as board liaison, while *Marianne Gingras*
designed posters and signs.



The set construction crew, led by Ann Nyenhuis, included:* Joe Mira, Jerry
Schaber, Marty Pekarcik, Neil Rubin, Mike Guffey, Craig McCloud, Dave
Nyenhuis, April Sike, Glen Johnston, Brandon Johnston, Olivia Johnston *with*
Linda Weinkamer *as scenic artist



*Kristen Johnson* will serve as pianist while she conducts the live
orchestra featuring: *Jonathan "Skip" Edwards*, bass, *Marianne Paul*,
cello, *Sarah Severa*, French horn, *Gregg Cross*, percussion, *David Betts*,
trombone, *Heather Kovach*, violin, *Jeff Bodkin* and *Ron Nelson*, both on
woodwinds.



*The King & I* is the fifth musical by the team of Rodgers and Hammerstein.
The musical premiered on March 29, 1951, at Broadway's St. James Theatre.
It ran for nearly three years, making it the fourth longest-running
Broadway musical in history at the time, and has had many tours and
revivals.



Aurora Community Theatre’s season continues in 2018 with the summer
musical, *NEXT to NORMAL* June 29-July 14.



Aurora Community Theatre is located at 115 E. Pioneer Trail, near the
intersection of SR 43 and 306, at the gazebo, in the center of Aurora. ACT
extends appreciation to The Denise G. & Norman E. Wells, Jr. Family
Foundation for their generous underwriting of the Wells Main Stage.



*ACT, celebrating 58 successful seasons in 2017-18, annually presents three
Main Season shows, a summer stock production, benefit show, plus two
children’s summer workshops, reaching an annual audience of over 7,000. *
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