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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:normal;margin:0in 0in 10pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial"><b><span style="font-size:16pt;text-transform:uppercase">Aurora Community Theatre<br>

</span></b>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<b><span style="font-size:16pt;text-transform:uppercase"><br>

</span></b>April 4, 2019<b><span style="font-size:16pt;text-transform:uppercase"></span></b></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" align="right" style="text-align:right;line-height:normal;margin:0in 0in 10pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial">Contact:

<br>

Christine Patronik-Holder<br>

330-562-1818</p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;margin:0in 0in 10pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial"><i><u><span style="font-size:18pt">Witty,

Irreverant Farce</span></u></i></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:normal;margin:0in 0in 10pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial"><b><i><span style="font-size:20pt">A FUNNY THING HAPPENED <br>

ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM</span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-size:24pt"> </span></i></b><i><span style="font-size:20pt"><br>

Opens April 26</span></i><b><i><span style="font-size:36pt"></span></i></b></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;margin:0in 0in 10pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The hysterical

Broadway musical,<b><i> A Funny Thing

Happened on the Way to the Forum</i></b>, opens April 26 for ten performances

at 8 pm Fridays and Saturdays through May 18 and 3 pm Sundays May 5 and 12 at

Aurora Community Theatre, 115 E. Pioneer Trail. </span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;background-image:initial;background-position:initial;background-size:initial;background-repeat:initial;background-origin:initial;background-clip:initial;margin:0in 0in 10pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">The Tony

award-winning Best Musical features music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim with book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart. Quick-witted

and fast-paced, <b><i>A Funny Thing

Happened on the Way to the Forum takes comedy back to its roots,

combining age-old situations with the infectious energy of classic vaudeville.</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;margin:0in 0in 10pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial"><b><i><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Forum</span></i></b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""> tells the story of the crafty slave,

Pseudolus, who schemes to gain his freedom by winning the hand of the

beautiful, but slightly obtuse courtesan, Philia, for his master, Hero.</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;margin:0in 0in 10pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial"><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Dave

Stebbins<span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""> directs <span style="color:black">Don Bernardo <span style="color:black">(Pseudolus),

<b>Jesse Roberts </b>(Hero), <b>Shelby Carlisle </b>(Philia), and <b>Thomas

Love </b>(Miles Gloriosus) in the plot full of twists, turns, mistaken

identity, slamming doors and a showgirl or two.</span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;margin:0in 0in 10pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial"><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">Tim Shaffer</span></b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"> is

the music director with Amie W. Gabel, choreographer, and Marc C.

Howard</b>, producer, for this</span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">

nonstop laugh-fest which <span style="color:black">also

features<b> Will C. Crosby </b></span><span style="color:black">(Hysterium), <b>Brian

Diehl </b>(Senex), <b>Karen Spiegler </b>(Domina), <b>Michael Guffey </b>(Marcus

Lycus), and <b>Neil Rubin </b>(Erronius) </span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;margin:0in 0in 10pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial"><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">Genevi</span></b><b><span style="font-family:"Arial Narrow";color:black">è</span></b><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">ve Adelman, Emily Fields,

Katie Hintze, Diana Nabring, Alyssa Whiddon </span></b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">play the lovely

courtesans, with proteans: Rollin DeVere III, Jeffrey Koudelka, Douglas R.

Vanek.</b></span><strong><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";border:1pt none windowtext;padding:0in"> </span></strong></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;margin:0in 0in 10pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial"><strong><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";border:1pt none windowtext;padding:0in">Ann Nyenhuis</span></strong><strong><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";border:1pt none windowtext;padding:0in;font-weight:normal">

is the </span></strong><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">stage

manager/technical director <strong><span style="border:1pt none windowtext;padding:0in;font-weight:normal">with </span></strong><strong><span style="border:1pt none windowtext;padding:0in">April

Sike</span></strong><strong><span style="border:1pt none windowtext;padding:0in;font-weight:normal">, assistant stage manager</span></strong>,<span style="color:rgb(192,0,0)"> </span><strong><span style="border:1pt none windowtext;padding:0in">Karen Cirino </span></strong><strong><span style="border:1pt none windowtext;padding:0in;font-weight:normal">is in charge of

costumes. </span></strong><strong><span style="border:1pt none windowtext;padding:0in">Maggie

Hamilton</span></strong><strong><span style="border:1pt none windowtext;padding:0in;font-weight:normal">, designed the sound and </span></strong><b><span style="color:black">Frankie

Castrovillari</span></b>, created the lighting.<b> <span style="color:black"></span></b></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;margin:0in 0in 10pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial"><strong><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";border:1pt none windowtext;padding:0in">Todd Plone</span></strong><strong><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";border:1pt none windowtext;padding:0in;font-weight:normal">

designed the set, and </span></strong><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Ann

Nyenhuis led the construction crew which included:<span style="color:rgb(192,0,0)"> </span><b><span style="color:black">Joe Mira, Paul Mira, Ashley McCoy, Chris Hrach, Jerry

Schaber, Craig McCloud, April Sike, Dave Nyenhuis, Linda Weinkamer, </span></b><span style="color:black">and<b> Neil Rubin.</b></span></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;margin:0in 0in 10pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial"><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Craig

Kollai</span></b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""> serves as liaison

to the ACT Board of Trustees. <b>Marianne

Gingras</b> created the show image, and CPH Communications managed marketing

and the box office. </span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;margin:0in 0in 10pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">Music director Shaffer will

play the trumpet and conduct the orchestra featuring accompanist <b>Dave Coxe</b> on keyboard, <b>David

Betts, </b>trombone, <b>Josh

Daum, </b>percussion, <b>Jonathan "Skip" Edwards, </b>bass, with

woodwinds performed by <b>Ron Nelson, David Ciucevich</b> and <b>George

Cyphers. Kristen Johnsten </b>accompanied

rehearsals.</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;margin:0in 0in 10pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial"><b><i><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">A

Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum</span></i></b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""> is presented

through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All

authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI. </span><a href="http://www.mtishows.com/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">www.MTIShows.com</span></a>.</p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;margin:0in 0in 10pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Aurora Community Theatre’s 59th season

continues with <b><i>Bonnie & Clyde</i></b> Jun. 28 – Jul. 13.</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;margin:0in 0in 10pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">Tickets for all shows are available

online anytime, including seat selection, at <a href="http://auroracommunitytheatre.com">auroracommunitytheatre.com</a> or by

calling 330-562-1818.</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;margin:0in 0in 10pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">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. </span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;margin:0in 0in 10pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial"><i><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman"">ACT,

celebrating 59 successful seasons in 2018-19, 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. </span></i><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman""></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 0.0001pt;line-height:normal;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"> </span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal;margin:0in 0in 10pt;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial"><span style="font-size:12pt;font-family:"Times New Roman""> </span></p></span></span></div>