‘Man of LaMancha,’ ‘Mamma Mia!’ to help mark Weston Playhouse’s 80th

The Weston Playhouse Theatre Company has unveiled plans for its 2016 MainStage season in anticipation of a two-year celebration of it 80th anniversary. Audiences can expect a line-up distinguished by groundbreaking partnerships, collaborations with major stars, and the Vermont premiere of one of Broadway’s longest-running hits. Producing Artistic Director Steve Stettler said, “We’ve pulled out all the stops for our 80th anniversary, and this sneak peek at the four productions that will grace the Playhouse stage is just the beginning.”

Treat Williams

Weston’s MainStage will open with Man of La Mancha starring Treat Williams and directed by Wayne Cilento. Williams, whose stage and screen career was launched with the Broadway production of Grease and the film version of Hair, will return to the musical stage as Cervantes/Don Quixote under the direction of Tony winner Cilento (The Who’s Tommy, Wicked). Performances will run June 28 through July 16.

In an historic collaboration with Vermont’s Dorset Theatre Festival and Northern Stage, Weston will produce Round and Round the Garden, the third play in British playwright Alan Ayckbourn’s celebrated comic trilogy The Norman Conquests. The three companies will share a cast and creative team in bringing the trilogy to life, encouraging audiences to follow the exploits that take place in and around an English country house on a summer weekend. Performances in Weston run July 21 through July 30.

Weston also has secured the rights to Mamma Mia!, one of the longest running shows in Broadway history. Based on the songs of ABBA, the musical promises to be the feel-good production of the summer. Director Tim Fort (42nd Street, Les Miserables) reunites with choreographer Michael Raine (Guys and Dolls, A Chorus Line). The show runs Aug. 4 through Aug. 20.

Continuing its five-year commitment to American Masters, Weston celebrates Arthur Miller’s 100th birthday with his classic drama, All My Sons. Award-winning director Mary B. Robinson (Westons Copenhagen) will be at the helm of this Tony-winning play. As an American Masters production, All My Sons will include lectures, a statewide teachers workshop, school matinees and a performance at the Flynn Center in Burlington, Vt. Weston performances run Aug. 25 through Sept. 4.

In honor of its 80th anniversary season, the theater will be introducing Weston 101, a series of lecture/discussions with  Stettler and other artists that will explore each production in advance of the summer season. Weston 101 will be available individually and as a series both live and on interactive video. For further details about the Weston 2016 season, sign up for the company’s eNews at westonplayhouse.org.

The company is in the midst of a $10 million capital campaign to create a year-round cultural center for retreats, workshops and performances at the Walker Farm, also in Weston.