Sajak, Foa to light up stage of Nutmeg Summer Series

PRIME – June 2013 STORRS, Conn. – Connecticut Repertory Theatre (CRT) will present three great musicals in its 2013 Nutmeg Summer Series, slated for June 6 to July 21 in the Harriet S. Jorgensen Theatre, 820 Bolton St. The 2013 Nutmeg Summer Series will kick off with Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak, returning from his performance last summer as Felix Ungar in "The Odd Couple," to play The Man in the Chair in the hit Broadway musical, "The Drowsy Chaperone." He will be joined by Broadway star and popular CRT performer Liz Larsen, who will play The Drowsy Chaperone. Larsen played one of the Pigeon Sisters in last summer's popular production of "The Odd Couple." Performances are slated June 6 to 15. If you've ever sat in a dark theatre and thought, "Dear Lord in Heaven, please let it be good," then this five-time Tony Award-winning musical is for you. Sajak portrays a fervent musical theatre fan that plays his favorite cast album from the roaring twenties on his record player, which causes the frothy jazz age musical to burst to life around him in his living room. "The Drowsy Chaperone" tells the charming, bubbly, and slightly wacky tale of a brazen Broadway starlet trying to find, and keep, her true love. With one show- stopping song and dazzling dance after another, it is no wonder New York Magazine called "The Drowsy Chaperone" "The Perfect Broadway Musical." The second show of the season will be Stephen Sondheim's irreverent and musically brilliant "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," starring another CRT favorite, Steve Hayes as the wily slave Pseudolus. Hays played the Modern Major General in last summer "Pirates of Penzance," and Horton in CRT's 2011 summer production of "Seussical the Musical." Performances are slated for June 20 to 30. "Something familiar, something peculiar, something for everyone: a comedy tonight!" is the promise of Broadway's most loved musical farce. Hayes will lead the company as the Roman slave who attempts to win his freedom by helping his master woo the pretty girl next door. But the road to romance is never smooth, as our crafty hero dodges a riotous succession of stunning surprises, mistaken identities, wild chases, bawdy humor, and zany characters – all in the pursuit of love and freedom. This fast-paced, witty and irreverent romp features infectious tunes and laugh-out-loud lyrics by musical theatre legend Stephen Sondheim. "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" may be a 50 year-old musical based on 2000 year-old plays, but it remains a breath of fresh comic air, perfect for a summer evening! The final show of summer will be Meredith Wilson legendary musical, "The Music Man," starring Barrett Foa, who plays Eric Beale in the hit TV series, "NCIS: Los Angeles" as band uniform salesman and crafty con artist Harold Hill. Foa will join the townspeople of River City, Iowa in one of America's greatest, most beloved musicals. Performances are slated for July 11 to 21. Full of heart, wit, and oceans of beautiful music, "The Music Man" opens on the 4th of July, 1912, in River City, Iowa. Oh, there is trouble my friends, right here in River City, and Professor Harold Hill has the antidote – an all-boys marching band. But Marian the Librarian sees through his schemes, at least until she falls in love with the irrepressible con artist and he becomes the one thing he fears the most: a respectable citizen. Overflowing with a parade of tunes including "Goodnight, My Someone," "Gary, Indiana," "Till There Was You" and, of course, "Seventy-Six Trombones," "The Music Man" is thrillingly and tunefully nostalgic. Weeknight evening performances of all three plays start at 7:30 p.m. Weekend evening per-formances start at 8 p.m. Matinee performances start at 2 p.m. Single ticket prices range from $10 to $45. Call 860-486-2113 for tickets or for more information. Please call or visit the box office for specific show dates and times because performance schedules vary and are subject to change. Tickets are also available online at crt.uconn.edu. CRT is the professional producing arm of the Department of Dramatic Arts at the University of Connecticut, Storrs. CRT productions are directed, designed by, and cast with visiting professional artists, including Equity actors, faculty members, and the department's most advanced student artists. The synergy between professional and advanced student artists creates extraordinary theatre and a unique learning environment.