UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State Centre Stage will present Lerner and Loewe's "Brigadoon" — book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, music by Frederick Loewe, revised book by Brian Hill, directed and choreographed by Jennifer Delac, and music directed by Emily Orr — April 12-23 at the Playhouse Theatre on the University Park campus.
With a 29-member cast and a 12-piece orchestra, the full-scale production will be "Almost Like Being in Love," like the song from the musical suggests.
"Brigadoon allows us to see our desire for community and to explore both the ways we support and fail one another at times," said Delac, a third-year master of fine arts in directing candidate. "Most importantly, it reminds us that we can't completely escape the pain and suffering of this world, but the world is also full of kindness, hope and love that make it worthwhile."
When American tourists Tommy and Jeff get lost on vacation in Scotland, they stumble into Brigadoon, a mythical village that appears for only one day every 100 years. No outsider can stay in Brigadoon unless they fall in love, and no resident can ever leave or the village will vanish forever. But when Tommy falls for a village girl, he is forced to choose between returning to the world that he knows — or taking a chance on life and love in the mysterious Brigadoon.
"Brigadoon appears before our eyes, parting the mist of the COVID-19 pandemic, offering escapism and community," said dramaturg Arushi Grover, who is pursuing a bachelor of arts in theatre. "Tommy and Jeff may be leaving the soulless urbanity of 1946 New York, but one can imagine them descending the steps of our own productivity-centered society to arrive in the Highland’s pastoral idyll. There’s a familiarity and comfort in the past that roots us in the present when the future remains uncertain."
Evening performances at 7:30 p.m. are $25; preview performances at 7:30 p.m. are $20; and tickets for students are $12.50. Call 814-863-0255 or click here for tickets. For additional show information, visit the Penn State Centre Stage website.