Hale Centre Theatre: HCT to Perform Regional Premiere of "Big: The Musical"

WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah (July 7, 2008) - Hale Centre Theatre (HCT), Utah's premier family theatre, will present the regional premiere of Broadway's "Big: The Musical," July 28 through Sept. 20, 2008. The comedy is a stage adaptation of the 1988 Tom Hanks film and will feature many replica costumes and props including a Zoltar fortune-telling machine, life-sized stuffed animals, foot keyboard and trampoline built into the floor of the stage.

"We've added some details from the movie to make it more familiar to audiences and to capture the charm and innocence that made us fall in love with the film," said John Sweeney, director. "From the 80s setting to the trampoline scene to the piano at FAO Schwartz, I want to help audiences remember how they felt when they saw 'Big' for the first time and what it is like to be a kid."

The HCT production will feature innovative set, lighting design and more than 1,000 props to recreate scenes from the movie including bumper cars, giant bubbles, a laser star field, 80s arcade games and an eight-foot Godzilla. HCT's costume designers were meticulous in recreating pieces from the film including a Dukes of Hazzard jacket and a vintage New York Giants sweatshirt. The HCT adaptation also weaves the script together with underscoring to make it feel more like a film.

"Big: The Musical" is about Josh Baskin, a 13-year-old who has his wish to be older granted by, Zoltar Speaks, a fortune-telling machine. He wakes up the next day as a grown man and, through a series of events, realizes adulthood can wait.

"Big: The Musical," which ran on Broadway for 193 performances in 1996, features music by David Shire (also the hit musical "Baby"), book by John Weidman (co-author of Sondheim's "Assassins") and lyrics by Richard Maltby, Jr. (also "Miss Saigon"). The musical garnered five Tony Award nominations including Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score and earned 10 Drama Desk Award nominations including Outstanding Musical, Book, Lyrics, Music and Orchestrations.

HCT's "Big: The Musical" is directed by Sweeney and stars Danny Tarasevich and J.C. Ernst as the older Josh Baskin; Jocelyn Hansen and Eden Benson as Susan; Spencer Hohl and Kooper Cambell as Billy Kopecki; and Eric Lash and Peter Rosen as young Josh. The music director is Kelly DeHaan, choreographer is Marilyn May Montgomery, costume designer is Tamara Clayton, technical director and set designer is Kacey Udy, prop master and production assistant is Jennifer Stapley, director's assistant is Ryan Bott, lighting designer is Spencer Brown and sound designer is Mike Williams.

Performances are Monday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m. with matinees each Saturday at 12:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. and occasional weekdays at 4 p.m.
Ticket prices are Monday through Thursday evenings and matinees, adult $21, child (5-11 years) $15; Friday and Saturday evening shows, adult $25, child (5-11 years) $16. Tickets may be purchased online at www.halecentretheatre.org, via telephone at (801) 984-9000 or at the Hale Centre Theatre box office, 3333 South Decker Lake Drive, West Valley City, Utah.

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Regional premiere of "Big: The Musical"

HCT to perform regional premiere of "big: the musical"