Press release from Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School
As the spring musical production for the 2015-2016 school year, the Tower Players of Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School will present the Tony-nominated Broadway musical Bonnie and Clyde on the weekend of March 18-20.
A thrilling show from Frank Wildhorn (Jekyll and Hyde, Civil War, Dracula), Bonnie and Clyde provides a perfect showcase for the 45-student strong Tower Players cast. It boasts a non-traditional score that combines blues, gospel, and rockabilly styles, plus exciting song and dance numbers including the show-stopping “God’s Arms Are Always Open.” It is based on the real-life adventures of starry-eyed Bonnie Elizabeth Parker (Eli Rallo) and the outlaw Clyde Chestnut Barrow (Matt Hughes), who embarked on a crime spree across the United States at the height of the Great Depression — a story that became the basis for a landmark 1967 film that starred Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty.
In the stage adaptation, Bonnie wants to escape from her west-Texas town and become a movie star, while Clyde has just broken out of prison with his brother Buck (Liam Hughes). When they meet, their mutual cravings for excitement and fame set them on a mission to chase their dreams. Teaming up with Buck and his wife Blanche (Kate Sustick), they commit a string of robberies and become American folk heroes as well as law enforcement’s worst nightmare. Forced to remain on the run, the lovers resort to increasingly brutal crimes — but as their fame grows and the body count rises, the end draws near for the ill-fated duo.
Suzanne Sweeney is Director of the Tower Players production, with Kasi Ann Sweeney as Assistant Director. RFH Dance Team Coach Jen Costa is choreographer. Amy Fredericks, Musical Director for the Count Basie Awards, will be conducting the pit orchestra and overseeing vocal performances as the production’s Musical Director. Costumes and props are under the direction of Carole Malick, and Matthew Leddin is overseeing the Tech Crew of 50 students providing set construction, sounds, and lighting.
Performances of Bonnie and Clyde are at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 18 and Saturday, March 19, with a 1 p.m. matinee performance on Sunday, March 20. Refreshments and a Texas-style feast (including chili and cornbread) will be available for purchase at the café in the RFH gymnasium before each performance and during intermissions.
Ticket prices are $10 for general admission and $6 for students and seniors (RFH students with SGA cards will receive free admission). To purchase tickets online, go here and click on “Bonnie and Clyde.” The Box Office will be open for ticket purchases an hour before each performance. For more information, including group discounts, contact Play Production Coordinator Stefania Flecca at [email protected].
