Walnut Street Theatre’s 2018-19 Independence Studio on 3 season continues with the wacky holiday musical revue, WINTER WONDERETTES. Directed by Richard Parison, the production begins with previews on November 13th, opens November 15th, and continues through December 30th.
Welcome to the 1968 Harper’s Hardware Christmas Party. Featured entertainment: The Winter Wonderettes, starring Missy, Suzy, Cindy Lou, and Betty Jean, each with her own unique personality—and color scheme. Sit back and enjoy as the ladies work out the kinks, and insert their own special humor into the holidays. Along the way you’ll be treated to classic—and wacky—Wonderette versions of seasonal favorites like Jingle Bell Rock, Sleigh Ride, Santa Baby, Winter Wonderland, and over 20 more!
WINTER WONDERETTES was created by Roger Bean as a sequel to the long-running Off-Broadway hit, The Marvelous Wonderettes. The show followed high school versions of Missy, Suzy, Cindy Lou and Betty Jean as they performed pop songs from the 50s and 60s at the Springfield High School prom. The show opened at Milwaukee Repertory Theatre in 1999 and at the El Portal Theatre in 2006 – winning an Ovation Award. In 2008, The Marvelous Wonderettes opened off-Broadway at the Westside Theatre in New York City. It played there until 2010 and was revived in 2016 at the Kirk Theatre, where it is still running today.
The popularity of The Marvelous Wonderettes spurred several sequels. WINTER WONDERETTES premiered at the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre in 2003 and featured popular holiday songs from the 50s and 60s. In 2012, Marvelous Wonderettes: Caps & Gowns premiered at the Laguna Playhouse in California, taking the Wonderettes back to their high school graduation and featuring more classic songs. The final installment, Marvelous Wonderettes: Dream On, takes the four wacky Wonderettes to the 70s where they perform at a Springfield High School retirement party.
Richard Parison returns to the Walnut to direct WINTER WONDERETTES. Parison spent nearly a decade as the Casting Director & Assistant to Walnut President and Producing Artistic Director Bernard Havard before becoming the associate artistic director at the Prince Music Theater. He is currently the artistic director for The American Theatre in Hampton, VA and has directed productions at regional theatres across the country including Cleveland Play House, Barrington Stage Company, and Virginia Repertory Theatre. Billy Thompson and Karen Getz will join Parison as Music and Vocal Director and Choreographer for WINTER WONDERETTES, respectively,
WINTER WONDERETTES stars a quartet of talented and wacky leading ladies, played by Jenna Pastuszek, Rebecca Robbins, Amanda Jill Robinson, and Kayla Tarpley. Pastuszek makes her Walnut debut in Winter Wonderettes and has been seen throughout the Philadelphia area at the Eagle Theatre, Delaware Theatre Company, Media Theatre, and Stage Door Theatre. Audiences will remember Rebecca Robbins from Annie, Souvenir, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s A Grand Night for Singing, Mary Poppins, Jerry’s Girls, and Irving Berlin’s White Christmas. Robbins has also performed both on Broadway and in the North American Tour of The Phantom of The Opera. Additional credits include the Broadway production of A Tale of Two Cities and Off-Broadway in five shows with City Center Encores! Amanda Jill Robinson has spent the last three holiday seasons at the Walnut as Miss Fezziwig in Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol, and Actor in A Child’s Christmas in Wales (2016). She has also held roles at 1812 Productions, Act II Playhouse, and EgoPo Classic Theatre. Rounding out the cast is Kayla Tarpley who just completed her run in Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn on the Walnut Mainstage. Tarpley has also held roles at Theatre Horizon and New City Stage Company.
Setting the evening in the gift wrap and decoration covered Harper Hardware’s Christmas Party is Colin McIlvaine making his Walnut debut as the set designer. John Kolbinski joins McIlvaine as sound designer, having designed Walnut productions including Baskerville, Souvenir, and The Gift. Costume Designer Amanda Wolff (Noises Off, Souvenir, The Other Place) and Lighting Designer Robert Perry (Walnut debut) will complete the team for WINTER WONDERETTES.
Season sponsor for the 2018-19 Independence Studio on 3 Season is The Independence Foundation. Media season sponsors are Philly Weekly and WRTI Radio. Tickets are $40 and are now available at 215-574-3550 or 800-982-2787. Tickets are also available at walnutstreettheatre.org or Ticketmaster.com.
