PERFECT WEDDING OPENS AT CT THIS WEEKEND

Popular farce has been performed all over the world

The Cumberland Theatre continues their 35th Main Stage Season with the tour-de-force comedy PERFECT WEDDING, which will run June 8th – 18th.

Written by Robin Hawdon, fast-paced farce has provoked waves of laughter in literally hundreds of productions around Europe and across America, and is due to be made into a Hollywood film. The show has been performed in over 30 different countries and translated into over 20 different languages. “It is that rare combination - a riotous comedy and a touching love story at the same time,” said a CT spokesperson.

The plot revolves around an appalling situation. A bridegroom wakes on his wedding morning in his own bridal suite, with his bride-to-be about to arrive any moment, and finds a strange girl in bed beside him. What's more an extremely attractive girl whom, in the depths of his post stag-night hangover, he can't remotely remember even having been introduced to. Worse - during the ensuing panic to get the stranger dressed and out of the way, the bride arrives and the girl is trapped in the bathroom. The only way out of the dilemma is to persuade the best man to pretend that the hidden girl is his girl friend. Then the problem is that the best man’s real girl friend has to be kept ignorant of the fact. By the time the bride's parents and half the hotel staff get in on the act, the chaos reaches nuclear proportions!

Taking on the roles of Bill (the groom) and Rachel (the bride) will be visiting actors Pierce Bunch and Amanda Talero. Bunch was last seen on the CT stage as Harvey in The Wisdom of Eve. Talero, a native of Queens, NY, is making her Cumberland Theatre debut.

Returning to CT are actors Matt Baughman and Brenna Peerbolt. Baughman has been seen frequently on CT’s stage – most recently, as Bill in August: Osage County. Peerbolt made her debut in this season’s opener, Murder on the Orient Express playing Mary Debenham. Rounding out the cast are Katie Zimmerman, who recently starred as Emma in The Prom and JoAnn Peterson, who is returning the Cumberland stage after recently moving back to the area.

The show's creative team includes Jordan Kline (director), Rhett Wolford (scenic designer), Elizabeth Mudge (costume designer), Brendon McCabe (lighting designer) and Kimberli Rowley (props designer). Hayden Kline is serving as the stage manager and Kyle Wolford will serve as wardrobe assistant.

The show runs Thursday, Friday and Saturday shows begin at 8:00 pm and Sunday performances at 2:00 pm. There will be a complimentary wine and cheese reception following the official opening on June 9th. A Sparkling Wine Tasting will be held on Friday, June 16th before the performance for an additional ticket cost. Mimosa packages are also available as well the VIP star box.

Tickets may be purchased online at cumberlandtheatre.com or by calling the box office at 301.759.4990.

Andy Darling: Life’s a Drag Premiers at Cumberland Theatre

CT kicks off Pride Month with celebration of music, cabaret, love and drag

The Cumberland Theatre Season Too! will help kick off Cumberland Pride week with the premiere of Andy Darling: Life’s a Drag - a fabulous celebration of music, cabaret, love, and yes honey…drag! Starring real-life husbands and showbiz extraordinaires, Andy Crosten and Mason Griffin! The show will be presented Saturday, May 27th at 8:00 pm.

In this compelling evening of stories and live singing, Andy Darling invites you into their world of pure imagination; taking us on a journey over the rainbow. Will we finally find the pot of gold?? The glittering duo parade through a mix of jazz, golden age standards, musical theater and pop. Together with the audience they search for the truest meanings of connection, compassion, and acknowledgement of the truth of our existence; with a lot of laughter along the way!

A Maryland native and veteran of the Cumberland Theatre stage, Crosten is a pioneer for queer art and activism in Western Maryland. After first performing at CT as a teenager leading the cast of Big River in the role of Huck Finn, he went on to graduate from Shenandoah Conservatory, and now resides in New York City. Crosten’s eclectic career as an actor, drag artist, producer, and director, spans Off-Broadway, cabaret, regional theater and beyond. Currently, he is running the infamous Triad Theater in Manhattan where he also produces and performs in his hit monthly showcase, Bound For Broadway.

Griffin is a musical theater accompanist, coach, conductor, and music director. He resides in New York City where he has performed at 54 Below, The Duplex, The Laurie Beechman, The Green Room 42 and Triad Theatre, among others. Griffin teaches at The Institute for American Musical Theater (IAMT) and is the music minister at St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church on Long Island. Griffin is delighted to return to the CT stage after music directing last season’s production of the musical Company.

Tickets are $20 and are available at the door or on the theatre’s website: cumberlandtheatre.com.

The show continues the new series of programming at the Cumberland Theatre appropriately called “CT Season Too!”. The series features pop-up supplemental programming that will play for limited engagements of one or two evenings and feature cabarets, one-man shows, readings, murder mysteries and more. The theatre is now taking ideas and submissions for these types of programs. Proposals can be emailed to kim@cumberlandtheatre.com.

Cumberland Theatre is supported in part by the Maryland State Arts Council, Allegany Arts Council, Allegany County and the city of Cumberland.

For tickets and more information, visit cumberlandtheatre.com or call the theatre at 301.759.4990.

CT Season Too! Presents Broadway Trivia

Actor Bill Dennison hosts a Theatre Trivia Night at the Cumberland Theatre

The Cumberland Theatre Season Too! will present “Tragedy Tomorrow, Trivia Tonight” and interactive evening of Theatre and Broadway trivia on Friday, May 26th at 7:30 pm at the theatre on 101 North Johnson Street.

Tickets are available for a $10 donation at the door or on the theatre’s website: cumberlandtheatre.com. Each ticket includes a drink coupon valid for wine, beer, or a soft drink. The lobby bar will open at 7:00 pm. The program will feature live performance and trivia questions related to theatre. Teams of up to four people will compete to win a CT prize pack.

The evening will be hosted by veteran CT actor Bill Dennison who has been seen recently on the CT stage as Ben Hecht in Moonlight and Magnolias, Austin in True West, Little Charles in August: Osage County, David in Company, Mr. Green in Clue on Stage and Lloyd Roberts in The Wisdom of Eve.

The show continues the new series of programming at the Cumberland Theatre appropriately called “CT Season Too!”. The series features pop-up supplemental programming that will play for limited engagements of one or two evenings and feature cabarets, one-man shows, readings, murder mysteries and more. The theatre is now taking ideas and submissions for these types of programs. Proposals can be emailed to kim@cumberlandtheatre.com.

Cumberland Theatre is supported in part by the Maryland State Arts Council, Allegany Arts Council, Allegany County and the city of Cumberland.

For tickets and more information, visit cumberlandtheatre.com or call the theatre at 301.759.4990.