Playhouse Stage Company to host first in-person production since pandemic

Playhouse Stage Company will resume operations later this month with the first in-person local theatrical production since the start of the pandemic.

The theater troupe will host performances of I Love You, Youre Perfect, Now Change, from April 30 to May 9 at Cohoes Music Hall. The production is the longest-running revue in Broadway history, and through a small cast of characters, it details the hijinks that ensue in the dating game.

It’s a first step, said Owen Smith, the artistic director and producer. Obviously, it’s not like we’re doing a huge show with a huge audience, but it’s an important first step that we think about to start bringing the audience from the Capital Region back to the theater. There are a lot of people who have been vaccinated and feel more comfortable and we want to give them the opportunity to have something this spring to go out and enjoy.

It is also the first production the company has produced in Cohoes Music Hall since taking over management last year.

This will be our opportunity to reopen under our leadership and of course we want to make sure everyone knows even if we do open under our in-house musicals, that’s not the only thing that’s going to happen here. There will be a lot of live music and comedy. It’s just a matter of waiting until we have the capacity, in terms of participation, to do it, Smith said.

The Playhouse Stage Company, which also presents outdoor shows at Washington Park in Albany, is uniquely positioned compared to other businesses in the area, Smith said.

We have a place, we produce our own products, were an in-house production company, so we can reopen, Smith said. Because we produce our own products, we can adapt them to make sure the economy is working even though we may only have x number of people in the house.

So that I love you, you are perfect, now change, the capacity will be limited to 50 people per show. At this limited capacity, the seating plan is relatively flexible, allowing people from different groups to sit together and stay socially distant from other parties. Masks should also be worn unless eating or drinking.

While Smith and the Playhouse Stage Companys box office answered questions about security protocols, most of them were positive, and Smith feels a lot of people are just ready to return to the theater. Since the show was first announced last week, tickets have sold out quickly.

I expect it to be sold out by the end of this week [or the] early next week and well probably add another weekend or two. Obviously, this is only pent-up demand. People missed being able to go to the theater and so this is their opportunity to do so, Smith said.

For the actors, I Love You, Youre Perfect, Now Change is a chance to get back on stage.

The cast includes Marc Christopher, Dashira Cortes, Brandon Jones, and Molly Rose McGrath, all of whom have been featured regularly in past productions. The creative team includes the direction of Michael LoPorto, the choreography of Ashley-Simone Kirchner and the musical direction of Brian Axford.

It’s an opportunity to go back to live events where there’s an audience there and there’s a connection between the audience and the performer, Smith said. So I know about our interpreters. . . it is a moving thing to come back to it.

I love you, you’re perfect, now change, is a delicious show, said Smith, and appropriate for this time because it’s really just people trying to connect, which after the year we have all had, being separate and unable to be in each. other spaces, this is an appropriate topic to consider.

Tickets cost $ 30 and can be purchased at the Music Hall box office. For more information, visit playhousestagecompany.com or contact the box office at 518-434-0776.

Categories: -The Daily Gazette, Entertainment