Prelude Review, Interview, Slideshow

Here's a slideshow courtesy of BU Today with Cassie Beck and Brian Sgambati.



And a review from the Boston Globe

And a great interview with Peter DuBois on Edge Boston

Have you seen the show? Did you stay afterward for post show conversation? What did you talk about on the way home. Please leave your thoughts about the play, performances, and production right here on our blog for others to respond to.

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Prelude to a Kiss - Video

Here's is our "mini-doc" for Prelude to a Kiss



and a bit of the Wedding scene featuring Brian Sgambati, Cassie Beck, Ted Hewlett, Ken Cheeseman, Cheryl McMahon, Nancy E. Carroll, Michael Hammond, Timothy John Smith, Jason Bowen, Georgette Lockwood, Alex Schnepps, and MacIntrye Dixon.


click here for more video, audio, and photos

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The Huntington Theatre Company production of Prelude to a Kiss by Craig Lucas plays May 14 through June 13, 2010 at the Huntington's Mainstage - The Boston University Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave Boston MA 02115. Tickets and information available online 24/7, by visiting our box office locations, or by calling 617 266-7900.

Student Matinees - the Teachers like them too!

Contributed by Donna Glick

Recently, the Huntington's Department of Education decided to try a "pay what you can" ticket offer for the student matinee of Prelude to a Kiss on Thursday, June, 3, 2010. We asked Bill Deschenes, a teacher from Pierce Middle School in Milton, to describe the student matinee experience for us, from the teacher's point of view. His enthusiasm really took us by surprise - thanks Bill!

I've been taking my kids to the Huntington's student matinees for many years now and am happy to report that the Huntington does it right! They are serious about exposing young people to the theater and providing an enriching experience for them.

Attending such high quality shows is a terrific opportunity for the kids. Most theaters, especially those of this caliber, do NOT offer morning performances at all, so to be able to take students to the theater during the school-day is a real treat. Plus, the Huntington does everything possible to make it affordable. A $12 ticket at the student matinee might cost about $70 for the same performance in the evening. An incredible and very generous deal.(Now with this new "pay what you can" offer, it is made even more affordable.)

If you do decide to take your students to see PRELUDE, however, take advantage of the other services the Huntington offers:

--Their curriculum guides are excellent--packed with information on the play including historical and cultural context, overarching themes, activities, lesson plans, vocabulary, theater etiquette, etc. It's a tremendous resource.

--The Huntington will help you prepare your students for the play by sending someone to your school to lead your students in pre-show activities. Or you may opt to take your kids to the theater before the matinee for a pre-show talk and tour.

--Another great resource is the Huntington's website, where blogs, interviews and video clips are posted. Visit the site with your students and click around.

--The Huntington's Teacher Preview Night allows you to see the production for free before you take your class. This allows you to enjoy the show as an audience member first so that you can better prepare your students for the matinee.

--After the performance, stay! The post-show Q&A session with the cast members is well worth attending and a wonderful way for your students to fully process the experience. Plus, it's terrific way for your kids to interact with real, working, professional actors.

And now for a non-Huntington related tip: After the show there's no need to rush back to school... Have your kids bring bag lunches and go enjoy them by the reflecting pool at the Christian Science Church Park--safe, peaceful, picturesque. A perfect way to wrap up the day!

Enjoy!

Bill Deschenes

Pierce Middle School, Milton

If you would like more information about our Student Matinees, or the June 3rd Pay What You Can offer,contact Meg Wieder at 617 273-1558 or mwieder@huntingtontheatre.bu.edu

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Prelude to a Kiss - Sneak Peek Photos

Photos from Thursday's Dress rehearsal. The play has 14 scenes in 9 different locations. We make good use of our automation equipment as well as a crew of five moving and flying things around back stage. The transitions are quick, cinematic, and with the character of Peter providing narration, they help move the show along nicely.

Cassie Beck (Rita) and Brian Sgambati (Peter) in Rita's apartment. After a whirlwind romance they decide to marry.

Brian Sgambati (Peter) and Cassie Beck (Rita). During their honeymoon, on a beach in Jamaica, Peter attempts to find the Rita he fell in love with.

MacIntyre Dixon (Old Man) and Brian Sgambati (Peter). After the honeymoon, Peter are Rita separate. The Old Man, who first appears at their wedding, returns and confirms that Rita is not who she once was.

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The Huntington Theatre Company production of Prelude to a Kiss by Craig Lucas plays May 14 through June 13, 2010 at the Huntington's Mainstage - The Boston University Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave Boston MA 02115. Tickets and information available online 24/7, by visiting our box office locations, or by calling 617 266-7900.

Prelude to a Kiss; Shop Photo Album

The back wall of the sets - with a base coat of paint

Do you miss the photos of our scenery, props and costumes under construction? We've moved them to our Facebook page. It's a much better interface for photos. And you don't need have a Facebook account or log in (only if you want to comment). See these photos and more! Enjoy.

The skeleton for a handmade paper lantern. Nice to have a props person with a degree from MIT!

The Huntington Theatre Company production of Prelude to a Kiss by Craig Lucas plays May 14 through June 13, 2010 at the Huntington's Mainstage - The Boston University Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave Boston MA 02115. Tickets and information available online 24/7, by visiting our box office locations, or by calling 617 266-7900.

Prelude to a Kiss - One Day Sale

A whirlwind romance. A storybook wedding. A kiss for the bride that suddenly changes everything. Craig Lucas (The Light in the Piazza, Longtime Companion) explores the enduring power of love and the nature of commitment in this breathtaking and life-affirming romantic comedy directed by Artistic Director Peter DuBois.

One day Ticket sale on Thursday, April 29. Tickets to select performances just $25.

Click here for info.

The Huntington Theatre Company production of Prelude to a Kiss by Craig Lucas plays May 14 through June 13, 2010 at the Huntington's Mainstage - The Boston University Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave Boston MA 02115. Tickets and information available online 24/7, by visiting our box office locations, or by calling 617 266-7900.

Prelude to a Kiss - Cast and Artistic Team Announced

The cast of Prelude to a Kiss, Directed by Peter DuBois,  includes:

• Brian Sgambati (The Blue Demon at the Huntington; national tour of Frost/Nixon; Tom Stoppard's Tony Award-winning trilogy The Coast of Utopia on Broadway) as Peter;
• Cassie Beck (The Norman Conquests on Broadway; Craig Lucas' A Prayer For My Enemy and The Drunken City at Playwrights Horizons, Three Sisters at Williamstown Theatre Festival, and The Cherry Sisters at The Humana Festival 2010) as Rita;
• MacIntyre Dixon (36 Views at the Huntington; Gypsy starring Bernadette Peters and Cyrano de Bergerac starring Kevin Kline on Broadway; the films School of Rock, In and Out, *batteries not included, and A River Runs Through It) as the Old Man;
• Nancy E. Carroll (Present Laughter, The Rose Tattoo, Dead End, and Brendan at the Huntington; Present Laughter on Broadway) as Mrs. Boyle;
• Michael Hammond (Big Bill, Long Day’s Journey Into Night, M. Butterfly and Search and Destroy on Broadway; Othello, The Canterville Ghost, The Secret of Sherlock Holmes, The Merry Wives of Windsor, and many other productions in his seventeen seasons at Shakespeare and Company) as Dr. Boyle;
• Ken Cheeseman (All My Sons and A Civil War Christmas at the Huntington; A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Measure for Measure at The New York Shakespeare Festival; film and television appearances in Mystic River, The Crucible, Shutter Island and guest starring roles on Law and Order, and Monk) as Uncle Fred;
• As well as Jason Bowen (A Civil War Christmas at the Huntington and Othello at Actors’ Shakespeare Project), Ted Hewlett (Romeo and Juliet at New Rep and Coriolanus at Actors’ Shakespeare Project), Timothy John Smith (Groundswell at the Lyric Stage Company and Jerry Springer: The Opera at SpeakEasy Stage Company), and Cheryl McMahon (The Rose Tattoo and Marty at the Huntington).

PRODUCTION ARTISTS

The Creative Team for Prelude to a Kiss includes Scenic Designer Scott Bradley (All My Sons at the Huntington); Costume Designer Elizabeth Hope Clancy (All My Sons at the Huntington); Lighting Designer Japhy Weideman (How Shakespeare Won the West at the Huntington, Little Flower of East Orange at The Public Theater; Bluebeard’s Castle/Il Prigioniero at Teatro alla Scala in Milan); Composer and Sound Designer David Remedios (Off Broadway designs at Theatre for a New Audience, New York Theatre Workshop, and New York Fringe Festival); and Projections Designer Maya Ciarrocchi (A Long and Winding Road and All My Sons at the Huntington). Production Stage Manager is Leslie Sears. Stage Manager is Carola Morrone.

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The Huntington Theatre Company production of Prelude to a Kiss by Craig Lucas plays May 14 through June 13, 2010 at the Huntington's Mainstage - The Boston University Theatre, 264 Huntington Ave Boston MA 02115. Tickets and information available online 24/7, by visiting our box office locations, or by calling 617 266-7900.