Brookhaven Little Theater kicked off its five-play 2024-25 season Friday, December 6, with ten performances of Annie through Sunday, December 15.
The season also includes five performances of Charlotte’s Web from Thursday, February 6 through Sunday, February 9; ten performances of Shrek -- The Musical from Thursday, April 3, through Sunday, April 13; four BLT Teen Camp performances of Bye Bye Birdie from Friday, June 6 through Sunday, June 8; and four BLT Kid Camp performances of Seussical-KIDS on Thursday and Friday, June 26 and 27.
Based on the popular comic strip by Harold Gray, Annie has become a worldwide phenomenon, the winner of seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The beloved book and score by Tony Award winners, Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin, features some of the greatest musical theatre hits ever written, including "Tomorrow." With equal measures of pluck and positivity, little orphan Annie charms everyone's hearts despite a next-to-nothing start in 1930s New York City. She is determined to find the parents who abandoned her years ago on the doorstep of a New York City Orphanage that is run by the cruel, embittered Miss Hannigan. With the help of the other girls in the Orphanage, Annie escapes to the wondrous world of NYC. In adventure after fun-filled adventure, Annie foils Miss Hannigan's evil machinations and even befriends President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. She finds a new home and family in billionaire, Oliver Warbucks, his personal secretary, Grace Farrell, and a lovable mutt named Sandy.
The Children's Literature Association named Charlotte’s Web "the best American children's book of the past two hundred years," and Joseph Robinette, working with the advice of E.B. White, has created a play that captures this work in a thrilling and utterly practical theatrical presentation. It’s the story and relationships that make the show. All the enchanting characters are here: Wilbur, the irresistible young pig who desperately wants to avoid the butcher; Fern, a girl who understands what animals say to each other; Templeton, the gluttonous rat who can occasionally be talked into a good deed; the Zuckerman family; the Arables; and, most of all, the extraordinary spider, Charlotte, who proves to be “a true friend and a good writer.” Determined to save Wilbur, Charlotte begins her campaign with the "miracle" of her web in which she writes, "Some pig." It's the beginning of a victorious campaign which ultimately ends with the now-safe Wilbur doing what is most important to Charlotte.
Based on the Oscar-winning DreamWorks Animation film, Shrek The Musical is a Tony Award-winning fairy tale adventure, featuring all new songs from Jeanine Tesori (Thoroughly Modern Millie; Caroline, Change) and a sidesplitting book by David Lindsay-Abaire. Shrek brings all the beloved characters you know from the film to life on stage and proves there's more to the story than meets the ears. "Once upon a time, there was a little ogre named Shrek...." And thus begins the tale of an unlikely hero who finds himself on a life-changing journey alongside a wisecracking Donkey and a feisty princess who resists her rescue. Throw in a short-tempered bad guy, a cookie with an attitude and over a dozen other fairy tale misfits, and you've got the kind of mess that calls for a real hero. Luckily, there's one on hand... and his name is Shrek.
A loving musical send-up of the early 1950s, Bye Bye Birdie features small-town America, teenagers, and rock & roll, and remains as fresh and vibrant as ever. Teen heartthrob Conrad Birdie has been drafted, so he chooses all-American girl Kim McAfee for a very public farewell kiss. Featuring a tuneful high-energy score, plenty of great parts for kids, and a hilarious script, Bye Bye Birdie remains one of the most popular shows in schools across the country. Hit songs include “Put on a Happy Face,” “One Last Kiss,” “One Boy,” “A Lot of Livin’ to Do,” “Kids!” and “Rosie.”
Horton the Elephant, the Cat in the Hat and all of your favorite Dr. Seuss characters spring to life onstage in Seussical KIDS, a fantastical musical extravaganza from Tony-winners, Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty (Lucky Stiff, My Favorite Year, Once on This Island, Ragtime). Transporting audiences from the Jungle of Nool to the Circus McGurkus, the Cat in the Hat, our narrator, tells the story of Horton, an elephant who discovers a speck of dust containing tiny people called the Whos, including Jojo, a Who child, who gets in trouble for thinking too many "thinks." Horton's challenge is twofold — not only must he protect the Whos from a world of naysayers and dangers, but he must also guard an abandoned egg that's been left in his care by the irresponsible Mayzie La Bird. Although Horton faces ridicule, danger, kidnapping and a trial, the intrepid Gertrude McFuzz never loses faith in him. Ultimately, the powers of friendship, loyalty, family and community are challenged and emerge triumphant!
Schedule of performances:
Annie: Friday, December 6, 7 p.m.; Saturday, December 7, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Sunday, December 8, 2 p.m.; Monday, December 9, 7 p.m.; Thursday, December 12, 7 p.m.; Friday, December 13, 7 p.m.; Saturday, December 14, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Sunday, December 15, 2:00 p.m.
Charlotte’s Web: Thursday, February 6, 7 p.m.; Friday, February 7, 7 p.m.; Saturday, February 8, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Sunday, February 9, 2 p.m.
Shrek the Musical: Thursday, April 3, 7 p.m.; Friday, April 4, 7 p.m.; Saturday, April 5, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Sunday, April 6, 2 p.m.; Monday, April 7, 7 p.m.; Thursday, April 10, 7 p.m.; Friday, April 11 , 7 p.m.; Saturday, April 12, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Sunday, April 13, 2 p.m.
Bye Bye Birdie: Friday, June 6, 7 p.m.; Saturday, June 7, 2 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.; Sunday, June 8, 2:00 p.m.
Seussical kids: Thursday, June 26, 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Friday, June 27, 11:30 a.m., 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.
The BLT Teen and Kids Camps teach students in grades seven through and one through sixth grades theater and the performing arts. The Teen Camp is May 27-June 6 and the Kids Camp is June 16 to 25 during the evenings.
Registration for each camp starts December 2 and the fee for each camp is $200. All registered students are guaranteed a role in the shows, with auditions Saturday, May 17, for the Teen Camp and currently undetermined for the Kids Camp.
Live concerts are also on the BLT calendar. Brookhaven native nationally-known artist Randy Redd performed live in October with stories, standards and show tunes from his book, The Black & White, and two area groups – The J.T.McCaffrey Band and The Lincoln Outfit – will be on the BLT stage on January 11 in Keys vs Strings concert.
For ticket information, call 601-669-9200 or email tickets@brookhavenlittletheater.com.
Founded in 1968, BLT is the longest continuously running community theatre in Mississippi! For more that 50 years, it has entertained theatre-goers with an array of musical and dramatic classics, as well as modern Broadway hits. In recent years, the theatre has expanded to include the BLT Teen and Kids Camps. BLT is led and sustained by volunteers who give generously of their time and resources to produce shows.
BLT is based at the historic Haven Theater at 126 West Cherokee Street in downtown Brookhaven, where its plays and other productions are staged.
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