Performances
Trumpet in the Land
Written by PAUL GREEN / Music by FRANK LEWIN
Trumpet in the Land , Ohio's official state play and longest running outdoor theatre production, brings to life the tragic but inspiring story of David Zeisberger and his Christian Deleware followers as they struggled to preserve their peaceful settlement despite the growing violence of the Revolutionary War.
The story begins in 1772 in the heart of the Ohio wilderness. Ziesberger, a Moravian minister has just arrived in the Ohio valley with dreams of building the first settlement in the wilderness, Schoenbrunn. Meanwhile, tempers between the British and Americans flair, eventually leading to the start of the Revolutionary War.
When the Revolutionary War breaks out, Zeisberger and his followers find themselves caught between the British at Fort Detroit and the Americans at Fort Pitt. By refusing to take sides in the struggle, Zeisberger and his people incur the wrath of both warring parties, eventually leading to the brutal massacre of 96 Christian Indians at Gnadenhutten in 1782 by a band of American militiamen. President Teddy Roosevelt, a noted historian, called the event "a stain on the frontier character that time cannot wash away."
The performance is full of unforgettable historical characters including Simon Girty, a conniving border renegade who agitated for all-out war in the region; Captain Pipe, a young warrior chief whose hatred of all white men for the killing of his father added to the dangers facing the missionaries; and John Heckewelder, one of the first explorers of the "Ohio country."
Written by Pulitzer prize-winning playwright Paul Green, Trumpet in the Land is set in the very hills once traveled by those portrayed in the show and handpicked by the author. Watch the warm summer nights come alive with beautiful horses, brilliant fire dances, authentic looking costumes, fiery battle pyrotechnics and a beautiful natural setting.
Fiddler on the Roof
Based on Sholem Aleichem stories by special permission of Arnold Perl, Book by Joseph Stein, Music by Jerry Bock, Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, Original, Choreography by Jerome Robbins
Set in the little village of Anatevka, the story centers on Tevye, a poor milkman, and his five daughters. With the help of a colorful and tight-knit Jewish community, Tevye tries to protect his daughters and instill them with traditional values in the face of changing social mores and the growing anti-Semitism of Czarist Russia. Rich in historical and ethnic detail, Fiddler on the Roof's universal theme of tradition cuts across barriers of race, class, nationality and religion, leaving audiences crying tears of laughter, joy and sadness. With such songs as Tradition, If I Were A Rich Man, and Sunrise, Sunset, Fiddler on the Roof is a sure-fire hit.
FIDDLER ON THE ROOF is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI
July 22 & 29, August 4 & 12, 2023 * 8:30pm
Special Productions
Circus Time
Book by Robert Thomas Noll , Music by David Pogue,
Lyrics by Robert Thomas Noll and David Pogue
Circus Time! is a tuneful and hilarious story about an irresponsible boy who would rather play with his circus toys than do as his mother says and clean his room. One day, his circus toys come alive and he becomes the circus master.
A KIDDIE CARNIVAL will immediately follow the performance giving children and opportunity to enjoy carnival games, carnival treats and take home prizes.
July 27, August 3 , 2023 * 6:30pm
Assassins
Music & Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, Book by John Weidman
Assassins is perhaps the most controversial musical ever written; it lays bare the lives of nine individuals who assassinated or tried to assassinate the President of the United States, in a one-act historical “revusical” that explores the dark side ofthe American experience. From John-Wilkes Booth to Lee Harvey Oswald, writers, Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman, bend the rules of time and space, taking us on a nightmarish roller coaster ride in which assassins and would-be-assassins from different historical periods meet, interact and inspire each other toharrowing acts in the name of the American Dream.
ASSASSINS is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI). All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI
September 8 & 9 , 2023 * 7:00pm
Dracula
By JOHN MATTERA
Based on the book by BRAM STOKER
As day turns into night, join the cast of Trumpet in the Land as the legendary vampire Dracula walks the hills of the Schoenbrunn Ampitheatre.
With such memorable characters as the insect-eating Mr. Renfield; the vampire-chasing Professor VanHelsing; Count Dracula's love interest, Lucy Westenra; and the comical butler, Charles; the startling double twist at the end of the show will have you looking over your shoulder until you are once again safe in your car.
Dracula is presented by special arrangement with the Dramatic Publishing Company of Woodstock, Illinois
October 6, 7, 13 & 14, 2023 * 8:00pm
