St. Joseph, Mo. – May 3, 2012 – The 2011-2012 theatre season at Missouri Western State University, “A Season of Classics,” is being called a success, with more than 7,700 people attending the four productions.

“We’re very grateful that the Missouri Western campus and the St. Joseph community have been so supportive,” said Tee Quillin, assistant professor of theatre and cinema. “We knew that a four-show season was ambitious, but we were also confident audiences would embrace and appreciate the spectacular talents of our students.”

The official total attendance for the four productions was 7,714. “Romeo and Juliet” played to sold-out audiences over four performances in October, with a total attendance of 1,340. “A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story of Christmas” drew nearly 3,500 people to 11 performances in December. More than 1,000 people attended the four performances of “Arsenic and Old Lace” in February, with more than 1,800 attending the eight performances of the musical “Little Shop of Horrors” in April.

Dates have already been set for the 2012-2013 season, “A Year of the Tony.” Five productions are scheduled.

“We’re stretching ourselves again next season, with two musicals and what we’re calling a ‘repertory coupling’ of two plays on alternate nights over two weekends,” said Dallas Henry, assistant professor of theatre and cinema. “We hope the community will again come out and enjoy what’s sure to be a memorable season.”

Shows include:

• “J.B.” by Archibald MacLeish, Oct. 4-7, 2012. This modern retelling of the Biblical story of Job won the 1959 Tony Award for Best Play.

• “Annie” book by Thomas Meeha, music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Martin Charmin, based on the Tribune Media Service comic strip “Little Orphan Annie,” Nov. 29-Dec. 8, 2012 The story of the spunky Depression-era orphan who wins the heart of billionaire Oliver Warbucks won the 1977 Tony Award for Best Musical.

• “Private Lives” by Noel Coward and “God of Carnage” by Yasmina Reza, translated by Christopher Hampton, Feb. 21-24 and Feb. 28-March 3, 2013. “Private Lives,” one of the most sophisticated, entertaining plays ever written, won the 2002 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play. “God of Carnage,” a comedy about grown-ups who meet to discuss the behavior of their children and become increasingly childish themselves, won the 2009 Tony for Best Play.

• “Sweeney Todd” book by Hugh Wheeler, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, based on a version of “Sweeney Todd” by Christopher Bond, April 11-14, 2013. This rare instance of a musical thriller, with its tale of murderous barber-ism and culinary crime, won the 1979 Tony Award for Best Musical.

Season tickets are available now by visiting mwsutix.com, or calling the box office at 816-271-4452. Tickets for individual performances will go on sale in the fall.

Missouri Western State University is a comprehensive regional university providing a blend of traditional liberal arts and professional degree programs. The university offers student-centered, high quality instruction that focuses on experience-based learning, community service, and state-of-the-art technology. Western is located in St. Joseph, Mo., and is committed to the educational, economic, cultural and social development of the region it serves. Visit www.missouriwestern.edu. Missouri Western is an equal opportunity institution.

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