This new season, filled with classics, comedy, and cutting edge drama, showcasing the human condition, revolves around the power of family and the dynamics that take place within this social paradigm. From the timeless and romantic love story of The Fantasticks to the boisterous and provocative comedy of Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, HSRT has a pleasing appeal for every audience member.

Managing Director, Richard Perez articulates his sentiments towards the season, “We must provide an eclectic array of offerings—a mixture of musicals, comedies, dramas and the classics. Hope Summer Repertory Theatre is a theatre that not only entertains, but at times also challenges and hopefully enhances our worldview—a theatre committed to diversity and inclusion.

And while cats and dogs are normally the age-old representation of archenemies, they’ve been brought together to bark and meow in perfect harmony and wonderful fun. The Children’s Performance Troupe offers a childhood classic, Dr. Seuss’s Cat In The Hat, and Go Dog! Go!, a musical that keeps chasing after its own tail!

Artistic Director, David Colacci speaks on the intent behind the programming and presentation of Season 45, “We present somewhat of a whole broadway and off-broadway season in 8 short weeks, that gives our actors the experience that they might find over 5 years.

This year, one of the hallmark takeaways are the periods that are being touched upon, Most people, when they think of an older play, they think of Shakespeare. However, Oedipus Rex was written 2,000 years before that, the very origins of drama as we know it, spanning all the way to the pioneering musical of Hairspray that showcases the pure triumph of diversity.”

All performances take place at The DeWitt Theatre located on Hope College’s Campus at 141 E. 12th St. Holland, MI. Season ticket packages are now on sale at the college’s downtown ticket office, located at 100 E. 8th Street.

Season Ticket options save patrons up to 38% off individual ticket prices and guarantee terrific seating for each performance. The Best Buy Package offers seating for four main-stage performances for only $80 for adults, $75 for seniors and $40 for students.

The Super-Saver Package includes seating limited to the orchestra and admission to the four main-stage productions for $65 for both adults and seniors and $40 for students.

Hope Summer Repertory Theatre (HSRT) is West Michigan’s premier professional theatre company for the last 45 years. The company is a unique blend of distinguished professionals and young theatre artists from all over the United States, creating an intergenerational synergy between our emerging and advanced artists. The theatre is distinguished by the wide variety of plays and musicals performed by one resident acting company. This wide variety of repertoire is unified by the goal to explore and celebrate the joy and complexity of the human condition. The company numbers over 100 annually taking up residence for the summer in Holland; producing 6 shows in rotation every summer on the DeWitt Theatre stage—a 494 seat thrust space and the DeWitt Studio—a 125 seat theatre in the round.

More information is available online, or by calling 616-395-7890.

MAINSTAGE PERFORMANCES

Hairspray Music by Marc Shaiman and Lyrics by Scott Wittman & Shaiman

Performance Dates: 8:00 pm shows: June 17, 18, 23, 29, 30 • July 5, 7, 13, 15, 20, 28 • August 6*, 8, 13  (*denotes 2:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m. shows)

It’s 1962 and change is in the air. Tracy Turnblad, a big girl with big hair and an even bigger heart has only one passion: to dance. When she wins a spot on a local TV dance program she quickly becomes teen-sensation. You stand up and cheer for this irrepressible young woman as she overcomes bullying, bias and big hair! Winner of 13 Tony Awards, find out why the New York Times said, “as sweet as a show can be without promoting tooth decay...”

Oedipus by Sophocles adapted by Ellen McLaughlin

Performance Dates: 8:00 p.m. shows: June 24, 25, 28 • July 6, 21, 29 • August 2, 10
Secrecy, intrigue, conspiracy - words that could be ripped from today’s headlines, but instead they underscore the world of this breathtaking classic. Oedipus arrives at Thebes a stranger and finds the town under the curse of the Sphinx, who will not free the city unless her riddle is answered. He solves the riddle and becomes king, but quickly learns that no one escapes their destiny. Considered one of the greatest tragedies ever written, Oedipus will be a production you won’t soon forget.

The FantasticksMusic by Harvey Schmidt & Lyrics by Tom Jones

Performance Dates: 8:00 p.m. shows ​July 22, 23, 25, 27, 30* • August 1, 3, 5, 9, 11 
(*denotes 2:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m. shows)
A funny and romantic musical about a boy, a girl, and their two fathers who try to keep them apart. The narrator of our story tells us to use our imagination and follow Matt and Luisa into a world of moonlight and magic. Watch as they fall in love, grow apart, and find their way back to each other realizing the truth of his words, “without a hurt, the heart is hollow”. The world’s longest running musical will remind you just how fantastic it is to fall in love!

VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKEBy Christopher Durang

Performance Dates: July 8, 9, 12, 14, 16, 26 • August 4, 12
Tony Award Winner for Best Play of 2013, this uproarious comedy tells the tale of Vanya and Sonia, two siblings quietly living out their twilight years in the Pennsylvania farmhouse where they grew up. When their movie-star sister Masha shows up with her sexy boy-toy, Spike, the weekend soon becomes rife with rivalry, regret and a bit of ribaldry thrown in, for good measure. Enjoy this comic romp as it questions our ability to age gracefully in the era of smart-phones, selfies and social media.

CHILDREN’S PERFORMANCE TROUPE

DR.SEUSS’ CAT IN THE HATAdapted by Katie Mitchell

Performance Dates: 10:30 a.m. shows: June 29 • July 1, 8, 18, 22, 27 • August 1, 5, 9, 10 2 p.m. shows: July 15, 25, 29 • August 3, 8, 12 

Everyone’s favorite cat jumps from the page to the stage in this theatrical adaptation of the Dr. Seuss classic. From the moment his tall, red-and-white-striped hat appears around the door, Sally and her brother know that The Cat In The Hat is the funniest, most mischievous cat they have ever met. With the trickiest of tricks and craziest of ideas, he is certainly fun to play with. And he turns a rainy afternoon into an amazing adventure. But what will mum find when she gets home?

Go, Dog! Go!Written by Allison Gregory and Steven Dietz, Music by Michael Korner

Performance Dates: 10:30 a.m. shows: July 13, 15, 25, 29 • August 3, 8, 11, 12 
2 p.m. shows: July 16, 23, 27 • August 1, 5, 10

P.D. Eastman’s classic children’s book comes to life on stage in an exploration of movement, color and space. The dogs delve into life with gusto, creating a visual spectacle for the audience to feast upon. They snorkel. They howl at the moon. They ride a ferris wheel. They sing and dance and climb trees. This is a rollicking free-for-all of chicanine-ery. A big and little musical world of doggy fun. Like a pop-up book that comes to life, and never stops.

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