MAC to Produce Dinner Theatre 

      The Monongalia Arts Center (MAC) has set its next musical theatre production for the spring.  MAC will produce the heartwarming “I Do! I Do!,” which tells the story of a 40-year marriage, mostly in song, according to Ro Brooks, MAC Executive Director.  The show will be produced as a dinner theatre event in cooperation with the Historic Clarion Hotel Morgan on March 18-21, 2010.  Doors open at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 18 through Saturday, March 20, with dinner at 7:00 p.m.  The matinee on Sunday, March 21 will open at 12:30 p.m.  Tickets are $40 for a full buffet dinner in the hotel ballroom, including tax and tip, followed immediately by the show.  A cash bar will be available.  “I Do! I Do!” is sponsored by a generous grant from Mylan Pharmaceuticals.
      “MAC is very pleased to be able to partner with our next-door neighbor, the Hotel Morgan, for this production.  We believe there is definitely a market for quality dinner theatre productions here in Morgantown, and the Hotel provides us with an excellent downtown venue.  It is our hope to grow to produce two or three such productions each year,” stated Brooks.  “We believe the hotel’s reputation for catering and quality restaurant service, coupled with the acclaim for our production of “1776” a year ago,  will certainly contribute to the success of the production,” she concluded.
      “I Do! I Do!” was first produced on Broadway in 1966 and is written by Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt, the authors of “The Fantasticks”.  The original Broadway production starred Tony-award winners Mary Martin and Robert Preston as Agnes and Michael, the show’s only characters.  Kevin Dean will direct and play Michael, and Teresa Makins will be Agnes.  Those who saw “1776” will remember them as John and Abigail Adams.  Ken Godwin, Jr. will serve as music director for the production.
      “This is a unique show not just because there are only two characters, but also because the show covers 40 years of a marriage, from the couple moving into their new home on their wedding day, through raising a family, and concluding when they leave their home to be occupied by a younger newlywed couple.  Audience members will see Agnes and Michael age throughout the show, culminating in a dramatic on-stage aging sequence before the final scene.  The show is filled with joy, comedy, sadness, conflict, and resolution as it realistically portrays the ups and downs of marriage, through creative and entertaining songs,” said Dean. 
      Reserved seating will be provided, and tickets and information may be obtained by calling MAC at (304) 292-3325.