LEND ME A TENOR, 'IRMA VEP', and 'FORUM' Set for Bay Street Theatre's 2013 Season

It's a brand new year at Bay Street Theatre and a brand new 22nd season has just been announced! Three hilarious shows have been chosen for this year's Mainstage Season. The shows are LEND ME A TENOR, by Ken Ludwig; directed by Don Stephenson (May 28 - June 23), THE MYSTERY OF IRMA VEP by Charles Ludlum; directed by Kenneth Elliott (July 2 - 28) and A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM (Aug. 6 - Sept. 1), directed by Marcia Milgrom Dodge; book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim.

"It's going to be a summer full of laughs, that's for sure," says Tracy Mitchell, Executive Director of Bay Street Theatre. "We know people in the Hamptons are here for a good time all summer and we plan on delivering our share of fun."

"We think these shows are some of the best comedies written for the stage," says Gary Hygom, Producer for Bay Street Theatre, "and the musical 'Forum' is not only one of the greatest musical comedies, it also features the music and lyrics of Stephen Sondheim with the signature song 'Comedy Tonight!'"

LEND ME A TENOR was produced on both the West End (1986) and Broadway (1989). It received nine Tony Award nominations and won for Best Actor and Best Director. A Broadway revival opened in 2010. The show has been translated into sixteen languages and produced in twenty-five countries.

The story takes place in 1934 with hilarious chaos at a gala fundraiser with mistaken identity, farcical plot twists and double entendres. The New York Times said the show "achieves true comic delirium." Variety described it as "... the classic farce situation -- disaster; denial; recovery; complication; catastrophe -- and it's a joy to watch!"

THE MYSTERY OF IRMA VEP is a play in three acts. It's a satire of several theatrical and film genres, including Victorian melodrama, farce and the Alfred Hitchcock film Rebecca (1940). The play is written for two actors who, between them, play eight characters of both sexes. The show is loaded with hilarious moments including 35 quick costume changes. The New York Times described it as "...far and away the funniest two hours unfolding anywhere." And Variety said "...it's not just the actors that are left breathless at the end of the show."

A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM is a Sondheim musical comedy that tells the bawdy story of a slave named Pseudolus and his attempts to win his freedom by helping his young master woo the girl next door.

The musical's original 1963 Broadway run won several Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Book. The show has enjoyed several Broadway and West End revivals and was made into a successful film starring the original lead of the musical, Zero Mostel. Nathan Lane was the lead in the revival on Broadway in 1996. "...timeless as comedy itself," according to The New York Times. "The most urbane and literate musical comedy text ever conceived," when reviewed by New York Magazine.

The 2013 Mainstage Season program is partially funded by Suffolk County. Mainstage Season 3-play subscriptions are available online at www.baystreet.org or by calling the Box Office at 631-725-9500, Tuesday through Friday, 11am - 5 pm.

Bay Street Theatre is a not-for-profit institution presenting new, classic and contemporary works with a commitment to challenging and entertaining our diverse community. This commitment extends to educational programs for all ages to foster the continued value of theatre as a vital art form for future generations.