HART’s next big musical Ghost, opens August 24. The Broadway Musical is based upon the popular 1990 romantic fantasy thriller that starred Whoopie Goldberg, Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore. The film was a monster hit and featured the popular song “Unchained Melody” as its theme. The musical likewise draws heavily from that source but has a wonderful new score as well. Ghost the Musical premiered in London’s West End in the summer of 2011 and became an immediate hit. It transferred to Broadway the following year and opened to mixed reviews, garnering numerous award nominations but losing out in every case to the musical Once.
The Broadway production was faulted for its heavy use of digital projection screens, a common occurrence now but a novelty in 2011. It also had a score dominated by electronic instruments that overpowered the intimacy of the story. Many theater directors walked away from the show thinking it could never be done outside of New York. As a consequence it fell off the radar for a number of years. Two years ago the creators revisited the material, creating an acoustic score, refocusing the show on the lovers Molly and Sam, and staging it with a simple set. The new and improved version debuted at the Goodspeed Opera House to rave reviews. It is a wonderful story with great characters. HART is pleased to be one of the first theaters in the country to present it.
HART’s production is being directed by Mark Jones and features: Miles Rice, Ashley Huber, Charlie Burchill, Marisa Noelle, Badi Mirheli, Trissa King, Greg Austin, Matthew Harper, Adam Lentini, Joanna Pardo, Chelsey Mirheli, Jessica Garland and Sarah Corbitt.
The show will have performances Aug. 24, 31 Sept. 1, 6, 7, & 8 at 7:30pm and matinees Aug. 25 & 26 and Sept. 2 & 9 at 2pm. To make reservations or for more information, call the HART box office at 828-456-6322 or go online to www.harttheatre.org. You can also make reservations to dine at Harmons’ Den Bistro at HART before the show. HART is located at 250 Pigeon St. in downtown Waynesville. .