By Gina Malone
On weekends from Friday, September 5, through Sunday, September 28, join Haywood Arts Regional Theatre (HART) for a special production of the rarely staged A Little Night Music, Stephen Sondheim’s six-time Tony Award winning musical set in the Swedish countryside in 1900.
“The sweeping score and sophisticated storytelling are already a delight, but what makes this staging even more exciting is that it will feature a live orchestra,” says HART’s artistic director Candice Dickinson. “Experiencing Sondheim’s lush music performed live brings an added layer of magic and elegance to an already exquisite show.”
Anne Rhymer says she jumped at the role of music director when she heard that HART’s production would include a live orchestra, the first live performance in the theatre by musicians since before COVID. “We have a superb cast of singer/actors and a superb ensemble of pit musicians,” Rhymer says. “I couldn’t be more excited to work with each and every one.”
Although this will be her first time working on a production of A Little Night Music, she has directed music for more than 40 musical theatre productions in Western North Carolina over the last 35 years. “Music directing Sondheim’s A Little Night Music is a musical bucket list check-the-box for me, and I am privileged and humbled,” she says, citing the “uniquely beautiful quality” of the legendary composer’s music.
“One of the unique aspects of this show is its quintet of singers who start the show by singing the overture,” Rhymer says. “Their music weaves in and out of nearly every scene. Though this quintet has no spoken lines and is not recognized by the lead characters in the show, their music is very difficult and integral to the show as a whole. Stephen Sondheim’s musical genius is innovative and challenging, to say the least. Suffice it to say, the journey of studying, rehearsing and bringing to fruition a Sondheim work is hugely rewarding.”
On Saturday, September 13, from 6-9 p.m., the theatre will hold its annual fundraiser, HART Rouge. “This year’s HART fundraiser transforms the theatre into a Moulin Rouge-inspired soirée filled with immersive performances, roaming dancers, French-inspired cuisine and a spectacle around every corner—all night long,” Dickinson says. “All proceeds go to fulfilling HART’s mission of providing diverse, quality theater experiences that challenge and inspire both performers and audiences, while nurturing talent and fostering artistic expression in our community.”
Other productions planned for HART’s 2025 season include David Brendan Hopes’ Washington Place; LIZZIE: the Lizzie Borden Musical; Beetlejuice Jr.; The Wickhams; Christmas at Pemberley; and The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.
To learn more and to reserve tickets, visit HARTTheatre.org.
