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| photo courtesy of the Utah Shakespeare Festival |
The Independent
Bardway, Baby! is back at the Utah Shakespeare Festival for its sixth annual night of musical entertainment. Bardway, Baby! is a late-night concert event which. This year, the event will feature the music of Walt Disney productions. Performed by festival actors, the concert will be Friday, Aug. 7, at 11:30 p.m. in the Auditorium Theatre.
Not only is Bardway, Baby! an evening of delightful show tunes. It’s also the largest annual fundraiser for the festival’s Artistic Initiative Fund, which was established by artistic directors David Ivers and Brian Vaughn. The fund serves to increase the size and scope of the Utah Shakespeare Festival’s production design aesthetic, as well as increase the Festival’s national and international presence.
“We are thrilled to once again produce Bardway, Baby! for our guests,” said Ivers. “This special evening of performance showcases the incredible talents of our company and raises money for the Artistic Initiative Fund which directly benefits the productions on our stages each season. I hope our community and beyond will support this exciting and unique event!”
This year, the theme will be “A Night of Disney Magic” in honor of the Utah Shakespeare Festival’s upcoming 2016 production of “Mary Poppins.” Songs include “Baby of Mine” from “Dumbo,” “Part of Your World” from “The Little Mermaid,” “Reflection” from “Mulan,” “Hakuna Matata” from “The Lion King,” and many more.
Brandon Burk and Anthony Simone, actors in this year’s USF company, are co-hosting and directing. According to Burk, “Bardway, Baby! is a great opportunity for actors to be involved in the festival experience and show off their range of talent. It’s a real treat for patrons to see the breadth and scope of these performers.”
Simone said, “Disney brings so much love and joy into people’s lives. This event will be a great way for families to come and share in the delight of Disney magic.”
Performers include Melinda Pfundstein, Michael Scott Harris, Christine Jugueta, Samantha Ma, Nigel Huckle, Allie Babich, Bree Murphy, Natasha Harris, Zack Powell, Michael C. Thatcher, and Kaitlin Margaret Mills. Musical direction is by Todd Olson.
Tickets are $25 for reserved seating and are available now at the USF ticket office, online at bard.org, and by calling (800) PLAYTIX.
