Danville’s legendary Pioneer Playhouse celebrates its 75th season of theatre under the stars in 2024 and the shows (and live music) have already been announced.
Three plays and a giant Elvis extravaganza will be performed from June 7-Aug. 17 and tickets are on sale now. Patron/super passes are discounted and make a great Christmas gift. Call the box office at 859-236-2747 (Monday-Friday, 9-1 p.m.) or go online to pioneerplayhouse.com for more information.
The plays
The 39 Steps
This Patrick Barlow adaptation from the novel by John Buchan and the movie by Alford Hitchcock runs from June 7-29. Mix a Hitchcock masterpiece with a juicy spy novel, add a dash of Monty Python and you have The 39 Steps. It is a fast paced who-dunnit with 150 zany characters, an onstage plane crash, handcuffs, missing fingers and some cold, old-fashioned romance. This hilarious show is intended for all ages.
That Book Woman
This will be the world premiere of a play adapted by Holly Hepp-Galvan from the classic picture book by Heather Henson. The plot involves the high hills of Kentucky where everybody is talking about the lady who rides straight up the mountain on horseback braving all kinds of weather as part of Eleanor Roosevelt’s new-fangled Pack Horse Library project.
What That Book Woman brings to the people of Appalachia is a new sense of wonder and pride, a new kind of hope. This is an all ages show.
Fireflies
This production – by Matthew Barber from the novel by Annette Sanford – is a funny, feel good comedy about finding love when you least expect it. The main character, Eleanor, lives a quiet life, set in her routines and secure in her position as the most respected woman in her small Texas town… until a hole in her roof draws the attention of a smooth-talking drifter named Abel, intent on renovating Eleanor’s house, and possibly her life.
The Music
As always, Pioneer Playhouse will wrap up their season with live music. For 2024, that will be “We Three Kings: An Elvis Experience,” on Aug. 15, 16 and 17. This one-of-a-king musical extravaganza spans from the electrifying 50s to the silver screen 60s to the glitz and glamour of Vegas. Three different Elvis tribute artists will be on stage, plus a live band.
