After the accolades of an active summer season, the powers of the Wagon Wheel Theatre are striving to achieve an equally dazzling itinerary. The slate of shows lined up for the summer of 1998 promises something for all audiences.

The season runs from June 3 till Sept. 6. There is still time to take advantage of the 1998 subscription drive, with a promotional theme of "$98 in '98." The purchase of the season ticket will provide a single pass for all seven summer spectacles,with the price effective until Sept. 15.

The annual challenge of compiling selections, explains artistic director Roy Hine, is to try and offer diversity, for both the patrons and the actors. He speaks of how he frequently hears suggestions to feature more musicals, or to rely on productions with impressive name recognition.

"What is most exciting about (the '98 season) is that we're offering such a variety," Hine said. "We'll be offering some new shows,and we hope to try and please everyone. We hope to win people over, to trust us, so that we can do some experimental things."

The premiere event for next summer will launch on a riotous note, with the company presenting "Little Shop of Horrors." The story introduces the audience to a flower shop employee named Seymour, whose desire to be famous causes him to bow to the whims of a bizarre man-eating plant specimen.

The plot is also woven around parodies of 1960s tunes, with the musical score and lyrics provided by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken. The duo gained notoriety by creating many of the songs now showcased in contemporary Disney musicals, including "The Little Mermaid." The stage version of "Little Shop of Horrors" is derived from the Roger Corman film version, and will run from June 3 through June 14. the following show takes the crowd on a trip to Dogpatch, USA, and the country-tinged antics and humor of "Li'l Abner." Brought to life on the stage through artistic workings of Al Capp, this one-of-a-kind musical boasts what Hine calls "a great score - and a big, big dance show."

The comedic romp through the country's simpler era will take to the Wagon Wheel's in-the-round venue June 17 through June 28.

"Moon Over Buffalo," the third installment of the season, is a fairly new addition to the Broadway stage, premiering with Carol Burnett in October 1995. The setting revolves around a couple in 1953 Buffalo, N.Y., whose star power gets one final chance for revival with the opportunity to take on leading roles.

Both off and on stage, the pair runs into a lion's share of laughable missteps at the city's Erlanger Theatre. Accented largely with humor, in what Hine deems "a goofy, goofy show," the play was penned by Ken Ludwig, the same man credited with another Wagon Wheel favorite, 1996's "Lend Me A Tenor." "Moon Over Buffalo" will make its appearance July 1 through July 12.

The buzz is already strong for the choice of the classical, beloved musical for 1998, the Rodgers and Hammerstein masterpiece, "The King and I." The lavish showcase, filled with such memorable tunes as "Getting To Know You" and "Shall We Dance?", garnered four Tony awards in 1951, including one for Best Musical, Book, and Score. "The King and I" focuses on the romance between an English widow who is beckoned to a king's palace to serve as a tutor to the leader's legion of children and wives. This traditional production will be offered from July 15 through July 26.

The next show in the season drew inspiration from the 1997 Neil Simon motion picture, "The Goodbye Girl." The musical of the same name features music and lyrics from Marvin Hamlisch and David Zippel.

"The Goodbye Girl," a film role portrayed by Marsha Mason, is a single mother and struggling dancer who is startled to learn that her former boyfriend has just sublet their apartment. Financially strapped, mom and daughter must shuffle their living arrangements to accommodate the presence of the new tenant, an aspiring actor with quirky habits and strong opinions. That role was deliciously played on the big screen by Richard Dreyfuss.

As they learn to live with each other, an unlikely romance with hilarious overtures soon transpires, and the Wagon Wheel will present the musical version of "The Goodbye Girl" from July 29 to Aug. 9.

From the Pulitzer-prize winning novel by Thomas Wolfe, playwright Ketti Frings came to create its namesake stage story, "Look Homeward Angel." "It's a beautiful story of the autobiography of Wolfe," Hine said. Although not a musical, the plot ushers us into the lives of Eugene Gant, and his mother, father and brother, all of whom have complex issues that keep them from enjoying the true rewards of family. The New York Critics' Award was bestowed upon "Look Homeward Angel" during its run in that region. Audiences can see the Wagon Wheel rendition from Aug. 12 through Aug. 23.

"It's big and rambunctious,and the dances are great," Hine said of the season's last no-holds barred musical. "Seven Brides for Seven brothers" last enjoyed a run at the Wagon Wheel in 1985, to thrilled patrons. Set in Oregon territory, in the 1850s, seven Pontipee brothers find themselves caught up in the influence of the eldest brother's new wife, Millie, who is anxious to have the rest of her unrefined clan marry.

The process of courtship for the remaining brothers produces scenes of genuine, melodious glory. Derived from the 1954 MGM movie, plus the workings of "The Sobbin' Women," by Stephen Vincent Benet, this final production of the summer will take place Aug. 26 through Sept. 6.

For more information on the 1998 summer season membership drive, or to purchase individual tickets at $18.50 each, call the Wagon Wheel Theatre box office at 267-8041. [[In-content Ad]]