DESTRY RIDES AGAIN!
August 5, 6, 7 - 12, 13, 14, 2005,
Long Prairie, MN
The Prairie Players, Long Prairie's award-winning theatre group,
is staging the rip-roaring musical, DESTRY RIDES AGAIN,
with music and lyrics by Harold Rome, and book by Leonard Gersh.
The musical opened on Broadway in 1959 starring Andy
Griffith in the role of sheriff Tom Destry. It was Griffith's only musical,
but not his only sheriff role. He also played the sheriff in television's long-running "Mayberry". The book for the musical version of Destry is based on the
Max Brand novel of the same title. Brand wrote in many genres for a variety
of reading audiences. His works included the Dr. Kildare book series.
Destry Rides Again was made into a movie in 1939 and starred
James Stewart as Destry, and Marlene Dietrich as Frenchie.
The stage musical's storyline runs close to the original book,
and is augmented by high-spirited songs and dances.
The story depicts a mild-mannered, gun-less sheriff's
ultimate success in taming the fictional, lawless,
shoot-em-up town of "Bottleneck".
In their eight seasons, The Prairie Players have produced
28 productions: nine musicals, nineteen comedies/dramas,
and special concerts and events. Last summer's staging of Gilbert & Sullivan's
comedy musical romp THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE proved to be
one of their most popular musicals. This season included audience's favorite
classics, Thorton Wilder's farce, THE MATCHMAKER, and
Earnest Thompson's ON GOLDEN POND. The Prairie Players
is sponsored, in part, by Long Prairie/Grey Eagle Community Education,
and in 2003 was voted The Most Out-standing on-going
Community Education Project in the State of Minnesota.
The Players present exciting quality theatre in the area, drawing
audiences and participants from surrounding towns, including the Twin Cities
and St. Cloud. With Destry, the cast members and musicians represent Long Prairie,
Little Falls, Sauk Centre, Brainerd, and St. Cloud - all welcome, and encouraged
to share and develop their talents and passion, working
alongside others who share a common interest toward a common goal.
The welcome mat is always out for new participants.
DESTRY RIDES AGAIN plays for two consecutive weekends at the
Long Prairie - Grey Eagle High School's auditorium/theater,
August 5 6 7 & 12 13 14. Curtain times are 8:00p, Sunday matinees, 2:00p.
Contact 320-732-2334 for ticket and general information.