Here’s, at last, some non-Taubman news for you this week: Mill Mountain Theatre, which has undergone some financial struggles of its own, has announced its long-promised comeback season. From my Inbox to you:

Mill Mountain Theatre Launches 2012-2013 Season

Mill Mountain Theatre’s Board of Directors is proud to announce the 2012-2013 Season for Mill Mountain Theatre. Back by popular demand, Mill Mountain Theatre will open its 2012-2013 season with the Best Christmas Pageant Ever December 5th through December 16th, 2012 on the Waldron Stage. Having been “dark” for parts of the past three seasons, Mill Mountain has emerged stronger and is poised to resume its place as the destination for live theatre in Southwest Virginia.

The Best Christmas pageant Ever is a hilarious Christmas tale, that highlights a couple struggling to put on a church Christmas pageant who are faced with casting the Herdman kids – probably the most inventively awful kids in history. You won’t believe the hilarity and mayhem – and the fun – when the Herdmans collide with the Christmas story head on! This family-friendly play is appropriate for all audiences and is a delightful comedy that is adapted from the bestselling book and the only story ever to run twice in McCall’s Magazine.

Starting in February, 2013, Mill Mountain will kick off the 2013 portion of our season with a collaborative effort called The Matador, a Hollins University Playwrights Lab Production on the Waldron Stage Feb 5th – Feb 10th. Following the Playwright’s Lab production and in conjunction with the opening of the newly reconstructed Center in The Square, in May of 2013, Mill Mountain theatre will retake its home in the Wells Fargo Auditorium on the Trinkle Main Stage.

In April, MMT will kick off our professional season with the Marvelous Wonderettes on the Trinkle Main Stage April 24-May 12, 2013, followed by 39 Steps on the Trinkle Oct 2-Oct 13, 2013 and a holiday production yet to be determined.

The Marvelous Wonderettes is the smash off -Broadway musical hit created by Roger Bean. It was recently played off-Broadway at the Westside Theatre in New York. The Marvelous Wonderettes takes you to the 1958 Springfield High School prom where we meet the Wonderettes, four girls with hopes and dreams as big as their crinoline skirts! As we learn about their lives and loves, we are treated to the girls performing such classic ‘50s and ‘60s songs as “Lollipop,” “Dream Lover,” “Stupid Cupid,” “Lipstick on Your Collar,” “Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me,” “It’s My Party,” and “It’s In His Kiss (The Shoop Shoop Song)” and over 20 other classic hits! The Marvelous Wonderettes – a must-take musical trip down memory lane!

The 39 Steps was the two-time Tony Award-winning hit show that had three smash years in New York. The amazingly brilliant cast of 4 plays over 140 characters in this fast-paced comedy thriller that’s great fun for ages 9 to 90. The New York Times calls it “Absurdly Enjoyable” and the Daily News says it’s “A Dizzy Delight!” The 39 Steps is a melodrama adapted from the 1915 novel by John Buchan and the 1935 film by Alfred Hitchcock. The play’s concept calls for the entirety of the 1935 adventure film The 39 Steps to be performed with a cast of only four. Thus the film’s serious spy story is played mainly for laughs, and the script is full of allusions (and puns on the titles of) to other Alfred Hitchcock films, including Rear Window, Psycho, Vertigo and North by Northwest.

Alone with our season, Mill Mountain Theatre will continue to partner with No Shame Theatre, Big Lick Conspiracy, and Center Pieces to bring you a year full of rich, exciting, high quality live entertainment from the beautiful Trinkle Main Stage at Center in The Square.

About Mill Mountain
Based in Roanoke, VA, Mill Mountain Theatre is a leading producer of professional theatre in Southwest Virginia. Producing entertaining and professional productions for the entire family since 1963, Mill Mountain Theatre has grown into one of the region’s best Equity theatres. Through its historical strength of programming, Mill Mountain Theatre is nationally known for its contribution to development of talent, both on the stage and in musical direction and stage production – providing a theatre experience second to none. Mill Mountain Theatre also takes pride in nurturing tomorrow’s audiences through its youth education programs, serving thousands young people, families, and schools annually. With classes, both during the school year and summer, with theatre professionals, Mill Mountain continues to offer the best one-on-one and in-camp experiences by providing the highest quality performing arts education in Southwest, Virginia.

Mill Mountain Theatre 2012-2013 Season:
• BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER December 5-December 16, 2012 Waldron Stage
• THE MATADOR with Hollins University February 6- February 10 2013 Waldron Stage
• THE MARVELOUS WONDERETTES April 24- May 12 2013 Trinkle Main Stage
• 39 STEPS October 2- October 13 Trinkle Main Stage
• Holiday Show One 2013 TBA December 11- December 22, 2013 Trinkle Main Stage
• Holiday Show Two 2013 TBA December 4- December 15, 2013 Waldron Stage