News

'Over the River' opens downtown on Thursday

Peter Thomasson, Rebecca Koon, Joshua Marx, Barbara Bradshaw and Warren Katz star in ‘Over the River and Through the Woods’ at the Playhouse Downtown.

By Bill Moss, Published: June 2, 2015

Flat Rock Playhouse 2015 season will continue with the hit comedy "Over the River and Through the Woods," opening Thursday and running through June 21 at the Playhouse Downtown.

The family comedy tells the story of Nick, a single Italian-American from New Jersey whose parents have retired and moved to Florida. He still sees both sets of his somewhat overbearing grandparents for every Sunday dinner in Hoboken. When he is offered his dream job in Seattle, his grandparents begin a series of schemes to keep him around, including introducing him to a potential local girlfriend. What ensues is heartwarming hilarity in this comedy about family, faith and food.
“Over the River” is directed by Scott Treadway, the veteran actor who starred as Nick when the Playhouse first staged the show 14 years ago.
“It was one morning back in 2000, I remember hearing Robin Farquhar laugh out loud,” Treadway said. “He was sitting in the front room of the Lowndes House reading a play, I walked in and I said, 'Is there a part for me?' jokingly and he said, 'Oh yeah, this is going to become one of your favorite plays.' And that was exactly what happened. We had Barbara Bradshaw, Peter Thomasson, Michael Edwards and Suzi Bass, God bless her. It was one of those special experiences you never forget.”
Longtime Vagabonds Bradshaw and Thomasson will be reprising their roles as Nick’s grandparents Emma and Nunzio in the production. Also featured in the cast are Rebecca Koon and Warren Katz as Nick’s other set of grandparents Aida and Nick. New York-based actor Joshua Marx will make his Flat Rock Playhouse debut as Nick alongside Carly Zien as Caitlin, the “bait” that Nick’s grandparents introduce to him to in hopes of keeping him in New Jersey.

Performances are 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 2 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Tickets are $15 to $40 and can be purchased by calling the Playhouse box office at 828-693-0731, toll-free at 866-732-8008 or online at www.flatrockplayhouse.org.