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Beginning April 26, Malvern-based theatre People’s Light (39 Conestoga Road, Malvern, PA) presents the critically-acclaimed production Songs for Nobodies by Australian playwright Joanna Murray-Smith. The one-woman show stars actress and singer Bethany Thomas and features the music of Judy Garland, Patsy Cline, Billie Holiday, Édith Piaf, and Maria Callas. In Songs for Nobodies, Thomas appears as 10 characters: the five culture-defining divas and the five titular “nobodies” who propel the play through stories about their unlikely encounters with each singer. The show is directed by Rob Lindley and runs from April 26 to May 21, with 27 performances presented on the Leonard C. Haas Stage, a 340-seat performance venue housed in an 18th-century stone barn.
Songs for Nobodies beautifully demonstrates the power of music to create profound connections in everyday life. The show follows five women who work uninspiring jobs, beset by self-doubt and unfortunate circumstances, before experiencing unexpected encounters with the musical icons they idolize. Featuring timeless classics such as “Come Rain or Come Shine,” “Crazy,” and “Ain’t Nobody’s Business If I Do,” Thomas deftly brings each of these performers to life as she rotates through singing styles and genres accompanied by a live band.
The production will be Thomas’s third time reprising the lead role after starring in the American premiere at Milwaukee Repertory Theatre in 2018 and Chicago’s Northlight Theatre in 2021. Thomas is a Chicago-based singer, actor, and writer known for work at The Goodman (A Christmas Carol), Writers’ Theater (Once, Into the Woods), Chicago Shakespeare (The Tempest), Milwaukee Rep (Hedwig and the Angry Inch, The Color Purple), and more. As a singer/songwriter, she recently toured and recorded with Jon Langford and released two albums of original music: Material Flats (with Tawny Newsome) and her solo effort BT/She/Her. Thomas’s Jeff Award-winning performance in the 2021 presentation of Songs for Nobodies was hailed as “a work of surety and depth” (Chicago Tribune), “Jaw-dropping” (Daily Herald), and “A triumph” (Stage and Cinema). The presentation of Songs for Nobodies at People’s Light reunites the star and creative team from the Northlight Theatre production.
“The creative team at Northlight in Chicago staged a beautiful production of Songs for Nobodies to re open their theatre,” said Zak Berkman, Producing Artistic Director at People’s Light. “We wanted to ensure more people could experience it now that audiences are fully returning to the live arts. How exciting that the People’s Light community gets to be the first in our region to take in this compelling interweave of characters, musical styles, and the massive talent of Bethany Thomas.”
Rob Lindley was enthusiastic about the opportunity to direct Songs for Nobodies again for People’s Light and promised audiences that Thomas’s performance “will leave your jaw on the ground.”
“I can’t think of another performer who could pull off this massive show beside Bethany Thomas,” Lindley shared. “As theatre artists, we are used to putting our hearts and souls into something and then letting it go. This production gives us a rare and exciting chance to revisit this beautiful piece and make it even better. Bethany and I had such a great experience bringing Songs for Nobodies to Chicago audiences, and I can’t wait to revive, re-tool, and re-calibrate our show for People’s Light audiences.”
Lindley, a Chicago-based actor and director, has numerous directing credits, including the Off-Broadway production of 50 Shades!: The Musical Parody (Elektra Theatre), Yours, Stephen Sondheim with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (Ravinia Festival), several productions for Chicago’s Porchlight Music Theatre, and Andy Warhol in Iran at Northlight Theater.
Lindley makes his People’s Light debut alongside creative members of the 2021 Northlight presentation of Songs for Nobodies, including Orchestrator Andra Velis Simon, Scenic Designer Jeffrey D. Kmiec, Costume Designer Mieka van der Ploeg, and Sound Designer Lindsay Jones. The production also features Music Director Daniel Espie, Lighting Designer Jesse Klug, Associate Sound Designer Nina Field, and Assistant Lighting Designer Rowan Poole. Longtime People’s Light collaborator Deborah Teller (Thurgood, Bayard Rustin Inside Ashland) rounds out the team as Stage Manager.
Before the show, attendees can also enjoy scratch cooking and theatrical sensibilities in the laid-back atmosphere of the theatre’s newly renovated on-site restaurant, The Fern & Fable. Located steps away from the Leonard C. Haas Stage, the restaurant occupies three rooms of a 1700s farmhouse, complete with two working fireplaces and plenty of historic quirks. During warmer months, guests dine al fresco among the lush gardens on the People’s Light campus. Reservations can be made through OpenTable here. Learn more by visiting http://www.farmhousepeopleslight.com/dining.
Preview performances for Songs for Nobodies are from Wednesday, April 26, through Saturday, April 29. The production opens with an invite-only performance on Sunday, April 30, and runs through Sunday, May 21. Tickets start at $47, including fees. People’s Light also offers a range of ticket discounts, including youth tickets, 50% off Access Nights, 25% off for educators and military, and discounted student and industry rush tickets. Access Night dates for Songs for Nobodies are Friday, April 28, at 7:30 p.m. and Tuesday, May 16, at 7:30 p.m. Learn more about available ticket discounts here. To purchase single tickets, visit peopleslight.org or call the box office at 610-644-3500. Special rates are available for groups of 10 or more. For more information or to purchase group tickets, call Kelly Benedict at 610-647- 1900, ext. 111, or email benedict@peopleslight.org.
Songs for Nobodies is recommended for ages 12+ and has an estimated run time of 1 hour and 40 minutes with no intermission.
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