MOUNT CARROLL – Timber Lake Playhouse (TLP), the premier professional summer theatre of northwest Illinois, will open their Fall Season with Hank Williams: Lost Highway on September 8 at the Playhouse. Featuring Williams’ signature hits, including “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” “Move It on Over” and “Hey, Good Lookin’,” these songs are given fresh and profound resonance set in the context of Williams’ life.
LOST HIGHWAY is the spectacular musical biography of the legendary singer-songwriter. The play follows Williams’ rise from his beginnings on the Louisiana Hayride to his triumphs on the Grand Ole Opry to his eventual self-destruction at twenty-nine. Along the way, we are treated to over thirty of his indelible songs.
Lost Highway is directed by Ted Lange of The Love Boat fame. Lange played the bartender, Isaac Washington for ten seasons on The Love Boat. He has written twenty-three plays and musicals, appeared on Broadway and stages around the country, performed on television and film, and directed over fifty productions for the stage and television including Dharma and Greg, Moesha, Are We There Yet?, and seventeen episodes of the original Love Boat.
Music Direction for Lost Highway is by Kelan M. Smith with Eion Meldrum as Assistant Music Director. Costume Design is by Tammy Long with Light Design by Logan Lowe, Scenic Design by Dan Danielowski, Props Design by Frankie Gawronski, Projection Design by Alex Gendal and Sound Design by John McQuiggan. Chelsey Steinmetz is the Production Stage Manager.
The cast features six TLP alumni including Christopher Wren in the title role of Hank Williams, Kelan M. Smith as Jimmy (Burrhead), Darren Mangler as Pap, and Katrien Van Riel as Audrey Williams. Wren, Smith, Mangler and Van Riel were in TLP’s production of The Buddy Holly Story last September. Richard E. Waits performs as Tee Tot, one of Hank’s mentors and Mia Gimenez portrays Mama Lilly. Waits was last seen in The Full Monty in 2018 and Gimenez performed in Mamma Mia in 2018 and this past summer as Mother Superior in Nunsense.
Newcomers to the TLP stage include Katie Engler as The Waitress, Lennon Hu as Hoss, Josiah Robinson as Leon (Loudmouth), and Eion Meldrum as Shag.
TLP will be hosting a Q&A session featuring Lange after the Friday, September 9 performance in the theatre. Patrons with tickets for any of the Lost Highway productions are welcome to attend this event.
On Friday, September 16, stick around after the show for the Page to Stage talk back series. You can meet the company and ask questions about the show and get a glimpse of behind the scenes.
TLP’s Annual Fall Fest featuring BeerFest will be held on September 24 on the grounds of the Playhouse. The Event features pumpkin decorating, face painting, barrel rides, and games for the kids. Craft beer from over ten area breweries will be available for tasting and Lena Brewery will be onsite with samples of their fine brews. Burgers and hot dogs will be available and the TLP concession stand will be open. Tickets for activities and beer tasting are available on the TLP website and at the event.
Lost Highway opens September 8 and runs through September 18. Tickets are available from the TLP Box Office or online. Fall Subscriptions are also available for Lost Highway, Defending the Caveman in October, and Plaid Tidings in December.
Hank Williams is frequently mentioned alongside Louis Armstrong, Robert Johnson, Duke Ellington, Elvis and Bob Dylan as one of the great innovators of American popular music. Timber Lake Playhouse is proud to bring his story to life!
Information and tickets for all Timber Lake events are available online at www.timberlakeplayhouse.org or by calling the Box Office at (815) 244-2035. The Box Office is open daily from 10:00 until intermission on show days and until 5:00 on days without shows.
