Arvada Center Will Present BLITHE SPIRIT, Opening 1/22

The Arvada Center will open the farcical comedy, Blithe Spirit by Noël Coward (Private Lives, Design for Living) on January 22, 2013. Blithe Spirit directed by Rod A. Lansberry, runs in the intimate Black Box Theater January 22 - February 17. Previews are January 18 - 20 at 7:30 p.m. nightly. Performances are Tuesday through Saturday at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday at 1:00 p.m., Saturday and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. Talkbacks will be offered Friday, February 1 after the 7:30 p.m. show and Wednesday, February 6 after the 1:00 p.m. show. To purchase tickets and for additional information go to www.arvadacenter.org or call 720-898-7200.

Blithe Spirit is a classic Noël Coward comedy set in a British country house in the 1930's. This spirited story opens as novelist Charles Condomine, invites eccentric clairvoyant Madame Arcati to hold a séance at the home as research for his latest book. The attempt backfires when the Madame inadvertently conjures up the ghost of his temperamental first wife, Elvira who immediately takes issue with Charles' second wife Ruth. Comedy and mayhem run rampant throughout this spirited farce as Elvira attempts to disrupt Charles' marriage while scheming ways to have him join her in the afterlife.

The cast features several actors familiar to the Arvada Center stage including Steven Cole Hughes (Charles Condomine) who last appeared in the Black Box Theater during Creede Rep's comedy Is He Dead? by Mark Twain; Heather Lacy making her Arvada Center debut as Charles' late wife Elvira; Kate Berry (Charles' second wife Ruth) and Leslie O'Carroll (Edith, the maid) who were featured last season in Shakespeare's Twelfth Night; Mark Rubald (Dr. George Bradman) and Alex Ryer (Mrs. Violet Bradman) who both recently appeared in Miracle on 34^th Street, The Musical; and audience favorite Beth Flynn as the peculiar clairvoyant Madame Arcati. Flynn returns to the Arvada stage after a two year absence. She was last seen as Mrs. Fezziwig in Christmas Carol, The Musical during the 2010 holiday season.

In addition to director Rod Lansberry, the Arvada Center creative team includes Brian Mallgrave (scenic design), Chris Campbell (costume design), Jon Olson (light design), Morgan McCauley (sound design), Diana Ben-Kiki (wig & makeup design) and Meghan Markiewicz (props mistress).