Raleigh Little Theatre Opens THE 39 STEPS, 10/12

Raleigh Little Theatre presents The 39 Steps, a send-up of Alfred Hitchcock's classic thriller. Starting October 12, 2012 and running for three weeks, The 39 Steps is a tale of romance, intrigue and espionage that will leave audiences laughing for ages.

Despite having a cast of only four members, the 1930's era in England and Scotland is portrayed brilliantly in this fast-paced thriller. The story follows Richard Hannay after a night at the theater ends in a murder and Hannay the only person to blame. In an effort to clear his name, Hannay follows the clues of Annabella Schmidt, a spy out to uncover the mastermind behind the trading of British secrets.

Before Hannay realizes it, an innocent train ride leads to a cross-country man hunt to expose the head of the espionage organization called the "39 Steps." Between gun shots and the car chases, Hannay indulges in a passionate romance with the attractive Pamela, a bystander pulled into the manhunt.

The 39 Steps first premiered in June 2005 at the West Yorkshire Playhouse in London. A subsequent Broadway production received two Tony Awards with an additional four nominations. The show had its final Broadway performance on 10 January 2010 after 771 performances, making it the longest-running play on Broadway in seven years. The 39 Steps has since transferred to many off-Broadway venues to include viewers all around the world.

A stellar cast features such RLT veterans as Jesse R. Gephart, who recently starred in Hot Summer Night's production of Avenue Q, and Tony Hefner, who was lauded for his role as Lord Brockhurst in The Boy Friend at RLT.

Tickets can be purchased by calling the box office (919)821-3111, M-F, noon-5pm, or by visiting the theatre's website at: www.raleighlittletheatre.org. Performance dates are October 12-28, Thurs-Sat. 8pm; Sun. 3pm. Tickets are $20 for adults, and $16 for students/seniors. Raleigh Little Theatre is located at 301 Pogue St., Raleigh, N.C. 27607, adjacent to the Raleigh Rose Garden.

Raleigh Little Theatre's bi-annual costume sale will be held on Saturday, October 13th in the Scottie Stephenson Amphitheatre parking lot on the theatre's grounds from 9am to 12pm. The rain date will be the following weekend October 20th from 9am to 12pm. There will be costumes from The Rocky Horror Show, East of the Sun and West of the Moon, The Boy Friend, Cinderella, plus hats, vintage clothing, and plenty more.

Begun in 1936, Raleigh Little Theatre is now one of the oldest continuously operating community theatres in the country. RLT offers entertainment, education and community programs year-round that reach about 30,000 people. As a community theatre, RLT engages hundreds of volunteers under the guidance of professional staff to achieve its mission and bring quality live theatre to the Triangle region.

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