After 25 years, Act II Playhouse has become a fixture of the Ambler community. I am so proud of all the work that we do to bring world-class live theatre to Montgomery County! Our Silver Anniversary season has something for everyone: drama, a little suspense, a bit of history, some music, and, of course, lots of laughter! Best of all, we heard that you wanted more matinees, and you’ve got ‘em! With the exception of Thursday night previews, all Thursday performances are now 2:00 matinees instead of evening shows! I can’t wait to see all of you again soon at the Playhouse!
Tony Braithwaite, Artistic Director
Thank you to our generous 2023-24 Season Sponsors!
AUG
“Boca is both hilarious and at times quite surprisingly touching.”
– The Wall Street Journal
Written by Jessica ProvenzAt the Boca Oasis retirement community, the sun always shines, the lawns are freshly mowed, and the temperature holds steady at a perfect 75 – just like the Boca’s well-maintained residents. In a series of hilarious interweaving short comedic scenes, these retirees learn that between rounds of golf and Botox, the key to happiness lies in their very own community. An Act II Playhouse Premiere!
Production Sponsor:
It is Victorian London and odd things have been happening to newlywed Bella Manningham after moving into her new home with her husband. She hears strange noises and finds herself accused of things that she cannot remember. By night, the gas lights begin to dim for no reason. Is Mrs. Manningham going insane or does her new house on Angel Street harbor some dark, deadly secret? An Act II Playhouse Premiere!
“Gaslight provided the blueprint for a new kind of thriller.”
-The New York Times
by Patrick Hamilton
DEC 5 – 30, 2023
– Philadelphia Weekly
Honorary Producers: Susan and Mike Galletti & Denise Maggetti Nowak/the Nowak Family, In Memory of Gregory J. Nowak, Esq.
Production Sponsor:
Philadelphia’s funniest man, Tony Braithwaite, takes on the giants of comedy’s heyday (including Mel Brooks, Rodney Dangerfield, Don Rickles, and more!), mining the best laughs of the Borscht Belt in this new holiday cabaret! Join us for an evening of jokes, stories, and a one-man Friar’s Club roast of Santa Claus in a comedic feast that is served up as fresh as a Pastrami on Rye! A World Premiere!
“Tony Braithwaite is Philadelphia’s finest comedic performer.”Written by Eric H. Weinberger & Elina Bromka
You have been invited to tea at the White House! Your hosts: Three First Ladies of the United States. Travel back in time and get to know Lady Bird Johnson, Pat Nixon, and Betty Ford as presidents’ wives and human beings. One actress portrays these iconic figures of American history in a tour-de-force performance guaranteed to be comedic and deeply moving. An Act II Playhouse Premiere!
“Brilliant! Reaches across the aisle and inspires hope.” – Women’s Arts
MAR 19 – APR 14, 2024
Honorary Producers: Merle Holman, Berne Siergiej & Anne Dunnington
Production Sponsor:
It’s opening night for Broadway’s biggest new show, The Golden Egg, and while celebrities pour in downstairs at the producer’s opening night party, the creative team – including the excitable playwright, a cranky critic, the wunderkind director, and the pill-popping leading lady – all huddle upstairs to await the first review. Tony Braithwaite leads a hilarious ensemble in this play that both satirizes and lifts up the theatre industry and the crazy cast of characters who make it all possible. An Act II Playhouse Premiere!
“Without a doubt hilariously, side-splittingly funny.”
– The New York Times
“Perhaps the most enjoyable JukeBox musical ever created.”
– The Berkshire Edge
Written by Stuart Ross
Honorary Producers: Joey Abramowicz and Jeff Coon
Production Sponsor:
Sparky, Smudge, Jinx, and Frankie are four friends united by their love of music. They have started their own band, “The Plaids” – an ode to their idols, The Four Freshmen, The Hi-Lo’s, and The Crew Cuts – and they’re practicing out of Smudge’s basement singing harmoniously and squabbling boyishly. They promise an evening of beloved songs that will leave audiences humming along to some of the great nostalgic pop hits of the ‘50s. An Act II Playhouse Premiere!
