Stars Anounced for Judson Theatre Company’s Fifth Anniversary Season: John Davidson in On Golden Pond and John Wesley Shipp in Twelve Angry Men
PINEHURST, N.C., Tuesday, January 5, 2016 –Judson Theatre Company (Morgan Sills, Executive Producer and Daniel Haley, Artistic Director) has announced the stars of their Fifth Anniversary Season: John Davidson in On Golden Pond and John Wesley Shipp in Twelve Angry Men. On Golden Pond opens Thursday, March 24, 2016 at 7:00 pm and runs through Sunday, March 27. Twelve Angry Men opens Thursday, September 22, 2016 at 7:00 pm and runs through Sunday, September 25. Judson Theatre Company performs exclusively at Owens Auditorium, located at 3395 Airport Road in Pinehurst.
Ernest Thompson’s On Golden Pond (March 24-27) is the story of Ethel and Norman Thayer, an aging couple returning to their summer home on Golden Pond. They are visited by their divorced, middle-aged daughter and her dentist fiancé, who then go off to Europe, leaving his teenage son behind for the summer. On Golden Pond is heartwarming and hilarious show about generations of a family learning to communicate and care.
On Golden Pond opened on Broadway in 1979 starring Frances Sternhagen and Tom Aldredge. It was revived on Broadway in 2005 with James Earl Jones and Leslie Uggams. The Oscar-winning 1981 film adaptation starring Henry Fonda, Katharine Hepburn, and Jane Fonda cemented On Golden Pond’s place as a cultural touchstone. In 2001 the play was performed on live television starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer.
The performance schedule for On Golden Pond is as follows:
- Thursday, March 24, 2016 at 7:00 p.m
- Friday, March 25, 2016 at 8:00 p.m.
- Saturday, March 26, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.
- Sunday,March 27, 2016 at 3:00 p.m.
BIO: JOHN DAVIDSON (Norman Thayer) Recently seen starring in Wicked as The Wizard (National Tour) and in the long-running New York 0ff-Broadway perennial The Fantasticks, John made his Broadway debut playing the juvenile lead in the David Merrick musical Foxy, starring Bert Lahr. He received a Theatre Guild Award for playing Curly in Oklahoma! at New York City Center and returned to Broadway starring as Abel Frake in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s State Fair.
Born in Pittsburgh, PA, John graduated from White Plains High School, NY and then graduated with a BA in Theater Arts from Denison University. John made his film debut starring in Disney’s The Happiest Millionaire and worked for Disney again the following year in The One and Only Genuine Original Family Band. Other films include The Concorde: Airport ’79 and Edward Scissorhands.
On television, John played the role of Matt in The Fantasticks for Hallmark Hall of Fame, co-starred with Sally Field in the sitcom The Girl With Something Extra, and hosted That’s Incredible! Other television hosting credits include The New Hollywood Squares, The $100,000 Pyramid, and a total of 10 weeks of guest hosting The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. TV movies include Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders II and Coffee, Tea, or Me. Guest shots include The Ed Sullivan Show, The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour, Streets of San Francisco, Hotel, Here’s Lucy, Love American Style, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, The Carol Burnett Show, Hollywood Palace, The Milton Berle Show, and Spenser: For Hire (among others). John has recorded thirteen albums and is the author of the autobiographical play Father, Son, and Holy Ghost and the educational book The Art of the Singing Entertainer.
*********************************************************************
Reginald Rose’s Twelve Angry Men (September 22-25) is the story of the jury for a homicide trial of a boy accused of murdering his father. They must decide “guilty” or “not guilty,” with the instruction that a guilty verdict carries a mandatory death sentence.
Twelve Angry Men has been an American cultural staple through multiple television and film adaptations and countless stage productions. Originally written as a teleplay for Studio One in 1954, it was adapted for the stage in 1955. In 1957, Sidney Lumet directed the landmark film version starring Henry Fonda, which was nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The 1997 all-star television remake was headlined by George C. Scott, Tony Danza, Ossie Davis and Jack Lemmon. The 2004 Broadway production starred Philip Bosco and Boyd Gaines. It toured extensively with Richard Thomas and George Wendt. In 2013, there was a successful London production starring Robert Vaughn and Tom Conti.
The performance schedule for Twelve Angry Men is as follows:
- Thursday, September 22, 2016 at 7:00 p.m
- Friday, September 23, 2016 at 8:00 p.m.
- Saturday, September 24, 2016 at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m.
- Sunday, September 25, 2016 at 3:00 p.m.
BIO: JOHN WESLEY SHIPP (Juror #8) is a two-time Emmy winner. Born in Norfolk, Virginia, John attended high school in Wake Forest, NC. He currently plays Barry Allen’s father, Henry, in The Flash series on the CW, having played Barry Allen/The Flash on CBS’ The Flash superhero series in 1990-91, He is also known for playing Dawson’s father on Dawson’s Creek, Lucky Williams on Sisters, and for roles on daytime television including Kelly Nelson on Guiding Light, Douglas Cummings on As the World Turns, Martin Ellis on Santa Barbara, Blanchard Lovelace on One Life to Live, and Carter Jones on All My Children. Other television work includes Drop Dead Diva, Fantasy Island, Teen Wolf, NYPD Blue, JAG, and CSI: NY.
On Broadway, John played Gerry Evans in the Tony-winning of Dancing at Lughnasa (Plymouth Theatre) and was featured opposite Harvey Fierstein in Safe Sex (Lyceum Theatre). Other NYC credits include the NY premiere of Stopping the Desert at Primary Stages, Barbara Schottenfeld’s Sit Down and Eat Before Our Love Gets Cold, and Philco Blues with Judith Ivey (Westbeth Theatre). In regional theatre, he played Brick in Tennessee Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at Walnut Street Theatre, Curley in Oklahoma! at Little Theatre on the Square, and the Los Angeles premiere of The Killing of Michael Malloy at the Tiffany Theatre. Film credits include Neverending Story II, Golden Shoes (where he played the President of the United States), and Hell and Mr. Fudge, among others.
To subscribe to the 2016 Judson Theatre Company season or purchase single tickets to On Golden Pond or Twelve Angry Men, or request additional information, please visit https://judsontheatre.com/ or call eTix at (800) 514-ETIX (3849).
QUOTES:
“We’re thrilled to welcome John Davidson and John Wesley Shipp to Judson Theatre Company. Both our stars and our shows this year are longtime audience favorites,” states Morgan Sills (Executive Producer). “These two great stars in these two great shows make our fifth anniversary season extra-special.” says JTC’s Artistic Director, Daniel Haley.
ABOUT JUDSON THEATRE COMPANY:
Judson Theatre Company is the Professional Theatre Company in Residence at Sandhills Community College, celebrating its Fifth Anniversary Season in 2016. All performances take place in Owens Auditorium at Sandhills Community College located at 3395 Airport Road in Pinehurst, N.C. Twice a year, the theatre brings noted stage and screen talent to perform in a series of productions designed to enrich the cultural fabric of North Carolina. Previous productions include Love Letters starring Hollywood icon Tab Hunter and TV favorite Joyce DeWitt (Three’s Company), Harvey starring Elinor Donahue (Father Knows Best, The Andy Griffith Show), Tuesdays with Morrie starring Jamie Farr (M*A*S*H), Bell, Book and Candle starring Mindy Cohn (The Facts of Life), Driving Miss Daisy starring four-time Emmy winner Michael Learned (The Waltons), Steel Magnolias, To Kill a Mockingbird starring Johnny Whitaker (Family Affair), and Neil Simon’s Plaza Suite starring Eve Plumb (The Brady Bunch) and Rex Smith (Solid Gold). For more information, visit https://judsontheatre.com.
