Don Bluth Front Row Theatre Presents “BELL, BOOK AND CANDLE”

Don Bluth Front Row Theatre Presents Enchanting Romantic Comedy BELL, BOOK AND CANDLE on September 30 – November 6, 2021

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. —
Just in time for Halloween season, Don Bluth Front Row Theatre will present the enchanting romantic comedy: BELL, BOOK AND CANDLE. The show will run September 30th through November 6th, 2021, and is directed by Valley actor and director, Rick Davis.

About the play: Before there was Bewitched, before Wicked and Harry Potter, there was BELL, BOOK AND CANDLE. Gillian, a beautiful witch living in 1950s New York City, is smitten with her handsome upstairs neighbor, Shep Henderson. She casts a little spell, and Shep is immediately and completely captivated by her. But Gillian must be careful — if she falls in love with him, she could lose her magical powers forever. Will she be undone by her own mischief? A frothy and spellbinding romantic comedy, BELL, BOOK, AND CANDLE shows that love might be the most bewitching spell of all. BBC is “…completely enchanting—a wonderfully suave and impish fantasy.” —NY Times

The play features veteran Valley actors Vivienne Davis as Gillian Holroyd, Eric Schoen as Shepherd Henderson, Martha Welty as Aunt Queenie Holroyd, Paul Hartwell as Nicky Holroyd and J Kevin Tallent as Sidney Redlitch and is directed by Rick Davis.

Reserved Seating Ticket Prices:

General Public- $28
Seniors/Students/Military- $25
Youth- $23

Tickets are available online at https://www.donbluthfrontrowtheatre.com or by phone at (480) 314- 0841.

Don Bluth Front Row Theatre’s new venue is located at 8989 E Via Linda, Ste 118, Scottsdale, AZ 85258, and can be conveniently found at the southwest corner of Via Linda and 90th Street.

CALENDAR LISTING DETAILS
Play: “Bell, Book and Candle” by John Van Druten

Production Run: September 30th through November 6th

Dates/Times:

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday Evenings at 7pm on September 30, October 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 28, 29, 30, November 4, 5, 6

Saturday Matinees at 2pm on October 2, 9, 16, 23, 30, November 6

Where: Don Bluth Front Row Theatre, 8989 E Via Linda, Ste 118, Scottsdale, AZ 85258, conveniently located at the southwest corner of Via Linda and 90th Street.

Admission: $28 general adult, $25 seniors/students/military, $23 youth

Tickets: Call the box office at 480-314-0841 or purchase online at www.donbluthfrontrowtheatre.com

Modern day witch Gillian Holroyd (Vivienne Davis, C) conjure up some magical mischief with her Aunt Queenie (Martha Welty, L) and brother Nicky (Paul Hartwell, R).

Gillian Holroyd (Vivienne Davis) enchants the unsuspecting Shep Henderson (Eric Schoen) in this romantic comedy.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Vivienne Davis (Gillian) is delighted to be making her return to the stage after a long hiatus. She last appeared as Adriana in Southwest Shakespeare’s A Comedy of Errors. As a makeup artist and an actress, Vivienne has been fortunate enough in the past to work in theatre, film and television. She is thrilled to be performing for the first time at the Don Bluth Theatre. May you all find enchantment here!

Eric Schoen (Shep) is excited to be doing his first show at Don Bluth Front Row Theatre. He was most recently seen as Anthony in Outside Mullingar at Stage Left Productions. Previous valley credits include shows with Southwest Shakespeare, Arizona Jewish Theatre, and Phoenix Theatre, as well as several directing credits at Desert Foothills Theatre, Mesa Encore Black Box and Paradise Valley Community College. He started and ran his own theatre company, Class 6 Theatre, for seven years here in the Valley, producing almost 30 events for local audiences. He’s also spent many years being an adjudicator for ASU’s HSMTA program at valley high schools. Before settling out west, he spent 13 years making a living as an actor and dancer. He’s also written five books, all available on Amazon. Thank you for supporting local theatre!

Martha Welty (Aunt Queenie) got her B.A. in Theatre at ASU. Past work includes roles with Childsplay, Arizona Jewish Theatre, and Phoenix Theatre. Previously at DBFRT, Martha played Mrs Banks in Mary Poppins and Helen Sinclair in Bullets Over Broadway. An artistic member at Theatre Artists Studio, Martha performed in Love, Loss and What I Wore, Father Christmas and the Snow Queen, Inherit the Wind, and in a number of Summer Shorts. She also served there as casting director for the First Lookplay reading series. Martha’s most recent work was in Desert Stages production of Jake’s Women.

Paul Hartwell (Nicky) has always wanted to perform at Don Bluth and is ecstatic to finally have the opportunity. He has performed in the valley for the past 5 years and lives in Scottsdale with his wife, Samantha and dachshund, Peggy. Recently, Paul performed as Speed in The Odd Couple at Desert Stages and as Donald in Holy Matrimony! at Starlight Theatre.

J. Kevin Tallent (Sidney) Through the years he has performed in NYC in a number of Off Off Broadway productions, as well as worked with several Valley companies including Southwest Shakespeare Co., DBFRT, Mesa Encore Theatre, Fountain Hills Theatre, and Desert Stages. DBFRT audiences will remember him as Meletus/Guard in this summer’s world premiere of Kill Socrates, A Comedy. Other recent performances include Death of a Salesman, and Broadway Bound.

Rick Davis (Director) Rick has been seen on the Don Bluth Front Row Theatre stages a few times in the past — most noteably as Fagin in Oliver, the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz, and George Bailey in It’s A Wonderful Life. Bell, Book and Candlemarks his first time directing on the DBFRT stage, and he couldn’t be happier. This play is very near and dear to Rick’s heart as it was one of the first live plays his mother ever took him to see. A wink from an actor on the stage to a transfixed eleven-year-old in the audience cemented, not only this play, but the theatre experience in general, deeply into that child’s psyche. Within a year Rick was a working actor in the local community. Now, forty years later and on the other side of the continent, he is pleased to re-visit Bell, Book and Candle and to make it his own. Rick wants to thank Don and Cheryl for the opportunity and trust, his amazing cast of old friends and new, and his wonderful production team. He sends his love to Virginia and the kids. And on opening night, for the first time since 1981, Rick will be sitting next to his mother, enjoying a production of Bell, Book and Candle. He hopes you enjoy it too!

About Don Bluth
Don Bluth, one of the most acclaimed directors, producers and artists in the industry, helped contribute to many of our favorite childhood memories with the animated films such as All Dogs Go To Heaven, The Secret Of Nimh, The Land Before Time and Anastasia. Young Don Bluth began his incredible journey, inspiring millions of artists both young and old, by drawing his favorite Disney characters after watching them at the local theater as often as he could. Don made many major accomplishments in his animation career but never forgot his love for the theatrical arts, so in the 90’s Don decided to bless us with another piece of magic to fill our hearts and began hosting his first productions in his own living room. As interest in his productions increased, so too did his audience and in 2012 Don moved his theatrical family to a new location. Since then audiences have been treated to performances such as the Wizard of Oz, Fiddler on the Roof, The Producers, Oklahoma, She Loves Me, Oliver, It’s a Wonderful Life, and many more. Full Biography.

About the Don Bluth Front Row Theatre
The Don Bluth Front Row Theatre was founded in 2004 to share with the Valley Don’s vision of providing a family friendly intimate theater. Mr. Bluth believes that theatre arts are an integral part of a well-rounded community environment. The theatre’s average audience is well educated and ranges between 30-70 years in age. The theatre has 75 seats, with 25 performances over the span of each production run. Shows are held every Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, as well as most Saturday matinees. During each production run approximately 2,000 patrons pass through the theatre doors; serving around 10,000 patrons annually. The theatre is frequently cited with Zonie Awards and nominations. Don Bluth Front Row Theatre is located in Scottsdale, Arizona and is a nonprofit 501(c)3 community theatre.