“Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house we go. The horse knows the way to carry the sleigh through the white and drifted snow.” Lydia Marie Child, c.1844

Family, faith, and food’ are ‘the three F’s’ governing Joe DiPietro’s heartwarming comedy Over The River and Through The Woods, which will run from April 4th through May 11th at the Broward Stage Door Theatre. The play, which takes place in Hoboken, New Jersey focuses on the relationship between young up-and-coming marketing executive Nick Cristano, and his four loving and very involved grandparents. When Nick is offered a career advancing opportunity across the country, he is faced with making some tough and life-altering decisions.

Speaking about the characters in Over the River and Through the Woods, playwright Joe DiPietro, who recently won two Tony Awards for his work on the hit Broadway musical Memphis (Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score, with David Bryan) said, “The biggest difference between these generations is their concept of family and home. Our grandparents believed that the family was central, and work is something you do just to provide for them. For our generation, it’s a lot more complicated.”

Larry Kent Bramble will direct a cast that includes Miki Edleman, Steven Kaiser, Vicki Klein, Abby Perkins, Kevin Reilley, and Jerry Weinberg. Dan Kelley has signed on as costume designer, and Ardean Lanhuis will design the lighting for the production.

Although this is Bramble’s first directorial assignment for Broward Stage door, he has numerous directing credits to his name, including Charles Busch’s The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife, Terrance McNally’s A Perfect Ganesh, Adam Bock’s The Receptionist, and Horton Foote’s The Trip to Bountiful. Bramble is also the founder and artistic director of Vermont’s Thespis Theatre Company. As an actor, he has appeared in a number of Broward Stage Door Theatre productions including The Last Night of Ballyhoo, The Twilight of the Golds, Beau Jest, and Damn Yankees. Bramble recently played the part of Avram in Rags at the Plaza Theatre in Manalapan.

“When I first read Over the River and Through the Woods, I fell in love with the play,” Bramble says. “I was immediately taken back to my love for my own grandparents and the unique sense of family that grandparents engender. What a joy it has been to direct this heartwarming play with an exceptional cast. Regardless of your mood at the time, this is a play that will make you laugh, cry, and generally feel good about life.”

Miki Edelman agrees: “As a first generation American I can relate to the family dynamics being played out in this show,” she says, “And I think our audience will relate to it as well. My generation wanted to pull away from the “old fashioned” ideas of our parents, and our children continued the process and tried to get further away. But at a certain point, family loyalties and love re-emerge as elements that can never be erased. As a character says “what’s important is family”!”

Over the River and Through the Woods will run from April 4th through May 11th at The Broward Stage Door Theatre in Coral Springs. The theatre is located at 8036 Sample Road, in Coral Springs.

Tickets for Over the River and Through the Woods are $38; $16 student tickets are also available. Tickets may be purchased at the Broward Stage Door Theatre box office at 954-344-7765 or on line at www.stagedoorfl.org.

Over the River and Through the Woods
By Joe DiPietro
April 4th – May 11th
Tickets: $38 (Students $16)
Phone: 954-344-7765
Showtimes:
Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday at 2:00 pm,
Friday and Saturday at 8:00 pm
The Broward Stage Door Theatre
8036 W Sample Rd
Coral Springs, Fl 33065
www.stagedoortheatre.com