Good Afternoon, Please find below and attached a press release for The Spitfire Grill at Lakewood Playhouse as well as rehearsal photos by Zack Fowler. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. The Spitfire Grill opens in two weeks! Lakewood Playhouse concludes its 86th Season with the area premier of a newly revised version of the musical THE SPITFIRE GRILL! FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 30th, 2025 There are just two weeks to go until the final production in our 86th Season - The Spitfire Grill. This production will mark the regional premiere of this newly updated version of the show! "And the light from these windows ain't sparkled this bright, not since I can remember back when, and my friends and my family are with me tonight and this old grill has come alive again!" A troubled young parolee yearning for a fresh start follows her dreams to Wisconsin, based on a page from an old travel book, only to find a small town with a gritty heart aching with longing and regret. Unexpectedly discovering the healing power of community while working at The Spitfire Grill, Percy reawakens the entire town’s capacity for rebirth, forgiveness and hope. The Spitfire Grill is a joyous celebration of human kindness, set to a melodic folk inspired score. Performances run from July 11th-27th with shows on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm, and Sunday matinees at 2:00pm. There is also a Pay What You Can/Industry Night performance on Sunday, July 20th at 7:30pm. The incredible cast includes Michelle Blackmon (Hannah Ferguson), Darryin B. Cunningham (Sheriff Joe Sutter), Zack Fowler (The Visitor, u/s Joe Sutter, Caleb Thorpe), Ty Halton (Caleb Thorpe), Serah Haugse (Shelby Thorpe), Madelaine Katz (Effy Krayneck), Brookelyne Peterson (Percy Talbott), Courtnee Ramos (u/s Percy Talbott) and Stephanie Wade (u/s Shelby Thorpe, Effy Krayneck). The production is directed by Maria-Tania Bandes B. Weingarden, assistant directed by Courtnee Ramos, with music direction by Elijah Bellis, choreography by Ashley Roy-Simpson, scenic design by Blake R. York, lighting design by Michelle Weingarden-Bandes, sound design by Vanessa Cat, costume design by Sage Stevens and properties design by Kiana Kendall. The scenic artist is Jennifer York, with stage manager Kay Meier and assistant stage manager Austin Barnett. Don’t miss this soul-stirring, inspiring and hopeful musical! ____________________________________________________________________________ THE SPITFIRE GRILL Music and Book by James Valcq Lyrics and Book by Fred Alley Based on the film by Lee David Zlotoff LAKEWOOD PLAYHOUSE Lakewood Playhouse’s mission is to build community through theatre. Our 175 seat theatre performs shows in-the-round in the Seattle/Tacoma metropolitan area in the Lakewood Towne Center. ADDRESS 5729 Lakewood Towne Center Blvd SW, Lakewood, WA 98499 PHONE (253) 588-0042 EMAIL boxoffice@lakewoodplayhouse.org WEBSITE www.lakewoodplayhouse.org For more information or press tickets, please contact Producing Artistic Director, Joseph C. Walsh at jwalsh@lakewoodplayhouse.org Joseph C. Walsh (he/him) *Producing Artistic Director* Lakewood Playhouse Out of Office: Monday Tuesday-Friday, 2:00-5:00PM (253) 588-0042 Self-care note: Your time is valuable and greatly respected. Please do not feel obligated to respond outside of your normal business hours.