SHEFFIELD—The Tennessee Valley Art Association’s (TVAA) SummerStock theatre company opens South Pacific on July 16 at the historic Ritz Theatre in downtown Sheffield. Additional performances will take place July 17, 18, 23 and 24. Curtain time each evening is 7:35 p.m. With music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and book by Oscar Hammerstein II and Joshua Logan, South Pacific is a heartwarming tale of love and romance, war and racial tolerance, and laughter and liveliness. Set in an island 
paradise during World War II, two parallel love stories are threatened by the dangers of prejudice and war. This deeply-felt musical drama remains as relevant today as it was in 1949. Adapted from the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel Tales of the South Pacific by James A. Michener, South Pacific features iconic melodies like “Some Enchanted Evening,” “Younger Than Springtime,” and “There Is Nothing Like a Dame.” One of the most acclaimed musicals of all time, South Pacific is an exquisite story of romance and love set against the backdrop of a lush tropical island during World War II. South Pacific’s original Broadway and revival runs won a combined total of 17 Tony Awards, 5 Drama Desk Awards and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The SummerStock 2014 Ragtime cast features Taylor Lamm, Brooke 
Gronemeyer, Gabrielle Fuqua, Darby Burgess, Will Stanfield, Joey Wright, Scott Coats, Marc Anderson, Zach Cleghorn, A.J.Cole, Evan Hammond, Scott Lakey, Jacob Litteral, Hunter Mitchell, Michael Thaxton, Adam Thomas, William Wade, Nick Walton, Oscar Villalobos III, Katlyn Barnes, Elle Claytor, Haley Crowell, Kayla Gronemeyer, Sammantha Hammond, Rebecca Hennigan, Cassandra Montgomery, Meghan Raney, Liza Jane Richey, Anna Robertson, Abby- Shelton Storey, Krista Terry, Mikayla Thrasher, Taylor Vance, Kenzie Fowler, Olivia Stegall, and Carter Ramos. The SummerStock production team includes David Hope as Artistic Director, Amy Johnson as Assistant Director, Pat Stegall as Orchestra Conductor, Gene Ann Gifford as Musical Director, and Melissa Mitchell as Choreographer. The Ritz Theatre is located at 111 W. Third Street, Sheffield. Tickets for the show are $20 for adults, $15 for military veterans, and $12.50 for students. For tickets or more information please contact the TVAA at 256-383-0533 or tvaa.net
