The Prizery has announced its line-up for Summer Theatre Celebration 2011. Last summer, the inaugural season, welcomed three Broadway musicals to The Chastain Theatre and brought more than 4,300 patrons from 13 States to downtown historic South Boston. Promising an even more extraordinary season, Chris Jones, Creative Director today revealed an expanded schedule that includes a fourth show.

The celebration begins in late June when dueling pianos take center stage for 10 performances of Side by Side by Sondheim, a festive show that pays musical tribute to Academy and Tony award-winning composer and lyricist, Steven Sondheim. Best known for his most famous scores that include “Into the Woods”, “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum”, “Gypsy” and “West Side Story”, the performances will include some of his well-known hits such as “Send in the Clowns” from “A Little Night Music” and “A Boy Like That” from “West Side Story”.

The hills around South Boston will come to life when The Sound of Music brings to the stage the story of the Von Trapp family in Salzburg, Austria at the onset of World War II. The Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, which is based upon the memoir of Maria VonTrapp, includes the well-known songs "Edelweiss", "My Favorite Things", "Climb Every Mountain" and "Do-Re-Mi".

In late July be ready for magical and mystical surprises as The Cat in the Hat wanders around South Boston. He will be joined on stage by his friends Horton the Elephant, Red Fish, Blue Fish and many other Dr. Seuss characters as Seussical the Musical gets your feet tapping and your hands clapping…

The season will end laughing in early August with 7 performances of Alfred Hitchcock’s The 39 Steps. The tongue-in-cheek comedy begins in the theatre when the main character, Richard Hannay is watching a demonstration. Shots are fired and in the ensuing chaos, he finds himself tangled in a web of romance, deceit, mystery and murder that leaves you laughing.

When asked about the upcoming summer season, Jeffrey Reed, President of the Community Arts Centre Foundation replied, “We are excited to see the Summer Theatre series grow and evolve. In addition to a fourth show, the Series is attracting patrons from outside the local area. Not only is the Prizery supporting the local economy by keeping 90% of dollars spent on Summer Theatre local, it is bringing tourism dollars to Halifax County. It is powerful to see what a community can do when it unites behind a Performing Arts Centre and it becomes as a catalyst for economic development and growth.”

Tickets are on sale at The Prizery’s box office or online at www.prizery.com.