Entertainment
“High Spirits, A Scotch Tasting Event” at Westport Country Playhouse
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Mar 8, 2010 - 4:29 AM

“High Spirits, A Scotch Tasting Event” will be presented at Westport Country Playhouse, Thursday, March 25, 6 to 8:30 p.m., as one of a series of special events celebrating the historic Playhouse’s 80th anniversary season. The Scotch Tasting Event is sponsored by Diageo. The event will be led by their Master of Whisky who will share the pleasures and complexities of their premier blended brands, Johnnie Walker Black, Johnnie Walker Gold and Johnnie Walker Blue, as well as their single malts, Oban, Talisker and Lagavulin. Hors d'oeuvres will be served to complement the particular profile of each whisky.

In the spirit of Scotland traditions, the Scotch Tasting Event will also feature a putting green set up by the Sports Center of Connecticut where guests can try out Callaway's new 2010 season putters.

"No organization lasts for 80 years without the strong support of the community," said Sandy DeFeo, president of Westport Country Playhouse’s board of trustees. "These special events are our way of inviting everyone to share in our Anniversary excitement. We are so grateful for the support of Diageo, Callaway and the Sports Center of Connecticut for helping us make this a fun event!"

For tickets at $65 each, contact Kimberly Maresca, Special Events Associate, at 203-227-5137 x138/kmaresca@westportplayhouse.org, or visit westportplayhouse.org.

About the Playhouse

Westport Country Playhouse’s 80th season will open soon with “She Loves Me,” April 20 through May 8, with book by Joe Masteroff, music by Jerry Bock and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, directed by Mark Lamos, Playhouse artistic director. The five-play 2010 season will continue with “Dinner with Friends,” a comic drama by Donald Margulies, directed by David Kennedy, Playhouse associate artistic director, June 1 through 19; “Happy Days” by Samuel Beckett, a play of luminous beauty and rare power, directed by Lamos, July 6 through July 24; “I Do! I Do!,” the joyful and touching musical, written by Tom Jones and Harvey Schmidt, August 10 through August 28; and “The Diary of Anne Frank,” a timeless and powerful classic, by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, adapted by Wendy Kesselman, directed by Gerald Freedman, September 28 through October 16.

Westport Country Playhouse, a not-for-profit theater, serves as a treasured home for the performing arts and is a cultural landmark for Connecticut. Under the artistic direction of Mark Lamos and management direction of Michael Ross, the Playhouse creates quality productions of new and classic plays that enlighten, enrich and engage a diverse community of theater lovers, artists and students. The Playhouse’s rich history dates back to 1931, when New York theatre producer Lawrence Langner created a Broadway-quality stage within an 1830s tannery. The Playhouse quickly became an established stop on the New England “straw hat circuit” of summer stock theatres. Now celebrating its 80th season, Westport Country Playhouse has produced more than 700 plays, 36 of which later transferred to Broadway, most recently the world premiere of "Thurgood" and a revival of Thornton Wilder's "Our Town" with Paul Newman, and in earlier years "Come Back, Little Sheba" with Shirley Booth, "The Trip to Bountiful" with Lillian Gish, and "Butterflies Are Free" with Keir Dullea and Blythe Danner. For its artistic excellence, the Playhouse received a 2005 Governor's Arts Award and a 2000 "Connecticut Treasure" recognition. It was also designated as an Official Project of Save America's Treasures by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and is entered on the Connecticut State Register of Historic Places. Following a multi-million dollar renovation completed in 2005, the Playhouse transformed into a year-round, state-of-the-art producing theater, which has preserved its original charm and character. In addition to a full season of theatrical productions, the Playhouse serves as a community resource, presenting educational programming and workshops; a children's theater series; symposiums; music; films; and readings.

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