The Laurel Mill Playhouse located on Historic Main Street in Laurel has been producing quality shows for the last 35 years. They produce 12 shows a year (sometimes more) that range from comedies and dramas to musicals and children’s theater. They also exhibit the work of local playwrights looking for their first big break. As the 2018 season comes to a close they are gearing up for two distinctly different but always entertaining productions, Agatha Christie’s The Spider’s Web and Oliver! the musical.
The Spider’s Web is one of the few Agatha Christie Pieces that began life as a play as opposed to a novel. It is a conscious parody of the detective thriller, in which Christie delivers a unique blend of suspense and humor. There is equal parts of tension and laughter woven into the complex plot of murder, police, drug addicts, invisible ink, hidden doorways and secret drawers. It is a great time at the theater and features many local actors and artists. Show dates run from Friday, October 12 through Sunday Nov. 4.
For the holidays Laurel Mill is going big with its production of Oliver! Oliver, based on the novel Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens, is a wild adventure through Victorian England. Young, orphaned Oliver Twist must navigate London’s underworld of theft and violence, searching for a home, a family, and most importantly for love. It features hit songs such as Food Glorious Food, As Long as He Needs Me and Where is Love. This is a great musical to introduce the family to the magic and fun of live theater. This particular production has a special connection to Beltsville because Beltsville’s own Curt Sommers will be playing the lead role of Fagin. It opens on Friday, November 23 (the Friday after Thanksgiving) and runs through December 16.
Laurel Mill Playhouse is located in Historic Laurel on Main Street. The address is 508 Main Street, Laurel, MD 20707. Tickets are currently available for Spider’s Web online at www.laurelmillplayhouse.org. Tickets for Oliver will be available soon as well. You can buy tickets at the door the night of the performance as well, but you are encouraged to buy them online to guarantee a seat (there is no fee for online sales).