Susan Long, Valerie Hill, Shelley D. McMillion and Anita Boland will join the cast on, respectively, Nov. 22, Nov. 29, Dec. 6 and Dec. 13. Long will succeed Joy Franz in the role of Princess, Hill will replace Cheryl Stern as Maryanne, McMillion will step into the role of Dutchess that was created by Miche Braden and Boland will become the new Baroness, the part originated by Leslie Alexander.
The foursome join Nora Mae Lyng, Pamela Myers and Teri Ralston, who continue with the production, which will run through the end of 2006.
Written by Marcia Milgrom Dodge and Anthony Dodge, Hats! is based on the ideas of The Red Hat Society and features songs by Doug Besterman, Susan Birkenhead, Michele Brourman, Pat Bunch, Gretchen Cryer, Anthony Dodge, Marcia Milgrom Dodge, Beth Falcone, David Friedman, Kathie Lee Gifford, Carol Hall, Henry Krieger, Stephen Lawrence, Melissa Manchester, Amanda McBroom, Pam Tillis and Sharon Vaughn. Lynne Taylor-Corbett directs.
Hats, according to press notes, concerns a "49.999 year old woman who reluctantly faces the inevitable big five-O birthday until she meets several remarkable Red Hat Society women who show her about fun and friendship after 50."
The Red Hat Society, according to press notes, was created in 1998 when "Sue Ellen Cooper and a group of five friends, dressed in purple clothing and red hats met for afternoon tea. The word quickly spread, and over the past eight years, The Red Hat Society has become the fastest and largest growing women’s movement in the United States." In fact, the Society has formed more than 40,000 chapters around the world. The New Denver Civic Center Theatre is located at 721 Santa Fe Drive in Denver, CO. Visit www.hatsthemusical.com for more information.