Bristol Riverside Theatre Staging 'The Rivals'

BRISTOL TOWNSHIP, PA — A new musical comedy based on a historically significant comedic play will hit the stage next week in Bristol.

Bristol Riverside Theatre will be presenting the world premiere of "The Rivals" beginning Tuesday, Oct. 30. With a book and lyrics by Tony Award-nominee Peter Kellogg, the show is a musical reworking of the 1775 play by Richard Brinsely Sheridan that gave the theater world enduring characters like Mrs. Malaprop and Lydia Languish.

The show follows the travails of Lydia, a young woman who will lose two-thirds of her newly acquired fortune if she marries without the consent of Mrs. Malaprop, her frequently tongue-tangled aunt and guardian. (The word "malapropism," a term for misusing the wrong word in place of a similar one, comes from the play.)

The Bristol run of the show is directed by Eric Tucker, with music by Stephen Weiner.

"The Rivals" debut performance is set for 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The show runs through Sunday, Nov. 18. For ticket information and show times, visit the Bristol Riverside Theatre website, call 215–785–0100 or visit the theater's box office. Bristol Riverside Theater is located at 120 Radcliffe St., Bristol.

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