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The 2005 John Muir Summer Festival in Martinez Concludes With Signature Musical John Muir’s Mountain Days August 4-7.

 Four performances Only - tickets on sale now 

Martinez, CA.  July 18, 2005.  The spirit, life, and adventures of environmentalist John Muir come alive as the Willows Theatre Company, in association with the City of Martinez, presents John Muir’s Mountain Days, August 4-7, 2005, at the beautiful John Muir Amphitheater, located in Martinez’s Waterfront Park.  The large-cast musical production was composed by Craig Bohmler, with book and lyrics by Mary Bracken Phillips.  Willows Theatre Company artistic director Richard Elliott will direct.

In 2002, USA Today cited Mountain Days as one of the “10 Great Places for Theater Under the Stars.”  The critically acclaimed production was awarded the 2003 San Francisco Bay Area Theater Critics Circle award for “Outstanding Book and Score” of a new musical.

John Muir’s Mountain Days

Filled with humor, adventure and romance, John Muir’s Mountain Days begins in Dunbar, Scotland, where Muir was born, and follows the adventurous young conservationist, who never met a tree he didn’t like, on his journey across 19^th century America.  As Muir develops from an inventor into a crusader determined to preserve the natural beauty of the land for future generations, historical luminaries such as President Theodore Roosevelt and California landscape artist William Keith appear.  Muir’s successful drive to have Yosemite declared a National Park, his unsuccessful attempts to keep the beautiful Hetch Hetchy Valley from becoming a “water tank” for San Francisco, as well as the tender love story between Muir and his devoted wife, Louie Strentzel of Martinez, unfold in this very human story.  Songs such as “Curious Machines” and “The 1,000 Mile Walk” tell of Muir’s youthful adventures, while “The Political Waltz” and “A Valley Has a Soul” illuminate the politics of the day, and “Altitude” and “Climb the Mountains” bring the beauty of the Sierra Nevada Mountains to the stage.

More Than Just a Musical

Director Richard Elliott conceived John Muir’s Mountain Days as an annual outdoor pageant in 2000, the first ever in Northern California.  “Historical dramas are commonplace in the midwest and the east, but we have very few in California and none in Northern California,” he explains.  According to Elliott, John Muir is a natural choice for this area.  “After all, he did most of his writing and fought his major environmental battles from his ranch in Martinez, which is now designated a National Historical Site,” explains Elliott, who collaborated with Tony-nominated playwright Mary Bracken Phillips and award-winning composer Craig Bohmler to bring his dream to the stage.

Nominated for a 1992 Tony Award for her lyrics in the Broadway musical Metro, Phillips is not new to Willows Theatre audiences.  She wrote the widely acclaimed Irish musical Brimstone, produced by the Willows. Brimstone received nine awards at the 1998 Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle awards ceremony, and was named one of the top 10 productions of the year by the San Francisco Chronicle and Contra Costa Newspapers

A composer/pianist/conductor, Bohmler has performed throughout the United States and Canada including three performances at Carnegie Hall.  His musical Enter the Guardsman took first prize in the International Musical of the Year Competition in Denmark and was performed on the QE2.  It premiered off-Broadway in May and was included in the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s 2001 season.  His other works include The Achilles Heel (winner of the National Opera Association competition) and Gunmetal Blues (National Theater Conference selection). 

Bohmler and Bracken Phillips are collaborating on two new projects: Sacagawea, a musical about the Shoshone Indian guide’s participation in the Lewis & Clark expedition, is currently under development at the Willows Theatre Company for a future production at the John Muir Summer Festival; and Haunting of Winchester, a musical centered on the eccentric San Jose heiress Sarah Winchester, will receive its world premiere this fall at San Jose Repertory Theatre.

Large Cast Brings Dynamic Musical to Life

Returning to head the cast of 60-plus is Lee Strawn as John Muir. Mr. Strawn was awarded a Shellie award for “Outstanding Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical” in 2005 for his portrayal of the famous naturalist.  His many roles include Sweeney in Sweeney Todd (Buffalo Theater); The Baker in The Baker’s Wife (Apple Tree Theater); and a five-year run as LeFevre in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera.

Marsha Mercant also returns to portray Muir’s wife Louie Strentzel Muir.  Ms. Mercant’s many credits include the national companies of Cats and Les Misérables.  Locally, she has been seen in Center Rep’s production of Tomfoolery as well as several productions with San Francisco’s 42^nd Street Moon.

Original cast members returning for 2005 also include Jon M. Marshall as young John Muir, Barbara Grant as Muir’s mentor and patroness Jeanne Carr, and Stu Klitsner as Martinez rancher (and Muir’s father-in-law) Dr. John Strentzel.

Others in the large cast include: Ray Christensen (President Theodore Roosevelt); Ron Pickett (Muir’s sidekick Chillwell); Evelyn tenPas (Mrs. Strentzel); David Hardie (Muir’s father, Daniel Muir); Jeff Lowe (artist William Keith); Doug Mallon (San Francisco Mayor James Phelan); and Jonathan Spencer (U.S. Chief of Forestry Gifford Pinchot).

Dan Uroff will choreograph.  The hundreds of costumes are designed by Loran Watkins.  Jonathan Retsky is the lighting designer; Lyle Barrere is designing sound; and Judy Potter and Shaun Carroll are providing the properties.  Peter Crompton provided scenic design.  Richard Elliott directs, with musical direction by Karl Pister. Chris Butler serves as Production Stage Manager.