The case of "The Apple Boys" (Credit: Bucks County Playhouse)
Bucks County Playhouse kicks off the summer season with the high-spirited, harmony-filled new musical “The Apple Boys,” running May 2 through May 25.
Producing Director Alexander Fraser, Executive Producer Robyn Goodman and Producer Josh Fiedler announced casting and production details for the musical comedy — the second new work debuting at the Playhouse this season. Bucks County Playhouse’s 2025 season is sponsored by Bank of America.
Step back in time to Gilded Age Coney Island with a fast-paced new musical comedy, “The Apple Boys.” Jack Chapman III, grandson of Johnny Appleseed, rallies a colorful cast of characters—including the founder of Nathan’s Famous Hotdogs and the world’s strongest man—to save his family’s struggling apple orchard. Featuring an inventive score with tight vocal harmonies, “The Apple Boys” is a boisterous show that will leave you cheering for the underdogs and celebrating the joys of friendship.
“The Apple Boys” is produced by special arrangement with Johnnie Moore Hawkins and Jonothon Lyons.
“One of the thrills of producing shows is happening upon a new show that takes you by surprise. Apple Boys is both inventive and genuinely funny… sending you on a roller-coaster of laughs, thrills and all-around merriment," said Producing Director Alexander Fraser. “We fell in love with its big heart and joyful spirit and are thrilled to bring another original new musical to our audiences.”
"The Apple Boys" features a book by Jonothon Lyons and music and lyrics by Ben Bonnema. The playhouse production is directed by David Alpert and choreographed by Marc Kimelman, with music supervision by Rona Siddiqui.
“The Apple Boys” features an inventive book and harmonious score where four actors portray more than two dozen characters. The Playhouse production stars Josh Breckenridge (Broadway’s “Swept Away” and “The Heart of Rock and Roll”), Jelani Remy (Broadway’s “Back to the Future” and “The Lion King”), Emily Skeggs (Tony nominee for “Fun Home”) and Teddy Yudain (“Little Shop of Horrors” Off-Broadway). DeShawn Travis Bowens (Fulton Theater’s “Chicago”), Rachel Kay (National Tour of “Escape to Margaritaville”) and John Mezzina Hannigan (The REV Theater’s “Bandstand”) will cover the leads and complete the company.
The creative team includes Adam Koch (Scenic Design), Johanna Pan (Costume Design), Rui Rita (Lighting Design), Beth Lake (Sound Design), Matt Gallagher (Vocal Arranger), and Sujin Kim-Ramsey (Music Director). RL Campbell is the Production Stage Manager. Sauniq Lawson is Assistant Stage Manager. Casting is by Jason Styres, CSA.
Tickets to “The Apple Boys” start at $39. A special Pay-What-You-Can Night will be held at the first preview on Friday, May 2. Student rush tickets of $20 are available for all performances (based on availability). Official opening night is Saturday, May 3 at 7:30 p.m.
“The Apple Boys” will run from May 2 through May 25 and will play the following schedule: Tuesday through Friday evenings at 7:30 p.m., Saturdays at 1:30 p.m and 7:30 p.m., and Sundays at 1:30 p.m. Tickets may be purchased now via the Bucks County Playhouse box office by calling (215) 862-2121, or online at BucksCountyPlayhouse.org.
ABOUT BUCKS COUNTY PLAYHOUSE
Steeped in a theatrical history that stems back to its founding in 1939 by a roster of theatrical royalty, Bucks County Playhouse is celebrating the twelfth anniversary of its 2012 re-opening and restoration. With more than 75,000 patrons walking through its doors every year, the Playhouse is leading the economic resurgence of New Hope and the surrounding community.
In 2014, Tony Award-winning producers Alexander Fraser, Robyn Goodman and Josh Fiedler took the helm of the Playhouse, and it has reclaimed its reputation of attracting Broadway and Hollywood artists. Playhouse productions of “Company” starring Justin Guarini, and William Finn’s “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” were named by Wall Street Journal to its “Best of Theatre” list for 2015.
In 2018, the Wall Street Journal again hailed the Playhouse and Artistic Associate Hunter Foster in its Best of the Year listings for its production of “42nd Street” and in 2019 labeled the Playhouse “one of the best regional theaters on the East coast.” Box office records have been repeatedly broken by signature productions of “Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story,” “Steel Magnolias” directed by Marsha Mason, “Million Dollar Quartet,” “42nd Street,” and “Guys & Dolls” (all directed by Hunter Foster) and “Mamma Mia!” directed by John Tartaglia and choreographed by Shannon Lewis.
The 2023 season was the brightest yet, featuring hit productions of Jonathan Larsen’s “Tick, Tick Boom” directed by Eric Rosen, “Bridges of Madison County” directed by Hunter Foster, who also led “The Rocky Horror Show” starring Frankie Grande. “Irving Berlin’s White Christmas” became the top-selling show in Playhouse history.
In 2024, more than 40% of the audience was new — flocking to record-breaking productions of “Grease!” and “Anastasia: The Musical.”
The creative teams who come to create new productions at the Playhouse are among the most talented artists working in the professional theatre today and relish the opportunity to work on the historic stage where Grace Kelly, Robert Redford, and Jessica Walter began their careers.
