PYTCo, the Pennsylvania Yankee Theater Company, is mounting Carnival—and a tent in which to perform it—in Penn Yan’s Firemen’s Field.

The 1961 Broadway hit by Michael Stewart, with music and lyrics by Bob Merrill, will be performed at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 7 and 8 and again at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 9. Advance sale tickets can be purchased at Pinckney Hardware and Henderson’s Drug Store at $8 for adults and $6 for children; tickets sold at the door will be $9 and $7.

Based on the 1953 film Lili, the Tony-award-winning musical show is probably best remembered for the song “Love Makes the World Go Round.”
This is sung by the innocent young heroine, Lili, who falls in love with the carnival’s handsome yet shallow magician, Marco the Magnificent.

But it is the wounded and brooding puppeteer, Paul Berthalet, who truly loves her, though he can only express it through his puppet characters, Carrot Top, Horrible Henry, Renardo, and Marguerite.

This romantic story and all the colorful characters help make this one of the most family-friendly shows around.

A full cast of PYTCo performers brings the story colorfully to life.    
Cast members include Becky Shoemaker as Lili, Alex Bodine as Paul the puppeteer, Laura Wheeler as his assistant Jacqot, Justin Wilmott as Marco the Magnificent, Sylvia Queener as his assistant Rosalie, Eileen Farrar as Madame Schleigle, and Shane Furman as Dr. Glass.

This cast represents some of the best-trained and most-experienced actors in the history of PYTCo’s productions.

Directed by John Christensen with musical direction by Peg Patterson, Carnival is performed by agreement with Tams-Whitmark Music Library Inc.

The Firemen’s Field is on Hicks Street behind Knapp & Schlappi Lumber Company on Lake Street in Penn Yan.

A portion of the ticket sales will go toward the renovation  of the Sampson Theatre , the former vaudeville theater on East Elm Street in Penn Yan.