Peach State Summer Theatre observes its 30th anniversary with shows opening early June.

VALDOSTA — Set construction started Friday morning for the 2019 Peach State Summer Theatre season.

Throughout the weekend, actors, directors and other crew members are arriving at Valdosta State University for the 30th season of Georgia’s official musical theatre.

At 8:30 a.m. Monday, May 20, rehearsal begins for “Mamma Mia,” the opening show of the season; rehearsals begin for “Little Women: The Broadway Musical,” the second show, May 28; and rehearsals begin for the third show, “Crazy for You,” June 4 — the same week “Mamma Mia” opens, said H. Duke Guthrie, PSST! managing director.

And so it begins.

Peach State is a professional repertory company that hires working actors and technical staff during auditions throughout the Southeast and in the North while giving professional experience to many VSU Theatre & Dance students.

PSST! operates under the umbrella of VSU Theatre & Dance.

Peach State has been part of Valdosta summers for more than a dozen years. The General Assembly designated Peach State several years ago as the official musical theatre of Georgia. 

Combined with the Valdosta State University Theatre & Dance-sponsored Jekyll Island Theatre of the late 1980s through ’90s, PSST! is observing 30 years of summer theatre.

PSST! introduced a new logo late last year to commemorate the 30th anniversary season.

The season opens June 7 with “Mamma Mia!” then “Little Women” opens June 21 followed by “Crazy for You,” June 28. The shows then play in rotating repertory through July 21, according to the PSST! 2019 schedule.

Mamma Mia!: The live show is the same as the 2008 movie, Guthrie said.

A young girl is about to marry and wants to find her father so she invites the three men who knew her mother years earlier to the wedding.

Lots of Abba songs.

Like the movie, Guthrie warns some parental discretion is advised.

Guthrie said PSST! has designated the 7:30 p.m., July 3, performance of “Mamma Mia!” as the “singalong performance” when the audience is invited to singalong with the cast on stage. The singalong is one date only and audiences will be asked to refrain from singing along during other dates.

Hank Rion, who has directed past PSST! shows, returns to direct Mamma Mia!” Sarah Wildes Arnett is choreographer. 

Little Women: The classic Louisa May Alcott book is set to music within its original setting of a family of sisters during the Civil War.

Guthrie said “Little Women” is the “small show” that can be performed with only nine actors. It does follow the book so it is a story of sisterly relationships but has its share of tragedy, he said.

Long-time PSST! director Dr. Randy Wheeler helms “Little Women.” Jacque Wheeler, his wife and PSST! artistic director, choreographs movements in the show.

Crazy for You: The songs are by the Gershwins – Ira with the lyrics; George composing the music. Playwright Ken Ludwig wrote the romantic comedy that serves as the framework for the tap-dancing musical; Theatre Guild Valdosta regularly presents Ludwig comedies such as “Lend Me a Tenor,” “Fox on the Fairway,” etc.

Guthrie said “Crazy for You” is a 1990s revitalized version of the Gershwins’ 1930s musical “Girl Crazy” but uses songs from several Gershwin musicals.

The storyline is similar to “Nice Work if You Can Get It,” another Gershwin musical that PSST! produced a few years ago. Boy meets girl. Show business. Lots of music and dancing.

Jacque Wheeler directs the show. Lauren Tatum choreographs the dances.

Season memberships are on sale now. Reservations open for season ticket holders Tuesday, May 21. Reservations open for all May 24.

PSST! box office hours are 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays; noon-2 p.m. Sundays. Call (229) 259-7770. Visit www.valdosta.edu/psst.