The beloved musical “Paint Your Wagon” is coming to a local theater two weekends during the month of April.

The Performing Arts Guild of Mt. Morris will perform the show April 17-19 and April 24-26 at the Allure of Pinecrest Grove Theatre.

“Paint Your Wagon” is a Broadway musical that blends the rugged spirit of the American frontier with humor, romance and memorable music. Premiering in 1951, the musical was written by the celebrated songwriting team of Alan Jay Lerner (lyrics) and Frederick Loewe (music). Their collaborations featured storytelling and melodic scores; they are probably most well-known for “My Fair Lady”.

“Paint Your Wagon” differed from typical Broadway musicals because of its setting in the harsh, undeveloped terrain of California during the 1850s Gold Rush. Perhaps the most well-known song from the musical is “They Call the Wind Maria.”

Although “Paint Your Wagon” is not as frequently revived as some other Broadway classics, it led to a surprisingly different 1969 movie version featuring Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood. A revival of the musical that remained truer to the original script occurred in 2015. The production that PAG will perform in April is based on the revival of 2015.

The PAG performance is directed by Mt. Morris native Beth Nelson Chase. She was born into a musical family and “Paint Your Wagon” was a family favorite to listen to on vinyl. Following in the footsteps of her mother, Leona Nelson, Beth majored in music and went on to achieve her master’s degree in music education and music therapy from Michigan State University.

Nelson Chase is also no stranger to the local music and theater scene, having directed and performed in other PAG productions. She has been involved with PAG since 1987. Her directorial credits include “The Way Home”, “1776”, “Cotton Patch Gospel”, “Godspell” and “Guys and Dolls”.

Rehearsals are underway for “Paint Your Wagon” and tickets are now available for purchase through the PAG website, www.performingartsguild.com, or by calling 815-734-2103.