By popular demand, Act II Playhouse is extending the run of its musical comedy Married Alive! Act II's added summer show, which celebrates the bliss and blisters of marriage, has been extended by a week, to July 13.

Married Alive!, by librettist-lyricist Sean Grennan and composer Leah Okimoto, is a funny new musical described by NPR Chicago as "the ideal show"-calling it "laugh out loud funny" and "very romantic." From wedding day to empty nest and everything in between, two couples-one newlywed and one "oldywed"-affectionately applaud and poke fun at marriage. The show, directed by Bud Martin, has sold out in previous runs, and its extension streak now continues at Act II Playhouse.

Martin, who is Act II's Producing Artistic Director, said the decision to extend Married Alive! was an easy one. "Our Box Office has been inundated with phone and online ticket orders, and patrons have been telling me it's the most fun they've ever had at an Act II performance."

Six performances have been added to the run, including matinees on Wednesday, July 9 and Sunday, July 13. Additional evening performances at 8 p.m. will take place July 9 through 12.

Married Alive! had its world premiere at American Heartland Theatre in Kansas City in March 2006. Notes Martin: "I met Sean and Leah last summer after seeing a production of the show in Chicago while they were still developing the play. I thought it had many of the elements that would make the show perfect for our audiences, and Sean and Leah were quite willing to consider some changes to the play to make it even better. It was funny, touching, very entertaining, and quite mindful of how important our long-term relationships are," he added.

For his part, Grennan is quite pleased with Act II's production. "I just wanted to let you know how proud I am of the production you've put together!" wrote Grennan in an email to Martin. "You and the whole cast have found all the humor and all the (scant) profoundity in the show. This cast and your work feels like it's hitting it just right," added Grennan.

Martin has assembled a stellar cast, including Broadway veteran Rosemary Loar, NYU Tisch graduate Sarah Shahinian, and Neal Mayer and Kevin David Thomas, who have both performed in the Broadway production of Les Misérables. In Act II's production of Married Alive!, Shahinian and Thomas portray Erin and Paul, the newlyweds, while Loar and Mayer portray Diane and Ron, the more seasoned couple. Katya Stanislavskaya is Music Director.

Tickets for Married Alive! are $30 for all Wednesday-Thursday performances and Saturday-Sunday matinees, and $40 for Friday and Saturday evening shows. Tickets are available by calling the Act II Box Office at (215) 654-0200 or online at www.act2.org. Married Alive! is sponsored by the investment banking firm Bryant Park Capital.

ABOUT THE CAST OF MARRIED ALIVE!

SARAH SHAHINIAN (Erin) - Sarah is honored to be here at Act II! Most recently, you could have seen her as a pregnant woman on Guiding Light, but probably not. Credits include: OKLAHOMA! (Ado Annie - Broadway National Tour), Picnic at Hanging Rock (Lincoln Center), I Sing! (Heidi, Philadelphia premiere), Beauty & the Beast (Belle), Stephen Schwartz's Snapshots (Susie), and South Pacific (Nellie). NYU Tisch graduate. www.sarahshahinian.com

ROSEMARY LOAR (Diane) - Broadway /national tours credits include Sunset Boulevard (original cast recording), Cats (Grizabella), You Can't Take It With You, Chess, Once Upon A Mattress, (understudy to Queen Aggravain) Encore and 42nd Street (understudy Dorothy Brock). She originated the role of Gladys Fritts, in Radio Gals at the John Houseman Theatre. Regionally, Loar performed: Mame (Mame), Phantom (Carlotta), Footloose (Vi), Fame (Ms. Bell), Fair and Tender Ladies (Ivy Rowe). Last December, she released her fourth CD, "The Quando Swing", featuring original songs and fresh arrangements of jazz standards. www.rosemaryloar.com

KEVIN DAVID THOMAS (Paul) - Kevin spent most of last year performing in Les Miserables on Broadway after touring in the National Tour of the production for almost two years. Regionally, he has performed at Great Lakes Theater Festival, Cleveland Play House, Weston Playhouse, and Virginia Music Theater. Kevin is a graduate of Baldwin-Wallace College and also a proud member of Actors' Equity.

NEAL MAYER (Ron) - Broadway: Les Misérables. Off-Broadway: Bush is Bad (Original Cast, CD), Forbidden Broadway, Walmartopia, Golf: The Musical, and That's Life! (CD). Regional: David Bryan and Joe Di Pietro's Memphis at North Shore Music Theatre, Animal Crackers at Arena Stage, Starcrossed at Goodspeed, and various roles at Weston Playhouse, Charlotte Repertory, Skylight Opera, and the Schoolhouse Theatre.