Army Community Theatre announced its 2009-2010 season today, and one of the productions will be of the long-running Broadway hit "Rent."

The 67th season kicks off Sept. 3-19 with "Barnum," with music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Michael Stewart and book by Mark Bramble. It tells the larger-than-life story of P.T. Barnum and his circus dreams.

ACT auditions, open to the public, are slated for July 6-8 for "Barnum."They are at 7 p.m. at Richardson Theatre, Ft. Shafter. Call 438-4480 for information.

Following "Barnum" will be "High School Musical 2," a sequel to ACT's hit show in the current season. Directed by CoCo Wiel who did the original last year, it will be staged November 19-28 and December 4-5, with auditions September 14-16.

This Disney show follows the adventures of Troy, Gabriel and Sharpay as the basketball star goes to work at the country club for the summer.

"Rent," the Tony Award-winning rock version of "La Boheme" that recently closed on Broadway, makes its O'ahu community theatre debut Feb. 25-March 13.

Directed by Smith and reuniting her with choreographer Grace Bell Humerickhouse, "Rent" has book, music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson. 

Auditions will be held Nov.30-December 2.

Rounding out the musical season will be "The Threepenny Opera," best known for the popular song "Mack the Knife." 

It showcases book and lyrics by Bertolt Brecht, music by Kurt Weill.

Auditions will held March 8-10. It will be presented May 13-29, starring Po'okela Award-winning Laurence Paxton from the University of Hawaii Music Department faculty, who is about to open in ACT's "Children of Eden" in May. 

This show, set in London's Soho before and during the coronation of Queen Victoria, originally opened in Berlin in 1928 and has been a Broadway sensation since its debut in 1933.

All Army Community Theatre shows will open on Thursdays and continue for two weeks on subsequent Fridays and Saturdays. Shows are at 7:30 p.m. at Richardson Theatre, Ft. Shafter.

Season tickets are priced at $60 and $75 for adults, $45 and $50 for children ages 12 and under. Individual seats are $15 and $20 for adults ($20 and $28 for "Rent"), $12 and $15 for children ($15 and $22 for "Rent"). 

Season renewals are available now through June 15 at the ACT Box Office, 438-4480, www.armytheatre.com or on Facebook. 

New orders will be processed immediately thereafter.

As a special benefit to the community, ACT again presents its free Sunday@2 Matinee "Readers Theatre" slate of shows, a salute to the late American playwright Horton Foote. 

Foote, who died in 2009, won the Pulitzer Prize, Academy and Emmy Awards. 

Staged without benefit of costumes or sets, the "Readers Theatre" line-up will be Foote's one-act drama "The Road to the Graveyard" September 13, 20 and 27; his full-length drama "The Carpetbagger's Children" November 22, 29 and December 6; "The Man Who Climbed Pecan Trees," a comedy/drama, February 28, March 7 and 14; and "Lily Dale," Foote's full-length drama debut, May 16, 23 and 30.