Although midway through this year’s bright season, Village Theatre is already planning to top itself next year with a lineup of well-known musicals interspersed with Village Originals.

The 2011-2012 season was announced Wednesday – Take Me America, Annie Get Your Gun, The Odd Couple, It Shoulda Been You and The Producers.

Typically the theater picks its favorite shows, and then keeps a few backups in case the permissions fall through. This year it got all its first picks, said Artistic Director Steve Tomkins, who is in charge of the selections. “I’m very excited.”

In addition to three popular works, the theater typically chooses two original performances, which is unusual for theaters.

Take Me America tells the provocative story of three INS agents that have to decide which refugees gain asylum and which ones go home.

It’s a serious drama, he said. “At the same time it’s about human beings, people, so it’s very charming in a way.”

The second original, It Shoulda Been You, was a favorite at the 2010 Annual Festival of New Musicals.

It tells the wedding story of a Jewish bride, a Catholic groom and their wildly different families, which clash at the union.

“It’s sort of in the style of a screwball comedy,” Tomkins said.

With an upcoming wedding in his own family, the topic of marriage interested him.

“I found both topics are very timely,” he said. “I can’t think about a young woman who isn’t talking about marriage and the effects of a wedding on the family.”

Two of the popular programs are well known for also becoming successful films, The Odd Couple by Neil Simon and The Producers by Mel Brooks.

“The challenge is whenever you do something that is so well known, you have to live up to people’s expectations,” Tomkins said. “Also, you want to make it your own.”

Tomkins selects the productions by taking his top two picks, and then balancing them.

Audience members can expect a gamut of theatrical experiences, he said. “We’re here to please our audiences, you have to think about what your audience wants to see.”

His top two picks were The Producers and Annie Get Your Gun, which was a 1946 grand slam. It had 1,100 performances. A 1999 revival took home a number of honors, including a Tony and a Grammy.

This year has been a nice season with the audience, he said, but “I think we’re going to top ourselves next year.”

Celeste Gracey can be reached at 425-391-0363, ext. 5052.