 |
|
Beauty and the Beast is the lavish stage adaptation of the animated Walt Disney film about a strong-willed young woman, Belle, who breaks the spell that turned a handsome prince into a monstrous beast. Trying to save her beloved (but eccentric) father from the Beast's clutches, Belle agrees to become his prisoner forever. But once she is inside the Beast's enchanted castle, the members of his court -- who have been transformed into household objects like clocks and candlesticks -- decide to play matchmakers. As the Beast begins to fall in love with Belle, he becomes progressively less beastly. But the spell can be broken only if the Beast can get her to love him in return. And time is running out. Songs include "Be Our Guest," "Human Again," "Gaston" and the title number.
Photos / Cast List
| |
Beauty and the Beast
Spring 2007
| 
|
Reefer Madness
Fall 2006 |
|
"Reefer Madness", the "hit" off-Broadway musical which won dozens of awards and critical acclaim just a few years ago was inspired by the notorious - and deliciously awful - 1936 anti-marijuana film originally titled "Tell Your Children". A smarmy lecturer arrives in a typical small town of the late '30s to warn the populace of the dangers of the "evil weed," bringing along a lurid propaganda film to dramatize his message. In broad, unsubtle, and hilarious strokes, the play-within-a-play shows how even a squeaky-clean pair of highschoolers named Mary Lane and Jimmy Harper can become hopeless dope addicts by succumbing to the lure of marijuana.
The ebulliently staged songs include "The Stuff," "Down at the Ol' Five and Dime," "Lonely Pew," "Listen to Jesus Jimmy," "Mary Jane/Mary Lane," "The Brownie Song," "Tell 'Em the Truth," and the title number. This hi-camp comedy also features many surprises....including the arrival of Jesus Christ himself to persuade Jimmy to "take a hit of God instead" - through song!
Observer Article / Photos / Cast List
|
|
"Footloose" is a classic tale of teen rebellion and repression, featuring a delightful combination of dance choreography and realistic and touching performances. When teenager Ren and his family move from big-city Chicago to a small town in the West, he's in for a real case of culture shock. Though he tries hard to fit in, the streetwise Ren can't quite believe he's living in a place where rock music and dancing are illegal. There is one small pleasure, however: Ariel, a troubled but lovely blonde with a jealous boyfriend. and a Bible-thumping minister, who is responsible for keeping the town dance-free. Ren and his classmates want to do away with this ordinance, especially since the senior prom is around the corner, but only Ren has the courage to initiate a battle to abolish the outmoded ban and revitalize the spirit of the repressed townspeople. Fast-paced drama is filled with such now-famous hit songs as the title track and "Let's Hear It for the Boy."
Observer Article / Photos / Cast List
| |
Footloose
Spring 2006
| |
|
Clue: The Musical
Fall 2005 |
|
Based on the popular board game, called CLUE in North America and CLUEDO in 71 other countries, this rousing, fun-filled musical brings the world's best-known mystery suspects to life on the stage, and invites the audience to play along to solve a mystery. The suspects sing, dance and joke their way into your heart... or into suspicion, as you guess which one of the 216 possible endings, different every performance, is the answer to: whodunit, in what room, with what weapon. CLUE The Musical is an international theatrical sensation, wowing both audiences and press.
Observer Article / Photos / Cast List
|
|
An evocative tale of the epic battle between good and evil, “Jekyll & Hyde” is based on Robert Louis Stevenson's classic story about a brilliant doctor whose experiments with human personality create a murderous counterpart. Convinced the cure for his father's mental illness lies in the separation of Man's evil nature from his good, Dr. Henry Jekyll unwittingly unleashes his own dark side, wreaking havoc in the streets of late 19th century London as the savage, maniacal Edward Hyde.
“Jekyll & Hyde” is pure pulse-pounding theatre, with a lush, romantic pop score that includes the hit songs "This Is The Moment" and "Someone Like You." The show features a trio of star-making roles in Dr. Jekyll, his sympathetic fiancée Emma and Lucy, the woman he rescues from a life of sin who later succumbs to the uncontrolled passions of Mr. Hyde.
Observer Article / Photos / Cast List
| |
Jekyll & Hyde
Spring 2005
| |
|
The Wild Party
Fall 2004 |
|
Adapted from a book-length poem written in and about the Roaring Twenties, Andrew Lippa's WILD PARTY tells the story of one wild evening in the Manhattan apartment shared by Queenie and Burrs, a vaudeville dancer and a vaudeville clown. In a relationship marked by vicious behavior and recklessness (mirroring the time in which they live), they decide to throw a party to end all parties. An award-winning score by Andrew Lippa provides excitement and drive for this tale of passions out of control. Capturing the sound of a bygone era with a nod to the present one, he makes us realize that moral decadence is not only limited to our past.
Photos / Cast List
|
|
What do you get when two musical theatre masters adapt one of the most popular and successful farces ever written? A tuneful and hysterically funny classic that’s non-stop entertainment.
Oxford University students Charley and Jack invite the young and winsome Kitty and Amy to lunch under the chaperoning eye of Donna Lucia, Charley's wealthy aunt (it is, after all, 1892). But when Donna Lucia doesn't show, a desperate Charley disguises himself as his aunt so the young ladies can visit, unaware they’ve brought a chaperon of their own: Amy's stuffy uncle, who promptly falls for Charley’s aunt-like charms! Then the real aunt shows up, and it's all downhill from there: quick changes, fast talking, marriage proposals, compromising situations and rowdy hilarity.
Observer Article / Photos / Cast List
| |
Where's Charley?
Spring 2004
| |
|
Little Shop Of Horrors
Fall 2003 |
|
A down-and out skid row floral assistant becomes an overnight sensation when he discovers an exotic plant with a mysterious craving for fresh blood. Soon “Audrey II” grows into an ill-tempered, foul-mouthed, R&B-singing carnivore who offers him fame and fortune in exchange for feeding its growing appetite, finally revealing itself to be an alien creature poised for global domination!
One of the longest-running Off-Broadway shows of all time, this affectionate spoof of 1950s sci-fi movies has become a house-hold name, thanks to a highly successful film version and a score by the songwriting team of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, who redefined the animated musical film with Disney’s “The Little Mermaid”, “Beauty And The Beast” and “Aladdin.” Charming, tuneful and hilarious, with tongue firmly planted in cheek, “Little Shop Of Horrors” never fails to entertain.
Observer Article / Photos
|
|
It is 1928. The world is between wars, the stock market is booming, Berlin is the center of high life, and optimism rules the day. Book writer/playwright Luther Davis (Kismet, Timbuktu!) collaborated with the prolific, distinguished composer-lyricist team Robert Wright and George Forrest to create a seamless musical that boasts a powerful score sure to sweep you away with all of the lavishness of the 1920s.
The story intertwines a cast of eccentric characters through a series of fateful encounters. Passing through the golden light and dark shadows of The Grand Hotel is the fading, still-beautiful Prima Ballerina; the charming young Baron, out of money, riding on his looks; the ambitious Hollywood hopeful; the mortally ill bookkeeper, meeting society before his grave; the honest, hardworking father-to-be; and the doctor, whose cynical tone foreshadows the looming depression.
Observer Article / Photos / Cast List
| |
Grand Hotel
Spring 2003
| |
|
Jesus Christ Superstar
Fall 2002 |
|
Jesus Christ Superstar is a rock opera which traces the final days in the life of Jesus Christ: his arrival in Jerusalem, his betrayal, Passion and crucifixion. The show features the hits "I Don't Know How To Love Him," "What's the Buzz" and the title song. The show opened on 12 October 1971 at the Mark Hellinger Theatre, New York and was the first musical by Rice and Lloyd Webber to be produced on the professional stage.
Observer Articles / Photos / Cast List
|
|
Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, the authors of “Once On This Island,” “My Favorite Year,” “Ragtime” and the animated film “Anastasia” exploded on the musical theatre scene with this zany, offbeat, and very funny murder mystery farce about an unassuming English shoe salesman forced to take the corpse of his recently-murdered Atlantic City croupier uncle on a week-long vacation to Monte Carlo. Should he succeed, Harry Witherspoon stands to inherit $6,000,000. If not, the money goes to the Universal Dog Home of Brooklyn.
The proceedings are sheer lunacy as Harry comes up against his uncle’s insanely jealous and legally blind mistress, her much put-upon optometrist brother and Annabel Glick, a zealous representative from the Universal Dog Home determined to see Harry’s inheritance “go to the dogs.”
Observer Article / Photos / Cast List
| |
Lucky Stiff
Spring 2002
| |
|
Songs For A New World
Spring 2002 |
|
Says the author of this gripping revue, “it’s about one moment. It’s about hitting the wall and having to make a choice, or take a stand, or turn around and go back.” Newcomer Jason Robert Brown (composer-lyricist of the recent critical smash “Parade”) has the whole theatre community talking about his blend of savvy showmanship and exciting contemporary sound.
Brown transports his audience from the deck of a 1492 Spanish sailing ship to a ledge 57 stories above Fifth Avenue to meet a startling array of characters ranging from a young man who has determined that basket-ball is his ticket out of the ghetto to a woman whose dream of marrying rich nabs her the man of her dreams and a soulless marriage. These are the stories and characters of today, the songs for a new world.
Photos / Cast List
|
|
This oddball romantic comedy - considered by many to be the perfect musical comedy – introduces us to a cast of vivid characters who have become legends in the canon: Sarah Brown, the upright but uptight "mission doll," out to reform the evildoers of Time Square; Sky Masterson, the slick, high-rolling gambler who woos her on a bet and ends up falling in love; Adelaide, the chronically ill nightclub performer whose condition is brought on by the fact she's been engaged to the same man for 14 years; and Nathan Detroit, her devoted fiancé, desperate as always to find a spot for his infamous floating crap game.
Everything works out in the end, thanks to the machinations of Abe Burrows and Jo Swerling's hilarious, fast-paced book and Frank Loesser's bright, brassy, immortal score, which takes us from the heart of Times Square to the cafes of Havana, Cuba, and even into the sewers of New York City.
Photos / Cast List
| |
Guys And Dolls
Fall 2001
| |
|
Into The Woods
Spring 2001 |
|
An ambivalent Cinderella? A blood-thirsty Little Red Ridinghood? A Prince Charming with a roving eye? A Witch...who raps? They're all among the cockeyed characters in James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim's fractured fairy tale. When a Baker and his Wife learn they've been cursed with childlessness by the Witch next door, they embark on a quest for the special objects required to break the spell, swindling, lying to and stealing from Cinderella, Little Red, Rapunzel and Jack (the one who climbed the beanstalk). Everyone's wish is granted at the end of Act One, but the consequences of their actions return to haunt them later, with disastrous results. What begins a lively irreverent fantasy in the style of “The Princess Bride” becomes a moving lesson about community responsibility and the stories we tell our children.
Observer Article / Photos / Cast List
|
|
The fictional story takes place in 1960, centering around Conrad Birdie, a hip-thrusting rock and roll superstar akin to Elvis Presley; his agent, Albert Peterson; and Albert's secretary and love, Rose Alvarez. Albert finds himself in trouble when Conrad is drafted into the army, so he and Rose come up with a last-ditch publicity stunt: Before he is sent to the army, Conrad will give one lucky girl a kiss on The Ed Sullivan Show.
The lucky girl is chosen randomly from Conrad's fan club, and it happens to be Kim MacAfee. Rose, Conrad, and Albert set off to her house in Sweet Apple, Ohio to prepare for the event. However, things don't go quite as planned; Kim's father becomes dumbfounded at the prospect of being on The Ed Sullivan Show, Kim's boyfriend becomes disastrously jealous of Conrad, and Conrad himself becomes tired of the show business life and tries to teach the kids how to party!
Observer Article / Photos / Cast List
| |
Bye Bye Birdie
Fall 2000
| |
|
How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying
Spring 2000 |
|
Power, sex, ambition, greed... it's just another day at the office.
From the authors of “Guys And Dolls” comes one of the most delightfully irreverent musicals of all time. A satire of big business and all it holds sacred, “How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying” follows the rise of J. Pierrepont Finch, who uses a little handbook called "How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying" to climb the corporate ladder from lowly window washer to high-powered executive, tackling such familiar but potent dangers as the aggressively compliant "company man," the boss' whiny, nepotistic nephew, the office party, backstabbing co-workers, caffeine addiction and, of course, true love.
Observer Article / Photos / Cast List
|
|
Cabaret is a 1966 Broadway musical, based on John Van Druten's play I Am a Camera, based in its turn on stories by Christopher Isherwood, with book by Joe Masteroff, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and music by John Kander, produced and directed by Hal Prince and starring Bert Convy, Jack Gilford, Jill Haworth, Lotte Lenya, Joel Grey, Peg Murray, and Edward Winter. The musical is set in Berlin in 1931 during the run-up to the coming to power of the Nazis under Adolf Hitler.
Observer Article / Photos
| |
Cabaret
Fall 1999
| |
|
Godspell
Spring 1999 |
|
Based on the Gospel According to St. Matthew, and featuring a sparkling score by Stephen Schwartz, “Godspell” boasts a string of well-loved songs, led by the international hit, “Day By Day.” As the cast performs “Prepare Ye The Way Of The Lord,” “Learn Your Lessons Well,” “All For The Best,” “All Good Gifts,” “Turn Back, O Man” and “By My Side,” the parables of Jesus Christ come humanly and hearteningly to life.
Drawing from various theatrical traditions, such as clowning, pantomime, charades, acrobatics and vaudeville, “Godspell” is a groundbreaking and unique reflection on the life of Jesus, with a message of kindness, tolerance and love.
|
|
"Tragedy tomorrow, comedy tonight!" Broadway's greatest farce is light, fast-paced, witty, irreverent and one of the funniest musicals ever written – the perfect escape from life's troubles. “A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum” takes comedy back to its roots, combining situations from time-tested, 2000 year old comedies of Roman playwright Plautus with the infectious energy of classic vaudeville. The result is a non-stop laugh-fest in which a crafty slave (Pseudolus) struggles to win the hand of a beautiful but slow-witted courtesan (Philia) for his young master (Hero), in exchange for freedom.
Cast List
| |
A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum
Fall 1998
| |
|
The Pirates of Penzance
Spring 1998 |
|
The genius of Gilbert & Sullivan comes alive in their most famous work, The Pirates of Penzance.
In the show, the young pirate apprentice Frederic is about to be freed from his indentured period. The honorable Frederic, who was mistakenly apprenticed to the pirates by his partially deaf nursemaid Ruth, has decided to leave the pirate life. Now a free man, Frederic leaves for the shore. He instantly falls in love with Mabel, one of the daughters of Major-General Stanley. Soon, the pirates arrive and want to marry the rest of Major-General Stanley's daughters. The Major enlists the help of the police to stop the pirates. Frederic desires to help Major-General Stanley and the police protect the ladies, but soon he discovers that due to a technicality, he is still bound by duty to remain an apprentice to the pirates. However, all is well in the end thanks to an unforeseen twist....
Cast List
|
|
| |
