LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, RED & More Set for Hangar Theatre's 2014 Season

For its 40th Anniversary Mainstage Season in the summer of 2014, the Hangar Theatre will produce four plays that offer audiences a spectrum of experiences representing the best of Live Theatre. Kicking off the season on June 12 is the Tony Award-winning play Red (June 12-21), a passionate and brilliant study of artist Mark Rothko as he attempts to create the largest commissioned exhibit in modern art. Second in the season lineup is the regional premiere of Around the World in 80 Days (June 26-July 5), featuring an ensemble cast of five actors playing a cast of hundreds as they take the audience on a theatrical adventure based on the classic novel by Jules Verne. Next is the rocking and hilarious musical Little Shop of Horrors (July 10-26), which finds a blood-thirsty plant from outer space taking center stage. The season concludes with the regional premiere of the Pulitzer-nominated play Other Desert Cities (July 31-August 9), in which a family's personal and political demons take the audience on a shocking ride. For subscription or ticket information, please call the Hangar business office at 607-273-8588 or visit its website at www.HangarTheatre.org.

The Hangar's Artistic Director, Jen Waldman, says, "This milestone season features two of the most celebrated plays of the last five years, one of the most beloved musicals of all time, and a treasured classic tale. These are some of my all-time favorites - the kinds of plays that remind you why you love theatre - and I can't wait to share them with our audience."

Details of the season are as follows:

RED
By John Logan
June 12-21

It's 1958, and artist Mark Rothko has been offered the biggest commission in modern art: creating a series of paintings to hang in The Four Seasons restaurant in New York City. Now, he must to live up to the challenge as he and his young assistant work feverishly in his Lower East Side studio to complete the task. As the master and his student struggle to define their artistic beliefs, the two men go head-to-head on the purpose of art and the relationship between the artist and his creation. The winner of six Tony Awards, including Best Play, Red is a riveting character study that dares to expose the ambition and vulnerability necessary for a great artist to thrive.

AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS
By Mark Brown
June 26-July 5

To win a wager, Phileas Fogg and his sidekick Passepartout accept a challenge to circle the entire globe in 80 days. But Scotland Yard's Detective Fix will stop at nothing to keep Fogg from completing his journey. In every corner of the globe, Fogg encounters danger, adventure, and even a bit of romance. Based on the novel by Jules Verne, Mark Brown's fast-paced and hilarious adaptation boasts five actors playing a cast of hundreds in a celebration of the magic of theatre.

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS
Book and Lyrics by Howard Ashman
Music by Alan Menken
July 10-26

There is a new plant in the window at Mushnik's flower shop, and everyone wants a look. But geeky store clerk Seymour Krelborn knows that Audrey II isn't just any old flytrap. Suddenly Seymour has a choice: feed this weed from outer space the blood it craves, or risk losing everything. Based on the sci-fi film by Roger Corman, this cult musical theatre classic cuts to the root of the question, "How far are you willing to go to get what you want?"

OTHER DESERT CITIES
By Jon Robin Baitz
July 31-August 9

After a six-year absence, Brooke Wyeth returns to her parent's Palm Springs home for Christmas. But the happy reunion is short-lived. When Brooke announces her plan to publish a memoir unearthing a devastating long-kept secret, it threatens to tear the family apart. Jon Robin Baitz's critically acclaimed play is filled with razor-sharp wit and insight. A 2012 Tony Award nominee for Best Play and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, Other Desert Cities is alternately laugh-out-loud funny and searingly heartbreaking as it presents the complexities of a modern American family.

Hangar Managing Director Josh Friedman says, "We are really excited about this line-up. This smart, funny, and poignant season will have something for everyone and is sure to be popular at the box office. This is Jen's first season with the Hangar, and she's hit on a great mix that this community will love."

Mainstage season subscriptions, which are packed with added benefits, are on sale now and can be purchased by calling 607-273-8588 or in person at the Hangar Theatre business office located in Center Ithaca on the Downtown Commons, 171 State Street, Ithaca, NY 14850. Visit us at www.HangarTheatre.org for more information or to download a subscription form. The theatre is located at 801 Taughannock Blvd., Ithaca, NY 14850, two miles north of Downtown Ithaca on Route 89 at the Treman Marina entrance to Cass Park.

The Hangar's 2014 season is a celebration of its 40th year of providing exceptional theatre experiences to enrich, enlighten, educate, and entertain the diverse audience in the Finger Lakes region and beyond. All year, the Hangar will celebrate its 40th anniversary season with special events, an alumni reunion, and stories taking a look back at the theatre's humble beginnings and rich history. Visit the website at www.HangarTheatre.org for more information.

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