Barrington Stage Announces Summer '07 Season

In addition, Barrington Stage Company will complete its renovation of its 520-seat theatre on Union Street in downtown Pittsfield in April 2007 and will reopen with a new mezzanine. The renovation makes it possible for BSC to reach a wider audience, with the addition of 220 mezzanine seats, and offer special ticket pricing for children, young adults, seniors and local residents (more information on ticket discounts can be found on the theatre's website).  

The Stage II season will include Fully Committed and A Picasso.

Running at The Berkshire Museum (38 South Streets, Pittsfield) from February 7 through 18, 2007 will be Beck Mode's Fully Committed, directed by Andrew Volkoff.

"This hilarious one-man comedy presents a single day in the life of Sam Peliczowski, an out-of-work actor who mans the red-hot reservation line at Manhattan's hippest restaurant. With the phones ringing off the hook, Sam juggles a range of eccentrics—from scheming socialites and name-dropping wannabes to fickle celebrities and egomaniacal bosses. The question of the hour, though, is whether in the midst of all this culinary-inspired chaos, he can also manage to look out for himself. A wonderful acting challenge, Fully Committed has more than 40 wildly diverse characters played by one extremely versatile performer," state Barrington notes.

Jeffrey Hatcher's A Picasso will next run from May 9 through 27, 2007 (venue TBA).  "In Paris during the Nazi occupation, a police cohort has escorted Picasso (already an internationally famous artist) to a basement that contains a trove of paintings. Once there, a female Gestapo agent confronts him and demands that he authenticate three pictures presumed to be his. When Picasso learns the reason for the request, he and the agent launch a high-stakes cat-and-mouse game that involves several reversals of fortune."  

BSC's Musical Theatre Lab (Stage II) summer productions—where new works are developed under the guidance of Tony Award-winner composer/lyricist William Finn—will be announced in February.  
 
The Mainstage season will include West Side Story, Black Comedy, and Uncle Vanya.

West Side Story will run from June 13th through Julay 14th at Barrington Stage (30 Union Street, Pittsfield).  It will be directed by Julianne Boyd."  "Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is transported to modern-day New York City, as two young idealistic lovers find themselves caught between warring street gangs, the 'American"; Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks. Their struggle to survive in a world of hate, violence and prejudice is one of the most innovative, heart-wrenching and relevant musical dramas of our time." The show features music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by Arthur Laurents.

Due to the already unprecedented demand for tickets for West Side Story, BSC will present its opening show for five weeks (instead of four), consequently beginning the season one week earlier than usual on June 13 ^th. Single tickets can be purchased with FlexPass subscriptions orders beginning January 2, 2007. The box office will be open for all single ticket orders March 5, 2007. 

Running from July 19 through August 4, 2007 will be Peter Shaffer's Black Comedy (director TBA).  "From the author of Amadeus and Equus, Black Comedy comes one of the funniest farces of the twentieth century. Disaster strikes when an aspiring artist has his plans to impress his girlfriend's father disrupted by a power outage. As they all stumble and grope around in the dark, the characters remain clearly visible to the audience at all times and mayhem ensues."

Anton Chekhov's Uncle Vanya, directed by Julianne Boyd, will run from August 9 through 26.  "Chekhov's masterpiece, set in turn-of-the century Russia, explores the unfulfilled hopes and unrequited love that surface when an aging professor and his beautiful young wife return home to his country estate. Filled with passion, both comic and tragic, Uncle Vanya is an exquisite exploration of the human condition."

The BSC Youth Theatre season, playing at First Congregational Church, 27 East Street, Pittsfield, will feature Disney's High School Musical.

High School Musical will run from July 11 through August 12.  It features a book by David Simpatico, and songs by various composers.  "The quirky send-up about a jock and a brainy academic auditioning for a school musical is based on an Emmy-winning TV movie that is wildly popular (including a best-selling CD) with teen audiences—who are the primary focus of programming with BSC's Youth Theatre."

Visit www.barringtonstageco.org for more on Barrington Stage.