City Center Season Includes Aeschylus, Encores!, MTC, Etc.

New York City Center's has announced its 2006-2007 season, which opens on September 16.  In addition to numerous dance performances, the season hightlights will include Stephen Sondheim's Follies, presented as part of the Encores! series, and MTC's upcoming season, which includes several premieres.
 
From September 16th through 20th, The National Theatre of Greece will present Aeschylus' The Persians.  "Founded more than seventy years ago, The National Theatre of Greece continues its tradition of introducing powerful interpretations of ancient Greek dramas to audiences throughout the world and, this season, the company returns to New York City Center presenting 'the oldest surviving play in history and the only Greek tragedy based on historic fact, written in 480 B.C.," state notes on the play, which will be performed in Greek with English supertitles.  Tickets range from $35 to $75.

One World: Career Transition for Dancers's "21st Anniversary Jubilee" will honor Chita Rivera & The Rudolf Nureyev Dance Foundation on October 23rd.  "Highlighting a variety of ethnic dances as well as ballet and modern, One World celebrates our sameness and reflects the rich cultural fabric of New York City. Appearances by: Sutton Foster, James Earl Jones and Rosie O'Donnell, plus artists from and performances by American Ballet Theatre, The Joffrey Ballet– plus more stars and surprises."  Tickets range from $45 to $125.  For Gala tickets, please call 212-228-7446 x33.

The New YorK Gilbert & Sullivan Players will perform from January 5th through 14th.  "This season's memorable lineup includes The Mikado, The Yeomen of the Guard, and as a special one-night-only treat the rarely-performed The Rose of Persia."  Tickets range from $40 to $96.

New York City Center Encores! will present three staged concerts this season.  "The 14th season of Encores! Great American Musicals in Concert, will celebrate the great Broadway revue, a form that flourished from just before 1900 until the early '50s. In honor of the 100th anniversary of the first Ziegfeld Follies – the annual Ziegfeld show that was generally considered the defining achievement of the revue format – Encores! will present three events inspired by the form, beginning with Stephen Sondheim and William Goldman's Follies, from February 8 – 11. From March 29 –April 1, Encores! will present the first full-scale restoration of Irving Berlin and Moss Hart's Face the Music, a 1932 musical about a desperate producer in New York. The season will conclude with Stairway to Paradise, the first-ever specially created Encores! production to celebrate the very best material from a half century of Broadway musicals and revues, including numbers and sketches from Florenz Ziegfeld's shows, from May 10-13.  The season end's with a special Spring Gala Benefit performance of Stairway to Paradise on Monday, May 14."  Tickets range from $25 to $95.

Manhattan Theatre Club will present four shows during its 2006-2007 season.

Regrets Only by Paul Rudnick will play Stage I from October 19th – December 23rd.  "Christine Baranski, Diane Davis, George Grizzard, Jackie Hoffman, Siân Phillips and David Rasche star in the world premiere of a new comedy, directed by Rudnick's frequent collaborator, Christopher Ashley. Regrets Only is a comedy of Manhattan manners, exploring the very latest topics in marriage and friendship."  Tickets are $67.50.

Blackbird by David Harrower will also be presented on Stage I from March 15th through May 20th.  "Jeff Daniels Stars in the American premiere of Blackbird, a new play about relationships. This powerful drama begins when Una shows up unexpectedly and forces Ray (Daniels) to come to terms with the effects of their relationship. Una pulls Ray into an encounter that is gripping, surprising and utterly unforgettable. The two-time Tony Award-winner Joe Mantello will direct."  Tickets are $67.50.

The American Pilot by David Grieg will play Stage II from November 2nd through December 31st.  "In a rural village in a war-torn country, an American pilot crash lands, and the villagers must decide whether to help him, murder him or use him as a pawn in a dangerous game with the enemy...Grieg's new drama earned rave notices at London's Royal Shakespeare Company and the American premiere will be directed by Lynne Meadow."  Tickets are $50.

Our Leading Lady by Charles Busch will run at Stage II from February 22nd through April 22nd.  "The world premiere will be directed by Lynne Meadow who staged his previous MTC hit, The Tale of the Allergist's Wife. This new play tells the story of Laura Keane, a 19th-century American stage luminary as she prepares to perform at Ford's Theatre on the fateful night when Abraham Lincoln is in the audience."  Tickets are $50.

Among the dance highlights will be performances by American Ballet Theatre, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and the Paul Taylor Dance Company, all of whom will return for their annual season.
      
Tickets for all New York City Center Events can be purchased by calling CityTix® at 212-581-1212, online at www.nycitycenter.org or at the City Center Box Office (West 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues).