Josh Bergasse to Direct & Choreograph HAZEL at Drury Lane; Is B'way Next?

The Drury Lane Theatre has announced that they will present HAZEL, based on the character from the Saturday Evening Post comic strip, and the 1960's TV comedy series starring Shirley Booth. The show, premiering on April 6, 2016, hopes to move on to Broadway.

Starring Klea Blackhurst (at left) in the title role, HAZEL is set in the 1960s, and features a book by Lissa Levin, music by Ron Abel and lyrics by Chuck Steffan. It will be directed and choreographed by Joshua Bergasse, well known for his work on NBC's SMASH and the recipient of a 2015 Tony nomination for Best Choreography for his Broadway debut in ON THE TOWN.

"From the moment we discovered Hazel, we fell in love with it. The production solidifies our commitment to fostering new work we believe in. Under the incredible direction of Bergasse, Hazel promises to delight and surprise our audiences," said Drury Lane's Kyle DeSantis in a press release. "Our new season blends together classic American musicals, a seasoned murder mystery and an updated regional premiere to culminate in a spectacular year our audiences will love."

In May, Lucie Arnaz directed an Equity Lab of the project, following its much-buzzed-about reading the previous October. Klea Blackhurst also starred.

Hazel is based on one of the most beloved and enduring characters in American popular culture. Hazel, a saucy maid with a wry sense of humor, timeless wisdom, and a heart of gold, was created by cartoonist Ted Key and has been adored for over 60 years. She first appeared in the Saturday Evening Post in 1943 as a single-panel cartoon and continued to delight readers of all ages until the magazine went out of print in 1969. Hazel was also brought to life by the inimitable Academy Award winner Shirley Booth on a TV sitcom of the same name, and ran for five well-received, award winning seasons. Hazel's humanity, common sense, and warmth will touch all audiences as a musical, as it has from the beginning.

Following HAZEL, Drury Lane's 2016 - 2017 season of composition will continue with Ira Levin's Deathtrap, a fascinating, yet hilarious murder mystery. Smokey Joe's Café, with the iconic songwriting of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, nods to the golden age of rock n' roll featuring songs like "Yakety Yak" and "Stand by Me."

For the holiday season, Drury Lane stages Gershwin's Crazy for You, with its classic American-musical songbook, a feel-good love story and the opportunity for incredible tap dancing to light up the stage. Closing the season is the regional premiere of Saturday Night Fever, with a new script completely rewritten for the North American stage, including added focus on the narrative to complement the existing score by The Bee Gees.

"When the Saturday Night Fever team approached us to bring to life the new script, we jumped at the opportunity to put our efforts behind a story that celebrates the music of The Bee Gees in such an iconic way," said Artistic Director William Osetek. "From great American classics to never-before-seen work, we're very excited about the new opportunities these productions bring us. We look forward to bringing these productions to life, celebrating composition from playwrights and songwriters alike."

The complete 2016 - 2017 Drury Lane Season features...

Hazel
Music by Ron Abel
Lyrics by Chuck Steffan
Book by Lissa Levin
Directed and Choreographed by Joshua Bergasse
March 31 - May 29, 2016
Opening Night: Wednesday, April 6 at 8 p.m.

It's the 1960's, a time of great change for America, but not all of the Baxter family is on board. And what George Baxter finds not so funny about his wife joining the work force and his maid taking over his household and his life-is a laugh riot. Hazel asks the question: can a simple maid debone a turkey, save a marriage, uncover a matter of national security and lead a conga line? She can if she's Hazel!

Deathtrap
By Ira Levin
June 9 - August 14, 2016
Opening Night: Thursday, June 16 at 8 p.m.

A hugely popular stage and screen success and one of the longest running plays on Broadway, Deathtrapoffers a skillful blend of two priceless theatrical ingredients-gasp-inducing thrills and spontaneous laughter where humor meets homicide.

Unknown dramatist Clifford Anderson has sent his new thriller, Deathtrap, to award-winning Broadway author Sidney for comment. After Sidney plots how to best plagiarize the new play, Clifford suddenly turns up looking for feedback, when events take a sinister turn in this deadly cat-and-mouse game.

Smokey Joe's Café
Music and Lyrics by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
September 1 - October 23, 2016
Opening Night: Thursday, September 8 at 8 p.m.

Smokey Joe's Café showcases the golden age of America with nearly 40 pop standards written by legendary duo Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. Featuring a score with jukebox hits performed by an ensemble cast, Smokey Joe's Café turns classic rock n' roll into song and dance for the stage. Nominated for seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical, when it debuted on Broadway in 1995, the production is the longest running revue in Broadway history and hailed "wildly infectious" by New York Daily News.

Crazy for You
Music by George Gershwin
Lyrics by Ira Gershwin
Book by Ken Ludwig
November 3, 2016 - January 8, 2017
Opening Night: Thursday, November 10 at 8 p.m.

Winner of three Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Crazy for You follows Bobby Child, a New York banker with a craving for show business, who is sent to foreclose on a theatre in a small mining town in Nevada. After falling in love with a local girl, Polly, he vows to put on a show to save the failing theatre. Featuring memorable Gershwin tunes like "I Can't Be Bothered Now," "I Got Rhythm," "Nice Work if You Can Get It" and "Someone to Watch Over Me," Crazy for You is a high-energy musical that's "everything an American musical comedy should be" (The New Yorker).

Saturday Night Fever
By Sean Cercone and David Abbinanti
January 19, 2017 - March 19, 2017
Opening Night: Thursday, January 26 at 8 p.m.

Saturday Night Fever makes its regional debut at Drury Lane, featuring an updated script by Sean Cercone and David Abbinanti and songs by The Bee Gees. Based on the Paramount film of the same name and the 1975 story by Nik Cohn, "Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night," this version is adapted from the original stage version by Robert Stigwood in collaboration with Bill Oaks.

Saturday Night Fever follows Tony Manero, a clerk at a hardware store in Brooklyn, who lives for Saturdaynights at the local disco where he's no longer the inconspicuous paint employee but the king of the dance floor. Following his passion, Tony takes part in a dance competition with the elusive Stephanie Mangana, where love meets competition in this 1970's musical featuring the best of The Bee Gees.

Become a subscriber to the Drury Lane 2016 - 2017 Season for as low as $140. Subscribers receive special offers on dining, flexible ticket exchanges and early notification and priority seating for added events and concerts. For more information, visit DruryLaneTheatre.com.

The performance schedule for all productions is as follows: Wednesdays at 1:30 p.m., Thursdays at 1:30 p.m. and 8 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 5 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., and Sundays at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.Student group tickets start as low as $30 and Senior Citizens start at $40 for matinees. Dinner and show packages are also available. For individual ticket on-sale dates and ticket reservations, call the Drury Lane Theatre box office at 630.530.0111, TicketMaster at 800.745.3000 or visit DruryLaneTheatre.com.