SIDE SHOW & More Set for Kennedy Center's 2013-14 Season

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts today announced its 2013-2014 theater season. Reaching hundreds of thousands of audience members annually, the theater season features a new Kennedy Center re-imagining of Henry Krieger and Bill Russell's Side Show, in association with La Jolla Playhouse with revisions by Krieger and Russell and direction by Academy Award winning director Bill Condon; touring productions of Sister Act, Elf, Flashdance - The Musical, Peter and the Starcatcher, An Evening with Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin, and Disney's The Lion King; and an international theater festival highlighting renowned companies from around the world. The season will also bring the seventh season of Barbara Cook's Spotlight series, individually showcasing five Broadway performers in a cabaret setting. Committed to arts education, creation of new works, and community and national involvement, the Center also hosts the 12th annual Page-to-Stage new play festival and the 46th annual Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival.

PAGE-TO-STAGE, August 31, 2013 - September 2, 2013, Throughout the Center

The Kennedy Center hosts its 12th annual Page-to-Stage new play festival over Labor Day weekend, featuring more than 40 theaters from the D.C. metropolitan area, all with a mission to produce and support new work. The three-day, Center-wide event offers a series of free readings and open rehearsals of plays and musicals being developed by local, regional, and national playwrights, librettists, and composers in locations throughout the Center.

MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET, September 24, 2013 - October 6, 2013, Eisenhower Theater

Back by popular demand, the Tony Award winning musical, directed by Eric Schaeffer and featuring a book by Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux, Million Dollar Quartet returns to the Kennedy Center after a sold-out three-week engagement in December 2012. On December 4, 1956, an auspicious twist of fate brought Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Elvis Presley together. The place was Sun Records' storefront studio in Memphis. The man who made it happen was Sam Phillips, the "Father of Rock 'n' Roll," who discovered them all. The four young musicians united for the only time in their careers for an impromptu recording that has come to be known as one of the greatest rock 'n' roll jam sessions of all time. The show brings that legendary night to life with an irresistible tale of broken promises, secrets, betrayal and celebrations featuring an eclectic score of rock, gospel , R&B and country hits including; "Blue Suede Shoes," "Fever," "Sixteen Tons," "Who Do You Love?," "Great Balls of Fire," "Matchbox," "Folsom Prison Blues," "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On," "Hound Dog," and more.

SISTER ACT, October 29, 2013 - November 10, 2013, Opera House

Featuring original music by eight-time Oscar winner Alan Menken (Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Little Shop of Horrors), Sister Act tells the story of Deloris Van Cartier, a wannabe diva whose life takes a surprising turn when she witnesses a crime and the cops hide her in the last place anyone would think to look-a convent. Under the suspicious watch of Mother Superior, Deloris helps her fellow sisters find their voices as she unexpectedly rediscovers her own. A sparkling tribute to the universal power of friendship, Sister Act is reason to rejoice.

BARBARA COOK'S SPOTLIGHT, November 1, 2013 - May 2, 2014, Terrace Theater

Now in its seventh season, Broadway legend Barbara Cook selects preeminent Broadway talent to perform on the Kennedy Center stage in a cabaret-style performance as part of her Spotlight series. The five performers in the 2013-2014 season include Tommy Tune on November 1, 2013; Lucie Arnaz on November 8, 2013; Patina Miller on December 6, 2013; Brian d'Arcy James on March 7, 2014; and Megan Hilty on May 2, 2014.

ELF, December 17, 2013 - January 5, 2014, Opera House

One of the most beloved Hollywood holiday hits of the past decade is born again-live on stage. Elf is the hilarious tale of Buddy, a young orphan child who mistakenly crawls into Santa's bag of gifts and is transported back to the North Pole. Unaware that he is actually human, Buddy's enormous size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to face the truth. With Santa's permission, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his birth father, discover his true identity, and help New York remember the true meaning of Christmas. This modern day Christmas classic is sure to make everyone embrace their inner elf. Based on the beloved 2003 New Line Cinema hit, Elf features songs by Tony Award nominees Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin (The Wedding Singer), with a book by Tony Award winners Thomas Meehan (Annie, The Producers, Hairspray) and Bob Martin (The Drowsy Chaperone).

FLASHDANCE - THE MUSICAL, December 25, 2013 - January 19, 2014, Eisenhower Theater

Celebrating its 30th anniversary, Flashdance - The Musical is a stage adaptation of the 1983 hit film that defined a generation. With dance at its core, Flashdance - The Musical tells the inspiring and unforgettable story of Alex Owens, a Pittsburgh steel mill welder by day and a bar dancer by night with dreams of one day becoming a professional performer. When romance with her steel mill boss threatens to complicate her ambitions, Alex learns the meaning of love and its power to fuel the pursuit of her dream. Directed and choreographed by Sergio Trujillo (Jersey Boys, Memphis), the musical features a book by Tom Hedley (co-writer of the original screenplay) and Robert Cary and a score including the hit songs from the movie such as "Flashdance - What a Feeling," "Maniac," "Gloria," "Manhunt," "I Love Rock & Roll." Additionally, 16 brand new songs have been written for the stage with music by Robbie Roth and lyrics by Robert Cary and Robbie Roth.

PETER AND THE STARCATCHER, January 28, 2014 - February 16, 2014, Eisenhower Theater

Winner of five Tony Awards, the musical play Peter and the Starcatcher takes a hilarious romp through the Neverland you never knew. This swashbuckling prequel to Peter Pan will have you hooked from the moment you let your imagination take flight. An innovative and imaginative musical play based on the best-selling Disney-Hyperion novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, Peter and the Starcatcher features a company of 12 actors who play more than 100 unforgettable characters, all on a journey to answer the century-old question: How did Peter Pan become The Boy Who Never Grew Up? This epic origin story of popular culture's most enduring and beloved character proves that your imagination is the most captivating place in the world.

AN EVENING WITH PATTI LUPONE AND MANDY PATINKIN,

February 18 - 23, 2014, Eisenhower Theater

Two of Broadway's most venerated performers appear together again after their Tony Award winning performances in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Evita (1980), Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin are reunited onstage for An Evening with Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin. Since then they have both starred in film, television, the concert stage, and back to Broadway.

KENNEDY CENTER AMERICAN COLLEGE THEATER FESTIVAL (KCACTF), April 14-19, 2014

Since its establishment 46 years ago, KCACTF has reached millions of theatergoers and hundreds of thousands of college and university theater students nationwide. The national festival brings together participants from regional festivals around the country to the Kennedy Center from April 14-19, 2014. The national festival includes an awards ceremony, an opportunity for participants to engage with colleagues from across the nation, as well as the Washington, D.C. theater community, scholarship eligibility, and master classes in the theatrical arts.

SIDE SHOW, June 14, 2014 - July 13, 2014, Eisenhower Theater

The Kennedy Center in association with La Jolla Playhouse presents a revival of the musical Side Show. With music by Henry Krieger, book and lyrics by Bill Russell, and direction by Academy Award winning director Bill Condon, this new production is the first major revival since the production's original 1997 Broadway debut. Side Show is based on the true story of conjoined twins Violet and Daisy Hilton who became stars during the Depression. It is a moving portrait of two women joined at the hip whose extraordinary bondage brings them fame but denies them love.

DISNEY'S THE LION KING, June 17, 2014 - August 17, 2014, Opera House

Winner of six 1998 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Direction, and Best Costume Design, Disney's The Lion King returns to the Kennedy Center after a sold-out nine-week engagement in June 2008. With direction and costumes by Julie Taymor, Elton John and Tim Rice's score brings the rhythms of the African Pridelands to life with songs that include "Circle of Life," the Oscar-winning "Can You Feel the Love Tonight," and much more.

SHEAR MADNESS, Continuous, Theater Lab

Shear Madness still sparkles at the Kennedy Center with all the body, bounce, and shine of opening night. For 25 years, audiences are still trying to figure out whodunit as they spot the clues, question the suspects, and solve the funniest murder mystery in the annals of crime. The show combines up-to-the-minute improvisation and spontaneous humor to deliver a unique performance every night.

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