Flat Rock Playhouse Announces New Slate of Programming!

The Flat Rock Playhouse 2017 season continues with the stage play turned cult-classic film, Amadeus. This larger-than-life production stars Nat Zegree (Jerry Lee Lewis of last year's hit Million Dollar Quartet) as one of the original bad boys of popular music, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Amadeus runs September 15th through the 30th at the Clyde and Nina Allen Mainstage in the Village of Flat Rock, NC.

Amadeus tells the fictional story of real-life composer, Antonio Salieri, and his attempt to destroy the reputation of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Salieri initially is thrilled to meet the prodigy, but he becomes dismayed when Mozart's foolishness does not align with his masterful works. Salieri sets out to destroy Mozart's reputation, but the whimsically talented composer always seems to land on his feet. Expect to see over the top wigs, extravagant gowns and of course some unbelievable piano playing both upside right and upside down.

Amadeus was written by Peter Shaffer (Five Finger Exercise, Equus) and premiered on Broadway in December of 1980, winning the Tony Award for Best Play in 1981. Shaffer's film adaptation of Amadeus was released in 1984 and won 4 Golden Globes and 8 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. The play features some of Mozart's most notable works, in other productions played on prerecorded musical tracks, but at Flat Rock Playhouse, they'll be played live by Nat Zegree.

Nat Zegree, from last summer's Million Dollar Quartet, stars as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Zegree is well-known across the country for portraying yet another iconic pianist, Jerry Lee Lewis, in Million Dollar Quartet. Zegree is also a composer himself with two original musicals under his belt and his debut album, Fly More Than You Fall, was released in September of 2016.

Sharing the stage with Zegree are returning Flat Rock Playhouse favorites Preston Dyar as Antonio Salieri with Kaitlyn Frotton as Mozart's wife Constanze with David Lind, David G, Michael MacCauley, Paige Posey, Peter Thomasson, Wendy Jones, TriniTy Smith Keel, Beth Kuhn and Scott Treadway rounding out the cast.

Amadeus will be directed by Flat Rock Playhouse's Producing Artistic Director, Lisa K. Bryant, assisted by Paige Posey. Joining Bryant on the production team are Dennis C. Maulden, CJ Barnwell, Jayne Harnett-Hargrove, Trent Pcenicni and Kurt Conway as the Scenic, Lighting, Costume, Wigs and Sound designers respectively. Paul Feraldi is Props Master. Bill Muñoz will be Stage Manager with Amelia Driscoll as Assistant Stage Manager.

Amadeus is presented by Mainstage Series Sponsor Henderson County Tourism Development Authority (visithendersonvillenc.org) with BMW of Asheville serving as Opening Night Sponsor.

Amadeus will run September 15th through the 30th at The Flat Rock Playhouse Clyde and Nina Allen Mainstage. Performances Wednesday, Thursday evenings at 7:30PM, Friday and Saturday evenings 8:00PM, matinees Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at 2 PM. Tickets $15-$50 and can be purchased by calling the Playhouse box office at 828-693-0731, toll-free at 866-732-8008 or online at www.flatrockplayhouse.org.

In 1937, a group of struggling performers, led by Robroy Farquhar, organized themselves as the Vagabond Players. The Vagabonds worked in a variety of places over the course of three years, and in 1940 found themselves in the Blue Ridge region of Western North Carolina. The local and tourist community welcomed them with open arms when they presented their first summer season of plays in a 150-year-old grist mill they converted into The Old Mill Playhouse at Highland Lake. So successful was that summer, they returned in 1941. After WWII, the Vagabond Players reorganized, came back to the region and opened a playhouse in nearby Lake Summit. The Lake Summit Playhouse thrived during the post war years and soon the Vagabond Players were looking for a larger and permanent home. In 1952, the troupe of performers, and a newly formed board of directors, made an offer to buy an 8-acre lot in the Village of Flat Rock. This new home made the Vagabonds "locals" and a rented big top gave birth to Flat Rock Playhouse. As the beautiful Western Carolina region continued to grow, so did the Playhouse and in 1961, by Act of the North Carolina General Assembly, Flat Rock Playhouse was officially designated The State Theatre of North Carolina. What began as a few weeks of summer performances in 1940 is now a nine-month season of plays including Broadway musicals, comedy, drama, and theatre for young audiences. The Playhouse's dual mission of producing the performing arts and providing education in the performing arts includes a professional series; a summer and fall college apprentice and intern program; and Studio 52, year-round classes and workshops in theatre and film for students from kindergarten through adults. Flat Rock Playhouse now hosts over 98,000 patrons annually and is a significant contributor to the local economy and the Arts in North Carolina.

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