THE WIZARD OF OZ, NOISES OFF and More Set for Fine Arts Center's 2013-14 Season

There's no place like home and there's no place like the Fine Arts Center for the 2013-2014 theatre season, featuring the iconic musical, The Wizard of Oz.

Scott RC Levy, the Producing Artistic Director of Fine Arts Center's Theatre Company, announced the line-up for next year's season in the SaG?Ji Theatre last night for both the main stage and Second Stage series. The audience comprised of actors and directors, theatre fans and FAC Curtain Call members - the theatre support group - literally gasped as Levy revealed the first two shows, Noises Off and The Wizard of Oz.

"Our 26th theatre season will be filled with exquisite productions of fantastic plays and musicals," said Levy. "There's a little bit of this and a little bit of that. I can't wait for all of it!"

The FAC Theatre Company's production of The Wizard of Oz is based on the Royal Shakespeare Company's 1987 adaptation of the 1939 screenplay, using all the songs from the film, which won Academy Awards for Best Score and Best Song ("Somewhere Over the Rainbow"). Plus, the musical includes one song and dance, "The Jitterbug," which was cut from the film.

"For the holidays, we are returning to the form that the FAC Theatre Company is most well-known for -- the epic, classic musical," Levy said of The Wizard of Oz. "And we're pulling out all the stops ... we're planning not only a yellow brick road, but pyrotechnics and flying effects."
"We're pulling out all the stops ... we're planning not only a yellow brick road, but pyrotechnics and flying effects." - Scott RC Levy

The season will also featured Woody Allen's Play It Again, Sam, a 1969 Broadway hit that earned three Tony Award nominations. The film based on the play has a 97 percent 'freshness' rating on the film website, Rotten Tomatoes. Agnes of God was chosen as part of the FAC's 2014 multidisciplinary project examining the role of religion in civic life. And for the third year in a row, the FAC Theatre Company will produce the Colorado Premiere of a contemporary work, David Cale's rarely-seen musical, Floyd and Clea Under the Western Sky.

The FAC is offering greatly reduced subscription rates in 2013-2014 for first-time subscribers as low as $16 per show for FAC members. For more information, contact the FAC Box Office at 719.634.5583 or visit the FAC website.

2013/2014 THEATRE SEASON:

Noises Off Sept. 26-Oct. 20, 2013
By Michael Frayn

Called the funniest farce ever written, Noises Off presents a manic menagerie as a cast of itinerant actors rehearsing a flop called Nothing's On. Doors slamming, on and backstage intrigue, and an errant herring all figure in the plot of this hilarious and classically comic play.t

The Wizard of Oz Dec. 5-29, 2013
By L. Frank Baum; with music and lyrics by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg based on the iconic film

There's no place like the FAC this Holiday Season. Be transported to the Emerald City and the beloved characters and songs of Oz. After a tornado sweeps Dorothy from her Kansas home, she encounters both wickedness and wonder, Wizard and Witch, Munchkin and Monkey. Dorothy and her newfound friends go on a quest to find a heart, courage, brains and most importantly, home.

Play It Again, Sam Jan. 30 - Feb. 16, 2014
By Woody Allen

Written by the comic genius, Woody Allen, Play It Again, Sam was first produced on Broadway in 1969. This is early Allen perfecting his iconic lead character, in this case a film critic named Allan Felix, a bookish, insecure man, who begins dating again following a divorce. And who helps Allan Felix in the process ... Humphrey Bogart with a fantastic bevy of beauties played out in hilarious fantasy sequences.

Agnes of God March 21- April 6, 2014
By John Pielmeier

Summoned to a convent, Dr. Martha Livingstone, a court-appointed psychiatrist, is charged with assessing the sanity of a novice accused of murdering her newborn. Who killed the infant and who fathered the tiny victim? Livingstone's questions force all three women (Agnes, Mother Superior, and Livingstone) to re-examine the meaning of faith and the power of love leading to a compelling climax.

Forever Plaid May 8 - June 1, 2014
Written and Originally Directed and Choreographed by Stuart Ross
Musical Continuity Supervision and Arrangements by James Raitt

Forever Plaid is one of the most popular and successful musicals in recent memory. This deliciously goofy revue centers on four young, eager male singers killed in a car crash in the 1950's on the way to their first big concert, and now miraculously revived for the posthumous chance to fulfill their dreams and perform the show that never was.

Floyd & Clea Under the Western Sky June 12-29, 2014
By David Cale; music by David Cale and Jonathan Kreisberg

A Colorado premiere! Burnt out, living out of his Studebaker, former country-western star Floyd Duffner's best days seem to be behind him. But when a 20 year-old feral beauty with an electrifying voice enters the picture, an unlikely friendship and musical partnership begins to blossom. A freewheeling musical journey from Montana to Austin (with a side trip to Hollywood), Floyd and Clea is a tale of sweet heartbreak, a parable about finding the strength, against all odds, to keep on keepin' on.

Second Stage SERIES IN THE FAC MUSIC ROOM:

The Short Hello Nov. 14 - Dec. 1, 2013
The WYNOT Radio Theatre returns with the planetary premiere of their new production, "The Short Hello," an international 1940's something detective parody adventure that sends up Casablanca, Key Largo, and many others! Written by and starring, FAC favorites Cory Moosman (The Producers) and Sammy Gleason (Other Desert Cities).

The Santaland Diaries Dec. 12-29, 2013
Based on an essay by best-selling author and NPR humorist David Sedaris, The Santaland Diaries tells Sedaris' own hilarious, eye-opening tale of working as Crumpet the Elf, one of Santa's helpers during the holiday season at Macy's giant department store Santaland display.

Pinkalicious: The Musical March 25 - April 6, 2014
Pinkalicious can't stop eating pink cupcakes despite warnings from her parents. Her pink indulgence lands her at the doctor's office with Pinkititis, an affliction that turns her pink from head to toe - a dream come true for this pink-loving enthusiast. But when her hue goes too far, only Pinkalicious can figure a way out.

TBD, A World Premiere April 24 - May 4, 2014
The winner from the 2013 Rough Writers: A New Play Festival (April 18-28, 2013) will receive the full production treatment as part of the 2014 Second Stage Series.

The following four plays are in consideration. The days and times that they will be read next week are also listed.

· Prodigal Brothers by Steven Peterson (Chicago, Ill.) read on April 18 (7:30p), April 27 (2p)
· Pieces of Him by Marisa Hebert (Woodland Park, Colo.) read on April 21 (2p), April 27 (7:30p)
· Sister Sister by Barbara Blumenthal-Ehrlich (Needham, Mass.) read on April 19 (7:30p), April 25 (7:30p)
· April's Fool by Kelly McAllister (Denver, Colo.) April 20 (7:30p), April 26 (7:30p)

There are also several short plays (10-15 minutes or so) that will be read on April 20 and 28 at 2p.

· Comfy Chair by Tim West (San Diego, Calif.)
· Curse of the Blue Parlour by Eugene Griffith (Sonoma, Calif.)
· The Boys by Warren Epstein (Manitou Springs, Colo.)
· Even The Penguins by Alisha Patterson (Calif.)
· Disposing of Grandma by Sue Bachman (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
· Relocations by David-Matthew Barnes (Denver, Colo.)

Tickets are $5 for one session or $15 for the entire 2013 Rough Riders: A New Play Festival. For more information and tickets, contact the FAC Box Office at 719.634.5583

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