WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND, FOREVER PLAID and More Set for TheatreZone's 2014 Season

"In the theatre, we ignite the power of the arts to tell stories we all want and need to hear. Next season at TheatreZone, we are going to do just that," promises Mark Danni, founder of the Equity theatre group known for its tradition of bringing the "lost treasures of Broadway" to Southwest Florida.

"Tell great stories. It's what we do," he adds. "TheatreZone's ninth season is designed to surprise, entertain, challenge and inspire our audiences by inviting them to take part in shared acts of imagination."

"Year of the Composer" is an ambitious theatrical offering that brings musical greats Andrew Lloyd Webber, Cole Porter, and ABBA to the professional non-profit theater group that performs at the G&L Theatre in North Naples.

According to Danni, TheatreZone opens in January 2014 with Whistle Down the Wind, a musical gem that follows the fortunes of a fugitive caught between the prejudice of adults and the innocence of the young.Andrew Lloyd Webber's soaring score combines hauntingly beautiful love songs and explosive music with lyrics by acclaimed rock n' roll songwriter Jim Steinman (well known for his work with Meatloaf and Bonnie Tyler). Whistle Down the Wind performs January 9 through January 19, 2014.

February brings a production of High Society, the musical with book by Arthur Kopit and music and lyrics by the legendary Cole Porter, based upon the play "The Philadelphia Story" by Phillip Barry. This classic 1939 romantic drawing room comedy is about life among the rich and charming that chronicles the comeuppance of Tracy Lord, a young and beautiful American aristocrat of glacial comportment and little tolerance for human frailty. In the course of preparing for her wedding to a man for whom she is ill suited, she is pulled from her pedestal, a process that lets her learn to bend and acquire a human heart. High Society runs February 6 through February 16, 2014.

In March, TheatreZone will perform Chess, with music by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Uvaeus, of ABBA and lyrics by Tim Rice (Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar, The Lion King). The story involves romantic triangle between two men who are competing in a chess tournament that has become a symbol for the cold war struggle between the US and the USSR. From Bangkok to Budapest The Players, lovers, politicians, and spies manipulate and are manipulated to the pulse of a monumental rock score that includes "One Night in Bangkok" and "Heaven Help My Heart." Chess runs March 6 through March 16, 2014.

Season 9 concludes with the internationally performed musical Forever Plaid, an affectionate homage to the close-harmony male singers of the 1950s (The Four Aces, The Four Freshmen, the Four Lads). The story centers around four young men who never made it to their first big gig, but are given a chance to fulfill their dreams and perform the show that never was.

"Audiences will delight in this deliciously goofy musical," promises Danni. "It's a reverse 'Back To The Future' showing what would happen if people with 1950's sensibility came back today with some of the great nostalgic pop hits of the 1950's," he adds. Forever Plaid runs May 1 - May 11, 2014.

In 2005, non-profit TheatreZone was born on two concepts: an affinity and nostalgia for the stage, and for the intimacy of live audiences. Co-founders artistic director Mark Danni and his wife, actress/choreographer Karen Molnar shared a vision and a passion to bring equity professional actors, and produce talented and innovative productions of classic "lost treasures of Broadway."

Operating under the guidelines of the Actors' Equity Association and small professional theatres contracts, TheatreZone is in residence and performs in the intimate 250-seat G&L Theatre housed on the magnificent campus of The Community School of Naples, one block north of Pine Ridge Road at 13275 Livingston Road.

Over the last eight years, TheatreZone has grown steadily and produced a total of 250 performances, including two world premieres, featured more than 300 artists and played to audiences of over 60,000.

Season 9 tickets go on sale to season ticketholders only on May 2. Individual ticket sales open to the public on June 1, 2013. Season 9 subscriber series (four shows) costs $182; a mini series (3 shows) costs $144, and individual seats costs $43 - $48 plus a $2 per ticket. Reduced rates for groups (more than 10) are also available.

For more information or to purchase tickets, call TheaterZone at 1-888-ZONE-FLA, 1-888-966-3352 or purchase online at www.theatrezone-florida.com.

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