XANADU, HOW TO SUCCEED, 101 DALMATIONS et al. Set for Barn Players 2012 Season

THE BARN PLAYERS 2012 SEASON
OUR 57th CONTINUOUS YEAR!

STRIKING 12 A Barn Junior Production January 6 - 15
Music, Lyrics and Book by Brendan Milburn, Rachel Sheinkin & Valerie Vigoda RATED PG

THE GIRL WHO WAS PLUGGED IN
Music by Alan Menken
Lyrics by David Spencer
Book by Alan Brennert RATED PG

Two one-act musicals...one great evening of entertainment!
STRIKING 12 - On New Year's Eve, an over-worked and under-inspired single guy who's had enough of holiday cheer makes a resolution: to stay home and go to bed early. On another New Year's Eve, a continent away-and more than a century earlier-Hans Christian Andersen's Little Match Girl tries unsuccessfully to sell her matches in the snow. The two stories are brought together when a young woman selling special "full-spectrum holiday light bulbs" to combat Seasonal Affective Disorder shows up at the grumpy man's door. Though the man (who probably could use the bulbs) seems to enjoy the young woman's company, he sends her away. It's not until he reads "The Little Match Girl" that he is finally pulled out of his funk. All of this unfolds through a tuneful pop/rock/jazz score that retains the vibrant style of its original performers: the celebrated band, GrooveLily.

THE GIRL WHO WAS PLUGGED IN - A homeless bag-lady whose soul is transplanted into the body of a gorgeous female android by a company which manufactures celebrities. The show is a one-act musical containing a curious mix of a science fiction framework around traditional themes - the generation gap, a love triangle and the archetypal conflict between those who have power and those who have none. A Kansas City community theatre premiere for both one-act musicals.

HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING February 24 - March 11
Music, Book and Lyrics by Frank Loesser RATED G

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying is a story about the triumph of The Common man. The hero is a window washer named J. Pierrepont Finch. After Finch happens upon a book entitled 'How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying', he decides to begin his rise up the corporate ladder. Following the instructions of the book, Finch lands a job in the mailroom at the World Wide Wicket Company. With the help of his handy book, Finch quickly gains promotions and outsmarts his rival, Bud Frump - who also happens to be the boss's nephew. Finch then gains the love of Rosemary, a secretary at the company. In the end, however, after Finch's ad campaign goes awry, the book can no longer help him. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

XANADU April 20 - May 6
Music and Lyrics by Jeff Lynne & John Farrar
and Book by Douglas Carter Beane RATED PG

Follows the journey of a magical and beautiful Greek muse, Kira, who descends from the heavens of Mt. Olympus to Venice Beach, California in 1980 on a quest to inspire a struggling artist, Sonny, to achieve the greatest artistic creation of all time - the first roller disco! (Hey, it's 1980!) But, when Kira falls into forbidden love with the mortal Sonny, her jealous sisters take advantage of the situation and chaos abounds. This hilarious, roller skating, musical adventure about following your dreams despite the limitations others set for you, rolls along to the original hit score composed by pop-rock legends Jeff Lynne and John Farrar, and includes, "Magic", "All Over The World", "Suddenly", "I'm Alive", "Evil Woman", "Have You Never Been Mellow" and "Xanadu", to name a few, and is based on the Universal Pictures' cult classic movie of the same title, which starred Olivia Newton-John and Gene Kelly.

It's hilarity on wheels for adults, children and anyone who has ever wanted to feel inspired, as one of Broadway's master storytellers, Douglas Carter Beane, weaves a moving, electrifying tale of endless fun that will keep you in stitches, while the original, legendary chart-topping tunes lift you out of your seat. You'll want to keep the music in your head, and Xanadu in your heart, forever. A Kansas City community theatre premiere.

PRELUDE TO A KISS June 1 - 17
By Craig Lucas RATED PG-13
9 males / 5 females
At Peter and Rita's wedding, a mysterious old man insists on kissing the bride. While honeymooning, Peter Gradually realizes that the woman by his side is not his wife. The wedding kiss caused Rita's soul and the old man's to change places. Peter must track down the old man and free his young love's spirit trapped in an aging and diseased body before it's too late.

PARALLEL LIVES July 20 - August 5
By Kathy Najimy & Mo Gaffney RATED R

In the opening scene, two Supreme Beings plan the beginning of the world with the relish of two slightly sadistic suburban wives decorating a living room. Once they've decided on the color scheme of the races, a little concerned that white people will feel slighted being such a boring color, they create sex and the sexes. Afraid women will have too many advantages, the Beings decide to make childbirth painful and to give men enormous egos as compensation. From this moment, the audience is whisked through the outrageous universe of Kathy and Mo, where talented actresses play men and women struggling through The Common rituals of modern life: teenagers on a date, sisters at their grandmother's funeral, a man and a woman together in a country-western bar. With boundless humor, PARALLEL LIVES reexamines the ongoing quest to find parity and love in a contest handicapped by capricious gods-or in this case, goddesses.

DISNEY'S 101 DALMATIANS, KIDS A Barn Kids Production Session 1: June 19 - 21
Session 2: July 24 - 26
Music and Lyrics by Mel Leven, Randy Rogel, Richard Gibbs, BrIan Smith, Martin Lee Fuller & Dan Root
Book adaptation and additional lyrics by Marcy Heisler
Music adapted and arranged by Bryan Louiselle RATED G

In a loving home in the city of London, Dalmatian parents, Pongo and Perdita happily raise their Dalmatian puppies, until the monstrous Cruella De Vil plots to steal them for her new fur coat! Join all the dogs of London, as they daringly rescue the puppies from Cruella and her bumbling henchmen. With a delightfully fun score, lovable characters, and one of the most deliciously evil villains in the Disney canon, this stage adaptation is certain to charm and delight all audiences. And with a highly expandable chorus, the stage could easily be filled with 101 performers to fit the bill!

BLOOD BROTHERS September 14 - 30
Music, Book & Lyrics by Willy Russell RATED R

Blood Brothers, by the author of the plays Educating Rita and Shirley Valentine, is a haunting rags to riches tragedy of our times. A woman with numerous children to support surrenders one of her new born twins to the childless woman for whom she cleans house. The boys grow up streets apart, never learning the truth. They become firm friends and fall in love with the same girl. One prospers while the other falls on hard times. A narrator warns that a price has to be paid for separating twins. One of the longest running shows in London's West End history (22 years), Blood Brothers is a cautionary tale for the ages. A Kansas City community theatre premiere.

CURTAINS November 2 - 18
Music by John Kander
Lyrics by Freb Ebb, John Kander & Rupert Holmes
Book by Rupert Holmes RATED PG-13

It's the brassy, bright and promising year of 1959. Boston's Colonial Theatre is host to the opening night performance of a new musical. When the leading lady mysteriously dies on stage the entire cast & crew are suspects. Enter a local detective, who just happens to be a musical theatre fan! Curtains is a brash, energetic and hilarious musical comedy, featuring a score by John Kander and Fred Ebb (creators of Kiss of the Spider Woman, Cabaret and Chicago), with a book and additional lyrics by the Tony Award winning writer of The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Rupert Holmes. Don't miss this Kansas City community theatre premiere to close out The Barn Players 57th season!

THE 5TH ANNUAL 6 X 10: Original Ten-Minute Play Festival December 7 - 9

 

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