Long Beach Playhouse's ARMS AND THE MAN Opens Tonight

Long Beach Playhouse presents a production of George Bernard Shaw's Arms and the Man, the classic "anti-romantic" comedy. Featuring Hallie Mayer, Sarah Genevieve Green, Charlotte Williams, Michael J. Knowles, Doyle Smiens, Mitchell Nunn, and Alex Bennett, Arms and the Man opens tonight, Nov. 8th, 2014, and runs through Dec. 6.

George Bernard Shaw's Arms and the Man takes place at the close of the Serbo-Bulgarian war in 1885. Raina, a young Bulgarian woman idealizes her fiancé Sergius Saranoff, one of the heroes of the war. As the Serbian army retreats, a voluntary Swiss soldier, Bluntschli seeks shelter by climbing through Raina's bedroom window and begging for her to hide him. Bluntschli's gentle nature and unique ammunition (he carries chocolates instead of bullets) contrasts sharply with Raina's romantic notions of war and heroism, yet she finds herself attracted to him, and assists him in his escape. Shortly thereafter, Sergius returns from the war and Raina begins to find his attitude more pompous and irritating. Her thoughts return again and again to her "chocolate cream soldier," and when Bluntschli reappears, she finds herself torn between her romantic ideals and the surprise of real love.

Arms and the Man premiered on April 21, 1894 at the Avenue Theatre in London. One of Shaw's first commercial successes, the play reached Broadway five months later and eventually inspired an enormously popular light opera, The Chocolate Soldier, in 1908. George Bernard Shaw remains one of the most celebrated playwrights in the English language, known for his incisive wit and intelligent comedies, including Candida, You Never Can Tell, and Pygmalion, which became the musical sensation My Fair Lady. An ardent socialist, Shaw examined a variety of social issues in his plays, transforming the frothy and sentimental drama of the Victorian era.

SPECIAL EVENTS FOR THIS PLAY:

• Pay what you can Thursday Nov. 6 - community can see this production for whatever they can afford
• Two for One Preview Friday Nov. 7 - Tickets are $12.00
• Opening Night Champagne Reception with cast on Saturday Nov. 8- Tickets are $27.00

Adults are $24.00, seniors $21.00, and Students $14.00.

Tickets are available at www.lbplayhouse.org, or by calling 562-494-1014, option 1.

To request an interview with the director, cast members or reserve your media tickets to this performance, please send an email to: pr@lbplayhouse.org.

Long Beach Playhouse is located at 5021 E. Anaheim St., Long Beach, CA, 90804, right across from the Long Beach Recreation golf course. The Playhouse is community-supported theatre with programs and events that cut across age, gender, ethnic, and cultural boundaries.

Performances are 8 p.m. Friday, and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. The box office is open Wednesday-Saturday from 3:00-8:00 pm and Sundays from 1:00-2:00 pm on scheduled matinees.

To post a comment, you must register and login.