MY FAIR LADY, PETER AND THE STARCATCHER and More Set for Long Beach Playhouse's 2017 Mainstage Season
By: BWW News Desk Aug. 21, 2017
On September 23, the Long Beach Playhouse opens its 2017 Mainstage Season. This year's season combines perennial favorites like My Fair Lady, Arsenic and Old Lace and Agatha Christie's Black Coffee with newer plays like Peter and the Starcatcher, Flight and Pack of Lies.
"I'm excited about our upcoming season," said Madison Mooney, the Playhouse Executive Director. "It's a nice balance of old and new. Some of the plays are comedies, some are serious dramas. We even have one about Russian spies."
Sean Gray Artistic Director for the LBP said, "We choose plays for their audience appeal and because they are a good fit for the Playhouse. All of them are ones I know are well-suited to our thrust stage and show off the talents of our staff, directors and technical support like sound and lighting people. In other words, plays we know we will do exceedingly well."
There's still time to buy a season subscription. Friday nights are $120 and Saturday/Sunday tickets are $148 for all 7 shows. Another money-saving option is the Playhouse Passport. Patrons can purchase 3 seats for $57, 4 for $72 or 5 for $99 and redeem them for the shows they wish to see.
"The Passports are very popular and a nice savings. Four tickets purchased one at a time are $96, while a four-ticket Passport is $72," said Mooney. "Buy a Passport, see a show, we'll make it worth your while, I promise!"
2017 - 2018 Mainstage Season:
Dracula
Sept. 23 - Oct. 21, 2017
Written by Hamilton Deane and John L. Balderston, from Bram Stoker's novel
Celebrate the Halloween season with the Long Beach Playhouse in the company of the most classic monster ever to roam through literature, film, and stage - Count Dracula! As Lucy Seward succumbs to a mysterious illness which is draining her life force, her father and his long-time associate, Dr. Van Helsing hunt the true cause of her malady - a vampire stalking London. Be part of the chase as the undead terrify the countryside. Will the virtuous triumph, or will Dracula succeed in spreading the curse of the nosferatu? Come feel your blood run cold, in this thrilling tale of evil creatures and forbidden desire.
Arsenic and Old Lace
Nov. 4 - Dec. 2, 2017
Written by Joseph Kesselring
If you are a lonely, elderly gentleman, steer clear of the old Victorian rooming house that Abby and Martha Brewster run - it may be your last room on Earth! When these two sweet old sisters feel the need to release a worthy roomer of his lonely suffering, just a sip of their homemade Elderberry wine will do the trick. Added to their misguided mayhem is their delusional charge who believes he's Teddy Roosevelt, their lovesick nephew, and his disfigured and dangerously insane brother. What else could you expect to experience but a laugh-a-minute riot for the entire family?
Black Coffee
Jan.13 - Feb. 10, 2018
Written by Agatha Christie
In this seldom seen and intricately crafted mystery, Agatha Christie weaves scientific discoveries, international espionage, and unimaginable murder together to give the audience a night of unraveling the knots of danger and suspense. Christie's master sleuth, Hercule Poirot, teams up with Captain Hastings and Inspector Japp to solve the murder of accomplished physicist Sir Claud Amory, who has constructed a workable formula for one of the most deadly weapons known to man - the atomic bomb. Not only must Poirot solve the murder, he must retrieve the stolen formula before it falls into the hands of some of the most infamous spies on the planet.
Pack of Lies
Feb. 24 - Mar. 24, 2018
Written by Hugh Whitemore
The Jacksons are a nice middle agEd English couple. Their best friends are their Canadian neighbors, the Krogers. All is blissful in their world until a detective from Scotland Yard asks to use their house as an observation station to try and foil a Soviet espionage ring operating in the area. The Jacksons become more and more put out as Scotland Yard's demands on them increase. Yet, they are really put to the test when the detective reveals that the Russian spies may be the Krogers, and asks them to help set a trap. Friendship and betrayal are at the heart of this thrilling drama. Who can they trust?
Peter and the Starcatcher
April 7 - May 5, 2018
Written by Rick Elice, with Music by Wayne Barker, Based on the Novel by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
In this highly imaginative and theatrical origin story, we discover how a mysterious trunk filled with a mysterious substance known as starstuff is about to shape the destinies of all who encounter it. As the orphan boy Peter encounters Molly the Starcatcher-in-Training, they must thwart the fearsome pirate, Black Stache, irrevocably changing their futures forever. In this recent Broadway hit, the reimagining of the Peter Pan myth brings the audience along on a journey of adventure, comedy and music, as a dozen talented actors portray more than 100 diverse characters. Come experience the beginnings of the story that won't grow up.
Flight
May 19th - June 16, 2018
Written by Charlayne Woodard
In 1858, on a plantation in Georgia, a young mother is suddenly sold, leaving behind her husband and their five-year-old son. Through a magical evening of storytelling, music, and dance, their community shares the rich history that makes them so much more than slaves. Sharing this rich oral tradition not only comforts the father and son, but heals and strengthens the entire community as the audience has the privilege of going along for the ride. Flight is an inspirational theatrical experience for the whole family as the characters share their empowering stories, based on actual slave narratives, as well as African and African-American folktales.
My Fair Lady
June 30 - Aug. 4, 2018
Book and Lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner, Music by Frederick Loewe
Lerner and Loewe's My Fair Lady is that rare musical by which all others are measured. Based on George Bernard Shaw's play Pygmalion, My Fair Lady tells the tale of a cockney flower girl transformed into an elegant lady by a professor of linguistics who molds her and falls in love with his creation. Featuring one of musical theatre's greatest scores, including "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face" and "I Could've Danced All Night," this classic American piece of musical theatre is sure to bring a tear to your eye, a smile to your lips, and a song to your soul.
Tickets are available at www.lbplayhouse.org, or by calling 562-494-1014, option 1. 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 & Sundays from 1:00-2:00 pm on scheduled matinees only.
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.
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