'RING OF FIRE', THE CHRISTIANS and More Set for Riverside Theatre's 2016-17 Season

Riverside Theatre, led by Producing Artistic Director/CEO Allen D. Cornell and Managing Director/COO Jon R. Moses, has announced its 2016-2017 Season. Building on the success and support the theatre has attained over the last few years, Riverside is proud to present another ambitious season of music, comedy, and drama.

"The 2015-2016 Season was a great success," says Mr. Cornell. "A Chorus Line, Hello Dolly, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike and Freud's Last Session achieved many sold out performances. The critical acclaim and tremendous support of our patrons and audiences continue to encourage us to produce the finest professional productions possible.

"Nothing touches the heart, educates the mind and lifts the spirit like a live performance. That is why next season offers seven dynamic productions that will fill our stages - productions that will amaze and delight everyone who experiences Riverside Theatre."

The season begins in October with a wonderful musical showcasing the songs of Johnny Cash in Ring of Fire. January brings the hit Broadway musical still playing the Great White Way, Chicago followed by Noel Coward's delightful comedy, Private Lives. The next production on the Stark Stage is the legendary musical Mame and the season concludes with the energetic throwback to the 70's, Saturday Night Fever. Two distinctive theatre pieces play the Waxlax Stage, An Empty Plate in the Café Grand Boeuf in January and The Christians in March.

Subscriptions are now available for 3, 4 and 5 show packages on the Stark Stage. Waxlax Stage productions can be added to the show packages. For more information on prices and subscription options, call the Box Office at 772-231-6990 or online at www.riversidetheatre.com.

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The Season:

Stark Stage Shows

Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash

Music and Lyrics by Johnny Cash

Created by Richard Maltby, Jr.

Conceived by William Meade

October 25 - November 13, 2016

From the songbook of iconic artist Johnny Cash comes this crowd-pleasin', foot-stompin' musical celebration that tells a fascinating story of love and faith, struggle and success, rowdiness and redemption, and home and family. With more than two dozen classic Cash hits - "I Walk The Line," "A Boy Named Sue," "Folsom Prison Blues," "Ring of Fire" and many more - a multi-talented cast, create a unique portrait of an American music legend. Though never impersonated, Cash's remarkable story is told in an exhilarating and moving stage production.

Chicago

Music by John Kander

Lyrics by Fred Ebb

Book by Fred Ebb, Bob Fosse

Based on the play, Chicago, by Maurine Dallas Watkins

January 3 - 22, 2017

Winner of seven Tony Awards, including Best Revival of a Musical, Chicago holds the record for the longest-running revival and the longest running American musical in Broadway history. Set in Prohibition-era Chicago, the show follows chorus girl Roxie Hart and her murder of a faithless lover. She convinces her hapless husband Amos to take the rap, but when he finds out the truth, he turns on her. Convicted and sent to death row, Roxie and Velma Kelly, another "merry murderess, " vie for the spotlight and the headlines, ultimately joining forces in search of the "American Dream": fame, fortune and acquittal.

Private Lives

By Noel Coward

January 31 - February 19, 2017

One of the most sophisticated, witty, and entertaining plays ever written, Private Lives remains one of Noel Coward's most successful comedies. Elyot and Amanda, once married and now honeymooning with new spouses at the same hotel, meet on the balconies of their adjacent rooms. As they relive the past, their original spark reignites and they impulsively runaway together to give their relationship another shot, much to the shock of the newlyweds they leave behind. After days of being reunited, Elyot an Amanda again find their fiery romance alternating between passions of love and anger. Will Elyot and Amanda remain together or will they return to their respective new spouses? A masterpiece of high comedy, Coward's Private Lives is uproarious and delightful.

Mame

Music and Lyrics by Jerry Herman

Book by Jerome Lawrence, Robert Edwin Lee

Based on the novel, Auntie Mame, by Patrick Dennis

March 7 - 26, 2017

Mame Dennis is a larger-than-life personality living the high life in the Roaring Twenties in New York City. Patrick, her orphaned 10-year-old nephew, comes to live with her and she introduces him to an eccentric lifestyle and a madcap cast of characters. When the stock market crashes and Mame loses her fortune, she tries, with comically disastrous results, to find a job for the first time in her life, but perseveres with humor and style. Jerry Herman's delightful score is packed with musical favorites "Bosom Buddies," "We Need a Little Christmas," "Open a New Window," "Mame," and more. Brimming with optimism and zest, Mame will make you laugh while warming your heart!

Saturday Night Fever

Music & Lyrics by The Bee Gees

Book by Nan Knighton, Arlene Phillips, Paul Nicholas, Robert Stigwood

Based on Nik Cohen's 1975 New York Magazine article, "Tribal Rites of the New Saturday Night" and

1977 film, Saturday Night Fever

April 11 - 30, 2017

Based on the 1977 blockbuster film, Saturday Night Fever whisks you back to the 1970s, where open shirts, bell-bottoms and disco were all the rage. Tony Manero, a talented street-wise kid from Brooklyn, yearns of escaping his dead-end job and becoming the 'disco king' at the local club. He meets a young lady who can help him achieve his dance dreams, but will she accept his advances and help him change his world? Packed with legendary hits from The Bee Gees including: "Stayin' Alive," "You Should Be Dancing," "How Deep Is Your Love" and many more, Saturday Night Fever sizzles with compelling story and explosive dance.

Waxlax Stage Shows

An Empty Plate in the Café du Grand Boeuf

By Michael Hollinger

January 17 - February 5, 2017

At the world's greatest restaurant, the Café du Grand Boeuf in Paris, no menu is necessary. Why? "Because we have everything," says Claude, the headwaiter. Open for only one patron, owner and American millionaire Victor, the staff is always ready to prepare the most sumptuous of meals. On a hot July night in 1961, Victor arrives from Madrid disheveled and depressed with one simple wish: to die of starvation. The devoted staff, who depend on Victor's patronage for their livelihood, desperately try all means to change his mind. When all else fails, Victor is convinced to have his favorite dishes prepared, but the food is to be kept in the kitchen and only empty platters served. Comedy ensues throughout the delectable seven course meal as a feast of words and declarations fill the restaurant.

The Christians

By Lucas Hnath

March 21 - April 9, 2017

Twenty years ago, Pastor Paul's church was a modest storefront. Now it houses thousands, with a coffee shop in the lobby and a baptismal font as big as a swimming pool. But on the day they celebrate the end of their indebtedness, Pastor Paul is about to share some news his congregation isn't used to hearing. It is a sermon that will shake the foundation of his congregation's beliefs. How could one's convictions change overnight? From one of America's new, exciting playwrights, comes this mesmerizing play about faith and redemption and its power to unite or divide.

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Riverside Theatre is located at 3250 Riverside Park Drive, Vero Beach. Riverside Theatre programs are sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Riverside Theatre is a member of the Cultural Council of Indian River County.

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