WIZARD OF OZ Leads Off Season 35 at Roxy Regional Theatre

Clarksville's Roxy Regional Theatre unveiled its upcoming "Season 35: Discover the World Behind the Curtain" at a fundraiser last Friday evening at the home of arts supporters Mark, Ricki, John Mark and Will Holleman.

In the company of local theatre lovers, longtime supporters and friends, Ryan Bowie, executive director of the Roxy Regional Theatre, revealed the season opener to be the L. Frank Baum musical classic The Wizard of Oz. Presented in part by F&M Bank and featuring such favorites as "Over The Rainbow," "Munchkinland (Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead)," "If I Only Had A Brain" and "We're Off To See The Wizard (Follow The Yellow Brick Road)," Harold Arlen and E. Y. Harburg's family friendly musical will raise the curtain on the new season on September 8.

Kicking off the 2017-2018 season of alternative stage productions upstairs in theotherspace, 35mm: A Musical Exhibition will take the stage of the Roxy's 50-seat black-box theatre in October. Written by Ryan Scott Oliver and inspired by photographs by Matthew Murphy, this stunning new multimedia production merges the worlds of musical theatre, photography and pop/rock music.

The fall schedule also brings the 6th annual return of Richard O'Brien's wildly popular cult classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show in October, complete with a midnight showing on the final weekend.

A whimsical musical adaptation of William Shakespeare's classic romantic comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream is slated for the mainstage in November.

Just in time for the holiday season, Charles M. Schulz's beloved Peanuts characters will take center stage in a musical adaptation of the classic animated television special A Charlie Brown Christmas, opening Thanksgiving night and running through December.

At the start of 2018, the 16th annual presentation of Eve Ensler's The Vagina Monologes will play upstairs in the theatre's theotherspace. Funny, outrageous, emotionally affecting and occasionally angry, this series of monologues about women and performed by women aims to raise awareness about violence against women and girls through stories of self-discovery, abuse, birth and more.

In honor of Black History Month, Lorraine Hansberry's groundbreaking drama A Raisin in the Sun will bring its powerful message to the mainstage in February. Unflinching in its vision of what happens to people whose dreams are constantly deferred, this enduring portrait of the African-American experience still resonates today with its themes of identity, justice and moral responsibility.

At the end of the month, Ryan Bowie will bring to life nearly forty wildly diverse characters in theotherspace production of Fully Committed. Following a day in the life of an out-of-work actor who mans the red-hot reservation line at Manhattan's number-one restaurant, this devastatingly funny one-man show was named one of Time Magazine's "Top Ten Plays of the Year" when it premiered in 2000.

During the month of March, Roald Dahl's fantastical tale of a boy, his insect friends and their amazing journey across the ocean on a giant piece of fruit will take a musical turn in James and the Giant Peach.

Shirley Lauro's Vietnam War drama A Piece of My Heart will come to the mainstage in April. Named "the most enduring play on Vietnam in the nation" by The Vietnam Vets Association, this landmark piece explores the often overlooked contributions of women in service.

Wrapping up theotherspace season, the comedy Marilyn/God will bring one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s. Starting from the premise that Marilyn Monroe has just died and must audition for heaven, Rosary Hartell O'Neill's comedy explores the multi-levels of complexity of the cult goddess: her vulnerability, anger, and how Americans' worship of beauty and fame fueled her rise to stardom.

Next May and June, students from the successful Roxy Regional School of the Arts will bring to life the story of everyone's favorite little redheaded orphan in Annie Jr. Featuring such memorable tunes as "Tomorrow," "NYC," and "You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile," the musical will feature students ages 10 to 18 who have participated in the youth drama program during the school year.

The musical comedy Dames at Sea will bring a sense of nostalgia to the mainstage in late June and early July. A long-running hit off-Broadway that brought stardom to Bernadette Peters, this campy show pays homage to flashy Hollywood musicals of the '30s in which a chorus girl, newly arrived off the bus from the Midwest to NYC, steps into a role on Broadway and becomes a star ... only this time, the action takes place on the deck of a battleship.

Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma! will cap off Season 35 next July and August. Such musical highlights as "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'," "People Will Say We're in Love," "The Surrey with the Fringe on Top," "Kansas City" and the triumphant song of the brand new state, "Oklahoma!," provide the soundtrack for this love story between handsome cowboy Curly and winsome farm girl Laurey.

Tickets for all productions in the Roxy Regional Theatre's Season 35 are now on sale. For reservations and additional information, go to www.roxyregionaltheatre.org, call (931) 645-7699 or visit the box office between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., Monday through Friday, and one hour prior to show times.

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