CAROUSEL, IN THE HEIGHTS, XANADU and More Announced for Madison Theatre Series
Series also includes the NY premiere of Ella, First Lady of Song starring Grammy-nominated singer & actress Freda Payne.
By: A.A. Cristi May. 12, 2022
The Madison Theatre at Molloy College in Rockville Centre, Long Island will launch its Signature Theater Series this summer with top artists from the worlds of Broadway, music & TV on fully staged productions of In The Heights, Xanadu and All Shook Up, plus the NY premiere of Ella, First Lady of Song starring Grammy-nominated singer & actress Freda Payne, and the world premiere of the play Squirrel Screams and Other Dating Sounds. The inaugural series kick-off will be a special concert production with the South Shore Symphony of the beloved Rodgers & Hammerstein musical Carousel May 21 at 2pm & 8pm and May 22 at 3pm. Tickets for all productions can be purchased at this link
The first full production will be Lin-Manuel Miranda's Tony Award-winning musical In The Heights June 2-12 directed & choreographed by original Broadway cast member & dance captain Stephanie Klemons (also Associate Choreographer on Miranda's Tony-winning musical Hamilton, in addition to being in the original cast). Shows are Thursday June 2 @ 7pm, Fridays @ 8pm, Saturdays @ 2pm & 8pm, Sundays @ 3pm (with additional Friday matinee June 10 @ 11am). The costume designer for both In The Heights and Xanadu is Antonio Consuegara (currently Assistant Costume Designer on the Broadway revival of Funny Girl).
In the downstairs Hays Theatre June 16-July 9 will be the premiere of Squirrel Screams and Other Dating Sounds starring Kaitlyn Black from TV's Heart of Dixie and Josephine Rose Roberts (Rock of Ages on Broadway). In a world where you swipe to hookup and ghost to end a relationship, finding something meaningful or normal is nearly impossible. Written by Lindsay Timmington and directed by Joe Ricci, Squirrel Screams follows loud, hard-edged Bridgie (Black) and quirky, buttoned-up Kate (Roberts) as they navigate the NYC dating landscape to find someone in the parade of 10 guys passing through their midtown bar. Based on true life stories, this hysterical new play is an honest look at how difficult it is to date in the new millennium & how the relationships we find aren't always the ones we're looking for. Shows are Thursdays @ 8pm, Fridays @ 6pm & 9pm, Saturdays @ 6pm & 9pm.
June 23-July 2 will be Xanadu, the Tony-nominated, roller-skating musical adventure featuring a hit score composed by pop-rock legends, Jeff Lynne & John Farrar (book by Tony-nominee Douglas Carter Beane), based on the Universal Pictures cult classic which starred Olivia Newton-John & Gene Kelly. Co-Directed by Broadway's Angelo Fraboni & Bethany Moore, shows are Thursdays @ 7pm, Fridays @ 8pm, Saturdays @ 2pm & 8pm, Sunday @ 3pm (with additional Friday matinee July 1 @ 2pm).
July 14-July 31 will be All Shook Up, inspired by and featuring the songs of Elvis Presley (book by Joe DiPietro). Loosely based on Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, this hip-swiveling, lip-curling musical fantasy will have you jumpin' out of your blue suede shoes with such classics as "Heartbreak Hotel," "Hound Dog," "Jailhouse Rock," and "Don't Be Cruel." With director & choreography by DJ Salisbury, shows are Thursdays @ 7pm, Fridays @ 8pm, Saturdays @ 2pm & 8pm, Sundays @ 3pm.
Aug 18-Sep 11 will be the New York premiere of Ella, First Lady of Song starring Grammy-nominated American singer & actress Freda Payne (best known her 1970's hit single, "Band of Gold"). Conceived by Tony-nominee Maurice Hines, the musical tells the inspiring story of Ella Fitzgerald's remarkable journey from homeless teenager to the world's first lady of song. With book & direction by Broadway's Lee Summers (AUDELCO Award Winner for Best Director of a Musical, 2018), the show will also star Harriett D. Foy (the star of the hit Starz show P-Valley) & Debra Walton (Thoughts of a Colored Man). Songs include classic Ella hits "A-Tisket, A-Tasket,' "Sweet Georgia Brown" along with selections from the "American Songbook" albums Fitzgerald recorded celebrating great composers such as Cole Porter, Harold Arlen and Rodgers & Hart. Shows are Thursdays @ 7pm, Fridays @ 8pm, Saturdays @ 2pm & 8pm, Sundays @ 3pm.
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