Bristol Riverside Theatre Announces 2014-2015 Season

Bristol Riverside Theatre announces its 2014-2015 mainstage season including two comedies, a play with music, a musical and a classic drama. The new season features the Tony Award-winning comedy The 39 Steps adapted byPatrick Barlow, Neil Simon's Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning Lost in Yonkers, Always...Patsy Cline about the Grammy Award-winning singer, the Tony Award-winning musical Ragtime with book by Terrence McNally, music byStephen Flaherty, and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, and the timeless drama An Enemy of the People by Henrik Ibsen.

The season kicks off with the Tony Award-winning comedy The 39 Steps adapted by Patrick Barlow runningSeptember 30-October 26. This hilarious whodunit features over 150 zany characters (played by a very talented cast of 4), an on-stage plane crash, handcuffs, missing fingers and some good old-fashioned romance. After meeting the charmingly lovely Annabella Schmidt at a London theatre, the dashingly handsome Richard Hannay is plunged head first into an adventure that has him being chased by the police for a murder he did not commit. Mixing a Hitchcock masterpiece with a juicy spy novel and a dash of Monty Python, The 39 Steps poses the nail-biting questions: Will Richard clear himself of murder? Will he save the day and stop top-secret documents from leaving the country? Can he really be that good looking?

The holiday season of family reunions brings Neil Simon's dramedy Lost in Yonkers about his own rather dysfunctional family, running November 11-November 30. In this coming-of-age story, Jay's life is turned upside down when his father leaves Jay and his younger brother Arty at their grandmother's doorstep. Sharing a house with their opinionated German Jewish immigrant grandmother, her daughter Bella and mobster son Louie, Jay's year, both comical and poignant, leaves a permanent mark. Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award for Best Play, Lost in Yonkers is hailed as the masterpiece of Neil Simon's career.

The new year resounds with music in Always...Patsy Cline by Ted Swindley running January 27-February 22. Based on a true story, this fun-loving play with music recounts the unlikely friendship between country music legend Patsy Cline and her most devoted fan, Louise Seger. Patsy befriended Louise at a Texas honky tonk in 1961 and the two remained pen pals until Patsy's untimely death at the age of 30. Combining down-home county humor and heartache, the show features 27 of Patsy Cline's unforgettable hits including Crazy, Walkin' After Midnight, and Sweet Dreams.

Next up is the Tony Award-winning musical Ragtime, with book by Terrence McNally, music by Stephen Flaherty, and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens running March 17-April 12. This powerful portrait of life in turn-of-the-century America tells the extraordinary tale of three families as they confront America's timeless contradictions of freedom and prejudice, wealth and poverty, hope and despair, and what it means to be an American.

The season concludes with Henrik Ibsen's explosive drama, An Enemy of the People running May 12-May 31. When one man's quest to do right is at odds with the interests of his community, ethics are pitted against economics. Ringing with contemporary resonance as headlines debate the thin line between whistleblower and traitor, this play explores just what is best for the common good. When Dr. Stockmann discovers a possible toxic contamination endangering the town's sole industry, his brother, the Mayor, launches a counter attack that threatens to tear their community-and family -apart. Sometimes "the strongest man in the world is the man who stands most alone."

BRT continues to enhance the theater experience with a series of add-on events during the run of each show including: post-show discussions (first Tuesday and Wednesday of each run), Opening Night post-performance reception (first Thursday of each run), FridayFestival (first Friday of each run) featuring guest speakers providing background information on the production; Wine-Down Wednesday(second Wednesday evening of each run) featuring pre-show crudité, desserts, and wine complimentary of Got Wine?; Thirsty Thursday (thirdThursday of each run) featuring unique beer selections; and Theatre Theology (third Sunday of each run) featuring a little nosh and a post-show discussion of the Jewish themes and issues in the production.

Subscriptions for the 2014-2015 Season are currently available starting at only $109 by visiting brtstage.org or calling the Box Office at 215-785-0100. Bristol Riverside Theatre is located at 120 Radcliffe Street in Bristol, PA.

Since 1986, BRT has brought consistently acclaimed professional theatre to Bucks County and maintained a long-term commitment to finding and developing new plays. The theatre is the recipient of over 68 Barrymore Award nominations for Excellence in Theatre, given annually by Theatre Philadelphia. In addition to its mainstage productions, the theatre serves as a cultural hub for the community, with such programs as children's theatre, community concerts and exhibitions of local visual arts. Currently under the direction of Artistic Director Keith Baker, Founding Director Susan D. Atkinson, and Managing Director, Amy Kaissar, BRT enters its 28th season. For information, visit www.brtstage.org.

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