Bucks County Playhouse Announces 2018 Winter/Spring Visiting Art Series

This winter and spring Bucks County Playhouse offers a full slate of entertainment representing a wide variety of musical, comedy and special event performances as part of the Visiting Artists Series at the Playhouse.

Since its reopening in 2012, the Playhouse has continued to expand its schedule - presenting and producing more events year-round. The Visiting Artist Series represents one of the few times on the calendar when outside producers take the stage to showcase their work. Renowned and unique performers from across the country - and around the globe - join local favorites for a lineup of crowd-pleasing fare that begins January 11 and runs through the spring opening of the Playhouse's 2018 Summer Subscription Season. Except where noted, tickets for all events in the Visiting Artists Series are currently on sale online, at the Playhouse Box Office, and the New Hope Visitors' Center.

• January 12 and 13 at 8 pm

COMEDY: "Bucks County Playhouse Comedy starring Ron Feingold and Missy Grynkiewicz"

The "Bucks County Playhouse Comedy" nights at the Playhouse continue with the hilarity of these renowned comedians from across the country. January 12 and 13 at 8 pm will feature headliner Ron Feingold with an opening act by Missy Grynkiewicz. Feingold has toured the entire United States and has performed in America's finest comedy clubs, universities, and theatres. Gynkiewicz has performed as a warm up comic for the Harry Connick, Jr. show and countless venues up and down the East Coast. She appeared in the feature film "Days of Power" with Eric Roberts and filmed a pilot for TruTv which was picked up and aired last year. Tickets are $20 plus fees.

Note: An additional "Bucks County Playhouse Comedy" performance will take place on April 14 with comedians to be announced soon!

• January 20 at 8 pm

CONCERT: Lesli Margherita in "This Broad's Way"

Oliver Award Winner, Broadway Star and Miss Adelaide from Bucks County Playhouse's hit musical, "Guys and Dolls," Lesli Margherita returns to Bucks County Playhouse with an all-new concert. Featuring time honored classics, Broadway showstoppers, and new twists on what will become old favorites, Margherita takes the stage with her signature sass and wit to share stories about how she's managed to carve her niche in this business we call show. Tickets are $40 - $75 plus fees.

• January 24 - February 4

COMEDY: "'Til Death Do Us Part: Late Nite Catechism 3"
"'Til Death Do Us Part: Late Nite Catechism 3" is the latest class to be unveiled in this sinfully funny series. After teaching countless students about the saints, venial sins, limbo and more, Sister is now offering up hilarious lessons on the Sacraments of Marriage and the Last Rites, including her own wacky version of the Newlywed Game. Classroom participation is a must, so bring along your sweetie and your sense of humor for a session with the country's feistiest couples counselor! Tickets are $35 - $45 plus fees.

• February 9 at 8 pm
JAZZ: "The Eric Mintel Quartet"

Bucks County's jazz treasure Eric Mintel and the "Eric Mintel Quartet" returns to Bucks County Playhouse for another electrifying performance. From the White House to the Kennedy Center, pianist/composer Eric Mintel and the Eric Mintel Quartet have thrilled audiences throughout the country and around the world. Tickets are $25 plus fees.

• February 10 at 8 pm

JAZZ: "Turtle Island Quartet"

Since its inception in 1985 Turtle Island Quartet (TIQ) has been a singular force in the creation of bold, new trends in chamber music for strings. Winner of the 2006 and 2008 Grammy Awards for Best Classical Crossover Album, Turtle Island fuses the classical quartet esthetic with contemporary American musical styles, and by devising a performance practice that honors both, the state of the art has inevitably been redefined. Cellist nonpareil Yo-Yo Ma has proclaimed TIQ to be "a unified voice that truly breaks new ground - authentic and passionate - a reflection of some of the most creative music-making today." Tickets to "Turtle Island Quartet" are $35 - $45 plus fees.

• Sunday, February 11 at 7:00 pm

COMMUNITY EVENT: Bucks County Playhouse Mardi Gras Spectacular (Note: Tickets on sale soon)

New Hope's own Miss Pumpkin and friends return for a colorful drag show with laughter, beads, glitter, and gold. Tickets are $25 plus fees.

• February 14 - 25

COMEDY: Frank Ferrante in "An Evening with Groucho"
Step back in time with the outrageous antics of Groucho Marx! Frank Ferrante recreates his New York, London, and PBS triumph as the legendary actor, comedian and personality in this fast-paced comedy packed with songs, stories and inspired audience interaction. Tickets are $35 - $45 plus fees.

• March 2 at 8 pm

SILENT FILM WITH LIVE SCORE: "Not So Silent Cinema: Charlie Chaplin'S MUTUAL SHORTS"

Grab the kids for high energy hijinks! Nobody does it like Charlie Chaplin. Perhaps the most iconic film star of all time, Chaplin pioneered aspects of acting, directing and writing that shaped the course of cinema history. This program, featuring several short films Chaplin made between 1916-1917, show the rapid evolution of Chaplin's style from no-holds-barred slapstick to a more nuanced storytelling. Not So Silent Cinema is excited to present these classic films with new original scores composed by Brendan Cooney and performed live by The New River Ensemble during the screening. Tickets are $25 plus fees.

• March 7 - 11

DANCE: "Dance to the Movies"

Seven of TV and stage's top choreographers bring to life the classic movie dances of yesterday with a fresh new vision! Starring "Dancing with the Stars" celebrity pros, "So You Think You Can Dance" top finalists, "America's Got Talent" aerialists and combining forces with singing stars from "American Idol." Dance to the Movies recreates some of the most iconic characters and memorable musical moments from movies like "West Side Story," "Grease," "Chicago," and "Moulin Rouge" with new, stunning dances to scores from such movies as "Singin' In The Rain," "Titanic," "The Matrix" and "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory." It's a perfect family-friendly evening of cinema magic - live onstage. ("Dance to the Movies" is not sponsored by or affiliated with "Dancing with the Stars" in any capacity.) Tickets are $45- $65 plus fees.

• March 21 - 25

NOSTALGIC STAGE TRIBUTE: "In The Mood"

"In the Mood" celebrates America's Greatest Generation through the music of Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, Harry James, Erskine Hawkins, The Andrews Sisters, Frank Sinatra and other idols of the 1940s. It recreates defining moments from the 1930s and 1940s - from the happy-go-lucky era before WWII - to the start of the war when thousands of our youth were going abroad to defend our freedoms - and longing for the end of the war when loved ones would be reunited. With the music and music arrangements, costumes, choreography, singers, dancers and a live big band, "In the Mood" is as authentic as it gets. Tickets are $45-$75 plus fees.

• April 13 at 8:00 pm DANCE: "Catapult"

An "America's Got Talent" finalist from Season 8, "Catapult" features incredible dancers who work behind a screen to create magical shadow silhouettes of shapes from the world around us. Be amazed as you watch their bodies transform into a mountain, an elephant, a dragon, even a helicopter! You'll never figure out how they do it, and you won't know what they will create next - you'll be surprised and delighted again and again. Packed with hundreds of shape transformations, the show is full of humor, emotion and engaging stories. Tickets are $35 - $45 plus fees.

• Saturday, April 21

PUPPETRY: "Cashore Marionettes"

2 p.m. -- Simple Gifts (Family-Friendly)

8 p.m. -- Life in Motion

The internationally acclaimed Cashore Marionettes redefine the art of puppetry. In the performance "Life in Motion," Joseph Cashore presents his collection of marionette masterworks. Characters of depth, integrity, and humanity are portrayed in a full evening unlike anything else in theater today.

"Simple Gifts" is a series of touching portrayals and poignant scenes from everyday life set to stunning music by such composers as Vivaldi, Strauss, Beethoven and Copland. Through a combination of virtuoso manipulation, beautiful music, theatrical illusion, and artistic insight, the original vignettes presented in "Simple Gifts" provide an entertaining and sensitive vision of what it is to be human. The performance explores a range of emotions with characters and actions that are amazingly convincing. The marionettes are engineering marvels and the quality of movement is extraordinary. Tickets are $12 kids - $20 adults plus fees.

"Life in Motion" features Joseph Cashore's collection of marionette masterworks. Through a combination of virtuoso manipulation, humor, pathos, classic music, and poetic insight, The Cashore Marionettes take the audience on a journey that celebrates the richness of life. "Life in Motion" is a powerful, entertaining, surprising, theatrically satisfying, one-of-a-kind evening for adults and young adults. Tickets are $20 plus fees.

Note: Children must be at least 5 years old to attend these events.

• May 4 at 2 pm and 8 pm

"The Everly Brothers Experience"

The Bird Dogs musical duo return to the Playhouse with the popular "The Everly Brothers Experience." When the guitar became electric, the Everly Brothers bridged the gap between Country and Rock 'n' Roll. The Zmed Brothers (The Bird Dogs) created this show, "The Everly Brothers Experience," to celebrate the super-group's countless hits that inspired bands like The Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, The Kinks, and Buddy Holly. Tickets are $35 - $55 plus fees.

• May 5 at 8 pm

"Well-Strung"

Returning to the Playhouse, Well-Strung, featuring Edmund Bagnell (first violin), Christopher Marchant (second violin), Daniel Shevlin (cello) and Trevor Wadleigh (viola), is a string quartet with a modern twist. Playing universally recognized classical pieces while singing pop music hits from the likes of Taylor Swift, Rihanna, Kelly Clarkson, and others, the foursome has quickly gained international attention. They received critical acclaim for performances at the Vatican, Feinstein's/54 Below, the House of Blues in New Orleans and the Leicester Square Theatre in London. The New York Times recently hailed Well-Strung as "talented" for "brilliantly fusing pop and classical music from Madonna to Beethoven." Two of the group's members (Marchant and Wadleigh) are current cast members of the new season of CBS TV's "The Amazing Race." Tickets are $35 - $65 plus fees.

Except where noted, all Visiting Artists Series performances are now on sale. Special pricing is available for groups of 10 or more. Visit buckscountyplayhouse.org to purchase tickets or for more information, or call the box office at 215-862-2121.

ABOUT Bucks County Playhouse

Bucks County Playhouse, a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization, is the oldest and largest professional Equity performing arts center in Bucks County. Under the direction of Tony Award-winning producers Alexander Fraser and Robyn Goodman, the Playhouse provides first class professional theatrical entertainment as well as community events, partnerships and arts education programming for visitors and residents of New Hope, Doylestown, Lambertville and the Delaware Valley.

Located between Philadelphia and New York, Bucks County Playhouse opened in 1939 in a converted 1790 gristmill after a group of community activists, led by Broadway orchestrator Don Walker and playwright Moss Hart, rallied to save the building. The Playhouse quickly became one of the country's most famous regional theaters, featuring a roster of American theatrical royalty including Helen Hayes, Kitty Carlisle, George S. Kaufman, Grace Kelly, Robert Redford, Bert Lahr, Walter Matthau, Angela Lansbury, Bernadette Peters, Alan Alda, Tyne Daly, Liza Minnelli and Audra McDonald and remained in continuous operation until December 2010. In 2012, the Playhouse re-opened thanks to the efforts of the Bridge Street Foundation, the nonprofit family foundation of Kevin and Sherri Daugherty, and Broadway producer Jed Bernstein.

Since its renovation, significant productions include Terrence McNally's "Mothers and Sons" starring Tyne Daly, which moved to Broadway and was nominated for two Tony Awards, and "Misery" by William Goldman based on the Stephen King novel which also went on to a Broadway run in the 2015-16 season. Two of the Playhouse's recent productions -- "Company" starring Justin Guarini, and William Finn's "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" -- were named by Wall Street Journal to its "Best of Theatre" list for 2015. The Playhouse's productions of "Steel Magnolias" and "Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story" broke box office records in 2016. The record was broken again with its production of "Guys and Dolls" in Summer 2017. Thanks to the Bridge Street Foundation and its vision for the New Hope waterfront, the Playhouse is currently in construction as it adds a 4,000-square foot riverfront cafe and bar that will open in 2018.

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