B Street Theatre Announces 2019 Season

B Street Theatre is thrilled to announce its 2019 season, which will mark the second year in The Sofia Tsakopoulos Center for the Arts (The Sofia), on Capitol Avenue.

"B Street's second season at our new home, The Sofia, remains true to our mission of bringing theatre to everyone, which means providing a sampling of everything theatre has to offer. We're excited to present a diverse season of captivating human drama, light-hearted farce, exuberant musicals, and plenty of fresh riffs on beloved classics. A little something for everyone!" -- Buck Busfield, Producing Artistic Director

The Mainstage season will open in the Thrust Theatre with House on Haunted Hill - The Comedy! (January 8 to February 17), a hilarious adaptation of the classic 1959 horror film that starred Vincent Price. In this wild farce, an eccentric millionaire and his fourth wife invite five people to spend the night in a haunted house and whoever can last the night will win $10,000--needless to say, supernatural shenanigans ensue! This adaptation will be written and developed by the B Street Company in the style of Mark Brown's hit, Around the World in 80 Days.

Next up will be the Sacramento premiere of Lucas Hnath's acclaimed A Doll's House, Part 2 (February 26 to April 7), which picks up where the original Henrik Ibsen classic left off. After leaving her family and cultivating her own independent life, a woman must return home to face her husband, her grown daughter, and the consequences her departure has created. The Broadway production of the play received seven Tony Award nominations in 2017. B Street recently produced Hnath's The Christians on the B3 Stage to rave reviews.

Following that is the Sacramento premiere of Jeffrey Hatcher's riveting mystery thriller, Holmes and Watson (April 16 to May 26). When Sherlock Holmes supposedly plunges to his death over the Reichenbach Falls, no body can be found. This leaves John Watson with a new mystery to solve: who among three men in an island insane asylum is the real Holmes?

Kicking off the summer will be the World Premiere production of the 2018 New Comedies Festival Winner (June 4 to July 14). This play will be selected from the four finalists who will receive staged readings during the inaugural New Comedies Festival (June 28 to July 1, 2018). This year's festival finalists include more better beautiful by Robert Caisley, Small Steps by Briandaniel Ogelsby, Baby Cakes by Leila Teitleman and The Forever Question by James Christy. Audiences who attend all four readings will have the opportunity to vote on which script they would like to see produced in the 2019 Mainstage Season.

The season continues with Anna Ziegler's captivating The Last Match (July 23 to September 1), which presents a deep-dive into the minds of two tennis greats, Russia's Sergei Sergeyev and American Tim Porter, as they battle it out at the U.S. Open Semifinals. Ziegler's fast-paced story captures the intensity of professional competitors and the lengths they'll go to become the best in the world.

In the fall we'll present the musical adaptation of Allison Bechdel's Fun Home (September 10 to October 20). In the first Broadway musical with a lesbian protagonist, Bechdel explores her own coming out experiences as well as the mysteries surrounding her closeted gay father. (Book and lyrics by Lisa Kron and music by Jeanine Tesori.) Originally a graphic memoir, Fun Home won Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score in 2015.

The 2019 Mainstage Season finishes out with the World Premiere of Jack Gallagher's A Stand-Up Guy (October 29 to December 8), a one-man show packed with hilarious stories from Gallagher's life on the road as a stand-up comedian.

2019 Family Series

The B Street Theatre will also offer a four-show Family Series in the 365-seat Sutter Theatre for Children. Recently we announced the Family Series' shift to a rolling subscription, allowing patrons to begin the series at any point in the season. New subscribers can begin with our upcoming performance of Treasure Island in the October.

The 2019 Family Series Season will begin with Jerry Montoya's The Sound of Freedom: Civil Rights in America (January 15 to February 3).

Next up will be an original adaptaion of E.B. White's Charlotte's Web (March 12 to April 7), the heartwarming classic tale of the friendship between a sweet swine and a spelling spider.

Following that will be an original adaptation of T.H. White's The Sword in the Stone (October 15 to November 10), in which magical mentor Merlin and a young, not-yet-King Arthur prepare Arthur to pull the legendary sword from a stone, thus appointing him King of England.

Finally, the Family Series Season will conclude with an original adaptation of L. Frank Baum's The Wizard of Oz (November 26 to December 29). The action-packed classic quest follows Dorothy and her friends in their treacherous pursuit of heart, knowledge, courage, and home.

As a Core Member of the National New Play Network, B Street remains committed to workshopping and producing new work. In June of 2019, B Street will host their second New Comedies Festival. The festival is supported by a generous grant of collaboration funds from the National New Play Network.

In addition to theatrical programming, The Sofia is home to a variety of entertaiment such as music, dance, comedy, speakers and more. In the upcoming year, The Sofia will host the renowned Sacramento Ballet (May 2019) and musical acts presented by SBL Entertainment such as: Ottmar Liebert (February 6), Joan Osborne (February 13) and Amy Hanaiali'i (April 26).

Since opening in February 2018, The Sofia has been home to B Street Theatre's Mainstage (naming opportunity available) and the Sutter Theatre for Children--California's first year-round, professional theatre for children. In the same spirit of community from which B Street Theatre was born, Sutter Theatre opens its doors to host the performances and events of local artists, community organizations, and visiting acts. In effect, this landmark facility is becoming an entertainment hub for all of Sacramento, where locals and tourists alike can see theatre, comedy, dance, or musical acts in an intimate, professional space every night of the year. In addition, its large public lobby, classrooms, open-air courtyard, and on-site restaurant make The Sofia a true regional destination and a jewel in the heart of Midtown.

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