CLOSER THAN EVER Opens Next Thursday October 31 at Off Center Stage in Grass Valley

Beginning Thursday October 31, Sierra Stages presents CLOSER THAN EVER, a musical revue, as the final production of its fifth season. When it debuted in 1990, CLOSER THAN EVER was hailed by The New York Times as having "one of the half-dozen finest American theatre scores of the last decade." The show will play through November 24, 2013 at the Off Center Stage (behind The Center for the Arts) in Grass Valley.

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The songs, by the Broadway songwriting team of Richard Maltby, Jr. and David Shire, form an extraordinary collection of stories about ordinary people as they make their way through life. The rousing opening number, entitled "Doors", frames the evening as the cast sings about the opportunities that life places in our path and the uncertainties that those opportunities present. The audience is invited to journey with the cast through the craziness of young love, the awkwardness of dating, the joys of marriage and raising children, and the inevitability of becoming parent to your parents, as each of the songs alludes to the many choices we are faced with when it comes to relationships with friends, lovers, and family.

Most musical revues (such as Side by Side by Sondheim, A Grand Night for Singing, and The World Goes Round, each of which has been presented by Sierra Stages in prior seasons), are collections from the songwriters' existing shows. In contrast, CLOSER THAN EVER is an original creation that includes both new songs written by lyricist Maltby and composer Shire and songs that were written but not used in their book musicals. As a songwriting team, Maltby and Shire relish ambiguity in both character and situation, and their songs tell compelling stories, often with an unexpected twist at the end. The songs in CLOSER THAN EVER are melodic, inventive, and penetrating, and cover the whole spectrum from funny character numbers to moving ballads.

The Sierra Stages production of CLOSER THAN EVER features Isaias Acosta, Nancy Haffey, Kate Haight, JR Lewis, Danny McCammon, and Kim Wellman. They are accompanied by musical director Ken Getz at the Steinway and Steve Nicholson on bass. The show is directed by Peter Mason, with musical staging by Becky Browning. Set design is by Mike Edwards and lighting design is by Erin Beatie.

Performances of CLOSER THAN EVER are Thursdays at 7 PM, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM, and Sundays (November 3, 10 and 24) at 2 PM. General Admission for the preview performances on October 31 and November 1 is $15. General Admission for all other performances is discounted to $20 if purchased before November 3. Thereafter, General Admission is $25. For those audience members who prefer a specific seat location and wish to provide additional financial support for Sierra Stages, Reserved Seating for all performances is available for $35. General Admission and Reserved Seating tickets are available online at www.SierraStages.org or by calling the Sierra Stages ticket line at 530.346.3210. Tickets are also on sale at BriarPatch Co-op on Sierra College Boulevard in Grass Valley.

Sierra Stages is a tax-exempt not-for-profit community theatre with a goal to enrich the culture of western Nevada County. In its first five seasons, Sierra Stages has presented more than 20 musicals, comedies, and dramas. This year, in addition to its regular season of three fully staged productions, Sierra Stages is collaborating with the Miners Foundry Cultural Center in Nevada City to present a series of informal play readings called "Theater by the Book". The final reading in the series is THE FOX by Allan Miller, directed by Trish Adair on Wednesday November 20

For more information about CLOSER THAN EVER and Sierra Stages, visit www.SierraStages.org

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