Sierra Stages to Wrap Fifth Season with CLOSER THAN EVER, 10/31-11/24

Sierra Stages concludes its fifth season with a seldom-performed jewel of the American musical theatre--CLOSER THAN EVER--an enjoyable musical revue with a surprisingly large amount to say. The show plays from October 31 through November 24, 2013 at the Off Center Stage (behind The Center for the Arts) in Grass Valley.

The songs in CLOSER THAN EVER are by the Broadway songwriting team of Richard Maltby, Jr. and David Shire. In an evening rich with moments, each song is a self-contained story about relationships and their beginnings, middles, and possible endings. The stories range from friendships to unrequited love, from dating to divorce, and from parenting your children to parenting your parents. Yet, throughout, CLOSER THAN EVER generates a warm glow, as we see ourselves and our lives in the songs and situations unfolding on stage.

The Sierra Stages production of CLOSER THAN EVER features six of Nevada County's most accomplished musical theatre performers: 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.

"CLOSER THAN EVER is in many ways the perfect musical for Nevada County," according to director and Sierra Stages board president Peter Mason. "The songs in the show are bound to resonate with those of us who have reached middle age (or beyond), as well as those of us who enjoy a fulfilling evening (or afternoon) of musical theatre. The songs are funny, insightful, moving, and always entertaining. Songwriters Maltby & Shire share with Stephen Sondheim (Into the Woods, Company, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum) an affinity for intelligent lyrics and ambiguous dramatic situations, and at the same time, every song is chock full of emotion and takes you on a personal journey."

"CLOSER THAN EVER is the perfect show to complete Sierra Stages' fifth season," Mason said. "We started this year with an exploration of love and commitment in the Shakespeare comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream. We then dropped in on an eclectic group of 20-somethings who were struggling to find their purpose in life in the Tony Award-winning musical Avenue Q. With CLOSER THAN EVER, we focus on a more mature set of individuals and the challenges they face as they make their way through life. We are proud to continue to offer the community a diverse selection of locally produced plays and musicals that entertain, educate, and challenge our audiences and, at the same time, provide local actors, musicians, directors, designers and technical staff an opportunity to create theatrical magic. We hope that audiences will find all of our productions to be both entertaining and enlightening, and invite everyone to come along with us on our journey."

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 only $15. General Admission for all other performances is discounted to only $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 two readings in the series are DRACULA by Steven Dietz, directed by Jac Royce on Wednesday October 23 and 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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