Bay Area Musicals Announces 2018-2019 Season

Bay Area Musicals (Matthew McCoy, Founder & Artistic Director, and AeJay Mitchell, Managing Director) has announced the show titles for its upcoming fourth season. The 2018-2019 season will include Tony Award-winning Best Musical CRAZY FOR YOU (November 10 - December 16, 2018), Tony Award-nominated VIOLET (February 16 - March 17, 2019) and Tony Award-winning Best Musical HAIRSPRAY (July 6 - August 11, 2019). CRAZY FOR YOU and VIOLET will perform at San Francisco's Alcazar Theatre (650 Geary Street, San Francisco, CA 94103) and HAIRSPRAY will perform at San Francisco's Victoria Theatre (2961 16th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103). Subscriptions to the 2018-2019 season are available now at www.bamsf.org.

"As I began planning our fourth season," said Founder & Artistic Director Matthew McCoy, "I wanted to look back at the past three years and see what we had accomplished, what did our audiences most enjoy, and what was something new I could bring to the table. After 42nd STREET won "Best Choreography" from the SFBATCC (San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle), I wanted to open with another show-stopping dance show that was lively, with a similar heartful of love and laughter. Nothing fits that particular bill better than CRAZY FOR YOU, which includes many beloved Gershwin songs. For our second production, however, we wanted to present a show that had a truly unique and different sound. VIOLET, from the Tony Award-nominated composer of FUN HOME, uses bluegrass, folk, and country twang to spin a touching tale of a Civil Rights-era romance between a white woman and African American soldier. I was struck by the healing power of VIOLET's story, as characters confront their inner demons with beauty and grace. Rarely performed - and featuring the perfect mix of eclectic orchestrations and intimate theatrical storytelling (with only eleven actors) - VIOLET is sure to move and inspire Bay Area Musicals' audiences. Finally, we wanted to close our fourth season with a bona fide Broadway blockbuster that would leave our audiences humming and dancing. No show does that better than the Tony Award-winning musical HAIRSPRAY - its 1960s-set fable is as relevant today as it was when it opened on Broadway sixteen years ago. Our fourth season will be truly unmissable, and the best way to enjoy it all is to subscribe today. Join us for an unforgettable theatrical journey, beginning fall 2018!"

Bay Area Musicals' 2018-2019 season features:

Tony Award-Winner (Best Musical, Best Choreography)
CRAZY FOR YOU
Music by George Gershwin
Lyrics by Ira Gershwin
Book by Ken Ludwig
Directed and Choreographed by Matthew McCoy
Musical Direction by Jon Gallo
November 10 - December 16, 2018

"CRAZY FOR YOU uncorked the American musical's classic blend of music, laughter, dancing, sentiment and showmanship with a freshness and confidence rarely seen during the C decade . . . Crazy for You scrapes away decades of cabaret and jazz and variety-show interpretations to reclaim the Gershwins' standards, in all their glorious youth, for the dynamism of the stage."
-The New York Times

Winner of the Tony and the Olivier Awards for Best Musical, CRAZY FOR YOU has wowed audiences on Broadway, the West End and around the world, reimagining classic Gershwin songs into a hilarious new book musical. The show-stopping production will be an intimate version of the large-scale musical featuring the original Tony Award-winning choreography of Susan Stroman, recreated by Director/Choreographer Matthew McCoy.

A zany rich-boy-meets-hometown-girl romantic comedy, CRAZY FOR YOU tells the story of young New York banker Bobby Child, who is sent to Deadrock, Nevada, to foreclose on a rundown theatre. In Deadrock, Bobby falls for spunky Polly Baker, the theater owner's daughter. But Polly takes an instant dislike to the city slicker, so Bobby vows - through cunning, razzmatazz, and a hilarious case of mistaken identity - to win Polly's heart and save the theatre. Memorable Gershwin tunes from the score include "I Got Rhythm," "Naughty Baby," "They Can't Take That Away from Me," "Embraceable You," "But Not for Me," "Nice Work if You Can Get It," and "Someone to Watch Over Me."

Nominated for 4 Tony Awards
VIOLET
Music by Jeanine Tesori
Book and Lyrics by Bryan Crawley
Directed by Matthew McCoy
Musical Direction by Jon Gallo
February 16 - March 17, 2019

Inspired by Doris Betts' short story The Ugliest Pilgrim.

The multi-award-winning musical VIOLET follows a scarred woman as she embarks on a cross-country bus trip to be healed by a minister and discovers the true meaning of beauty along the way. The themes of strength, love, awareness, and growth make VIOLET the perfect second production for Bay Area Musicals' fourth season.

As a girl, Violet was struck by a wayward axe blade when her father was chopping wood, leaving her with a visible scar across her face. With enough money finally saved she's traveling across the Deep South in 1964 towards a miracle - the healing touch of a TV evangelist who will make her beautiful. Although she may not succeed in having the scar on her face healed, Violet is able to repair those scars that are lying deeper than her skin. Her powerful story is told through show-stopping anthems (ranging from American-roots to folk and gospel).

The World Premiere 1997 Off-Broadway production of VIOLET won the Drama Critics' Circle Award and Lucille Lortel Award for Best Musical, and the revised version that debuted on Broadway in 2014 was Tony-nominated. Featuring a score from Tony-winning composer Jeanine Tesori (CAROLINE, OR CHANGE; THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE; SHREK; FUN HOME) and book and lyrics by the acclaimed Brian Crawley (A LITTLE PRINCESS), VIOLET has been astounding critics and audiences alike for over two decades.

Winner of 8 Tony Awards (including Best Musical)
HAIRSPRAY
Music by Mark Shaiman
Lyrics by Scott Wittman and Mark Shaiman
Book by Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan
Directed and Choreographed by Matthew McCoy
Musical Direction by Jon Gallo
July 6 - August 11, 2019

Based on the 1988 John Waters film

The 1950s are out, and change is in the air! HAIRSPRAY, winner of eight Tony Awards (including Best Musical) is a family-friendly musical, piled bouffant-high with laughter, romance and deliriously tuneful songs. The perfect closer to Bay Area Musicals' fourth season!

It's 1962 in Baltimore, and the lovable plus-size teen, Tracy Turnblad, has only one desire - to dance on the popular "Corny Collins Show." When her dream comes true, Tracy is transformed from social outcast to sudden star. She must use her newfound power to dethrone the reigning Teen Queen, win the affections of heartthrob, Link Larkin, and integrate a TV network... all without denting her 'do!

Cast and creative teams for all productions will be announced at a later date. Subscriptions are available now at www.bamsf.org.

About Bay Area Musicals!

Bay Area Musicals (BAM!) is a professional, non-profit theatre organization dedicated to presenting the highest-caliber of musical theatre in San Francisco. Founded in 2014, the Company strives to stimulate and inspire the San Francisco Bay Area community through high-caliber musical theater ranging from familiar classics to challenging new works; to produce professional musical theater at accessible ticket rates; and to engage the community through performance, outreach, and educational opportunities. For more information, visit www.bamsf.org.

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