Boxcar Theatre Presents 'RENT BOY AVE: A FAIRY'S TALE' 7/16 - 8/9

Artistic Director, Nick A. Olivero, has tapped into a desperate and titillating underground in the world-premiere urban rock musical Rent Boy Ave.: A Fairy's Tale. Closing Boxcar's 2008-2009 season themed "fairy tales" the story follows David, a new kid to the street, and Mark, a veteran of male prostitution at the early age of seventeen. The two of them struggle to survive a nasty world littered with innocent looking old men with an indecent taboo sensibility, sharp pangs of irreconcilable hunger and a bible-thumping fishnet-wearing nun.

As a modern day Hansel and Gretel, they navigate their way through dangerous alleys and pal around with Jackie, a Little Red Riding Hood-like prostitute fighting a drug addiction to meth with a big bad wolf pimp who won't let her go. However, it doesn't take long for David to slip down the rabbit's hole and start selling drugs and eventually conspire with Jackie to kill her pimp. Mark, on the other hand, becomes engrossed by the fairy godmother nun, Sister Mercy, and escapes the embittered streets to a destiny unknown.

Nick A. Olivero co-founded Boxcar Theatre in 2005, since then he has penned eight plays for the company, including the season opener Animal Kingdom, a timely and modern fairy tale satirizing the untamed evolution of the electoral machine. His play Manners and Civility was published in the spring of 2008 and enjoyed performances at both the Eureka Theatre and the Boxcar Playhouse. His work as a director for the company has also received notable attention. His latest work Where the Sidewalk Ends, an adaptation of Shel Silverstein's poems and short stories, played to completely sold-out houses. Where the Sidewalk Ends has been hailed as "beautifully staged" with an "unusual, well-realized style of its own" (Rob Avila, Bay Guardian). Tapping into his unique imagination, Olivero "created an enchanting world that neatly captures the playfulness of Silverstein's best loved poems and stories..." (Molly Rhodes, SF Weekly).

Composing music is Bay Area veteran Michael Mohammed. Michael performs regularly in theatre and opera, and holds degrees from Columbia University (BA in Music and History/Sociology) and San Francisco Conservatory of Music (MM in Vocal Performance). As a director, he has received attention for X: The Life & Times of Malcolm X and most recently his production of Wilde Boys at the New Conservatory Theater Center, which won the 2008 Bay Area Critics Circle Award for Best Musical Production. He continues to direct for the San Francisco Conservatory of Music's Opera and Musical Theater Programs.

Tapping into this nitty gritty rockfest riddled with teenage angst is stage director Wolfgang Lancelot Wachalovsky. A graduate from University of California Santa Cruz, Wolfgang has directed several productions including The Man Outside, Bremen Freedom, and Doctor Faustus. He currently serves as the Artistic Director for Collective Theatre Productions, where he has directed No Exit and Bacchae v.3.0. His directing credits also include work with ACT, San Jose Rep, and Theatreworks.

Rent Boy Ave.: A Fairy's Tale marks Boxcar Theatre's first venture into the world of musical theatre. As the company is committed to continuously surprising their audiences (and themselves), it is only natural that a musical would make it onto their season roster. Attempting to reach younger audiences and provide fresh theatre to uninitiated theatergoers, a rock musical seemed like the perfect choice. A portion of the ticket proceeds will also be donated to a local teen shelter.

Where:
The Boxcar Playhouse
505 Natoma Street (at 6th Street)
San Francisco, CA 94103

When:
July 16th - August 9th
Previews: July 16, 17, 18, 21 at 8PM
Opening: Wed, July 22nd at 8PM
Run: Wed - Sat at 8PM; Sun at 2pm
Closing: August 9th at 2PM

Tickets and Reservations:
General Tickets: $18 - $34
Previews: $5
Special Promotion: Purchase tickets before Opening Night (7/22) and pay only $12
Phone: 415.776.1747
Web: www.boxcartheatre.org
Email: boxoffice@boxcartheatre.org

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