San Jose Rep Kicks Off 2014-15 Season With World Premiere of THE 12 Tonight

San Jose Repertory Theatre kicks off its 2014-2015 season, with two world premieres, a mix of new work and reimagined classics and larger than life characters sizzling with international flair for a theatrical journey that spans more than 2,000 years, multiple continents and spectacularly diverse music.

Partnering with one of the Broadway producers of the hit musical, Jersey Boys, San Jose Rep kicks off its season with the new rock musical, THE 12 (TONIGHT, Aug. 28 - Sept. 21). This world premiere by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Robert Schenkkan (Kentucky Cycle) and award-winning composer Neil Berg will rock San Jose Rep's stage before its anticipated journey to the Great White Way. Directed by Richard Seyd, this world premiere musical tackles one of the most powerful stories in history with terrifying honesty, grit and extraordinary, heart-pounding music.

It's off to the south of France where Pablo Picasso dazzles with brilliance in Herbert Siguenza's (Culture Clash) spectacular performance as the first rock star artist in A Weekend with Pablo Picasso (Oct. 16 - Nov. 9), directed by Todd Salovey. The holiday welcomes the return of Producing Artistic Director Rick Lombardo's critically-acclaimed staging of the timeless tale, A Christmas Carol (Nov. 26 - Dec. 24).

January takes audiences to the stormy moors of Yorkshire to join lovers Heathcliff and Cathy in Associate Artistic Director Kirsten Brandt's gripping adaptation and world premiere of Wuthering Heights (Jan. 22 - Feb. 15).

It's back to London to encounter the formidable Lady Bracknell (starring the hilarious Danny Scheie) holding court in The Importance of Being Earnest (March 26 - April 19). Lastly, audiences will be whisked away to Paris, the City of Lights, for the remarkable collection of Jacques Brel's French-style cabaret music in Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris (July 2 - July 26), directed by Rick Lombardo, with musical direction from Dolores Duran-Cefalu.

"Each season we embark on an extraordinary journey together - this year's explorations are of epic proportions. We'll travel back to biblical times and around the world to meet fascinating, bigger than life personalities," said Rick Lombardo, San Jose Rep's Producing Artistic Director. "This year's season is full of international intrigue and fantastically diverse music with two world premieres, a mix of new work and reimagined classics and a new rock musical planned for Broadway. I'm also excited to introduce our audiences to new award-winning actors and directors and welcome back Bay Area favorites," added Lombardo.

(The sixth slot following The Importance of Being Earnest will be announced this spring.)

San Jose Rep's 2014-1015 season runs from August 28, 2014 through July 26, 2015. Season packages are on sale now. Packages range from $112 to $414 for six and seven play packages. All tickets for individuals 30 years old or younger are 50% off the regular ticket price and must be purchased by calling the box office. Season tickets can be purchased at www.SJRep.com, by calling 408-367-7255, or at the Box Office located at 101 Paseo de San Antonio in downtown San Jose.

Rick Lombardo (PRODUCING ARTISTC DIRECTOR) is in his sixth season as Artistic Director at San Jose Rep where his productions have included The Snow Queen, The Death of the Novel, Disconnect, God of Carnage, A Christmas Carol, Spring Awakening, Love in American Times, The Dresser, Black Pearl Sings!, The Weir and As You Like It. He was previously the artistic director for 13 seasons at New Repertory Theatre in Boston and in 2009 was awarded the Norton Prize for Sustained Excellence from the Boston Theater Critics Association for his work. His more than thirty productions there included award-winning productions of The Clean House, Sweeney Todd, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, A Streetcar Named Desire, Ragtime, and Waiting for Godot. His production of Bill W. and Dr. Bob enjoyed an extended run off-Broadway.

His work has also been seen at the Kennedy Center, Arena Stage, Arizona Theatre Company, New York City's Town Hall, Opera Boston, Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater, The Actors Shakespeare Project, Porthouse Theater, and The Berkshire Theatre Festival, among others. He was co-director of the theatre program at Fordham University's College at Lincoln Center and founding artistic director of the off-Broadway Stillwater Theatre Company in New York. He is an Executive Board member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society and a Senior Fellow with the American Leadership Forum Silicon Valley.

San Jose Rep is the flagship theatre of San Jose and the only fully professional, non-profit theatre company in the South Bay, presenting seven main-stage productions each year. Now in its 34nd year as a major contributor to the South Bay's cultural community, San Jose Rep's mission is to engage, entertain, and inspire people. San Jose Rep produces innovative theatrical performances that offer fresh perspectives into the human condition, educational programs that promote lifelong learning, and outreach initiatives that benefit our diverse community. For more information, visit www.SJRep.com.

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