TheatreWorks, the nationally-acclaimed theatre of Silicon Valley, opens its 39th season with the dazzling West Coast Premiere of Snapshots, the latest musical from legendary Broadway (Wicked) and Hollywood (Enchanted) composer Stephen Schwartz. Book author David Stern and composer Stephen Schwartz will be in residence at TheatreWorks to work on Snapshots with TheatreWorks founding Artistic Director Robert Kelley, who will helm the newly-revised production. Beth DeVries, who starred in the Snapshots World Premiere in 2005 at Village Theatre in Seattle, reprises her role as Sue. Also featured are Molly Bell, Brian Crum, Michael Marcotte, Courtney Stokes, and Ray Wills. Snapshots plays June 18 through July 13 (press opening: June 21) at TheatreWorks at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts. For tickets ($26-64) and information, the public may call (650) 903-6000 or visit theatreworks.org.
In
Snapshots, Sue is ready to leave Dan until she stumbles upon a box of old photos chronicling their 30-year relationship. The snapshots, which seemingly come to life, re-enact their lives as teenagers, upwardly-mobile 20-somethings, and their current mid-life crisis, prompting the couple to re-examine their life together. A bittersweet "musical scrapbook" of a marriage that's lost its way, Snapshots introduces new songs, including the title song "Snapshots" and "Making Good" (a song snipped from
Wicked during the rehearsal process), combined with some of Schwartz's most cherished hits, including "Popular" from
Wicked, "Corner of the Sky" from
Pippin, and "All Good Gifts" from
Godspell, transforming the remnants of love into the musical of a lifetime.
Stephen Schwartz (music and lyrics) began his musical career studying piano and composition at the Juilliard School of Music while in high school. Upon graduation from Carnegie Mellon, he became a producer for RCA Records, but soon began to work in the Broadway theatre. His first major song credit was the title song for the play
Butterflies Are Free in 1969, which was eventually used in the movie. In 1971, Schwartz wrote the music and new lyrics for
Godspell, for which he won several awards, including two Grammys; he followed this success in 1972 by penning music and lyrics for the Broadway musical
Pippin, followed by
The Magic Show in 1974, and
The Baker's Wife in 1976. Schwartz's next Broadway project was a musical version of Studs Terkel's
Working in 1978, which he adapted, directed, and contributed four songs, winning a Drama Desk Award for Best Director;
Personals (1985), and lyrics to
Charles Strouse's music for
Rags (1986) followed. Additionally, Schwartz wrote the music and lyrics for
John Caird's
Children of Eden (1991), and opened the hit Broadway musical
Wicked in 2003. For the silver screen, Schwartz collaborated with composer
Alan Menken on the scores for the 2007 Disney animated feature
Enchanted, which received three Academy Award nominations, and the features
Pocahontas and
The Hunchback of Notre Dame, for which he received Academy Awards. He also provided songs for DreamWorks' first animated feature
The Prince of Egypt, for which he won another Academy Award for the song "When You Believe." In 2008, Schwartz was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. TheatreWorks has enjoyed several collaborations with Schwartz, including a hit production of Working, a BATCC Award-winning production of Rags, and collaboration on the play
My Àntonia, for which Schwartz penned special music.
David Stern (book and concept) began his career working on the Broadway productions of
Miss Saigon,
Nick & Nora, and
Big; he also penned the plays
Dreams & Stuff and
Finders of Lost Luggage. He transitioned into radio by writing for NPR's The 1990's Radio Hour and migrated west to write for movies including,
Geppetto for Disney,
The Muppets Return for Henson Productions,
Wish for Dreamworks,
First Daughter for New Regency Films,
The Magic Brush for Miramax, and
Hotel Transylvania for Sony Pictures Animation. He is currently putting the finishing touches on
Geppetto and Son, the stage adaptation of
Geppetto, as well as writing a new musical, three movies, and a novel. His movie
Open Season 2 will be released in January 2009.
TheatreWorks has assembled an extraordinary ensemble for
Snapshots, including Beth DeVries, who makes her TheatreWorks debut. DeVries, who was featured in the World Premiere production of
Snapshots at Village Theatre, reprises her role as Sue. In addition to the Village Theatre, where she has appeared in numerous productions (
Barnum,
The Secret Garden,
Six Wives), DeVries' credits include roles at A Contemporary Theatre and Seattle Children's Theatre, among others. Also making his TheatreWorks debut is Broadway actor
Ray Wills as Sue's husband Dan. Wills' Broadway credits include
Wonderful Town and
The Producers, and he has appeared in productions at Manhattan Theatre Club and Circle in the Square. His numerous television credits include roles on the hit NBC drama
Law and Order, as well as turns on the daytime dramas
As the World Turns,
The Guiding Light, and
All My Children.
Portraying 20-something incarnations of Sue and Dan are
Molly Bell and Michael Marcotte. TheatreWorks veteran
Molly Bell's credits include
Merrily We Roll Along, A Little Princess, Memphis, and
Bat Boy at TheatreWorks; additional regional credits include productions at American Musical Theatre of San Jose and 42nd Street Moon. Michael Marcotte was featured in the national tours of
Mame and
South Pacific, and in The Human Race Theatre Company production of Snapshots; additional credits include productions at the Guthrie Theater.
Courtney Stokes and
Brian Crum round out the cast as the teenage Susie and Danny. Stokes appeared in TheatreWorks' World Premiere of
A Little Princess, as well as the company's acclaimed revival of
Into the Woods and productions of
A Little Night Music and
Jane Eyre. Crum was featured in the Broadway tours of
Altar Boyz and
Wicked.
TheatreWorks founding Artistic Director Robert Kelley, who helmed the company's recent multi record-breaking World Premiere musical Emma and acclaimed production of
Caroline, or Change, directs
Snapshots. Kelley earned Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Awards for TheatreWorks' productions of
Ragtime, Rags, Another Midsummer Night, the West Coast Premiere of
Jane Eyre, and the Sondheim classics
Sunday in the Park with George, Pacific Overtures, Into the Woods, and
Sweeney Todd. Additionally, he is the recipient of Bay Area Drama-Logue Awards for his direction of
Pacific Overtures, Ah, Wilderness!, and
Once in a Lifetime, and Back Stage West Garland Awards for his direction of
Side Show and
Sunday in the Park with George. Since founding TheatreWorks in 1970, Kelley has directed over 150 productions for the company.
Following the West Coast Premiere of Snapshots, TheatreWorks continues its 39th season in July with the Silicon Valley's first look at
John Patrick Shanley's gripping play
Doubt, A Parable. In August, the company presents the first post-Broadway production of the scandalously entertaining Tony Award-winning musical
Grey Gardens, followed by Pulitzer Prize-winner
August Wilson's final play,
Radio Golf. In October. Off-Broadway sensations
Brendan Milburn and
Valerie Vigoda of the rock band GrooveLily return to TheatreWorks for the holidays (in a co-production with City Theatre in Pittsburgh) with the World Premiere musical
Long Story Short in December, followed by the Regional Premieres of Tony Award-winning farceur Ken Ludwig's
Twentieth Century in January, and the sizzling Broadway hit musical
It Ain't Nothin' But the Blues in March. The Regional Premiere of
Lisa Loomer's
Distracted closes the season in April.
With nearly 10,000 subscribers and over 100,000 patrons per year, TheatreWorks has captured a national reputation for artistic innovation and integrity, often presenting Bay Area theatregoers with their first look at acclaimed musicals, comedies, and dramas, directed by award-winning local and guest directors, and performed by professional actors cast from across the country.
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