WEST SIDE STORY and MAMMA MIA! Added to Hillbarn Theatre's 2018-19 Season

Hillbarn Theatre, the Peninsula's premier theatre company, announced that it has added crowd-favorite musicals WEST SIDE STORY andMAMMA MIA! to its 2018-19 season. WEST SIDE STORY will open the season, runningAugust 30 - September 16, 2018, and MAMMA MIA! will replace the previously announced closing show, THE WEDDING SINGER, running May 9 - 26, 2019.

In WEST SIDE STORY, Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is transported to New York City as two young, idealistic lovers find themselves caught between warring street gangs, the "American" Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks. Their struggle to survive in a world of hate, violence and prejudice is one of the most innovative, heart-wrenching and relevant musical dramas of our time.

With a book by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein, and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, WEST SIDE STORY features some of Broadway's most iconic songs, including "Something Coming," "Maria," "America," "Somewhere," "Tonight," "I Feel Pretty," and "One Hand, One Heart."

The original 1957 Broadway production ran for 732 performances and was nominated for six Tony Awards including Best Musical, winning for Best Choreography and Best Scenic Design. The 1961 musical film, directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins, won ten Academy Awards including Best Picture.

This production is generously sponsored by Atria at Foster Square, an upscale senior residence in Foster City. The thoughtfully designed community offers independent living, assisted living and memory care, and a lifestyle centered on connection and well-being.

MAMMA MIA! tells the hilarious story of a young woman's search for her birth father on a Greek island paradise. On the eve of her wedding, her quest brings three men from her mother's past back to the island they last visited 20 years ago.

With music and lyrics from ABBA members Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus and a book by Catherine Johnson, this five-time Tony Award-nominated musical is the 8th longest-running Broadway musical and has been seen by more than 60 million people worldwide. It features ABBA hits including the titular "Mamma Mia," "Money, Money, Money," "SOS," and "Dancing Queen." In 2008, it was adapted for film with a cast including Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, and Pierce Brosnan.

WEST SIDE STORY and MAMMA MIA! join a dynamic season which includes the "funniest farce ever written," NOISES OFF; Alan Menken and Lynn Ahren's lavish and thrilling holiday musical, A CHRISTMAS CAROL; Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler's bloody-fun musical thriller, SWEENEY TODD; and a comic play where love and fortune intertwine, LEADING LADIES.

All performances will be held at Hillbarn Theatre, (1285 East Hillsdale Blvd. Foster City). Subscriptions ($210 - $336) are on sale now at hillbarntheatre.org or by calling 650.349.6411.

2018-19 SEASON

WEST SIDE STORY
August 30 - September 16, 2018
Press night: Friday, August 31, 2018

West Side Story is one of the most memorable musicals and greatest love stories of all time. Arthur Laurents' book remains as powerful, poignant and timely as ever. The score by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim is widely regarded as one of the best ever written. The world's greatest love story takes to the streets in this landmark Broadway musical that is one of the theatre's finest accomplishments.

Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is transported to New York City as two young, idealistic lovers find themselves caught between warring street gangs, the "American" Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks. Their struggle to survive in a world of hate, violence and prejudice is one of the most innovative, heart-wrenching and relevant musical dramas of our time.

NOISES OFF
October 11 - 28, 2018
Press night: Friday, October 12, 2018

Hailed as "the funniest farce ever written," Noises Off presents a manic menagerie of itinerant actors rehearsing a flop called Nothing's On. Doors slamming, on and offstage intrigue, and an errant herring all figure in the plot of this hilarious and classically comic play.

Winner! 1982 Olivier Award, Best Play
Winner! 1982 London Evening Standard Award, Best Comedy
Nominee! 1984 Tony® Award, Best Play
Nominee! 1984 Drama Desk Award, Best Play

A CHRISTMAS CAROL
November 29 - December 16, 2018
Press night: Friday, November 30, 2017.

Broadway heavy hitters Alan Menken (Disney's Beauty and the Beast, Disney's The Little
Mermaid, Little Shop of Horrors) and Lynn Ahrens (Ragtime, Seussical, Once on This Island), breathe fantastic new life into the classic tale with a lavish and thrilling musical adaptation.

Ebenezer Scrooge is a prosperous curmudgeon who believes that personal wealth is far more valuable than the happiness and comfort of others. With an infuriated "Bah! Humbug!" Scrooge summates his feelings of Christmas tidings and charitable giving, but he's forced to face his selfish ways when three ghosts on Christmas Eve lead him through his Past, Present and Future. Thanks to their guidance, Scrooge recognizes his faults and greets Christmas morning with a cheerful "Happy Christmas" before spending the day reconnecting and sharing love with those that mean the most to him.

SWEENEY TODD
January 24 - February 10, 2019
Press night: Friday, January 25, 2018.

The winner of eight Tony Awards, including 'Best Musical,' Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler's Sweeney Todd is a tasty, thrilling, theatrical treat that has simultaneously shocked, awed and delighted audiences across the world.

An infamous tale, Sweeney Todd, an unjustly exiled barber, returns to nineteenth century London, seeking vengeance against the lecherous judge who framed him and ravaged his young wife. The road to revenge leads Todd to Mrs. Lovett, a resourceful proprietress of a failing pie shop, above which, he opens a new barber practice. Mrs. Lovett's luck sharply shifts when Todd's thirst for blood inspires the integration of an ingredient into her meat pies that has the people of London lining up... and the carnage has only just begun!

LEADING LADIES
March 7 - 24, 2019
Press night: Friday, March 8, 2019.

In this hilarious comedy by Ken Ludwig-the award-winning playwright of Lend Me A Tenorand Moon Over Buffalo-two English Shakespearean actors, Jack and Leo, find themselves so down on their luck that they are performing "Scenes from Shakespeare" on the Moose Lodge circuit in the Amish country of Pennsylvania. When they hear that an old lady in York, PA is about to die and leave her fortune to her two long lost English nephews, they resolve to pass themselves off as her beloved relatives and get the cash. The trouble is, when they get to York, they find out that the relatives aren't nephews, but nieces! Romantic entanglements abound, especially when Leo falls head-over-petticoat in love with the old lady's vivacious niece, Meg, who's engaged to the local minister. Meg knows that there's a wide world out there, but it's not until she meets "Maxine and Stephanie" that she finally gets a taste of it.

MAMMA MIA!
May 9 - 26, 2019
Press night: Friday, May 10, 2019.

A five-time Tony Award-nominated musical, more than 60 million people worldwide have fallen in love with the characters, the story and the music that make Mamma Mia! the ultimate feel-good show.

ABBA's hits tell the hilarious story of a young woman's search for her birth father. This sunny and funny tale unfolds on a Greek island paradise. On the eve of her wedding, a daughter's quest to discover the identity of her father brings three men from her mother's past back to the island they last visited 20 years ago. The story-telling magic of ABBA's timeless songs propels this enchanting tale of love, laughter and friendship, creating an unforgettable show with a large cast, non-stop laughs and explosive dance numbers. A mother. A daughter. Three possible dads. And a trip down the aisle the audience will never forget!

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