Village Theatre Announces New Season Of The Beta Series

Village Theatre announces the third Season of the Beta Series. Built on Village Theatre's long-standing commitment to new musicals, Beta Series productions help launch promising new works into the next phase of development by providing writers with actors and an audience of smart, sophisticated, and savvy theatre-goers. Beta Series audiences are given the opportunity to provide feedback, and changes are made following every performance based on audience responses. No two shows are alike, and audiences are encouraged to attend multiple times to see the evolution of the script and score.

This Season's selection of shows will include two developmental productions with basic costuming and sets: The Passage by David Darrow, a coming-of-age mystery about a family trying to save their father's life; and Hart Island, book and lyrics by Michelle Elliott and music and lyrics by Danny Haengil Larsen, a look at social justice and the people society has forgotten. The series will also feature an advanced stage reading of The Homefront, music and lyrics by Sam Salmond and book by Jenny Stafford, a rock musical about female factory workers at the end of World War II. "These three shows are beautifully unique and tackle some incredibly relevant topics in a touching and entertaining way," said Associate Artistic Director, Brandon Ivie. "This year's Beta Series is packed with inspiring stories, powerful characters, and incredible music that may make you think, cry, or even start a revolution."

Tickets for The Passage and Hart Island are $30 ($25 for youth and senior), and the advanced stage reading of The Homefront costs $16 ($12 for youth and senior). Additional discounts are available for Village Originals members. For more information on each show, as well as becoming a Village Originals member, please call the Box Office at (425) 392-2202 or visit www.VillageOriginals.org.

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THE PASSAGE

February 15-24, 2019

By David Darrow

Directed by Brandon Ivie

Monsters lurking. Beasts to fear. And a father in danger. Stranger Things meets Pan's Labyrinth in this haunted adventure of a family struggling to save their father. A theatrical gut punch: The Passage is an inventive and surprisingly humorous new musical that is as captivating as it is unflinchingly honest. Do you have the courage to venture below? After all, it's just a basement...

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THE HOMEFRONT

An Advanced Stage Reading

March 30 & 31, 2019

Music & Lyrics by Sam Salmond

Book by Jenny Stafford

Directed by Malika Oyetimein

The earliest stages of a feminist revolution in the American workforce is at the center of this powerful and inspiring true story of strength and resilience. When World War II comes to a close and the men return home, one woman leads a movement to fight for the jobs of her fellow female factory workers. But what - and who - are they willing to give up in the fight, and what happens when loved ones get caught in the crossfire? American history, rock and roll, and feminist revolution collide in this rousing new musical.

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HART ISLAND

June 7-16, 2019

Book & Lyrics by Michelle Elliott

Music & Lyrics by Danny Haengil Larsen

Directed by Jerry Dixon

Just off the shore of New York City lies a sorrowful island that serves as a public burial ground for the lonely, forgotten, or impoverished of the city. Hart Island is an inspiring and emotional tale of an immigrant woman fighting for her child, and the unexpected compassion of a disillusioned inmate who is the only person who can help her. From the authors of Cloaked, this hauntingly beautiful new musical observes two people on the fringe of society as they change each other's lives forever.

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The Village Originals program of readings, workshops, and developmental productions represents one of the strongest commitments to new musicals in the nation, developing such musicals as Pulitzer Prize-winner Next to Normal, Tony Award-winner Million Dollar Quartet, Drama Desk Award-winner Cupid & Psyche, Stephen Schwartz's Snapshots, and the Drama Desk Award-nominated It Shoulda Been You, After the Fair, and Making Tracks. Village Theatre is one of the few resident theatres to provide regular opportunities at every step of musical development, from first table reading to full-scale premiere production. Each season, new works are included as part of Village Theatre's five-show Mainstage lineup alongside the classics. Anchored by The Annual Festival of New Musicals and the Beta Series, the Village Originals program is dedicated to the continued growth and evolution of musical theatre, and a determination that the form will remain vibrant and relevant for generations to come.

Based in Issaquah, WA, with operations in Everett, WA, Village Theatre is a leading producer of musical theatre in the Pacific Northwest. Producing entertaining, quality productions since 1979, Village Theatre has grown into one of the region's best-attended theatres, with approximately 20,000 Subscribers and 220,000 projected total attendance each season. Through its Village Originals program, Village Theatre is nationally recognized for its contribution to the development of new musicals, having supported the creation of over 160 new works to date. Village Theatre also takes pride in nurturing tomorrow's audiences through its Youth Education and Outreach programs, KIDSTAGE and Pied Piper, serving over 58,000 young people and their families annually.

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