PIPPIN, NEWSIES, CHICAGO & More Set for National Theatre's 2014-15 Season

The National Theatre announces its 2014-15 season, which includes four Washington, D.C., premieres. The coming season's Broadway at the National features Tony® Award-winners Pippin and Newsies, both of which will play multiple-week engagements, as well asDirty Dancing - The Classic Story On Stage, which begins its North American tour in the nation's capital.

The subscription series consists of Pippin, Newsies, Dirty Dancing - The Classic Story On Stage, Chicago the Musical, Donny & Marie: Christmas at the National, and Dame Edna & Barry Humphries' The Final Farewell Tour.

Subscription packages start at $245 and are available beginning today, April 21, at www.thenationaldc.com or by calling the subscription hotline at (855) 486-2516. Group sales are also available by calling (844) 626-8090. Single tickets will go on sale later in 2014.

"We are committed to bringing quality theater to Washington," says Steve Traxler, National Theatre Group partner. "We were thrilled at how audiences embraced our inaugural season, and want to build not only on those relationships, but also on the rich history of this landmark venue."

With six Tony® Awards and 12 additional nominations between them, Pippin and Newsies come to Washington and the National directly from Broadway. The directorial work of Tony®-winner Diane Paulus is showcased at the National once again with her acrobatic reinvention of Pippin. Her revival of The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess, which received critical and popular acclaim, was part of the National's first Broadway season. Disney's Newsies, based on the film from the early 1990s, offers the song-and-dance tradition of the quintessential Broadway musical.

Dancing - dirty and otherwise - takes center stage in Dirty Dancing - The Classic Story On Stage. The social dance styles of the twist and jive meet the smooth Latin steps of the rumba and samba. Recreating those iconic dance moments from the film while infusing original movement was of paramount importance to the creative team.

Bob Fosse's stylized moves weave through the award-winning Chicago, the classic, showstopper-filled production. The longest-running American musical on Broadway sashays onto the National Theatre's stage once more, with its ripped-from-the-headlines tale of betrayal and manipulation.

The Osmond siblings ring in the holiday season with a spectacular array of music, dance, and more. Donny and Marie perform together for the first time at the National Theatre this December.

Dame Edna Everage returns next spring to chastise Washington audiences with her acerbic wit and keen observations during her farewell engagement. DC possums will have a chance to say goodbye to Dame Edna and Barry Humphries in their final tour of the States.

For additional information on the 2014-15 Broadway season at the National Theatre, please see below.

Dirty Dancing - The Classic Story On Stage
Washington, D.C., Premiere
Based on the screenplay by Eleanor Bergstein
Directed by James Powell
Choreographed by Michele Lynch
Original Choreography by Kate Champion
August 26 - September 14, 2014
The classic film is now a record-breaking live theatrical sensation. Baby and Johnny, two fiercely independent young spirits from different worlds, come together in what will be the most challenging and triumphant summer of their lives. Dirty Dancing features hit songs such as "Hungry Eyes," "Hey Baby," "Do You Love Me?," and the heart-stopping "(I've Had) The Time Of My Life."

Donny & Marie: Christmas at the National
Washington, D.C., Premiere
December 2 - 7, 2014
In the holiday tradition of the "Osmond Family Christmas" television specials, the legendary Donny and Marie invite families to celebrate the spirit of the season with them in true Osmond fashion. With a dash of Christmas spirit and their trademark show-stopping production numbers, Donny & Marie: Christmas at the National features Christmas songs and cheer plus hits from their illustrious careers all mixed with their irresistible chemistry that made them international stars. This wildly popular Christmas blockbuster has been seen by more than 125,000 fans across the country and on Broadway, whereEntertainment Weekly raved: "INSANELY ENTERTAINING. A song and dance spectacular."

Pippin
Washington, D.C., Premiere
Music and Lyrics by Steven Schwartz; Book by Roger O. Hirson
Directed by Diane Paulus
Choreography by Chet Walker
December 16, 2014 - January 4, 2015
Winner of four Tony® Awards, including Best Revival of a Musical, Pippin tells the story of a young prince on a death-defying journey to find meaning in his existence. Will he choose a happy but simple life? Or will he risk everything for a singular flash of glory? This captivating new production is directed by Tony®winner Diane Paulus (Hair, The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess), with a beloved score by Tony® nominee Steven Schwartz (Godspell, Wicked).

Chicago the Musical
Music by John Kander; Lyrics by Fred Ebb; Book by Fred Ebb and Bob Fosse
Directed by David Hyslop
Choreography by David Bushman
February 10 - 15, 2015
The record-breaking hit musical full of girls, glitz, and glamour returns to razzle dazzle Washington. With six Tony® Awards, two Olivier® Awards, and a Grammy® to its name, Chicago tells the story of Roxie Hart, a housewife and nightclub dancer who maliciously murders her on-the-side lover after hethreatens to walk out on her. Desperate to avoid conviction, she dupes the public, the media and her rival cellmate, Velma Kelly, by hiring Chicago's slickest criminal lawyer to transform her malicious crime into a barrage of sensational headlines, the likes of which might just as easily be ripped from today's tabloids.

Dame Edna & Barry Humphries' The Final Farewell Tour
April 21 - 26, 2015
Dame Edna is one of the greatest stars of the last 50 years - the "housewife superstar" has played the West End and Broadway on numerous occasions, performing to packed theaters, including the Royal Albert Hall at the "Last Night of the Poms." She has made countless appearances for the Royal Family; has many television credits including the legendary UK special A Night on Mt. Edna, as well as her own innovative chat show The Dame Edna Experience; and has played to sold-out audiences around the world. In this show, surrounded by spectacular sets and dancers, Dame Edna promises to "empower" audiences asshe meditates on the big issues of loss, gender, climate change, gay marriage, and ethnicity.

Newsies
Washington, D.C., Premiere
Music by Alan Menken; Lyrics by Jack Feldman; Book by Harvey Fierstein
Based on the original screenplay by Bob Tzudiker and Noni White
Directed by Jeff Calhoun
Choreographed by Christopher Gattelli
June 9 - 21, 2015
They delivered the papers, until they made the headlines.... Direct from Broadway comes Newsies, the smash-hit, crowd-pleasing new musical from Disney. Winner of the 2012 Tony® Awards for Best Score and Best Choreography, Newsies is filled with one heart-pounding number after another, a high-energy explosion of song and dance about the scrappy newspaper boys of Brooklyn.

Photo by Joan Marcus

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