Virginia Stage Company Announces 44th Season - CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF, THE HOBBIT & More

Virginia Stage Company has announced their 44th season as Hampton Roads' leading professional producing theatre company. Not since 2018 has VSC been able to open its doors to a fully in-house produced season, but in September of 2022, it eagerly welcomes its patrons to a full and in-person 6-show season at The Historic Wells Theatre.

This robust season of theatre will begin with the long anticipated Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof which will run September 14th - October 2nd. After beginning its casting and concept process just as the pandemic hit, VSC is thrilled to welcome this celebrated classic to the stage after a two-time postponement. Khanisha Foster, whose previous works at VSC include Disgraced and The Bluest Eye, is slated to direct. If you think you know Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, prepare to be surprised and delighted by this fresh new take on Williams' masterpiece.

The Hobbit, adapted from the original by Greg Banks, lyrics by Greg Banks & Tom Johnson, based on the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien, is the next eagerly awaited show to grace the Wells Stage. The fantastical world of Middle Earth comes alive on the Wells Theatre stage as reluctant hero Bilbo Baggins takes the audience on an epic magical adventure ensuring fun for the whole family. In partnership with Governor's School for the Arts, this masterful ensemble piece will bring theatre and fantasy literature lovers alike together under the VSC roof October 19th - November 6th. Billy Bustamante, who choreographed VSC's 2019 production of Roald Dahl's Matilda The Musical, will direct this adventurous and musical tale.

The annual holiday tradition, and VSC Season add-on favorite, A Merry Little Christmas Carol returns to the stage after its triumphant VSC debut in 2021. Beatty Barnes returns to star as everyone's favorite curmudgeon Ebenezer Scrooge. However, audiences can expect to witness new effects and theatrical magic in this upcoming production. Don't miss this heartwarming tale that reminds us that it is never too late to become our best selves, running November 30th - December 24th, 2022.

Ushering in 2023, VSC favorite Mark Shanahan returns to direct the exhilarating and exciting play The 39 Steps adapted by Patrick Barlow, from the novel by John Buchan. Mix a Hitchcock masterpiece with a juicy spy novel, add a dash of Monty Python and you have The 39 Steps, a fast-paced whodunit for anyone who loves the magic of theatre! This two-time Tony® and Drama Desk Award-winning treat is packed with nonstop laughs, over 150 zany characters (played by a ridiculously talented cast of four), an onstage plane crash, handcuffs, missing fingers, and some good old-fashioned romance! This tour de comedic force will welcome patrons into the new year from January 25 - February 12, 2023.

The laughs keep on coming as VSC ushers in the witty and poignant new comedy by Pearl Cleage, Angry, Raucous, and Shamelessly Gorgeous, running March 8 - March 26, 2023. "Remember this name," said Tom Quaintance, "Pearl Cleage is one of the premier American Playwrights. Period." When actress Anna Campbell is invited to restage her radical performance piece of re-imagined scenes from August Wilson's plays, she is surprised to learn she will not be taking center stage. A much younger entertainer will be stealing the spotlight at the new women's theatre festival. Will they be able to build a bridge between their generations, or will the curtain close on Anna's career?

Tom Quaintance will once again put on his director's cap and join the talent of Norfolk State University Theatre Company for William Shakespeare's Henry V. From Shakespeare's repertoire of famous history plays comes the story of two kingdoms, a young king, and an epic battle within the Hundred Years' War. "This story is about an English king from 600 years ago by a playwright from 400 years ago, but I felt connected to the humanity of this story. It changed me. It has some of the most thrilling language in the canon," said Tom Quaintance. This will be NSU Theatre Company's sixth time bringing their world-class skill to the Wells Theatre stage and their first time under the direction of VSC's very own Producing Artistic Director. The closing production of the 44th Season will run April 19 - May, 2023.

In case six shows just weren't enough, Virginia Stage Company will offer a special add-on performance of a new biographical musical, No Fear and Blues Gone: Nina Simone, to be directed by recent VSC stage actress Kathryn Hunter-Williams, seen in Every Brilliant Thing. This 90-minute, one-woman show features the Jazz legend and Civil Rights activist when she returns to present times to address certain events in her life, answer questions and leave her audience with a unique perspective on dealing with fear and current events in our world today. Featuring some of Ms. Simone's greatest hits including "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood," "I Wish I Knew How it Would Feel to Be Free," "Feeling Good," and "Young, Gifted and Black". This closing add-on to conclude the season will run May 10 - 14, 2023.

SEASON MEMBERSHIPS

Subscription packages can be purchased by calling the Box Office at (757) 627-1234 Monday through Thursday from 10am - 3pm or online.

Early renewal is now available for current members, and will be available until June 30th, 2022. Current members will receive information on their renewal in the mail, or can call the box office to request an update on their package. For information on your renewal, or to renew online, visit www.vastage.org/instructions.

New Season subscriptions will be available to the general public beginning June 20th, 2022. New subscriptions run from $110 - $250 and are subject to change based on your desired seats and performance dates. Note that A Merry Little Christmas Carol and No Fear and Blues Gone: Nina Simone are add-on performances and as such are not included in the membership price. Tickets to an add-on performance are $50.00 per ticket per show, with children tickets available to A Merry Little Christmas Carol at $25.00 per ticket.

Virginia Stage Company is Southeastern Virginia's leading theatre destination, serving an audience of over 58,000 annually, both at the Wells Theatre and throughout the community. Virginia Stage Company's mission is to "enrich, educate, and entertain the region by creating and producing theatrical art of the highest quality."

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