PlayhouseSquare 2011-2012 KeyBank Broadway Series Announced!
Supplemented by visual segments of Broadway productions, Gina Vernaci, the Vice President of Theatricals, announced the 2011-2012 KeyBank Broadway Series at PlayhouseSquare to a full house in the Idea Center.
Vernaci stated, “This is a season that is certain to keep PlayhouseSquare at the forefront of engaging entertainment.” She went on to indicate that the season will offer “some of the most iconic American music, high octane choreography and dramatic storytelling.”
The seven show series includes:
Oct 11-23, 2011
MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET is based on the famed recording session that brought together rock ‘n’ roll icons Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins for the first and only time. Musical numbers include: “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Fever,” “That’s All Right,” “Sixteen Tons,” and “Great Balls of Fire.” PlayhouseSquare will launch the show’s national tour with promotional and educational cooperation from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.
Nov 8-20, 2011
LA CAGE AUX FOLLES, which won three 2010 Tony Awards including the award for Best Musical Revival, is a tuneful and touching tale of one family’s struggle to stay together… stay fabulous… and above all else, stay true to themselves! Think “I Am What I Am” and you have the emotional center of the show.
Jan 17-29, 2012
HAIR, the show that changed Broadway forever, is back with a new Tony-winning production. Featuring “Aquarius,” “Let the Sun Shine In,” and “Good Morning, Starshine,” this anthem to political and social change is as relevant today as when it opened in 1968. And, yes, it will be staged with the infamous nude scene!
Feb 28-March 11, 2012
MEMPHIS, the story of the love between a white radio DJ and a black singer that bursts with explosive dancing, irresistible songs, is a tale of fame and forbidden love. Winner of four 2010 Tony Awards including Best Musical, it gained opening night Broadway reviews which stated that the show was, “The very essence of what a Broadway musical should be.”
April 10-22, 2012
THE ADDAMS FAMILY brings the weird comic characters Gomez, Morticia, Uncle Fester, Lurch, Grandmama, Wednesday and Pugsley to life in a production that is definitely not the same old song and dance musical. (Are you humming the television show’s iconic theme song?)
May 8-20, 2012
COME FLY AWAY brings together the legendary music of Frank Sinatra and the creative vision of Tony Award-winning choreographer Twyla Tharp. Fifteen dancers tell the story of four couples falling in and out of love, as an onstage big band plays, and recordings of Old Blue Eyes himself sings, “Fly Me to the Moon,” “My Way,” “New York, New York” and “Makin’ Whoopee.”
May 30-July 22, 2012
SONDHEIM ON SONDHEIM gives a close-up and personal look at Tony Award-winning composer-lyricist Stephen Sondheim by fusing interview footage and live musical numbers. Included are songs from West Side Story, Gypsy, Into the Woods, Sunday in the Park with George, Sweeney Todd, Company, A Little Night Music, and Follies. The show, which will be directed by Victoria Bussert, is being produced by the Great Lakes Theater Festival as part of their 50th anniversary season and will be presented in the Hanna Theatre.
Subscriptions to the KeyBank Broadway Series at PlayhouseSquare are now available by calling 216-830-7221 or online at http://www.PlayhouseSquare.org. The seven-show packages range from $70 to $505 per seat with a limited number of Smart Seats Time Warner Cable subscription packages available at $70.
[Addams Family photo by Joan Marcus]
From Cool Cleveland contributor Roy Berko. Berko’s blog, which contains theatre and dance reviews from 2001 through 2011, as well as his consulting and publications information, can be found at http://RoyBerko.info. His reviews can also be found on NeOHIOpal and CoolCleveland.com.
Roy Berko, who is a life-long Clevelander, is a Renaissance man. Believing the line in Robert Frost’s poem “Road Not Taken,” each time he comes to a fork in the road, he has taken the path less traveled. He holds degrees, thought the doctorate from Kent State, University of Michigan and The Pennsylvania State University. His present roles, besides husband and grandfather, are professor, crisis counselor, author and entertainment reviewer… Read Roy Berko’s complete bio here
[Click here to return to the current issue of Cool Cleveland]