Friday, November 19, 2010
New Harmony Theatre announces 2011 season, new faces
|
Contact for more information:
Angela Torres Managing/Marketing Director New Harmony Theatre/USI Theatres 812/465-7110 Lost in Yonkers, The 39 Steps, and Avenue X will provide a rollercoaster of emotions this summer. "These plays are recent, written during the last two decades. I love the classics, but in my first summer, I wanted to offer our audiences a look at the current theatre, even as we set about charting New Harmony Theatre's future," said Wasserman. New Harmony Theatre will start off the season with Neil Simon's Pulitzer Prize winning Lost in Yonkers. This play was part of a new phase in Simon's work. While still working in the comedic form, Simon had begun including autobiographical elements in his work, thereby moving in the direction of emotional honesty and sentimental comedy. Seen through the eyes of her two grandsons, a tough old German matriarch rules the little world of her candy store and that of her principal subject, her unmarried daughter Bella. What unfolds include some of the most compelling theatrical moments Simon ever wrote, and a play that garnered four Tony awards and a Drama Desk Award in addition to the Pulitzer. Lost in Yonkers runs June 17-19 and June 24-26. The 39 Steps, adapted by Patrick Barlow, from the novel by John Buchan, is a rollicking, fast-paced parody of the classic Alfred Hitchcock film of the 1930's by the same name. Winner of two Tony awards, it was hailed by Liz Smith of the New York Post as "the most entertaining show on Broadway." Writing for the same paper, Clive Barnes called it "riotous and marvelous." In a dazzling burst of comic mayhem, four actors play 150 roles, reproducing the fast editing and quick scene change quality of film to produce a wild 90-minute ride that carries audiences and Hitchcock to an absurd new plane. The 39 Steps runs July 8-10 and 15-17. On the heels of last season's highly successful Ain't Misbehavin', New Harmony Theatre will close the season with Avenue X, concept, book and lyrics by John Jiler, and music and lyrics by Ray Leslee. The musical recalls the early days of doo-wop music. "Before the Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync, young men of the early 60's in poor neighborhoods sang themselves into significance," said Wasserman. "They filled the air with sweet and soulful harmonies that drew on musical traditions from various ethnic sources. When I first heard this music, it took my breath away, and I was determined to bring it to our stage." In this powerful story of Italian and African-American youth in 1960s Brooklyn, New Harmony audiences born on both sides of 1960 will find their meeting point in these dazzling a capella tunes. Avenue X runs July 22-24, July 29-31, and August 5-7. All evening performances start at 7:30 p.m. and matinees begin at 2 p.m. Season tickets are $55 for adults, $50 for students and seniors (60 and over), and $46 for groups of 20 or more. Gift certificates are also available for the holiday season. New Harmony Theatre is a professional Equity theatre produced by USI. Plays are performed in the historic Murphy Auditorium located at 419 Tavern Street in New Harmony. For more information, or to make a purchase, call the box office at 812/465-1635 or 877/NHT-SHOW. |
Copyright © 2013 University of Southern Indiana. All rights reserved.