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Dayton Playhouse, Inc., one of Dayton, Ohio ’s largest and oldest community theatre organizations is proud to announce their MainStage line-up for 2007-2008. That schedule includes:
2007-2008 MainStage Series
AMADEUS
A Play by Peter Shaffer
Performance Dates: September 14-30, 2007
Audition Dates: July 9-10, 2007
PIPPIN
A Musical by Stephen Schwartz
Performance Dates: November 2-18, 2007
Audition Dates: September 17-18, 2007
NOISES OFF
A Play by Michael Frayn
Performance Dates: January 11-27, 2008
Audition Dates: November 5-6, 2007
WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?
A Play by Edward Albee
Performance Dates: February 29-March 16, 2008
Audition Dates: January 14-15, 2008
FUNNY GIRL
A Musical by Styne, Merrill, Lennart
Performance Dates: May 2-18, 2008
Audition Dates: March 3-4, 2008
In addition to those regular performances, Dayton Playhouse will offer another SeasonXtra production around the holiday season. This year’s selection is:
LITTLE WOMEN: THE MUSICAL
A Musical by Howland, Dickstein, & Knee
Performance Dates: December 14-16, 2007
Audition Dates: October 1-2, 2007
“Dayton Playhouse takes pride in our programming selections as we strive each and every year to give our valued patrons what they want to see” states Adam J. Leigh, Executive & Artistic Director. Leigh couldn’t be happier with the progress the theatre has made artistically in the 2 years he has been involved.
The MainStage series will launch September 14-30, 2007 with Peter Shaffer’s play, AMADEUS. Amadeus is a tremendously powerful meditation on the nature of artistic inspiration that cruelly inducts its own audience into the ranks of "mediocrities" -- those capable of appreciating genius without actually having it. It is both a provocation to human pride and a celebration of human potential. Amadeus makes for a memorable night at the theatre, transporting audiences back to a time when passion filled the air and life was set to the most incredible music of our classical history. The play recounts the story of Mozart’s latter years from the perspective of jealous Viennese court composer Antonio Salieri. Salieri is a talented but lackluster craftsman cursed with the ability to see that Mozart, a coarse and spoiled young man, is possessed of a truly divine gift. Feeling betrayed by the God to whom he swore fidelity as a child, Salieri sets out to foil the Almighty’s great plan and destroy His instrument. The result is one paradox after another, building to a shattering resolution with the power both to humble and glorify.
Next up, performing November 2-18, 2007 will be the return of Stephen Schwartz’s PIPPIN. The five-time Tony Award-winning musical Pippin is as pertinent today as it was when it was written three decades ago during the "Me Generation." Pippin is an exhilarating, tongue-in-cheek fairy tale that dazzles audiences with a kaleidoscope of sights and sounds. Prince Pippin, son of Charlemagne, embarks upon a quest for true fulfillment, seeking his own corner of the sky. He relishes the glories of the battlefield, savors the temptations of the flesh and embroils himself in political maneuverings. But not war, sex, revolution, or domesticity can satisfy him - or so he thinks. Stephen Schwartz's exciting pop-rock score features "Magic to Do," "Morning Glow" and "Corner of the Sky." Over the years these songs have been re-recorded by everyone from The Jackson 5 to The Supremes and Ben Vereen.
Kicking off 2008, January 11-27, will be the “funniest farce ever written”, Michael Frayn’s NOISES OFF. Michael Frayn says his inspiration for this three-act rollercoaster surfaced when he stood behind the scenes during a performance of one of his comedies and saw that the backstage chaos was considerably more comical than the action onstage. Noises Off is about a company of has-been, never-was, and wanna-be actors led by a somewhat ostentatious and strained-to-the-breaking-point director. They are touring in a typical English bedroom farce called Nothing On through the hinterlands of the outer regions of Britain (probably the equivalent of a city like Dayton , Ohio in America ). As the show progresses from one town to the next, the little romances, intrigues, and shortcomings of the cast begin to wear on them until all semblance of the play that they were rehearsing has vanished into the pandemonium of their personal and professional vendettas. Shoelaces are tied together, plates of sardines are dumped on heads, alcohol is consumed in quantity, and sexual indulgences and dabbling are revealed both onstage and off.
Playing February 29-March 16, 2008 will be the return of the Edward Albee-drama, WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?. An instant classic in its straightforward investigation of the power and viciousness of love, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is a masterpiece of language - an acutely candid and courageous exploration of the power and peril of the illusions people use to keep themselves alive. In this dramatic tour de force a night of drinking takes one ugly turn after another, as layers of deception are stripped away to their terrifying center. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? was first performed in New York in 1962. It had a stunning impact on American audiences coming from the conservative environment of the 1950's, which projected the notion of a comfortable and happy life as the measure of success. In the climate of the Cold War, Albee presents a darker and more sarcastic vision of the American dream, by depicting a marriage (actually two marriages) based on lies and illusions. The play is about the obliteration of that unhealthy dream and the liberating power of the truth.
Concluding the 07-08 season will be the classic musical FUNNY GIRL. Backstage in her dressing room at the New Amsterdam Theatre, where she is a reigning Ziegfeld star, Fanny Brice sits thoughtfully at her dressing table. Tonight Fanny's mind is on something more important than the show. Her husband will be coming home after serving a prison sentence. Now she must make a decision about their future. As she ponders her problem, the sights and sounds of her past come back to her. She remembers herself as a dream-filled teenager; awkward, unattractive but fiercely determined to get ahead in the theatre. Using her best efforts Fanny's sharp-tongued but understanding mother tries to make her come to her senses, but Fanny continues to audition and get turned down. Finally, Fanny overwhelms a vaudeville hoofer with her iron will to succeed and her steadfast self-confidence. At last she is given a chance; of course she wows the audience. Memorable musical numbers include I'm the Greatest Star, I Want to Be Seen with You Tonight, Don't Rain On My Parade, People, The Music That Makes Me Dance, Who Are You Now? and You Are Woman, I Am Man. In The Ziegfeld Follies, in Hollywood films and on the radio, Fanny Brice was one of the most celebrated entertainers of her time. This show is her story.
Due to the overwhelming success of The Wizard of Oz, the Dayton Playhouse will again offer a SeasonXtra along side their MainStage series. This year, we will present the area premier of the brand new Broadway musical version of LITTLE WOMEN, December 14-16, 2007 only. This production is not included in our 5-show subscription package, however subscribers do receive advanced tickets sales. Based on Louisa May Alcott's own family experiences (and novel), Little Women, follows the journey of Jo, Meg, Beth and Amy March as they grow up in Civil War America . The beloved tale of the March sisters is timeless and deals with issues as relevant today as when they were written. Now, this wonderful narrative has been brought to life as an exhilarating new musical filled with glorious music, an eternal spirit and everlasting heart. Little Women exemplifies the complete theatrical experience, assuring a night filled with laughter, tears, and a captivated spirit. This powerful score soars with the sounds of personal discovery, heartache and hope – the sounds of a young America finding its voice. Stories become eternal because they are significant enough to be passed down. Six Generations have read the story. This one will sing it.
The structure of our offerings remains the same. The MainStage Series is a subscription-based series. Those subscriptions go on sale beginning March 9th, 2007. The prices for all 5 productions (Amadeus, Pippin, Noises Off, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, & Funny Girl) is $65.00 for adults and $60.00 for seniors. In addition, single tickets for individual shows will see a $1.00 increase on most levels. Those prices, effective September 14, 2007 are $16.00 for adults, $15.00 for seniors, $14.00 for groups of 10 or more, and $12.00 for children 12 and under. Never before has the subscription package been such a great buy! Don’t miss your opportunity to get in on the best deal in town! Subscribe today by calling the Dayton Playhouse Box Office at (937)424-8477.
Tickets for the SeasonXtra production of LITTLE WOMEN: THE MUSICAL will be priced the same as our individual tickets: $16 for adults, $15 for seniors, $14 for groups of 10 or more, and $12 for children 12 and under. Tickets for this production will go on sale in October 2007.
Great things are happening at the Dayton Playhouse. Make your plans to join us for the best EXPERIENCE in town!
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