TheaterWorks has announced its 2018-19 MasterWorks and YouthWorks seasons. Take a look below for details:
MasterWorks:
All Shook Up
Gyder Theater
September 7-23, 2018
Book by Joe DiPietro
Inspired by and featuring the songs of Elvis Presley.
It’s 1955, and into a square little town in a square little state rides a guitar-playing young man who changes everything and everyone he meets in this hip-swiveling, lip-curling musical fantasy that’ll have you jumpin’ out of your blue suede shoes with such classics as “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Jailhouse Rock,” and “Don’t Be Cruel.”
Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde
Gyder Theater
October 12-28, 2018
Adapted by Jeffrey Hatcher
Multiple Hydes are portrayed by members of the cast in this new and shocking version of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic tale of depravity, lust, love and horror. On the fog-bound streets of Victorian-era London, Henry Jekyll’s experiments with exotic “powders and tinctures” have brought forth his other self—Edward Hyde, a sensualist and villain free to commit the sins Jekyll is too civilized to comprehend. When Hyde meets a woman who stirs his interest, Jekyll fears for her life and decides to end his experiments. But Hyde has other ideas, and so the two sides battle
The Red Velvet Cake War
McMillin Theatre
October 26 – November 11, 2018
By Jamie Wooten, Jessie Jones, and Nicholas Hope
In this riotously funny Southern-fried comedy, the three Verdeen cousins could not have picked a worse time to throw their family reunion. Their outrageous antics have delighted local gossips in the small town of Sweetgum and the eyes of Texas are upon them, as their self-righteous Aunt LaMerle is quick to point out. Having “accidentally” crashed her minivan through the bedroom wall of her husband’s girlfriend’s doublewide, Gaynelle is one frazzled nerve away from a spectacular meltdown. Peaches, a saucy firebrand and the number one mortuarial cosmetologist in the tri-county area, is struggling to decide if it’s time to have her long-absent trucker husband declared dead. And Jimmie Wyvette, the rough-around-the-edges store manager of Whatley’s Western Wear, is resorting to extreme measures to outmaneuver a priss-pot neighbor for the affections of Sweetgum’s newest widower.
A Christmas Carol
Gyder Theater
December 7-23, 2018
Adapted by Richard Powers Hardt
TheaterWorks original production of the most well-known of all Holiday classics, Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol returns. See the legendary transformation of an old miser taken on a journey of self-redemption, courtesy of several mysterious Christmas apparitions. Populated with cherished characters like Ebenezer Scrooge, Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim come to life with the magic only live theatre can create. Spend your holidays experiencing this traditional and magical production that shows us the meaning of Christmas.
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Gyder Theater
February 15 – March 3, 2019
Book by Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart, Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
The musical tells the bawdy story of a slave named Pseudolus and his attempts to win his freedom by helping his young master woo the girl next door. The plot displays many classic elements of farce, including puns, the slamming of doors, cases of mistaken identity, and satirical comments on social class. The title derives from a line often used by vaudeville comedians to begin a story: “A funny thing happened on the way to the theater”. With Music and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim the beginning of the New Year will be a riot!
The Marvelous Wonderettes
Gyder Theater
March 29 – April 14, 2019
Book by Roger Bean, Music and Lyrics by various artists
This smash off-Broadway hit takes you to the 1958 Springfield High School prom where we meet Betty Jean, Cindy Lou, Missy, and Suzy, four girls with hopes and dreams as big as their crinoline skirts! As we learn about their lives and loves, the girls serenade us with classic ‘50s hits including “Lollipop,” “Dream Lover,” “Stupid Cupid,” and “Lipstick on Your Collar.” In act two, the Wonderettes reunite to take the stage and perform at their ten-year reunion. We learn about the highs and lows the girls have experienced in the past decade and are charmed to find that no matter what life throws their way, they will conquer it together. Featuring over 30 classic ’50s and ’60s hits, The Marvelous Wonderettes will keep you smiling in this must-take musical trip down memory lane!
YouthWorks:
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
McMillin Theater
September 21-October 7, 2018
This play invites the audience to run through the hallways, backways, stairways and sneaky ways on a unique, immersive adventure. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is a thrilling, top-secret mission to infiltrate an enemy submarine and capture a deadly foe. It’s a performance the audience will never forget because you’re all knee-deep in the action! The final twist is an ending you’d never expect and a difficult choice that only the audience can make. Join us 20,000 League sunder the Sea in September!
Elf, JR.
Gyder Theater
November 9-18, 2018
Book by Thomas Meehan and Bob Martin
Music by Matthew Sklar, Lyrics by Chad Bequelin
Buddy, a young orphan, mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported to the North Pole. The would-be elf is raised, unaware that he is actually a human, until his enormous size and poor toy-making abilities cause him to face the truth. With Santa’s permission, Buddy embarks on a journey to New York City to find his birth father and discover his true identity. Faced with the harsh reality that his father is on the naughty list and that his half-brother doesn’t even believe in Santa, Buddy is determined to win over his new family and help New York remember the true meaning of Christmas.
Robin Hood
Gyder Theater
January 11-27, 2019
Robin Hood, the outlaw of Sherwood Forest, leads a merry life with his followers. Anyone who is hungry or who has no place to live is welcome in the greenwood. The citizens of the forest oppose wicked Prince John. He’s taken the place of King Richard the Lion-Hearted, who has gone to the Holy Land on a crusade. One day a caravan cuts through the wood. In the convoy is Robin’s childhood sweetheart, Maid Marian, ward of King Richard. Alas, the Sheriff of Nottingham plans to force Marian to marry the Prince in an effort to make John more acceptable to the people of England. To arms! It’s up to Robin to stop the marriage, defeat the nasty sheriff and secure Nottingham for the king’s return. It’s all done in rousing and adventurous fashion! This tale is performed here on the Gyder stage in January 2019!
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
Gyder Theater
May 3-19, 2019
Book by Linda Woolverton,
Music by Alan Menken
Lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice
Step into the enchanted world of Broadway’s modern classic, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, an international sensation that has played to over 35 million people worldwide in 13 countries. Based on the Academy Award-winning animated feature, the stage version includes all of the wonderful songs written by Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman, along with new songs by Mr. Menken and Tim Rice.
Season tickets are on sale now and are available by calling the box office at 623-815-7930. Single tickets go on sale July 1, 2018.
CLICK HERE for more information and to order tickets when available
