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Courtney Oliver flies over Captain Hook as she plays Peter Pan in the 2003 production at Playhouse on the Square. Peter will be able to fly a lot higher at the new Playhouse.
The first show Jackie Nichols was certain would be on Playhouse on the Square's first full season in its new theater is also one of the company's most successful titles.
"We've held off doing 'Peter Pan' for the last few years because we were waiting for our new fly system," the executive producer said. "We can finally do the show the way it needs to be done."
Photo by Alan Spearman
Courtney Oliver flies over Captain Hook as she plays Peter Pan in the 2003 production at Playhouse on the Square. Peter will be able to fly a lot higher at the new Playhouse.
Going from a dangling hover to lofty new heights is not just reserved for J.M. Barrie's ageless boy. The theater itself hopes to take flight during the 2010-11 season, both technically and in terms of variety. Ten of the 17 scheduled shows are regional premieres. Another -- a Shakespeare collaboration between Opera Memphis and Playhouse -- will be a world premiere.
Nichols says classics like "Arsenic and Old Lace," which will star veteran actresses Ann Marie Hall and Irene Crist, now can be performed to higher technical standards in the new $12.5 million facility.
"Now that we have a trapped stage, we can actually have the actors walking down into a basement with the bodies," he said.
Musicals on the Playhouse season include "The Drowsy Chaperone," "Ragtime" and "Footloose."
"A Midsummer Night's Dream" in January is a new a cappella opera written by Opera Memphis' former artistic director Michael Ching.
The new Circuit Playhouse (formerly Playhouse on the Square) will feature one musical, "Grey Gardens," based the documentary about the eccentric Edith Bouvier Beale and her daughter "Little Edie."
Playhouse scrapped last year's inaugural Solo Works series for lack of an audience and will restore its two POTS @ The Works performances running at TheatreWorks, "Speech and Debate" and "Eleemosynary."
Season tickets go on sale next month. Nichols says ticket prices will increase slightly; there had been no increase this or last seasons. For more information about the productions, visit playhouseonthesquare.org.
2010-11 Playhouse on the Square Season
Aug. 13-Sept. 5: "The Drowsy Chaperone"*
Oct. 1-Oct. 17: "Arsenic and Old Lace"
Nov. 19-Dec. 23: "Peter Pan"
Jan. 21-Feb. 13: "A Midsummer Night's Dream"**
March 11-April 3: "August: Osage County"*
May 6-May 29: "Ragtime"
July 1-July 24: "Footloose"*
2010-11 Circuit Playhouse Season
Aug. 27-Sept 19: "Superior Donuts"*
Oct. 15-Oct. 31: "Black Pearl Sings!"*
Nov. 26-Dec. 23 "A Christmas Story"
Dec. 3-Dec. 23: "The Santaland Diaries"
Jan. 28-Feb. 20: "From Up Here"*
March 25-April 17: "Grey Gardens"*
May 13-June 5: "The 39 Steps"*
July 8-July 24: "Dividing the Estate"*
POTS @ The Works series
Jan. 7-30: "Speech and Debate"*
July 15-31: "Eleemosynary"
* Indicates a regional theater premiere
** Indicates a world premiere
ABOUT THE PLAYHOUSE PRODUCTIONS
Information provided by Playhouse on the Square.
"The Drowsy Chaperone"; Music and Lyrics by Lisa Lambert & Greg Morrison; book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar.
It all begins when a die-hard musical fan plays his favorite cast album, a 1928 smash hit called "The Drowsy Chaperone," and the show magically bursts to life. We are instantly immersed in the glamorous, hilarious tale of a celebrity bride and her uproarious wedding day.
"Arsenic and Old Lace": By Joseph Kesselring.
The eccentric Brewster family of Brooklyn is chock full of characters. Dealing with their antics is more than Mortimer Brewster can take while trying to make the most important decision of his life. He's got two spinster aunts that sweetly poison elderly bachelors, a brother who thinks he's Teddy Roosevelt, and he's just discovered a body under the window seat.
"Peter Pan": Music by Mark Charlap and Jule Styne; lyrics by Carolyn Leigh, Betty Comden and Adolph Green. Based on the play by James M. Barrie
Wendy, John, and Michael Darling's world is turned upside down when Peter Pan swoops into their nursery. He leads them to Neverland where they encounter the cunning and evil Captain Hook, villainous pirates, a crafty crocodile and the sprightly fairy Tinker Bell. It features classic songs such as "I Gotta Crow," "Neverland," and "I'm Flying."
"A Midsummer Night's Dream": Music by Michael Ching.
Shakespeare's classic tale of a magical world of fairies, lovers and mistaken identity is re-imagined in this world premiere a cappella opera. Featuring the music of Michael Ching, audiences are invited to experience the poetic text of Shakespeare in an entirely new way. Fall in love with beloved characters such as Puck, Bottom, Hermia, and Helena all over again in an evening filled with laughter and music. Funded in part by a grant from the First Horizon Innovation Awards.
"August: Osage County": By Tracy Letts.
One of the most critically acclaimed plays in Broadway history, "August: Osage County" is a portrait of the dysfunctional American family at its finest -- and absolute worst. When the patriarch of the Weston clan disappears, the family reunites at the Oklahoma homestead, where long-held secrets are unflinchingly and uproariously revealed. Winner of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and five 2008 Tony Awards.
"Ragtime": Book by Terrence McNally; music by Stephen Flaherty; lyrics by Lynn Ahrens. Based on the novel "Ragtime" by E.L. Doctorow.
At the dawn of a new century, everything is changing ... and anything is possible. Set in the volatile melting pot of New York at the beginning of the 20th century, "Ragtime" weaves together three distinctly American tales -- that of a stifled upper-class wife, a determined Jewish immigrant, and a daring young Harlem musician -- united by their courage, compassion and belief in the promises of the future.
"Footloose": Stage Adaptation by Dean Pitchford and Walter Bobbie. Based on the original screenplay by Dean Pitchford. Music by Tom Snow; lyrics by Dean Pitchford. Additional Music by Eric Carmen, Sammy Hagar, Kenny Loggins, and Jim Steinman.
Get ready to dance in the aisles as "Footloose" explodes onto the stage with classic '80s anthems, including "Holding Out For a Hero," "Almost Paradise," "Let's Hear It For the Boy," and "Footloose." Life in small-town Bomont is peaceful until city boy Ren arrives. Breaking every taboo, Ren brings dance back to the heart of a town held back by the memory of a tragedy. Based on the hit '80s movie, "Footloose".
ABOUT THE CIRCUIT PLAYHOUSE PRODUCTIONS
"Superior Donuts": By Tracy Letts.
Arthur Przbyszewski owns a decrepit donut shop in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago. Franco Wicks, a black teenager who is his only employee, wants to change the shop for the better. This provocative comedy, set in the heart of one of Chicago's most diverse communities, explores the challenges of embracing the past and the redemptive power of friendship.
"Black Pearl Sings!": By Frank Higgins.
In the midst of the Great Depression, Susannah Mullally travels the country, recording lost traditional songs for the Library of Congress. When she encounters Pearl Johnson in a Texas prison, she discovers dozens of musical treasures rooted in the African tradition. Pearl must decide whether to give away her ancestors' songs for a chance at her own freedom. Music unites strangers in a powerful story that illuminates America's racial divisions and the attempts of two women to bridge them.
"A Christmas Story"; By Phillip Grecian.
This Christmas Ralphie Parker is consumed with the desire for a Red Ryder BB rifle. A deceptively dangerous playground dare, an unforgettable visit with a department store Santa, and a bizarre, gaudy radio contest prize are among the vivid childhood memories told with warmth and a sleigh-load of laughs.
"The Santaland Diaries": By David Sedaris; adapted for the stage by Joe Mantello.
Following last season's hugely successful run, Crumpet, Macy's grumpiest elf, and his fellow elves will again be taking over the Memphian Room. Don't miss out on the chance to share drinks with friends as Crumpet recounts his training and his hilarious encounters with surly parents and their greedy children! With a healthy dose of sarcasm and snarkiness, Crumpet manages to reveal the shortcomings of the hustle and bustle surrounding the holidays, while gently reminding us of the true meaning of the season.
"From Up Here": By Liz Flahive.
Kenny Barrett did something that has everyone worried. He wishes he could just make it through the rest of his senior year unnoticed, but that's going to be hard since he has to publicly apologize to his entire high school. At home, his family is struggling with second marriages, surprise visits, school dances and forgotten dry cleaning. A new play about a family limping out the door in the morning and coming home no matter what.
"Grey Gardens": Book by Doug Wright; music by Scott Frankel; lyrics by Michael Korie.
Rub elbows with Edith Bouvier Beale and her daughter "Little Edie," -- Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis' most scandalous relatives! Members of Memphis' famed Beale family, they were once the highest of high society, but now the two have become East Hampton's most notorious recluses, living in a dilapidated mansion with 51 cats for company. Based on the cult classic documentary, "Grey Gardens" is a hilarious and heartbreaking look at two indomitable women. Winner of three 2007 Tony Awards.
"The 39 Steps": Story by Alfred Hitchcock; adapted for the stage by Patrick Barlow.
Hitchcock meets hilarious in this madcap comic thriller, a juicy spy story mixed with a dash of Monty Python mayhem. A young man bored with his life falls in with a mysterious woman claiming to be a secret agent and soon he's the target of a cross-country manhunt with a shadowy organization called "The 39 Steps" on his trail. Four actors take on over 150 roles in a plot packed with intrigue, international danger, an on-stage plane crash, old-fashioned romance, high-spirited comedy, and a death-defying finale!
"Dividing the Estate": By Horton Foote.
Stella Gordon is determined not to divide her 100-year-old Texas estate, despite her family's declining wealth and the looming financial crisis. But her three children have another plan. Old resentments and sibling rivalries surface as the members of this hilariously dysfunctional family go head-to-head to see who might claim the biggest piece of the pie.
ABOUT THE POTS @ THE WORKS SERIES PRODUCTIONS
"Speech and Debate": By Stephen Karam.
An aspiring teen journalist, an awkward wannabe pop star, and the openly gay new kid in town all have secrets. But when their squeaky-clean small town high school refuses to acknowledge the messy parts of being a teenager, this ragtag bunch of misfits starts an after-school Speech and Debate team to expose a possible scandal -- and sparks more debate than their high school ever bargained for.
"Eleemosynary": By Lee Blessing
"Eleemosynary" is a touching, sensitive story that examines the lives of three generations of extraordinary women. As precocious Echo single-mindedly dominates a national spelling contest, her estranged mother Artie and eccentric grandmother Dorothea must join with her in coming to terms with their mutual need and somehow summon the courage to build a life together.
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