Te Elizabeth. Pennsylvania theatre group to prersent two mainstage and four youth theatre productions during the coming season.
ANNIE, JR– September 14-17, 2023
(Presented by The Penguin Project at Mon River Arts)
Based on the famous comic strip and adapted from the Tony Award-winning Best Musical, with a beloved book and score by Tony Award winners Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin, Annie JR. features everyone’s favorite little redhead in her very first adventure.With equal measures of pluck and positivity, little orphan Annie charms hearts despite a next-to-nothing start in 1930s New York City. Annie is determined to find the parents who abandoned her years ago on the doorstep of an orphanage run by the cruel Miss Hannigan. Annie eventually foils Miss Hannigan’s evil machinations, finding a new home and family in billionaire Oliver Warbucks, his secretary, Grace Farrell, and a lovable mutt named Sandy.Directed by Samantha Mitchell
OLIVER!– October 6-8, 13-15, 2023
(A Mainstage Production)
Consider yourself at home with Lionel Bart’s classic musical based on the Charles Dickens novel Oliver Twist. The Tony and Olivier Award-winning show is one of the few musicals to win an Academy Award for Best Picture. It is widely hailed as a true theatrical masterpiece by actors and audience members alike. The streets of Victorian England come to life as Oliver, a malnourished orphan in a workhouse, becomes the neglected apprentice of an undertaker. Oliver escapes to London and finds acceptance amongst a group of petty thieves and pickpockets led by the elderly Fagin. When Oliver is captured for a theft he did not commit, the benevolent victim, Mr. Brownlow, takes him in. Fearing the safety of his hideout, Fagin employs the sinister Bill Sikes and the sympathetic Nancy to kidnap him back, threatening Oliver’s chances of discovering the true love of a family. Oliver! is a musical theatre masterpiece, perfectly showcasing the talents of a large ensemble cast as they bring these classic characters and score to life.Directed by Shawn and Chelsea Conway
MEAN GIRLS, JR.- November 16-19, 2023
(A Youth Theatre Production)
Cady Heron may have grown up on an African savanna, but nothing prepared her for the wild and vicious ways of her strange new home: suburban Illinois. How will this naïve newbie rise to the top of the popularity pecking order? By taking on The Plastics, a trio of lionized frenemies led by the charming but ruthless Regina George. Cady and her friends devise a “Revenge Party” to end Regina’s reign, with Cady going undercover as an aspiring Plastic. When the lines between the real Cady and her Plastic self get blurred, she must find her way back to herself and her true friends.This musical is packed with keen wit, an undeniably catchy score, and a sincere message for everyone.Directed by Erin Kesser
FINDING NEMO, JR.– March 21-24, 2024
(A Youth Theatre Production)
Marlin, an anxious and over-protective clownfish, lives in the Great Barrier Reef with his kid Nemo, who longs to explore the world beyond their anemone home. But when Nemo is captured and taken to Sydney, Marlin faces his fears and sets on an epic adventure across the ocean. With the help of lovable characters such as optimistic Dory, laid-back sea turtle Crush, and the supportive Tank Gang, Marlin, and Nemo overcome challenges on their journey to find each other and themselves. Featuring memorable songs such as “Just Keep Swimming,” “Fish Are Friends Not Food,” and “Go With the Flow,” Finding Nemo JR. brings a vibrant underwater world to life on stage in a story full of family, friendship, and adventure. Directed by Emily Palma
FIDDLER ON THE ROOF– May 10-11, 16-19, 2024
(A Mainstage Production)
Winner of nine Tony Awards when it debuted in 1964, Fiddler on the Roof is the brainchild of Broadway legends Jerome Robbins and Harold Prince; songwriters Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick; and book writer Joseph Stein. This universal show is a staple of the musical theatre canon, touching audiences worldwide with its humor, warmth, and honesty,
Set in the little village of Anatevka, the story centers on Tevye, a poor milkman, and his five daughters. With the help of a colorful and tight-knit Jewish community, Tevye tries to protect his daughters and instill them with traditional values in the face of changing social mores and the growing anti-Semitism of Czarist Russia. Rich in historical and ethnic detail, Fiddler on the Roof’s universal theme of tradition cuts across race, class, nationality, and religion barriers, leaving audiences crying tears of laughter, joy, and sadness. Directed by Art Deconciliis
TICKETS AND DETAILS:
Performances are at the Grand Theatre in Elizabeth, PA. Tickets go on sale six weeks before each show’s opening night. Details at: http://www.monriverarts.org/shows.html
Categories: Season Listings
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