THE SECRET GARDEN
Book and lyrics by Marsha Norman | Music by Lucy Simon | Based on the novel by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Sept. 5 – Oct. 3, 2015 | Marx Theatre
This soaring musical version of the beloved family classic won three Tony Awards on Broadway. Ten-year-old Mary Lennox is alone in the world until she is sent to live with her inattentive uncle in his foreboding English manor. When she discovers the locked-away secrets of an abandoned garden, Mary coaxes far more than its flowers back to life. With a gorgeous score, THE SECRET GARDEN comes alive on the intimate Playhouse stage for a new generation, perfect for fans of the novel, lovers of grand-scale musicals or those discovering its delightful story for the very first time.
SEX WITH STRANGERS
By Laura Eason
Sept. 26 – Oct. 25, 2015 | Thompson Shelterhouse
Provocative, sexy and funny, SEX WITH STRANGERS playfully explores what transpires when private lives become public domain. Famous blogger Ethan finds himself snowbound with the gifted but obscure novelist Olivia. Their passion for each other is matched by their envy of the other’s career. But when their literary futures become intimately intertwined, both writers must confront the complications of reinventing themselves when the past is just a click away.
MAD RIVER RISING
By Dana Yeaton
Oct. 17 – Nov. 14, 2015 | Marx Theatre
Determined to save the land he loves, Angus Stewart escapes from his nursing home and is found hiding in the family barn. As a boy, the cantankerous 85-year-old witnessed his Ohio farmhouse wash away in the catastrophic flood of 1937. Now, the floodgates of progress are threatening to sweep it aside once again. MAD RIVER RISING flows from past to present and remembered moments in between as its unforgettable characters wrestle with the uncompromising bonds of family, responsibility and legacy. What results is a poetic, poignant and utterly captivating drama.
LOW DOWN DIRTY BLUES
By Randal Myler and Dan Wheetman
Nov. 7 – Dec. 20, 2015 | Thompson Shelterhouse
The club may be closed, but the party is just heating up! This sizzling revue finds a group of veteran musicians assembled for an after-hours jam session to swap stories and share their favorite tunes, pulled from the greatest hits of Muddy Waters, Ma Rainey, Sophie Tucker, Howlin’ Wolf, Pearl Bailey and more. Featuring nearly two-dozen smokin’ songs and non-stop riffs, these hot rhythms celebrate the bawdier side of the blues and are guaranteed to keep the theatre sultry and steamy from the first note to the last.
A CHRISTMAS CAROL
By Charles Dickens | Adapted by Howard Dallin
Nov. 25 – Dec. 30, 2015 | Marx Theatre
The Playhouse’s version of A CHRISTMAS CAROL combines faithful storytelling with spellbinding stage magic to bring to life its familiar story of a sinner given one last chance at redemption by four persuasive ghosts. Ebenezer Scrooge undergoes a miraculous Christmas Eve transformation as he views with new eyes his past, present and the possibilities of the future. As he witnesses all those who have improved his life — his first love Belle, his kindhearted employer Fezziwig, his nephew Fred and his heartily abused clerk Bob Cratchit — he realizes that it’s never too late to change his miserly ways. A Christmas Carol’s heartwarming message, hundreds of costumes and thrilling special effects help to make the show one of the Playhouse’s most popular productions each year.
NATIVE GARDENS
By Karen Zacarías
Jan. 23 – Feb. 21, 2016 | Marx Theatre
Gardens and cultures clash, turning friendly neighbors into feuding enemies in this funny world premiere by the author of The Book Club Play. Pablo, a high-powered lawyer, and doctoral candidate Tania, his very pregnant wife, are realizing the American dream when they purchase a house next door to community stalwarts Virginia and Frank. But a disagreement over a longstanding fence line soon spirals into an all-out war of taste, class, privilege and entitlement with hilarious results. NATIVE GARDENS is a comedy about good intentions and bad manners in which no one comes out smelling like a rose.
THE REVOLUTIONISTS
By Lauren Gunderson
Feb. 6 – March 6, 2016 | Thompson Shelterhouse
Four beautiful, badass women lose their heads in this irreverent, girl-powered comedy set during the French Revolution. At the height of the Reign of Terror, playwright Olympe De Gouges, assassin Charlotte Corday, activist Angelle Ogé and former queen Marie Antoinette hang out, plot murder and try to beat back extremist insanity in Paris. This world premiere fantasia by one of the country’s most exciting young playwrights considers how we actually go about changing the world.
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD
By Harper Lee | Adapted by Christopher Sergel
March 5 – April 3, 2016 | Marx Theatre
One of the most treasured novels of all time returns to the Playhouse stage for the first time in more than 20 years in this sweeping adaptation! Set in Depression-era Alabama, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD follows the precocious tomboy Scout and her brother Jem during one life-changing summer. They discover the true meaning of courage when their father, Atticus, a small-town lawyer, defends a black man accused of a crime he didn’t commit. Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize winner is a timeless and timely tale of innocence lost and honor found.
MOTHERS AND SONS
By Terrence McNally
March 19 – April 17, 2016 | Thompson Shelterhouse
From the award-winning playwright of Love! Valour! Compassion! comes a gripping new drama about change, reconciliation and what it means to be a family. Cal and his husband Will have built a happy life with their 6-year-old child. Then the mother of Cal’s former lover makes a surprise visit to their Manhattan home — 20 years after her son’s untimely death. She’s a vibrant reminder of how much and how little has changed for a generation of gay men facing a future they never imagined. A 2014 Tony nominee for best play.
SATCHEL PAIGE AND THE KANSAS CITY SWING
By Trey Ellis and Ricardo Khan
April 23 – May 21, 2016 | Marx Theatre
An exciting and inspirational new play from the creators of Fly! In the 1947 Negro Leagues, Satchel Paige is the king of baseball: a charismatic, superstar pitcher despite his advancing age. But as Jackie Robinson wraps his first historic season in the majors, Paige finds his own fame eclipsed and his desire for greater respect increasingly frustrated by the barriers all around him. A story of passion and perseverance, this jazz-infused drama paints a vivid picture of America on the brink of great change — on and off the baseball diamond.
BAD DATES
By Theresa Rebeck
April 30 – June 12, 2016 | Thompson Shelterhouse
An irresistible comedy for anyone who likes to laugh and loves a killer pair of Chanel pumps! Restaurant manager, shoe connoisseur and single mother Haley Walker is finally ready to re-enter the dating world. From the privacy of her bedroom, she relates a series of hilarious and very honest tales while preparing for, and then recovering from, one dreadful date after another. That is until a hidden shoebox full of money puts the Romanian mob and Haley’s life in an uproar. One of the most popular shows in Playhouse history, BAD DATES is certain to be the hottest date night in town!
For more information visit www.cincyplay.com
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