The Raleigh Little Theatre 2008-2009 Season
Ozma of Oz: A Tale of TimeBy Susan Zeder July 18–27, 2008 Dorothy Gale reluctantly accompanies her eccentric Uncle Henry on his lifelong dream voyage to Australia. They are blown off the boat to Oz, a land where there is no time. Unwittingly, they activate Tic Toc and time begins in Oz. Their adventures lead them to Bill, a giant wisecracking chicken, the wacky Wheelers, the vain and vicious Langwidere, and finally to the wonderfully wise Ozma. Ozma rescues Uncle Henry from the lair of the volcanic gnome King, and teaches Dorothy to look beyond Uncle Henry’s outward signs of aging to recognize his true competence, energy and worth. Director: Linda O'Day Young Hot MikadoBook and lyrics adapted by David H. Bell. August 8–31, 2008 Musical. Gilbert & Sullivan’s comedic opera meets the big band sound of Gene Krupa. The town square of Titipu resembles the Cotton Club of Harlem in the 1940s; zoot suits are cut from the silk of Japanese kimonos; and the Three Little Maids from School sound just like the Andrews Sisters. Nanki-Poo has fallen in love with Yum Yum, but she’s been promised to the Lord High Executioner. Flirting is punishable by beheading; fortunately, executions are few and far between. When the Mikado, the “biggest cat” of Japan (and tap master extraordinaire), comes to town to investigate, true love triumphs. Director: Haskell Fitz-Simons ’night, MotherBy Marsha Norman September 12–28, 2008 Drama. “I didn’t want you to save me. I just wanted you to know ...tonight is private, yours and mine.” This Pulitzer Prize-winning two-person drama takes a deeply personal look into the lives of Jessie Cates and her Mama, Thelma, on what seems like an ordinary Saturday night. Jessie’s announcement that she intends to commit suicide at the end of the evening sparks an intense dialogue between mother and daughter. Secrets spill out, and stark realizations are forced into the light. Director: Jess Gephart DeathtrapBy Ira Levin October 10–26, 2008 Comedy/Mystery. Broadway’s longest-running comedy-thriller serves up plenty of clues about stage murder and treachery. But can you figure out which are real and which are merely tricks? This entertaining game of cat and mouse is constantly changing. Levin’s enigmatic adventure is so full of surprising twists and turns that each time you think you’ve found the answer, it slips through your fingers. The final curtain falls begging the question: How far will someone go to achieve a hit play? Director: Haskell Fitz-Simons BunniculaBy Jon Klein; Music by Chris Jeffries November 7–23, 2008 Musical. It was a dark and stormy night ...everything was going well for Chester and Harold, the Monroe family’s cat and dog, until Bunnicula showed up. Could this sweet little bunny actually be a vampire? Bunnicula is a comedic family tale about acceptance, with a side order of mystery. Told from the perspective of the family’s song and dance team, a very cautious cat and daft dog, this musical is entertaining for audiences of all ages. Protect your vegetables! Director: Kathleen Rudolph Cinderella XXVBased on a Fairy Tale by Charles Perrault December 12–21, 2008 Musical. Raleigh Little Theatre proves again that dreams really can come true. The beautiful lass-who-lost-her-slipper makes her 25th annual appearance in hopes of finding her Prince Charming. This beloved fairy tale, retold in the style of English pantomime, has been delighting audiences in the Triangle area for a quarter century. Combine elegant costumes and magical scenery with song and dance, conniving steprelatives with a zany Fairy Godmother, and you have all of the ingredients for holiday cheer. Director: Haskell Fitz-Simons The Prime of Miss Jean BrodieBy Jay Presson Allen (Screenplay writer for Marnie, Deathtrap and Cabaret) February 13 – March 1, 2009 Drama. A story about acceptance, life, love and betrayal. At the staid Marcia Blaine School for Girls in Edinburgh, a charismatic school teacher is passionate in the application of her unorthodox teaching methods and in her dedication to her girls. The time is the 1930s, and Miss Brodie seems unaware that her admiration for Mussolini and Hitler might be considered unacceptable. When her illicit affairs with two male teachers are revealed, she finds herself fighting to keep her job. Through it all, she believes in the unwavering support of her favorite pupils, with fatal consequences. Director: Haskell Fitz-Simons Wiley and the Hairy ManBy Susan Zeder March 13–29, 2009 “Outwit the Hairy Man three times and he won’t scare you ever again,” promises Wiley’s mother, the best conjure woman in the backcountry. This African American tale follows the young fatherless boy and his faithful Hounddog on their adventure into the swamp where Wiley learns to rely upon his own wit and conquers two villains – the Hairy Man and his own fear. The magic of this play is not fairy dust – it is the earth and mud of the mysterious Tombigee Swamp. Director: Linda O'Day Young Lend Me A TenorBy Ken Ludwig April 10–26, 2009 Comedy. A madcap backstage farce. The great Italian tenor and ladies’ man Tito Merelli (Il Stupendo to his fans) is scheduled to perform the part of Othello for the Cleveland Opera Company. The action takes place in the star’s upscale Cleveland hotel suite before the show. Entrances and exits get tangled up with mishaps and mistaken identities, complete with lots of slamming doors. Winner of two Tony Awards, including Best Play in 1989, an Outer Critics Circle Award and a nomination for England’s prestigious Olivier Comedy of the Year Award. Director: TBA Side by Side by SondheimMusic and Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim May 8, 9, 15 & 16, 2009 Musical Revue. A tribute to composer-lyricist Stephen Sondheim, featuring some of his best known shows: Company, Follies, A Little Night Music, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Anyone Can Whistle and Pacific Overtures, with additional music from West Side Story and Do I Hear a Waltz. Director: TBA Bread & Puppet TheaterMay 22, 23 & 24, 2009 A big brass band, papier-maché and slapstick! The creations of puppet master Peter Schumann are spectacular characters of all kinds and sizes, animating masks and inhabiting landscapes from the four corners of the world. The Bread and Puppet Theater is one of the oldest nonprofit, self-supporting theatrical companies in the country. Schumann founded Bread and Puppet in 1962 on New York City’s Lower East Side. The Theater is now an internationally recognized company that champions a visually rich, street-theater brand of performance art. Visit the concessions area or bring your own picnic for a fun family outing in the outdoor amphitheatre located adjacent to the rose garden on the Raleigh Little Theatre Complex. CabaretBook by Joe Masteroff June 5-28, 2009 Musical. Welcome to the Kit Kat Klub! On the eve of the rise of the Nazi party in 1929, a young American writer falls in love with a dangerously exciting British dancer at a late night dance hall in Berlin. This provocative musical is conducted by the Emcee, who serves as a social commentator on 1930s Germany and doubles as the master of ceremonies. Winner of 12 Tony Awards, including Best Musical in 1967 and Best Revival in 1997, four Outer Circle Awards and four New York Drama Critics Circle Awards. Director: Haskell Fitz-Simons
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