Season 2008-2009

Ozma Of Oz: A Tale In Time is a contemporary original play loosely based upon characters from L. Frank Baum's Ozma Of Oz. This modern fantasy explores the relationship between a now teenaged Dorothy and her elderly Uncle Henry. Dorothy and Uncle Henry are on a cargo ship headed to Australia. Uncle Henry is excited about the adventure but Dorothy is only there to take care of her Uncle. Suddenly a violent storm arises and they are swept away to the land of Oz where they encounter Tic Toc, the time machine, Princess Langwidere and her many heads, Ozma, the leader of Oz plus Wheelers, Rock People, The Gnome King and more and of course a Giant Chicken!

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.

For Thelma Cates it is an ordinary Saturday night like any other in the world until her daughter Jesse’s announcement transforms it into the most important night of their lives. Critics have lauded this two-person Pulitzer Prize winning drama for its emotional honesty and realistic dialogue.

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?

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!

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.

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.

Red vs. the Wolf retells the classic story of Little Red Riding Hood, but from the Wolf's point of view. The Wolf is tired of being known all over the world as the bad guy, especially since he is really kind and thoughtful. After refreshing the audience's memory regarding the "traditional" rendition of the story, the Wolf tells it like it really happened. This hilarious version of the story will show young audiences that there are two sides to every story.

“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.

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.

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.

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.