Archive for » 2009 «
In this adaption of the fairy tale by the same name, it’s princess Aurora’s sixteenth birthday, and Flora, Fauna and Merryweather,the princess’ fairy godmothers, must use their fairy magic to save her from the spell of evil sorceress Maleficent! This classic fairytale told Disney-style has many roles for a large chorus, from King Stefan and Queen Stefanie’s Loyal Subjects toMaleficent’s slimy goons. Songs from the beloved film, including “Once Upon ad Dream,” accompany fun new songs like “Maleficent!” and “A Little Magic Now” to bring a fresh telling of the story to a new generation of kids and families.
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest is a play that premiered in 1963, one year after Ken Kesey’s bestselling novel of the same name was published. Dale Wasserman’s stage adaptation, with music by Teiji Ito, made its Broadway premiere, running through 1964. Since then, the play has had two revivals: first off-Broadway in 1971, then as a Broadway production in 2001 with Gary Sinise as McMurphy. A film version released in 1975 was based on the novel, but not on the play.
Dracula is a 1924 stage play adapted by Hamilton Deane from the novel of the same name by Bram Stoker, and substantially revised by John L. Balderston in 1927. It was the first adaptation of the novel authorized by Stoker’s widow, and has influenced many subsequent adaptations.
The original production starred Raymond Huntley as Dracula; Deane had originally intended to play the title role himself, but in the event opted for the role of Van Helsing. This production toured England for three years before settling in London. In 1927 the play was brought to Broadway by Horace Liveright, who hired John L. Balderston to revise the script for American audiences. The American production starred Béla Lugosi in his first major English-speaking role, with Edward Van Sloan as Van Helsing; both actors reprized their roles in the 1931 film version, which drew on the Deane-Balderston play.
In addition to radically compressing the plot, the play reduced the number of significant characters, combining Lucy Westenra and Mina Murray into a single character, making John Seward this Lucy’s father, and disposing of Quincey Morris and Arthur Holmwood.
Fifteen holiday stories from the international best-selling author of All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten have been crafted into an engaging evening of storytelling and song. This charming show takes a funny, heartwarming and often poignant look at the struggle to find the spirit of the holidays amid the avalanche of commercialism, stress and chaos that crashes down every December. Among the many delightful stories is one about a small immigrant child who comes trick-or-treating in a cheap Santa mask a few days before Christmas, inadvertently delivering the true meaning of the season to a grownup with a serious case of “Scroogitis;” hilarious musings about a love/hate relationship with the vibrant poinsettia that arrives in most homes every December and hangs on and on and on, long after the holidays have ended; and a beautiful, deeply moving tribute to the winter solstice, celebrating nature’s precious annual gift of rebirth.