Our 2009/10 Season
A NEW COUNTRY MUSICAL
TINYARD HILL
By Tommy Newman and Mark Allen
World Premiere
Tinyard Hill, Georgia is a small town partial to old-time music and new-forged dreams, especially for a handsome young blacksmith hammering out a living at the historic smithy his family has owned for generations. When an out-of-this-world beauty and an out-of-the-blue draft notice arrive within days, his life is turned upside down. Set in the ’60s to a foot-stompin’ country-pop score, this feisty new musical tells of family, fortune, patriotism, and romance in an era of irresistible change. Tinyard Hill received its Original Developmental Full Production at Red Mountain Theatre Company, Birmingham, AL.
July 15–August 16, 2009
Lucie Stern Theatre, Palo Alto
A SATIRICAL SELF-PORTRAIT
YELLOW FACE
By David Henry Hwang
Regional Premiere
A revealing backstage comedy from the Tony Award-winning author of M Butterfly, this ferociously funny, utterly unreliable memoir chronicles David Henry Hwang’s struggle to define racial identity in the mixed-up melting pot of contemporary America. Part fact, part fiction, provocative yet full of heart, this Obie Award winner is a tale of cultural politics, family fortunes, and artistic integrity, an insightful look at the pitfalls and promise of our “P.C.” world. Broadway star Francis Jue recreates his award-winning performance. Contains mature language. “Wickedly funny…a brilliant play.” –The Hollywood Reporter
August 26–September 20, 2009
Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts
A CLASSIC TALE OF FAMILY AND FRIENDSHIP
THE CHOSEN
By Aaron Posner and Chaim Potok
Based on the novel by Chaim Potok
Warmth, wisdom, and generosity illuminate the unlikely friendship of two Jewish teenagers from very different worlds who grow to manhood in the post-war turbulence of 1940’s Brooklyn. Discovering in one another a portal to new ideas and unexplored worlds, each must chart his course through a sea of conflicting expectations. This now-classic story of fathers and sons, faith and family, transcends ideology to reveal the universal connections of the human spirit. “Spellbinding…pure magic.” –Chicago Sun-Times
October 7–November 8, 2009
Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts
AN AMERICAN MUSICAL CELEBRATION
A CIVIL WAR CHRISTMASBy Paula Vogel
West Coast Premiere
This glorious tapestry of the American experience weaves fact and fiction, old-time carols, and traditional tunes into a whimsical saga of a country longing for new hope. Set on a snowy Christmas Eve in Washington, 1864, it imagines celebrated figures from Lincoln and Whitman to John Wilkes Booth rubbing elbows with colorful characters drawn from every strata of society. Created by Pulitzer Prize-winner Paula Vogel, it is a heartwarming holiday feast for the entire family. “Elegance, humor and a touch of the poet...The Best Play of the Year” –The Hartford Courant
December 2–27, 2009
Lucie Stern Theatre, Palo Alto
A NEW MUSICAL ROMANCE
DADDY LONG LEGS
Book by John Caird
Music and Lyrics by Paul Gordon
Based on the novel by Jean Webster
World Premiere
Directed by John Caird
In the must-see event of the year, the composer of TheatreWorks’ triumphant hit Emma joins the Tony Award-winning director of blockbuster Les Misérables to create a glorious new musical romance. Set in turn-of-the-century New England, it is the story of Jerusha Abbott, a talented orphan sent to a prestigious college by an anonymous benefactor she knows only as “Daddy Long Legs.” Revealed through witty, wistful letters, her journey to self-sufficiency, education, and romance chronicles the emergence of a delightfully independent American woman. Co-World Premiere with Rubicon Theatre Company
January 20–February 14, 2010
Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts
A COMIC CONFECCIÓN
SUNSETS AND MARGARITAS
By José Cruz González
West Coast Premiere
Papa Candelario is losing his grip! Once a neighborhood hotspot, his Mexican restaurant has lost some fire, and his overly-assimilated family is spinning out of control. His son has visions of the Virgin, his sassy granddaughter is dating a girlfriend, and half the community has joined the immigration march outside. What’s a man to do? This tasty premiere is a comic confección with a heart of pure gold. Delicioso! “Great comic gusto...it has a big heart.” –The Denver Post
March 10–April 4, 2010
Lucie Stern Theatre, Palo Alto
A STUNNING AMERICAN DRAMA
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRDDramatized by Christopher Sergel
From the novel by Harper Lee
Timeless, compassionate, unforgettable, this Pulitzer Prize-winning classic resonates across the decades, inevitably finding its place in the human heart. Seen through the enquiring eyes of Scout, a young tomboy learning the hard truths of prejudice and privilege in Depression-era Alabama, this endlessly engaging tale of heartache and joy, innocence and integrity, finds the search for family, justice, and common ground the defining test of the American character. “Terrific, gripping...Now is the time to discover—or rediscover—this American classic.” –The Hartford Courant
April 7–May 2, 2010
Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts
A PLAY WITH STRINGS ATTACHED
OPUSBy Michael Hollinger
Regional Premiere
An internationally famous string quartet finds both harmony and dissonance in this smart, funny, and compelling study of artistic passion. Forced to find a new member just days before an appearance at the White House, they are caught in a crescendo of talent and personality, their collaboration tested and their art insecure. A behind-the-scenes look at the world of great music, this intriguing “dramedy” proves that making art and living life have many a measure in common. “Absorbing…engrossing…and juicy.” –The New York Times
June 2–27, 2010
Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts
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