Ocean State Theatre Company Announces 2017-18 Season

Ocean State Theatre Company (OSTC) is thrilled to announce that its sixth season in its comfortable, stadium style theatre located at 1245 Jefferson Boulevard in Warwick, will open with the five-time Tony Award-winning musical, Titanic: The Musical.

"Get ready to meet some amazing characters next season - many of whom will be found in the new ensemble version of Titanic, which will launch our sixth season," said Amiee Turner, Producing Artistic Director. "This adaptation was created by one of the original Broadway cast members and will allow us to stage what was originally a technically daunting piece, without diminishing the gripping story of the ocean liner's maiden voyage and its tragic demise."

Come aboard the "Ship of Dreams" in the Tony Award-winning musical about the only voyage of the famous ocean liner. The epic Maury Yeston and Peter Stone musical, Titanic, tells the stories of the passengers and crew aboard the legendary steamer. Spanning all classes, Titanic: The Musical captures a broad range of humanity: from workers in the boiler room to first-class attendants, from the poorest passengers, who scraped together their life savings to purchase third-class tickets, to some of the wealthiest of the Victorian age. Full of memorable characters based on the real men and women on the ship, Titanic tells the tragic story with a compassionate book, intelligent lyrics, and soaring melodies.

Titanic: The Musical will be presented from September 20 - October 15, 2017.

Peter Shaffer's Tony Award-winning play Amadeus follows the unexpected and intertwined history of the music of composers Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri. In the late eighteenth century, Salieri is the established composer in the court of the Austrian Emperor Josef. Enter Mozart, the greatest musical genius of all time. While Salieri has given himself to God, so that he might realize his singular ambition to be a great composer, Mozart is a foul-mouthed, graceless oaf who also embodies that which is beyond Salieri's envious grasp: Genius. Blindingly jealous of Mozart's brilliance and resentful of his own mediocrity, Salieri secretly rejects God and begins to work tirelessly to destroy his rival's career.

Amadeus will be presented from October 25 - November 12, 2017.

OSTC will present the winner of the 1991 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and four-time Tony Award-winner, Lost in Yonkers, written by America's greatest comic playwright, Neil Simon, in late January. During the Second World War, two Young Brothers are sent to live with their formidable grandmother in Yonkers. A refugee and widow, Grandma Kurnitz has steeled her heart against the world and her coldness and cruelty have crippled her children. The boys' father lacks self-esteem, their Aunt Gert suffers from a nervous speech impediment, their uncle has become a petty gangster, and their warm and bubbly Aunt Bella, who has never quite grown up, is hungry for experience and starved for affection. This funny and poignant family grapples with a painful family scar - what happens to children in the absence of love.

Lost in Yonkers will be presented from January 24 - February 11, 2018.

The world's longest-running musical, The Fantasticks, is a timeless tale of young love, filled with a score beloved by generations. This sweet and romantic musical is about a boy who loves a girl, and their two fathers, who plot to keep them apart. The narrator, El Gallo, asks the audience to use their imagination and follow him into a world of moonlight and magic, where the young lovers become disenchanted, but finally find their way back to each other and discover a more mature, meaningful love. At the heart of its breathtaking poetry and subtle theatrical sophistication is a purity and simplicity that transcends cultural barriers. The result is a timeless fable of love which manages to be nostalgic and universal at the same time.

The Fantasticks will be presented from February 28 - March 18, 2018.

How far from elementary the truth can be! Comedic genius Ken Ludwig (Lend Me a Tenor, Moon Over Buffalo) transforms Arthur Conan Doyle's classic The Hound of the Baskervilles into the murderously funny adventure, Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery. The male heirs of the Baskerville line are being exterminated one by one. Does a wild hellhound prowl the moors of Devonshire? Can our heroes discover the truth in time? Watch as our intrepid investigators try to escape a dizzying web of clues, silly accents, disguises, and deceit as five actors deftly portray more than forty characters to find their ingenious killer. Full of humor, horror and magic - Holmes and Watson must brave the desolate moors before a family curse dooms its newest heir.

Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery will be presented from March 28 - April 15, 2018.

Rounding out the season is one of the most popular musicals in the world, Hairspray. Welcome to 1960s Baltimore, where Tracy Turnblad, a big girl with big hair and an even bigger heart, has a big desire to dance on the popular local TV dance program, "The Corny Collins Show." When her dream comes true, Tracy is transformed from social outcast to sudden star, but she must use her newfound power to vanquish the reigning Teen Queen, win the affections of heartthrob Link Larkin, and integrate an entire TV network - all without dentin' her 'do! Winner of eight Tony Awards, including Best Musical, this big fat Broadway sensation is filled with show-stopping tunes including "You Can't Stop the Beat," "Without Love" and "Good Morning Baltimore."

Hairspray will be presented from April 25 - May 20, 2018.

"As we get closer to the beginning of the season, we will be announcing numerous special events, the continuation of our Piano Bar Series, a delightful holiday production, and our Family Fun Fest." said Ms. Turner.

Previews for all productions are scheduled for Wednesday at 7:30 pm, Thursday at 2:00 and 7:30 pm and Friday at 7:30 pm. Opening weekend performances will be held on Saturday at 7:30 pm and Sunday at 2:00. All other performances will be held Thursday through Saturday evenings at 7:30 pm, as well as select Wednesday evenings and Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 2:00 pm. The theatre is located at 1245 Jefferson Boulevard, Warwick, RI. Preview performances will be $34.00 for plays and $39 for musicals. All other performances will be $34.00 - $49.00 for plays and $39.00 - $59.00 for musicals. Discount rates for groups of 10 or more will also be available.

Subscriptions for the 2017-18 Season are now available. For the coming season, subscribers can enjoy discounted rates with several different subscription options:

The 6-Show, 3-Play and 3-Musical Subscriptions allow subscribers to choose from the best seats in the house before they go on sale to the public, secure the same choice seats for each show, save over single ticket pricing, renew the same seats annually and exchange seats up to 24 hours in advance for a small fee. Prices range from $85 - $255.

The Flexible Passport and Pick-4 Combo provide the ultimate in flexibility by either including six "seats" which can be used in any combination or choosing specific seats for any four productions. The choice is yours! The Flexible Passport and Pick-4 Combo allow patrons to enjoy most subscriber benefits, choose from the best seats in the house before they go on sale to the public, and save over single ticket prices.

Season ticket subscriptions are available for purchase at the box office Monday through Friday 12:00 noon - 6:00 pm and Saturday from 12:00 noon - 4:00 pm. (The box office is also open until curtain time on performance days.) Tickets are available online anytime at OceanStateTheatre.org and via telephone during normal box office hours by calling (401) 921-6800.

Single tickets for the 2017-18 Season will go on sale to the public beginning June 5, 2017.