New Victory Theater Announces 10th Anniversary Season
By: BWW News Desk Aug. 05, 2005
The New Victory Theater is turning 10! On December 11, 1995, NYC's premier theater for kids and families forever changed the 42nd street landscape when it became the FIRST historic theater to reopen its doors. Declared "a jewel on a street of gems" by The New York Times, The New Victory Theater garnered an international reputation for "consistently raising dance, theater and performance specifically for family audiences to new levels" (New York Magazine). To date, it has showcased 129 productions (three of which have transferred to Broadway!) by 97 national and international companies. Now for its 10th Anniversary Season, The New Victory proudly presents:
· Black Grace: The powerful, all-male New Zealand dance company makes its highly anticipated NYC debut. · THE MOUSE QUEEN: London's Little Angel Theatre delivers a heart-warming, musical-puppet adventure based on Aesop's Fables.· CATHAY: THREE TALES OF CHINA: Award-winning director Ping Chong collaborates with the Shaanxi Folk Art Theatre on a world premiere that blends theater and puppetry into an incomparable spectacle.· GOLDEN DRAGON ACROBATS: Contortionists, aerialists and other daredevils set the stage a blaze in a showcase of traditional and never before seen Chinese circus acts.· BARON RABINOVITSJ: A silly, symphonic spoof of a concert where the onstage hijinks collide with an exciting original score.· THE FROG BRIDE: Celebrated storyteller David Gonzalez turns a classic Russian fairytale into a multi-media, music-filled masterpiece.ABOUT THE NEW VICTORY THEATER
With a commitment to developing theater audiences of the future, The New Victory presents a range of professional productions at affordable ticket prices (tickets range from $10 - $30 and Member tickets are only $7 - $21). In addition, it also offers daytime school performances ($2 per student), family workshops and jobs to high school and college students. Interactive Lower Lobby Activities are available to families before and after particular shows (The Mouse Queen, Baron Rabinovitsj, Comedy 4 Kids), and The New Victory provides Talk Backs with the artists after select performances. The Theater's website, www.newvictory.org, continues to be an excellent resource providing video clips and more information about each production in the season as well as theme-related activities. The 2005-06 season will also include the return of the highly praised New Vic at The Duke on 42nd Street series ? special extended programming presented at the intimate 199-seat, black box theater located at 229 West 42nd Street. This year's production is the controversial, two-man Australian drama,
BLACK GRACE
Auckland, New Zealand
September 16 - October 9, 2005 • 80 Minutes • Dance • Ages 8+
The New Victory kicks off its 10th Anniversary Season with the highly anticipated New York City debut of the Black Grace dance company. This all-male, seven-member powerhouse, of predominantly Pacific Island and Maori descent, recently thrilled dance critics and audiences alike at the distinguished Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival. Fusing contemporary styles and traditional island dances, the engaging ensemble soars, tumbles and stomps through fierce choreography with incomparable strength. Modern melodies blend with native folk music as the dancers incorporate spoken word, song and even body percussion into this dance tour de force. This Fall, Black Grace will present a dynamic program that is "startlingly fresh and full of invention, humor and infectious exuberance" (The New York Times). THE MOUSE QUEEN
The Little Angel Theatre • London, England
October 14 - 23, 2005 • 100 Minutes • Musical Puppet Theater • Ages 4+
Based on several adored Aesop's Fables, London's Little Angel Theatre presents the brand new musical puppet adventure, The Mouse Queen. In this charming toe-tapping tale, two mismatched mammals find themselves thrown together on a journey to a jungle no animal would dare inhabit…the "concrete jungle." Tilly, a tiny mouse, escapes the jaws of Leonard, the king of all beasts, by showing him a gold coin bearing the face of a ruler more powerful than he. Leonard decides he must defend his throne and confront this imposter by heading to the city with Tilly in tow. Packed with catchy songs performed by an on-stage Klezmer band, loveable characters portrayed by puppets and live actors, and a beautifully designed pop-up book-like set, The Mouse Queen is a "wonderfully imaginative" (The Guardian) soon-to-be classic. CATHAY: THREE TALES OF CHINA
Ping Chong & Company with the Shaanxi Folk Art Theatre • New York, NY and Xian, China
October 28 - November 13, 2005 • 100 Minutes • Puppet Theater • Ages 9+
In October of 2000, director/playwright Ping Chong took audiences on a mystical journey through three Japanese ghost stories in the critically acclaimed Kwaidan. Now, in collaboration with the world-class puppet artists of the Shaanxi Folk Art Theatre, the magic of "the wizard of visual storytelling" (Star Tribune) reappears in an all new triumphant triptych that spans across China's history: During the Tang dynasty, an emperor is forced to choose between his people and his one true love; amidst the horrors of World War II, a young boy struggles to survive during the Japanese occupation; and inside a modern day Chinese grand hotel, rap stars, businessmen and tourists discover a mysterious, supernatural connection between themselves and the first two stories. Incorporating the use of traditional rod, shadow and full-size puppets, theatrical innovator Ping Chong presents Cathay: Three Tales Of China in celebration of China's ancient past and tumultuous 21st Century emergence. GOLDEN DRAGON ACROBATS
He Nan Province, China
November 18, 2005 - January 1, 2006 • 120 Minutes • Circus • All Ages
The Golden Dragon Acrobats make their NYC debut with a dazzling new production created specifically for The New Victory Theater. Considered the world's leading Chinese circus, the internationally renowned company is made up of champion acrobats, contortionists and jugglers. Their thrilling new show will include a mix of never before seen stunts and time-honored Chinese circus classics including: a trio of spinning hoop riders that flip and roll across the stage; five fearless men who scale and dive between two towering poles; six synchronized Diablo jugglers that tumble, twist and twirl; and an entire team of gymnasts who join together in a heart-pounding grand finale. Having performed in over five different countries and more than 65 cities across the globe, The Golden Dragon Acrobats present a showcase of Chinese tradition 2,500 years in the making! BARON RABINOVITSJ
Het Filiaal • Utrecht, Netherlands
February 17 - 26, 2006 • 60 Minutes • Comedy Concert • Ages 5+
A routine recital of chamber music turns into the silliest symphony ever when the world famous Baron Rabinovitsj takes to the stage. Leading an orchestra of distracted, ridiculous, yet expertly trained musicians, this mad capped Maestro does his best to keep time, and his cool, while conducting his rather eccentric ensemble. The seven-member band plays a score of original music, but their onstage banter and visual jokes become the highlight of the performance: the trombonist rarely ever shows up on time; the violinist occasionally takes musical cues too literally; and the percussionist is finding it harder and harder to translate the Baron's mysterious native tongue. Concert lovers and physical comedy buffs rejoice! Baron Rabinovitsj provides "the very best of music in the funniest way you could ever imagine" (The MCC). THE FROG BRIDE
RainArt Productions, New York, NY
March 3 - 12, 2006 • 60 Minutes • Storytelling/Music • Ages 7+
He spiced up New Vic audiences with his sizzling hit Sofrito (1997) and bee-bopped his way into NYC's heart with his classic MytholoJAZZ (1999). Now, celebrated raconteur David Gonzalez presents his new exciting multimedia, musical adaptation of the classic Russian fairytale, "The Frog Princess." In The Frog Bride, David portrays all of the story's characters filling the Theater with his larger than life personae and his signature storytelling style. Backed on stage by two award-winning musicians playing everything from jazz to classical, David retells the tale of a prince who is forced to marry a frog when his arrow lands in her pond. When the prince discovers his beloved is actually a princess cursed by an evil witch, he must race against the clock to break the spell and save the girl (er, frog) before losing her forever. Staged in front of an enormous video screen showing works by Vasily Kandinsky, Italian landmarks and murky, amphibian dwellings, The Frog Bride is old-fashioned storytelling with a modern day twist. COMPLEXIONS
New York, NY
March 17 - 26, 2006 • 75 Minutes • Dance • Ages 8+
Pulsating "with energy and pure sensual heat" (The New York Times), Complexions ignites The New Vic stage with a scorching program of Company classics and a world premiere. Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson's exhilarating ensemble continues to thrill audiences with works like Pretty Gritty Suite, an homage to Nina Simone, and Higher Ground, a celebration of the joys and struggles of modern life set to the music of Earth, Wind and Fire. Showcasing a company of dynamic dancers from a variety of races, cultures and backgrounds, Rhoden's choreography pushes dance to the edge with its razor sharp pointework, lyrical floorwork, pyrotechnic leaps and soulful gestures. With this global microcosm of talent, it's no wonder why Complexions has shot to the forefront of the American dance scene.COMEDY 4 KIDS
James Campbell, London, England
March 31 - April 16, 2006 • 60 Minutes • Stand-up Comedy • Ages 5+
Known as the world's first stand-up comedian for kids, London's own James Campbell brings his fast-talking, quick-witted antics to New York's first Theater for kids and families. Without a pesky two-milk minimum, young comic fans receive a healthy serving of James' silly stories and oddball observations, including: "Do people judge animals by the number of legs they have?"; "What's the use of a middle name anyway?"; "How do you get a cow up four flights of stairs?". Direct from a successful, sold-out run at the Edinburgh Festival, the floppy haired humorist delivers with all the finesse of his comic contemporaries but free of any profanity or vulgar themes. Comedy 4 Kids is a one-man mix of sketches, wisecracks and random thoughts that elicits "squeals and squawks of delight" (Daily Telegraph) from even the toughest of hecklers. Maurice Sendak & Tony Kushner's BRUNDIBAR & COMEDY ON THE BRIDGE
Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Berkeley, CA
April 28 - May 21, 2006 • 95 Minutes • Opera • Ages 9+
Legendary illustrator Maurice Sendak (Where the Wild Things Are) and Tony Award-winning playwright Tony Kushner (Angels in America) combine their talents to restage two stirring operas that were created in response to the turbulent years preceding World War II. In Brundibar, a brother and sister join forces with some talking animals and brave kids to outwit the town's sinister organ grinder and earn enough money to buy milk for their sick mother. After being performed 55 times by the children of the Terezin concentration camp, Brundibar became a powerful protest against the Nazis and continues to inspire with its message of good overcoming evil. The second story, Comedy On A Bridge, is a comical tale about love, betrayal and the ridiculousness of war. A guarded bridge splits two warring towns, and through a series of misunderstandings, a pair of sweethearts, a businessman, his wife and a professor become trapped in the middle. Hilarity ensues as they become embroiled in a witty battle of their own. With, "catchy tunes…eye filling sets…this Sendak/Kushner double bill is superbly done" (Chicago Tribune). JPMorganChase is the corporate sponsor of Brundibar.
They soar through the air on tricked out skateboards. They rocket across the floor on illuminated rollerblades. They break dance on every inch of the theater, pushing their bodies to the limit. They are ISH ? a turbo-charged troupe that blends the high-energy of Xtreme Sports with the infectious rhythms of hip-hop to create an entirely new genre of theater. In the company's NYC debut, two 30ft quarter pipes stand on stage framing a live DJ who provides the bass heavy score. As the needle hits the record, a beat boxer appears with a mike in hand to contribute his own thumping beats. The performers then fill the stage with an unsurpassed display of dance and athleticism. Part sporting event, part theater and all adrenaline, 4-ISH is "high energy entertainment" (Saint City News)! 4-ISH is sponsored by McDonald's, 220 West 42nd Street, across the street from The New Victory Theater.
Zeal Theatre • Melbourne, Australia
January 6 - 22, 2006 • 60 Minutes • Theater • Ages 11+
Following its highly praised inaugural season, The New Victory Theater is once again presenting special extended programming at The Duke on 42nd Street. This intimate, 199-seat theater is the perfect stage for the controversial and stirring, two-man show, The Stones. Inspired by the 1994 death of an Australian motorist, Zeal Theatre's two actors shift seamlessly between adult and teen characters to bring to light the issue of adolescent competitiveness and the reckless behavior it often incites. In The Stones, a pair of teenage boys are thrown headfirst into a police investigation after a stone they kick off a freeway overpass results in a fatal car accident. Their friendship is turned upside down as the case grows into a highly publicized trial whose outcome will affect the course of their lives. Inventively staged with minimal props and live music, The Stones is "acting and storytelling at its finest; the kind of show that doesn't let you go" (The Globe).MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION
By purchasing at least one ticket to three or more shows, families automatically become Members of The New Victory. Membership privileges include a 30% discount on full price tickets, priority seating, ticket exchanges, emailed show notes and activities as well as a number of other exclusive benefits. TICKET AND BOX OFFICE INFORMATION
Member Tickets on sale now :
Web: http://www.newvictory.org
Phone: Telecharge.com at 212.563.2266
Fax: 646.562.2200
Mail:
New Victory Theater Member Services
c/o The New 42nd Street
229 West 42nd Street, 10th Floor, New York, NY, 10036-7299 In Person: The New Victory Box Office, 209 West 42nd Street (as of September 7, 2004) Single Tickets on sale beginning August 1, 2005: Member Services summer hours now through September 2, 2005:
Monday through Thursday: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm
Friday & Saturday: 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
Sunday: Closed Box Office & Member Services regular hours beginning September 6, 2005:
Sunday and Monday: 11:00 am to 5:00 pm
Tuesday through Saturday: 12:00 noon to 7:00 pm
Videos
