Civic Theatre Sets Spring Season of Plays, Broadcasts & More

Civic Theatre of Allentown will continue its 2014-2015 season with nearly a dozen unique events. This spring, the Civic is your hub for entertainment and culture, with unique presentations on both stage and screen. This Spring, Civic will present events ranging from the visual arts ("Matitisse" From Tate Modern and Moma and "Hermitage Revealed") to science and technology, from much-loved musicals ("Showboat") to staged re-imaginings of great novels- all from the comfort of the Civic's historic 19th Street theatre.

Events will include:

· Truman Capote's Breakfast at Tiffany's now through May 16 at 7:30, with a special 2:00 matinee on Sunday, May 10-Based on Truman Capote's acclaimed novella, and NOT the classic film, Breakfast at Tiffany's comes alive on the Civic stage! This Breakfast is about friendships that may be a blip in a lifetime but that are utterly unshakeable. On the Upper East Side of New York in 1943, as World War II rages abroad, Fred, a subdued young writer from the South, meets the vivacious, wild and popular Holly Golightly, who is a BLONDE, and is quickly and quietly fascinated by her charms. Produced by special arrangement with the adapter Richard Greenberg and the Capote estate, Civic's Breakfast at Tiffany's will be the only production of this play produced anywhere this year.

· Art on Screen: Matisse: From Tate Modern and MoMa on May 11 at 7:30 pm-Hailed as the most successful exhibition in Tate Modern's history, catch "Henri Matisse: The Cut-Outs" at the Civic, featuring exclusive new footage from The Museum of Modern Art in New York. Audiences are invited to enjoy an intimate, behind-the-scenes documentary about this acclaimed exhibition with contributions from people who knew Matisse and experts such as curators, historians, Tate director Nicholas Serota, and MoMA director Glenn D. Lowry. Acclaimed British actor Simon Russell Beale brings insight and emotion to the words of Henri Matisse himself, while actor Rupert Young (Merlin) narrates. The film also features are breathtaking, specially commissioned performances by Royal Ballet principal dancer Zenaida Yanowsky and jazz musician Courtney Pine. At the intersection of all of these creative forces, Matisse: From Tate Modern and Moma is what Apollo Magazine calls "genuinely inspiring."

· Art on Screen: The Hermitage Revealed on June 1 at 7:30 pm-Filmed specifically for the cinema to celebrate the Hermitage Museum's 250th anniversary, Hermitage Revealed takes audiences on a thrilling journey through the Russian museum's tumultuous history, from imperial palace to state museum. The camera takes the point of view of an unseen narrator as it explores the museum and travels through Russian history, creating a 99-minute exploration of both the museum and the Russian history it encompasses. This cinematic experience offers unprecedented access to special collections and exclusive areas that remain hidden from the public eye, immersing the audience in some of the world's most beautiful art in high definition. Hermitage Revealed is a must-see not only because it is the first feature-length narrative film shot in a single take, but because it celebrates the intersection of art, architecture, and the culture and history of Russia.

· The 5th Annual Tony's & Tapas to benefit the Civic Theatre on June 6 at 6:00 pm-Join us for the Civic Theatre of Allentown's largest fundraiser of the year! The event features a musical performance by Civic's acting company, tapas from some of the Lehigh Valley's finest restaurants and caterers, an open wine bar, signature cocktails, live auction, and more.

· The Pirates of Penzance broadcast in HD from the English National Opera on June 9 at 7:30 pm-Guaranteed to be a major event, Mike Leigh (Palme d'Or winner & 5 times Oscar nominee) directs his first ever opera for the stage. Gilbert & Sullivan's popular comic opera features much-loved favorites including "A Policeman's Lot is not a Happy One" and "I am the Very Model of a Modern Major General." Watch as Frederic, at the completion of his apprenticeship to a group of gentlemanly pirates, searches for love and a way to do his duty in this ever-popular melodrama.

· Tim Rice's New Musical From Here to Eternity: The Musical Filmed Live in HD From London's West End on June 15 at 7:30 pm- Adapted from one of the greatest novels of the twentieth century and the source of one of Hollywood's most memorable film classics, this musical immerses its audience in the Pearl Harbor of 1941-where where the girls sing "don'cha like Hawaii," the men of G Company sing the blues, and where even on an army base, love and desire are never very far away. When the troubled Private Prewitt falls for the kind hearted escort club girl Lorene, and when his platoon sergeant, Warden, embarks on a dangerous affair with his commanding officer's wife, Karen, the lives of both men are set on a course they cannot control. As war approaches, the worlds of the four lovers and the soldiers of G Company are dramatically ripped apart.

· Grease Sing-A-Long on June 21 at 2:00 pm-If you've ever wanted to know what it's like to be a T-bird or a Pink Lady but never felt quite cool enough to pull it off, now is your chance! So don those embroidered jackets, let your inhibitions go, and get ready to burst into song because the Civic will be showing a Sing-a-Long version of everyone's favorite movie-musical. Join us to watch Danny, Sandy, and the gang finish up their last year at Rydell High in style, all while singing (and dancing) along to the lyrics on the screen.
Just remember: Grease is STILL the word.

· Stephen Sondheim's Follies In Concert on June 26 & 27 at 7:30 pm-At a reunion hosted by their former theatre, a parade of ex-showgirls with fractured pasts take the stage one last time. Surreal, sophisticated, compelling, heart wrenching and epic in scope, Follies by musical theatre legend Stephen Sondheim and author James Goldman, uses the musical theatre as a metaphor for the collapse of American innocence and naiveté in the post-Kennedy years. Inside a crumbling theatre, a group of ex-Follies who have come together for a reunion perform a number of brilliant pastiche numbers, including "Losing My Mind," "I'm Still Here," and "Broadway Baby." Amid the reminiscing, two middle-aged couples confront some unpleasant truths about their past and present, and come face to face with the future. The Civic will present this masterpiece of musical theatre in concert, emphasizing the raw emotional power that drives the show's music.

· Showboat broadcast from San Francisco Opera on June 29 at 7:30 pm- A true classic of American musical theater comes to life on the big screen in this new lavish production of Oscar Hammerstein and Jerome Kern's masterpiece, Showboat. Filmed live at the San Francisco Opera, Director Francesca Zambello's grand-scale production of Showboat is "a triumph-a stylish, fast-paced and colorful show that had the capacity audience on its feet, cheering loud and long." The Chicago Tribune lauded the show's music, in which "One memorable song follows another, each an enduring thread in the fabric of American popular culture." This magnificent score includes such classic songs as "Ol' Man River," "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man," "Make Believe" and "You Are Love."

All shows and screenings will be at Civic's historic 19th Street Theatre. These theatres are located at 527 and 514 N. 19th Street, Allentown, PA, respectively. Free parking for the shows is available along Liberty and Allen Streets near 19th Street. Civic also has arrangements with local businesses as parking sponsors. Additional free parking is available in the Wells Fargo Bank lot at 19th and Liberty; The Allentown Appliance Lot (on Allen Street), the Salvatore Pizza/Lafayette Bank lot on Allen Street; and the Silver Shears lot on Allen Street.

Ticket prices vary depending on event. Discounted tickets are available for members. For more information or to purchase tickets, find us online at www.civictheatre.com or contact the Civic's box office either in person or by phone at 610-432-8943. The box office is open Monday through Friday between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm.

Civic Theatre of Allentown is a 501c3 non-profit organization that professionally produces live community theatre, is the Lehigh Valley's longest running year-round art house cinema, and the home of the Lehigh Valley's oldest continually operated children's theatre school. More information on Civic Theatre of Allentown can be found at www.civictheatre.com.

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