Cohen & Davis' BRIDGES Premiere and More Set for Berkeley Playhouse's 2015-16 Season

Berkeley Playhouse at the Julia Morgan Theater proudly announces their eighth season. The ambitious season will see an increase of productions from four to six, their first "R-rated" show, a world premiere commission, the first non-musical in the company's history, and a Bay Area premiere.

The season begins in September with the naughty Avenue Q, directed by Danny Cozart, followed by the boy who wouldn't grow up, Peter Pan, directed by Berkeley Playhouse Producing Artistic Director Daren A.C. Carollo in late October. The world premiere of Douglas J. Cohen and Cheryl L. Davis' BRIDGES: a new musical will be directed by Karen Altree Piemme in February. The Addams Family, directed by Kimberly Dooley, will creep onto the Berkeley Playhouse stage in March, with To Kill a Mockingbird, also directed by Daren A.C. Carollo, opening in late April. The season closes with the Bay Area premiere of Disney's The Little Mermaid directed by Scottie Woodard.

"The 2015-2016 season represents our biggest artistic growth as a company. From our first "R-rated" show in Avenue Q and our first non-musical, To Kill a Mockingbird, we are starting a journey to bring different kinds of stories to Berkeley and the East Bay. These stories continue to reflect the diversity of the community around us. However, by expanding our programming we are reaching out to new audiences while staying committed to those audiences who have already developed a trust in us," says Berkeley Playhouse Producing Artistic Director, Daren A.C. Carollo.

To that point, Berkeley Playhouse will introduce an on-site enrichment program for youth during the performances of Avenue Q. This will allow parents to enjoy a more adult oriented show, knowing their kids are nearby and enjoying their own time at the theatre (youth under 17 wanting to attend the show will need to be accompanied by an adult). This program will be complimentary with the purchase of a ticket.

The 2015-2016 season will be presented at the Julia Morgan Theater located at 2640 College Ave., Berkeley. Season Passes ($74-$138) are now available for purchase. Single tickets ($17-$60) for most shows will go on sale in August. For ticket information, the public may visit www.berkeleyplayhouse.org or call (510) 845-8542 x351.

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THE 2015-2016 SEASON IS AS FOLLOWS:

AVENUE Q

Music and Lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx
Book by Jeff Whitty
Based on an original concept by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx

Directed by Danny Cozart

Music Direction by Michael Patrick

September 17-October 11, 2015

Opening/Press opening: September 19 (Previews: September 17 and September 19)

What if Sesame Street was written for adults? Instead of learning about numbers and letters, it was about finding your purpose in life... relationships... drinking... and internet porn? Then you'd have Avenue Q. This show beat out Wicked for Best Musical at the Tony Awards in 2004!

PETER PAN

Lyrics by Carolyn Leigh
Music by Morris "Moose" Charlap
Additional Lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green
Additional Music by Jule Styne
Based on the play by Sir James M. Barrie

Directed by Daren A.C. Carollo
Choreographed by Matthew McCoy
October 29-December 6, 2015

Opening/Press opening: November 1, 12pm (Previews: October 29 and 30)

Peter Pan won't grow up and neither should you! Invite your entire family to take off with Peter and the three Darling children as they fly away to the magical and wondrous Neverland, where they encounter the cunning and evil Captain Hook, villainous pirates, a crafty crocodile and the sprightly fairy, Tinker Bell. Audiences of all ages will enjoy this adventure-filled and whimsical ride.

BRIDGES: a new musical (WORLD PREMIERE)

Book and Lyrics by Cheryl L. Davis

Music by Douglas J. Cohen

Directed by Karen Altree Piemme

February 11-March 6, 2016

Opening/Press opening: February 13 (Previews: February 11 and 13)

BRIDGES: a new musical, a World Premiere commissioned by Berkeley Playhouse, tackles the growing pains of a multiracial family across generations. The story takes place during the winter of 1965 in Selma, Alabama and the fall of 2008 in Oakland, California - two historical seasons of activism in the ongoing struggle for equality and justice in America. BRIDGES: a new musical explores our past and our present, how far we have come and how far we still have to go.

THE ADDAMS FAMILY

Book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice

Music and Lyrics by Andrew Lippa

Based on Characters Created by Charles Addams

Directed and Choreographed by Kimberly Dooley

Music Direction by Michael Patrick

March 24-April 17, 2016

Opening/Press opening: March 26 (Previews: March 24 and 26)

They're creepy and they're kooky, mysterious and spooky, they're all together ooky, and 83 years later, they are still The Addams Family. It's a brand new story featuring your favorite characters including Gomez, Morticia, Lurch, Uncle Fester, Pugsley, and Wednesday - who's done the scariest thing a parent can imagine, she's grown up! Now a young woman, she's fallen in love and wants her family to be "normal" for one night as she introduces her new beau's parents to her own at a dinner party.

TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

Adapted by Christopher Sergel

From the novel by Harper Lee

Directed by Daren A.C. Carollo

April 28 - May 22, 2016

Opening/Press opening: April 30 (Previews: April 28 and 30)

Our first non-musical! One of America's most beloved stories follows the journey of Scout Finch whose father Atticus has been appointed to defend Tom Robinson, a black man framed for a crime he did not commit. To Kill a Mockingbird remains a stirring portrayal of both racial and family relations of its time that continues to resonate, some would argue too closely, today.

DISNEY'S THE LITTLE MERMAID (Bay Area Premiere)

Music by Alan Menken
Lyrics by Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater
Book by Doug Wright

Directed and Choreographed by Scottie Woodard
Music Direction by Rachel Robinson

June 23 - July 31, 2016

Opening/Press opening: June 25 (Previews: June 23 and 25)

Ariel has always dreamed of leaving her underwater kingdom to see what lies beyond the sea. When she falls in love with a handsome prince who lives on land, she's willing to give up everything she knows to be with him. Disney's The Little Mermaid ushered in a new era of Disney stories and was the first partnership between Disney, Alan Menken, and Howard Ashman.

YOUTH PRODUCTIONS: Berkeley Playhouse believes that kids and teens have the ability to command their own audiences. The company's acclaimed Imagination Players and Teen Stage programs give talented students the opportunity to participate in full-scale, youth-only productions of the highest quality with some of the best professional directors, choreographers, and designers in the Bay Area. Cast members of youth productions receive ongoing training in acting, voice, and movement. 2015-2016 youth productions will include: Narnia, Anything Goes, Disney's The Lion King, Jr., and Legally Blonde.

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Berkeley Playhouse's mission is to create theatre and programs that engage, ignite, and celebrate diverse Bay Area audiences through a thriving school of musical theatre, a professional main stage season, educational outreach, and a commitment to the development of new family musicals. In support of this mission, they maintain and enhance the historic Julia Morgan Theater. A commitment to community, diversity, inclusion, and empowerment is at the heart of their work.