MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET, PETER PAN, THE LARAMIE PROJECT and More Set for Palo Alto Players' 2017-18 Season

Palo Alto Players, the Peninsula's first theatre company, announces its 87th season - "The World Turned Upside Down" - featuring the Bay Area regional premiere of the Tony-nominated musical MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET.

The 2017-18 line-up, beginning September 2017, was unveiled Saturday, January 28 by Artistic Director Patrick Klein at the company's annual Season Announcement Party and includes MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET, PETER PAN, THE LARAMIE PROJECT, ROCK OF AGES, and THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER.

All performances are held at the Lucie Stern Theater located at 1305 Middlefield Road in Palo Alto. Subscriptions are on sale now online at www.paplayers.org or by phone at 650.329.0891. Individual tickets for the September show go on sale in August and for the remaining season beginning in October.

Palo Alto Players' 87th season kicks off in September 2017 with the Bay Area regional premiere of MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET, the musical inspired by the famed recording session with four legendary rock 'n roll icons, followed in November with the beloved, fairytale musical PETER PAN. In January 2018, the company presents THE LARAMIE PROJECT, a play based on real events surrounding the town of Laramie, Wyoming's reactions to the 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard. It will be "nothing but a good time" in April 2018, with the South Bay premiere of the 80s rock musical, ROCK OF AGES and closing the season in June 2018 is the great American classic THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER, starring Gunn High School drama teacher and local star, Jim Shelby.

"It's always a thrill to unveil our five-show lineup each year, and this year may just be the most thrilling of all!" says Palo Alto Players' Artistic Director Patrick Klein. "I've selected five big, bold titles - two of which have never been produced by any Peninsula theatre company. These titles will not only inspire and entertain our growing audience, but also keep pushing the limits of our company to be daring in production, all while honoring our past and those that continue to support our 87-year-old organization. If you feel like you live in a world turned upside down these days, then you'll love what we have in store for the upcoming season."

In addition to the five mainstage productions, the company announced an all-new staged reading companion series, five one-night-only events to complement the mainstage shows, beginning in the 2017-18 season. "We will be taking relatively unknown theatrical pieces that match the tone and theme of our mainstage productions and present them as staged readings." says Klein. "The events will be presented free to the public, as we seek to expand and enhance our patrons' experience at Palo Alto Players." Dates and play titles will be announced in the coming months.

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In chronological order, Palo Alto Players' 2017-18 season is as follows:

Legends aren't born. They're made.

MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET

September 16 - October 1, 2017 (preview September 15)

Book by Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux

Original Concept and Direction by Floyd Mutrux

Inspired by Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins

MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET is the high voltage Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, inspired by the phenomenal true story of the famed recording session where Sam Phillips, the "Father of Rock 'n' Roll," brought together icons Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins for one unforgettable night of musical magic. Come inside the famed Sun Records recording studio for a night of rockabilly ruckus that explodes off the stage, featuring 21 timeless hits including "Blue Suede Shoes," "Sixteen Tons," "Great Balls of Fire," "I Walk the Line," "Fever," and "Hound Dog."

Do you believe?

PETER PAN

November 4 - 19, 2017 (preview November 3)

Musical Based on the Play by James M. Barrie

Lyrics by Carolyn Leigh

Music by Mark Charlap

Additional Music and Lyrics by Jule Styne, Betty Comden and Adolph Green

Just in time for the holidays! Fly along with that mischievous sprite to the second star to the right and straight on 'til morning, but watch out for the loony lost boys, precocious pirates, and a carnivorous crocodile along the way. One of Broadway's most beloved musicals, PETER PAN has more than a sprinkling of Tinker Bell's fairy dust to muster its magic, with unforgettable songs including "I Won't Grow Up" and "I Gotta Crow." Our annual family offering will surely "hook" all those who truly believe!

Hate is not a Laramie value.

THE LARAMIE PROJECT

January 20 - February 4, 2018 (preview January 19)

by Moisés Kaufman

and the Members of Tectonic Theater Project

When Matthew Shepard was brutally murdered in 1998, the residents of Laramie reacted to the anti-gay hate crime and surrounding media storm with anger, bewilderment, and sorrow. Their reactions were recorded by Moisés Kaufman and members of Tectonic Theater Project, and masterfully spun into a piece of theatre as important today as it is relevant. THE LARAMIE PROJECT portrays the seismic and deeply personal impact Matthew's death had on the small town of Laramie, Wyoming, while also demonstrating the power of the human spirit to triumph over bigotry and violence. Join us as we revisit Matthew's story on the 20th anniversary of his death.

Nothin' but a good time.

ROCK OF AGES

April 28 - May 13, 2018 (preview April 27)

Book by Chris D'Arienzo

Arrangements and Orchestrations by Ethan Popp

We're going back to a sexier time - The Reagan Era - and the party has been raging hard in Hollywood. Aqua net, Lycra, lace, and liquor flow freely at one of the Sunset Strip's last legendary rock venues. Amidst the madness, aspiring rock star (and perspiring janitor) Drew, a boy from South Detroit, longs to become the next Bon Jovi. He gets his chance, but not before falling for a small town girl, Sherrie. But all good times must come to an end...or must they? One of the longest running shows in recent Broadway history, the Tony nominated ROCK OF AGES features 28 eyebrow-scorching hits from Journey, Styx, Poison, and many other monster bands of the 80's.

On the menu: Penguins, convicts, and criticism.

THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER

June 16 - July 1, 2018 (preview June 15)

By Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman

A noted radio personality and egotistical tyrant, SheriDan Whiteside, slips and falls on the steps of the Stanley family residence. He's forced to spend several weeks of recuperation, wreaking havoc and mischief on the lives of everyone he comes in contact with. Join the Stanleys as ex-convicts are invited to meals, transatlantic calls bring a $784 phone bill, penguins take residence in the library, an octopus moves into the cellar, 10,000 cockroaches take over the kitchen... and then there's the mysterious mummy case. We're thrilled to welcome back our friends from the Gunn High School community and local star Jim Shelby as Sheridan to present this great American classic on the Lucie Stern stage!

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For more information or to purchase season subscriptions, visit the company online at www.paplayers.org, by phone at 650.329.0891, or in person at the Box Office at the Lucie Stern Theater located at 1305 Middlefield Road in Palo Alto, Tuesday-Thursday 11am-4 pm PT. Early bird subscriptions prices (starting at just $125 for all five productions) are available through May 14, 2017. Prices increase after May 14. Special discounts for seniors, educators, military and patrons under 30 are also available. Some restrictions may apply. In addition to significant savings, subscribers receive other benefits such as priority seating, free ticket exchanges, discounts on the purchase of additional single tickets, and invitations to special events.

In cooperation with The City of Palo Alto, Palo Alto Players performs at the Lucie Stern Theater located at 1305 Middlefield Road in Palo Alto, California. Use of this facility is made possible through support from The City of Palo Alto, Community Services Department, Division of Arts and Sciences, and from our patrons.

Founded in 1931, Palo Alto Players is the San Francisco Peninsula's first theatre company. Based at the Lucie Stern Theater, built explicitly for Palo Alto Players in 1933, Palo Alto Players produces a season of comedies, dramas, classics, and musicals from September to June. Audiences and participants come from all over the Bay Area to be a part of Palo Alto Players' productions. Palo Alto Players is committed to providing a meaningful theatre experience for both audience and production participants. Intrinsic in this is the belief that theatre benefits the community-at-large and enhances the quality of life of those who are touched by it through education, enlightenment, and enrichment. Palo Alto Players is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established for public benefit.

For more information about Palo Alto Players and upcoming shows, visit www.paplayers.org or call the box office at 650.329.0891.