TheatreWorks' 47th Season to Feature American, World Premieres

Theatre enthusiasts packed the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts tonight to hear Founding Artistic Director Robert Kelley and Managing Director Phil Santora of TheatreWorks Silicon Valley unveil the line-up for the company's 47th season.

In an ongoing testament to the success of TheatreWorks' development of new plays and musicals, the company will launch its 2016/17 Season with a World Premiere, a hit political drama from last summer's New Works Festival. It will be followed by the American Premiere of a work that delighted London in its debut at the Menier Chocolate Factory, and the triumphant return of one of this season's favorites, Hershey Felder (who broke all attendance records with his current engagement of Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin) in the Regional Premiere of a revised work that explores the genius and tragedy of Beethoven. The season will also give Bay Area audiences a first look at the latest Broadway hit from Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright John Patrick Shanley, two classics, an international comedy-drama, and a revival of one of TheatreWorks earliest hits - a rarely-seen musical by Stephen Schwartz, Joseph Stein, and Charles Strouse. For more information or to purchase subscriptions ($138-$546), the public can call 650-463-1960 or visit www.theatreworks.org. Subscriptions are on sale now; single tickets will be on sale beginning April 6. Special pricing is available for seniors (65+), as well as patrons 35 and under

TheatreWorks' 47th season will kick off this summer with the World Premiere of a high stakes political drama, Confederates, by Suzanne Bradbeer (July 13 - August 7). In this fresh, fascinating, and intense look at today's voracious 24/7 media, perfectly timed for this election year, Bradbeer sets the stage with a dad who is running for President, a daughter with her own agenda, and reporters who are looking for a scoop, trying to make their own careers, and running out of time. Then someone unfurls a Confederate flag and it's a whole new game. Bradbeer is a playwright, librettist, and children's story writer, whose plays include Shakespeare in Vegas, The House That Jack Built, The Sleeping Girl, Naked Influence, Full Bloom, and The God Game.

The Summer will also play host to TheatreWorks Silicon Valley's 2016 New Works Festival (August 13 - 21), at which leading playwrights and composers from across the country present new works to audiences who can participate in discussions, view works-in-progress, and attend book-in-hand readings and sing-throughs of new musicals.

Next up is the American Premiere of the surprise London hit, The Life of the Party (August 24 - September 18), starring Tony Award-nominated composer Andrew Lippa. Debuted at the Menier Chocolate Factory, this delightful mash-up from the mastermind behind The Addams Family, Big Fish, and The Wild Party, was declared "sexy, sophisticated, and funny. A perfect summer night's entertainment," by The Telegraph. Other reviewers concurred, with Britishtheatre.com describing the show as "a splendid and significant contribution to the world of musical theatre performances in London." A collection of songs that tell stories, from raucous to piquant, engaging, frothy, hilarious and even somber, the show includes music from Lippa's varied career, ranging from "Be The Hero," "I Don't Need A Roof," and "Fight the Dragons" (Big Fish), "Let Me Down", "An Old Fashioned Love Story," and "Poor Child" (The Wild Party), to "I Do What I Do" and "To The Gods" (from Lippa's work in progress The Man in the Ceiling) and "Love Somebody Now" and "Are You Here" (the Harvey Milk oratorio). The Life of the Party was co-conceived by Menier Chocolate Factory Artistic Director David Babani, and Andrew Lippa, is directed by David Babani, and features a cast of four including Lippa.

In the fall, the company will present the Regional Premiere of the 2014 Tony nominee for Best Play, Outside Mullingar (October 5 - 30), the latest work by John Patrick Shanley, the Pulitzer, Tony, and Oscar-winning author of Doubt and Moonstruck. Set amidst the rustic cottages of rural Ireland, this wistful romantic comedy finds two families torn asunder over a decades-long dispute, while their eccentric, lovelorn heirs stumble their thorny way toward the brink of happiness. Funny, poetic, and deeply moving, this Broadway hit asks if it is ever too late to take a chance on love. Charles Isherwood in The New York Times said Outside Mullingar "Represents Mr. Shanley's finest work since Doubt."

TheatreWorks presents a charming musical romance for the holidays, with the triumphant return of Daddy Long Legs (November 30 - December 23), with book by John Caird, music and lyrics by Paul Gordon, based on the novel by Jean Webster. This musical confection, from the composer of Jane Austen's Emma and Broadway's Jane Eyre, was premiered by TheatreWorks in 2010, and went on to national productions, making its New York debut this past season where it became the first ever Broadway or off-Broadway production to be live-streamed. The Tony Award-winning co-director and adapter of LES MISERABLES Caird joined forces with Gordon to tell the story of Jerusha Abbott, a talented orphan sent to a prestigious college in the early 1900s by an anonymous benefactor. With the stipulation that she write him monthly letters, and having only seen a glimpse of his elongated shadow on a wall, Jerusha whimsically dubs her unknown correspondent "Daddy Long Legs." Through witty wistful letters, the audience follows along as Jerusha discovers independence, education, and romance, becoming a delightfully liberated and self-confident American woman. Daddy Long Legs captured critical praise, with The New York Times calling it, "A great treat," The Huffington Post predicting it will be "adored and cherished by women of all ages," Broadway.com declaring it "An enchanting new musical with an exquisite score. An absolute charmer that's perfect for date night and suitable for the whole family," and Variety pronouncing it "A wholesome tuner in tune with the times."

In the New Year, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley will present a classic American comedy, Beth Henley's Crimes of the Heart (January 11 - February 4). Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best American Play, this hurricane of hilarity and hurt finds the three McGrath sisters is a state of disarray. Reunited at the family home in Hazelhurst, Mississippi, Lenny's turning 30, Meg's fresh from rehab, and Babe's out on bail, testing boundaries in a world full of pitfalls and a town without pity. Crimes of the Heart was adapted into a film starring Jessica Lange, Sissy Spacek, Diane Keaton, and Sam Shepard.

In the spring, TheatreWorks presents the Regional Premiere of Calligraphy, an international comedy drama by Velina Hasu Houston (March 8 - April 2). Set in Los Angeles and Tokyo, past and present and East and West collide as two cousins - biracial American Hiromi and Japanese free spirit Sayuri - confront tradition, prejudice, and their heritage of filial duty, in one final attempt to reunite their aging parents. Houston has written over thirty plays including sixteen commissions in a career that began in New York at Manhattan Theatre Club and Negro Ensemble Company. Her plays have been produced throughout the U.S. and internationally, including: the Old Globe Theatre, George Street Playhouse, Pittsburgh Public Theatre, Smithsonian Institution, Pasadena Playhouse, Syracuse Stage, and others.

Next up is a revival of one of America's greatest unknown musicals, the rarely seen Rags, a musical saga of the immigrant journey (April 5 - 30). With book by Joseph Stein (Fiddler on the Roof, Zorba), music by Charles Strouse (Bye Bye Birdie, Annie, Applause), and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Pippin, Godspell) this soaring, tuneful story highlights a sweeping saga of dreams and disillusion. Passion, good humor, and fierce determination light the ragtag journey of Jewish refugee Rebecca and her son from persecution to new lives in the teeming, turn-of-the-century tenements of New York. TheatreWorks presented Rags in 1989, shortly after its Broadway run, and it proved to be a hit for the company, with The Mercury News calling it "A winner, warm and witty. You are tempted to rise cheering."

The season closes with a new musical play and return by Hershey Felder, who wowed TheatreWorks audiences this season in his tour-de-force portrayal Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin, which has shattered all box office records. Felder will perform a fascinating new piece entitled Hershey Felder, BEETHOVEN, (June 7 - July 2). This Regional Premiere, which revisits Felder's earlier Beethoven, As I Knew Him tells the compelling, complicated story of Ludwig van Beethoven through the eyes of Gerhard von Breuning, the son of Beethoven's best friend. Researched and written by Felder, the piece reveals Beethoven's turbulent life, including his childhood under an abusive and alcoholic father, and the tragic loss of hearing which began around age 26. Von Breuning was only a child when he first encountered the Maestro, but was a constant companion in Beethoven's later years, and Felder vividly brings to life the young observer, the Maestro himself, and his contemporaries, painting a brilliant, illuminating portrait. As Felder performs selections of the composer's most famous works, including Moonlight Sonata, Pathetique Sonata, Ode to Joy, Grosse Fugue, and Beethoven's great Emperor Concerto, Hershey Felder, BEETHOVEN becomes a journey through time that allows audiences a window into genius. ChicagoCritic.com said, "Hershey Felder's mesmerizing performance channel's Beethoven's soul."

Five productions will be mounted at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts and three will be staged at Palo Alto's Lucie Stern Theatre. In chronological order, the TheatreWorks Silicon Valley 2016/17 season is as follows:

A High Stakes Political Drama

Confederates

By Suzanne Bradbeer

World Premiere

JULY 13-AUGUST 7, 2016 (opening night: July 16)

LUCIE STERN THEATRE, PALO ALTO

Dad's running for President. Daughter's running wild. And the press is running out of time. With the campaign in full swing, someone unfurls a confederate flag and the scandal hits the fan. The provocative hit of TheatreWorks' 2015 New Works Festival, this headline-hot political drama is a fresh, fascinating look at today's muckraking media and the world it relentlessly pursues. Contains mature language.

A Joyous Musical Revue

THE LIFE OF THE PARTY

A Celebration of the Songs of Andrew Lippa

Conceived by David Babani and Andrew Lippa

Music and Lyrics by Andrew Lippa

Directed by David Babani

American Premiere

AUGUST 24-SEPT. 18, 2016 (opening night: August 27)

MOUNTAIN VIEW CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

Reprising its hit run at London's Menier Chocolate Factory, this spectacular musical evening stars renowned Tony Award-nominated composer Andrew Lippa and friends in a sexy, sophisticated, and funny revue of hits from Broadway's hilarious The Addams Family and tender Big Fish, his award-winning The Wild Party, poignant I Am Harvey Milk, and many more. Audiences can expect sensational surprises along the way in this laugh-filled evening of song and sophistication. Contains mature subject matter.

"Sexy, sophisticated, and funny. 5 Stars!" -- The Telegraph, London

A Wry Romantic Comedy

Outside Mullingar

By John Patrick Shanley

Directed by Robert Kelley

Regional Premiere

OCTOBER 5-30, 2016 (opening night: October 8)

MOUNTAIN VIEW CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

With a touch of blarney and a wealth of heart, the Oscar, Pulitzer, and Tony Award-winning author of Moonstruck and Doubt conjures up a wry and wondrous romantic comedy with a dark Irish twist. Family feuds and rustic fences have kept two eccentric, lovelorn neighbors apart since childhood, but in this passionate, compassionate Broadway hit it's never too late to take a chance on love.

"Shanley's finest work since Doubt." --The New York Times

A Musical Romance for the Holidays

Daddy Long Legs

Book by John Caird

Music and Lyrics by Paul Gordon

Based on the 1912 Novel by Jean Webster

Directed by Robert Kelley

NOVEMBER 30-DECEMBER 31, 2016 (opening night: December 3)

LUCIE STERN THEATRE, PALO ALTO

From the creator of Jane Austen's Emma, and the Tony Award-winning director of Les Miserables, comes an intimate musical valentine that captivated the Bay Area and has since charmed audiences in London, Tokyo, and New York. Its joyous return for the holidays is set in suffragette-era New England, where a spirited orphan girl is sent to a prestigious college by a mysterious benefactor. Her heart-warming journey to independence, education, and romance is chronicled in a wealth of witty letters and glorious songs.

"Enchanting, an absolute charmer suitable for the whole family."-Broadway World

A Classic American Comedy

Crimes of the Heart

By Beth Henley

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and New York Drama Critics Circle Award

JANUARY 11-FEB. 4, 2017 (opening night: January 14)

MOUNTAIN VIEW CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

Three hard-luck Mississippi sisters are betrayed by their passions in this Southern Gothic classic--a zany, warm-hearted, and brilliantly imaginative tale of relationships run amok and dreams gone awry. In a hurricane of hilarity and hurt, Lenny's turning 30, Meg's fresh from rehab, and Babe's out on bail, testing the boundaries of sisterhood in a world full of pitfalls and a town without pity.

"Overflows with infectious high spirits." --New York Times

An East/West Comic Drama

Calligraphy

By Velina Hasu Houston

Directed by Leslie Martinson

Regional Premiere

MARCH 8-APRIL 2, 2017 (opening night: March 11)

LUCIE STERN THEATRE, PALO ALTO

Two continents, two cultures, two estranged sisters, and two cousins a world apart struggling to bridge the gap between them - all are boldly calligraphed in this international comic drama set in Los Angeles and Tokyo, past and present. East and West collide as biracial American Hiromi and Japanese free spirit Sayuri confront tradition, prejudice, and their heritage of filial duty in one final attempt to reunite their aging parents.

"Intimate, sensitive...the emotional stakes are high." --Los Angeles Times

A Musical Saga of Immigrant America

Rags

Book by Joseph Stein

Music by Charles Strouse

Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz

Directed by Robert Kelley

America's Greatest Unknown Musical

APRIL 5-30, 2017 (opening night: April 8)

MOUNTAIN VIEW CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

Hope, good will, and fierce determination light the ragtag journey of Jewish immigrant Rebecca and her son from European persecution to new lives in the teeming, turn-of-the-century tenements of New York in this exhilarating musical from the creators of Fiddler on the Roof and Wicked. A soaring, tuneful score highlights this sweeping saga of dreams and disillusion, of love lost and inspiration found, of the heart and soul of the American character.

"A winner, warm and witty...you are tempted to rise cheering."-The Mercury News

An Extraordinary Musical Play

Hershey Felder, BEETHOVEN

Book by Hershey Felder

Music of Ludwig van Beethoven

Directed by Joel Zwick

Regional Premiere

JUNE 7-JULY 2, 2017 (opening night: June 10)

MOUNTAIN VIEW CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

Following his triumph as Irving Berlin, the brilliant Hershey Felder now brings Ludwig van Beethoven to life through the eyes of a Viennese doctor, who spent his boyhood by the Maestro's side. Featuring some of the composer's greatest works, from the "Moonlight Sonata" to the "Ninth Symphony" and the "Emperor Concerto," this intense, illuminating, unforgettable journey through time will immerse audiences in the astounding life of the Maestro and the genius that transcended it all.

"A hypnotic production ... a chamber music piece of exquisite beauty."

-Chicago Sun Times

Since its founding in 1970, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley has become one of the nation's leaders in cultivating and producing new musicals and plays, developing and premiering more than 66 works by new and veteran artists and over 160 regional premieres. The company's New Works Festival and Writers' Retreat programs attract authors and composers of national stature (Beth Henley, Paul Gordon, Marsha Norman, Henry Krieger, Stephen Schwartz, Duncan Sheik, Joe DiPietro, and Andrew Lippa, among many others), providing an artistic home in which America's theatre artists can create new works. In addition, the company has developed scores of works which have gone on to both regional and Off-Broadway productions. A home for artists developing new works, it was at TheatreWorks that Memphis, the 2010 Tony Award-winning musical, was first workshopped and received its world premiere.

TheatreWorks Silicon Valley is an Equity/LORT theatre, producing eight shows annually, playing to more than 100,000 patrons a year. TheatreWorks continues its dedication to the Bay Area community with increased audience services and subscriber benefits, Wednesday discussion nights, and opening night celebrations in which the community is invited to mingle with writers, cast, and crew. In addition, TheatreWorks offers many public services such as the costume rental program, and the education outreach program that reaches some 25,000 students annually with in-class workshops, student matinees, summer camps, the Young Playwrights Project, the touring assembly Oskar Trilogy, and The Healing Project at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital.

For more information or to purchase subscriptions ($138-$546), the public can call 650-463-1960 or visit www.theatreworks.org. Subscriptions are on sale now; single tickets will be on sale beginning April 6. Special pricing is available for seniors (65+), as well as patrons 35 and under.