Geva Announces Their 2010-2011 Season

Geva Theatre Center's Artistic Director Mark Cuddy is proud to announce the much anticipated 2010/2011 season of seven productions that encompass the theatrical history and tradition for which Geva is renowned. The 2010-2011 Mainstage Season will feature a Tony award-winning play about genius and jealousy; a visit by a 20th century pop icon; a fresh, new adaptation of a Dickens' classic; a tailor-made show by one of the country's funniest comedy troupes, a tale of life in 1950's Buffalo; the final installment of "August Wilson's American Century" and a classic musical which will have audiences marching in the aisles.

"Geva will bring some of the biggest stars and titles ever to the Mainstage in the new season," said Artistic Director Mark Cuddy. "We are creating magnificently diverse productions that celebrate the color and excitement of live theatre through musical brilliance, topical comedy and riveting performances."

Rochesterians are also in for a huge pre-season treat as Geva also announces two spectacular summer events: Girls Night - the Musical, in residence at Geva from July 6 - August 1; and a one-night only performance by the international phenomenon, Young @ Heart.

For over 37 years, Geva Theatre Center has been Rochester's home for great theatre offering value for money and the opportunity to enjoy superb, landmark productions in their own community. Geva Theatre Center continues to be one of the premiere cultural organizations in Rochester, the most attended regional theatre in New York State, and is seen as a leading light among professional theatres in this country.

PRE-SEASON SUMMER SPECTACULAR

GIRLS NIGHT - THE MUSICAL
JULY 6 - AUGUST 1

Share the fun & laughter at this hilarious, feel-good comedy as five girlfriends - to whom we can all relate - go from heartbreak to happiness during a wild night of karaoke. You don't need an excuse for a good time...so grab your sisters, friends and coworkers and prepare to dance in the aisles! "Lady Marmalade," "It's Raining Men," "Man, I Feel Like a Woman," "I Will Survive" and many more!

Tickets go on sale to the general public on April 15.

YOUNG @ HEART is
ALIVE AND WELL
ONE NIGHT ONLY - THURSDAY, JULY 8
"Young @ Heart is Alive & Well" has been featured in an award-winning documentary that played throughout cinemas including our own Little Theatre. Don't miss the chance to see them live in Rochester! With performers ranging in age from 70 to 89, and a repertoire steeped in Nirvana, Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane and more, Young @ Heart bridges the gap between modern and old school, bringing generations together. Young @ Heart has become infamous for its defiant and moving performances. Slaughtering any good-natured sympathy by using age as an ironic weapon, the Young @ Heart has crafted surprising and hilarious work that is not about old people performing, but rather a performance that happens to feature older people.
This concert will be performed at the Auditorium Theatre.
Tickets are now on sale for this event.

The 2010/2011 Mainstage Season

AMADEUS
By Peter Shaffer
Directed by Paul Mason Barnes
Featuring Jim Poulos as Mozart
SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER

Stunned by the brilliance of Mozart's music, and consumed by jealousy for a gift he knows he can never possess, the court composer Antonio Salieri plots to destroy the brash and fiery young genius. Full of passion and intrigue, Amadeus is a modern classic of greed, lust, and glorious music. Shaffer's 1979 play had its world premiere at London's National Theatre and transferred to Broadway in 1980 winning the Tony and Drama Desk awards for best play in 1981. In 1984, the play was made into a movie for which it was given the Best Picture Academy Award.

"Peter Shaffer's Amadeus is a brilliant work that cuts across all genres to provide something wholly unique." Talkin' Broadway

"This is just the kind of show I have in mind when I assure disbelieving Manhattanites that it's not merely possible but easy to see high-quality theater in every corner of America, flyover country very much included." Wall Street Journal

Maureen McGovern IN
CARRY IT ON
A Personal Journey through the Songs of a Generation
Co-conceived and written by Maureen McGovern and Philip Himberg
Directed by Philip Himberg
OCTOBER - NOVEMBER

From her early days as a folk singer in the 1960's, to her skyrocketing stardom as the "Disaster Theme Queen," from the towering peaks to the deepest valleys of a career in the music industry, Grammy Award winner, pop icon and Broadway star Maureen McGovern performs a moving musical memoir that chronicles a generation. McGovern explores the music which influenced her, including works by Bob Dylan, the Beatles, Joni Mitchell, Carole King and others, and takes the audience on a musical journey through her own glorious career.

"Gloriously done...a warm, pure voice with unerring pitch." The Washington Post

"It's easy to see why McGovern is such a highly regarded performer! Maureen McGovern knows how to navigate a song's emotional peaks and valleys and how to woo and win an audience. When you hear her deliver these songs, it's a reminder of how much they deserve to live on." The Boston Globe

Maureen McGovern can make a song sound new and exciting - even to its composer. Her's is a voice that you want to hear more and more." Marvin Hamlisch

A CHRISTMAS CAROL
By Charles Dickens
Newly adapted for the stage by Mark Cuddy
Music and lyrics by Gregg Coffin
Directed by Mark Cuddy
NOVEMBER - DECEMBER

Ebenezer Scrooge, Tiny Tim, and all the ghostly trappings return to Geva in a new production that is sure to create a new holiday tradition. The famous tale of redemption for the most despised man in London will awaken your heart and rekindle your spirit with songs by Gregg Coffin (Five Course Love, Convenience) and an adaptation by Geva artistic director, Mark Cuddy (co-adapter of Pride and Prejudice). Recommended for the entire family! (Please remember that children under five are not permitted in the theatre.)

I'LL BE GENESEEING YOU
SECOND CITY DOES ROCHESTER
Written and Performed by The Second City
JANUARY - FEBRUARY

Chicago's world-famous Second City comedy troupe is writing a show exclusively for Geva all about life in the Flour City (or was that Flower City?)! Can you imagine what might be included? Local icons, current gossip and ancient history will be filtered through the brilliant comedic lens of the Second City ensemble.

"A Temple of Satire." Time Magazine

"The entire recent tradition of American satire can be summed up in three words: The Second City." NY Times

OVER THE TAVERN
By Tom Dudzick
Directed by Skip Greer
FEBRUARY - MARCH

Chet and Ellen Pazinski live in a cramped apartment above their struggling Buffalo tavern in 1959, trying to raise their four teenage children at the end of the Eisenhower era. Their lives are filled with sibling rivalries, schoolgirl crushes, a strict dad, stricter nuns, spaghetti dinners and Ed Sullivan. Playwright Dudzick taps into his own Buffalo childhood with tremendous reservoirs of the heartfelt sentiment and rollicking humor that can only come from family.

"Absolutely enchanting...a little bit of heaven!" Chicago Tribune

"Over the Tavern with a heart as big as its belly laughs, is the nearest Catholic equivalent to date of Neil Simon's tenderly Jewish-American Lost in Yonkers and his Brighton Beach trilogy. Dudzick's is a voice that tells us who we were, which is, after all, the first measure of who we have become." Pittsburgh Tribune

RADIO GOLF
By August Wilson
Directed by Timothy Bond
A Co-production with Syracuse Stage
MARCH - APRIL

Geva's landmark five-year cycle, "August Wilson's American Century," concludes with a sleek and savvy battle for the soul of a neighborhood. There's a new wave of Urban Renewal in Pittsburgh's Hill District in 1997 - this time by African American entrepreneurs. Which side will win in the struggle between the neighborhood's deep-rooted identity, the new idealistic politicians who see its potential, and the corporate interests with the cash for a complete makeover? A resounding finale to Wilson's ten-play chronicle of the Twentieth Century.

"A twisting plot, which suggests a financial suspense drama like "Other People's Money" crossed with the hopeful populism of a Frank Capra movie." NY Times

"August Wilson's final play is a gift to us all." LA Splash

THE MUSIC MAN
Book, music, and lyrics by Meredith Willson
Based on a Story by Meredith Willson and Franklin Lacey
Directed by Mark Cuddy
Special Musical Consultant Jeff Tyzik
Featuring John Bolton as Professor Harold Hill
MAY - JUNE

Con-man Harold Hill poses as a boy's band leader selling instruments and uniforms to the naïve townsfolk before skipping town with the cash. When he arrives in River City, Iowa; Marian, the prim librarian sees right through him. Can he keep up the charade while falling for the bookish spinster? One of the most beloved musicals of all time, The Music Man is a joyful shout to the power of music in the human heart. RPO Principal Pops Conductor Jeff Tyzik joins the company as Special Musical Consultant and the cast is led by Broadway actor (and Rochester native) John Bolton as Harold Hill.

"Where else could Mozart and McGovern, Second City and Professor Harold Hill share the same stage?" commented Mark Cuddy. "I can't remember a season that has as many high-profile artists working on first-rate shows. It could be our finest season ever."

Season tickets are now on sale. Tickets to individual shows (excluding A Christmas Carol) will go on sale to the general public on August 1, 2010. Tickets for A Christmas Carol are currently available to season ticket holders only and will go on sale to the general public on Monday, September 27th.

Geva Theatre CENTER

Geva Theatre Center is Rochester's leading professional theatre and the most attended regional theatre in New York State. Founded in 1972, Geva attracts over 160,000 patrons annually, including more than 16,000 students. The 552-seat Elaine P. Wilson Mainstage offers a wide variety of shows, from musicals to American and world classics.

The 180-seat Ron & Donna Fielding Nextstage is home to Geva's own series of cutting-edge drama, comedy and musical theatre; Geva Comedy Improv; Geva's New Play Reading Series and the Hornet's Nest - a nationally recognized, innovative play-reading series facilitating community-wide discussion on controversial topics. The Nextstage also hosts visiting companies of both local and international renown.

Geva Theatre Center offers a wide variety of educational, outreach and literary programs, nurturing audiences and artists alike. For the past fifteen years the organization has been led by Artistic Director Mark Cuddy.

FOR RESERVATIONS AND TICKET INFORMATION,
CONTACT THE BOX OFFICE AT (585) 232-Geva (4382),
OR VISIT GEVA'S WEBSITE AT www.gevatheatre.org