Aurora Theatre Seizes The Day With Dazzling 2018-19 Season Lineup

Regional audiences can prepare to seize the day with Aurora Theatre's 2018-2019 Peach State Federal Credit Union Signature Series, announced today. The second largest professional theater in Georgia will once again bring premiere performances, heartfelt dramas and Broadway-caliber productions with extraordinary talent to the heart of downtown Lawrenceville. This season's diverse line-up features Disney's NEWSIES, BE HERE NOW, A DOLL'S HOUSE, PART 2, the world-premiere musical MEN WITH MONEY, NATIVE GARDENS and the highly anticipated return of the celebrated holiday classic CHRISTMAS CANTEEN 2018, back by popular demand for a 23rd year. The upcoming season is led by co-founders Anthony Rodriguez and Ann-Carol Pence and features a tremendous assortment of dramas, comedies and musicals that will have audiences of all ages ready to seize a season subscription!

"On the heels of one of our most successful seasons ever, we are proud that we continue to attract the best artists in the nation to bring an exceptional line-up to our patrons," said Aurora Theatre Producing Artistic Director Anthony Rodriguez. "Whether visiting Aurora Theatre for the first time or the hundredth time, audiences will experience a variety of themes this season, from romance and friendship to perseverance and heart - sure to entertain, educate and inspire!"

The upcoming Signature Series includes groundbreaking new works as well as the best of Broadway, as Aurora continues to foster meaningful artistic partnerships through co-production collaborations with local theatrical organizations, bringing the very best to devoted donors and subscribers. Patrons to the theater during the upcoming season will also witness the first steps of Aurora Theatre's 2020 expansion with an additional $26 million-dollar arts complex, including a new 500-seat theater, educational facilities and an electrifying cabaret space.

"The impact Aurora Theatre has on this community is due to our belief that cultural infrastructure is as crucial to a vibrant downtown as sidewalks, parks and roads. Because we laid an initial firm foundation of artistic excellence, people now drive to the suburbs of Atlanta to see theater," said Associate Producer Ann-Carol Pence. "Our 23rd season is going to knock your socks off, and that's a promise!"

Disney's NEWSIES

July 19 - September 2, 2018

Music by Alan Menken

Lyrics by Jack Feldman

Book by Harvey Fierstein

Based on the Disney film written by Bob Tzudiker and Noni White

Inspired by the real-life Newsboy Strike of 1899, this high-energy musical is set to soar with rousing dance numbers and non-stop thrills. In New York City at the turn of the century, publishing titans Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst look to take advantage of newsboys to increase profits. Enter charismatic Jack Kelly who unwittingly leads a ragged band of teenaged "newsies," across the city to strike for what's right. This Tony Award-winning musical, based on the timeless Disney film, is toe-tapping fun for the entire family!

BE HERE NOW

September 20 - October 14, 2018

By Deborah Zoe Laufer

Bari is in a perpetual funk, biding her time at a mind-numbing job shipping Tibetan-themed tchotchkes. Cheerful co-workers Patty and Luanne try to see past her cynical exterior through their Prozac-colored glasses. Will Bari ever leave her parents' house in provincial upstate New York? Will she finish her dissertation? Will she go on a blind date with a dude who makes art out of garbage? And what's up with her headaches and the bizarre side-effects? The answers await in this wonderfully weird comedy that will have audiences in stitches.

CHRISTMAS CANTEEN 2018

November 15 - December 23, 2018

Gwinnett's longest-running theatrical holiday tradition, Christmas Canteen 2018 returns for a 23rd smash year! This stunning musical revue makes the most wonderful time of the year even more wonderful. Brimming with songs, comic sketches, trips down memory lane and a sprinkle of Christmas magic, it's the holiday show with a little something for everyone on the list!

A DOLL'S HOUSE, PART 2

January 10 - February 10, 2019

By Lucas Hnath

A co-production between Aurora Theatre and Actor's Express

This 2017 Broadway smash-hit is a fresh comedy based on the characters of the Henrik Ibsen classic, considered to be a cornerstone of modern theater. In the original story, Nora Helmer leaves her husband and family with the slam of a door. Fifteen years later and now a successful author, Nora finds herself knocking at the same door. Then comes that awkward moment when she needs a favor from her estranged husband Torvald - a divorce.

MEN WITH MONEY

A New Musical

March 7 - April 7, 2019

Book and lyrics by Bill Nelson

Music and additional lyrics by Joseph Trefler

Audiences will love this show that is an old-fashioned, brand new musical! Louis, Max and Sonny are charming, young and eligible bachelors looking to marry their way from rags to riches. This romantic romp with a twist is full of dreams, schemes and lavish musical numbers set in the golden age mecca of Manhattan in the 1950s. It's an alternative view to the gleaming, fabulous and mighty Big Apple that will have audiences captivated as two of the leading men embark on the search for husbands!

NATIVE GARDENS

May 2 - June 2, 2019

By Karen Zacarías

Neighbors clash in a dazzling new comedy about a battle for the backyard. In one yard, Frank and Virginia, a well-established D.C. couple trim a prize-worthy pristine garden. In the other, the ambitious attorney Pablo moves in with his very pregnant wife and doctoral candidate Tania, a woman with a penchant for native flora. When a disagreement over the property line quickly escalates into a war, taste, class and entitlement push them all over the hedge.

The 2018-2019 Peach State Federal Credit Union Signature Series lineup includes:

Disney's NEWSIES

July 19 ? September 2, 2018

BE HERE NOW

September 20 - October 14, 2018

CHRISTMAS CANTEEN 2018

November 15 - December 23, 2018

A DOLL'S HOUSE, PART 2

January 10 - February 10, 2019

MEN WITH MONEY

March 7 - April 7, 2019

NATIVE GARDENS

May 2 - June 2, 2019

Ticket prices for the 2018-2019 Signature Series vary by performance. Season subscribers have the opportunity to select preferred seating starting now, whereas single-show tickets go on sale to the public starting July 1. For more information on the series or to become a season subscriber, please visit auroratheatre.com, or call the Box Office at 678.226.6222.

Under the artistic leadership of Co-Founders and Artistic Directors Anthony Rodriguez and Ann-Carol Pence, now in its 22nd Season, Aurora Theatre produces professional live entertainment to suit everyone's taste. Aurora Theatre is home to over 750 events each year. Two series of theatrical productions, the Peach State Federal Credit Union Signature Series and the GGC Harvel Lab Series, are comprised of the biggest Broadway plays and musicals alongside exciting contemporary theatre. Additionally, Aurora produces concerts, stand-up comedy, children's programs, metro Atlanta's top haunted attraction Lawrenceville Ghost Tours, as well as Atlanta's only professional Spanish language theatre, Teatro Aurora. Aurora Theatre is a world-class theatrical facility with two performance venues. Nestled on the square in historic downtown Lawrenceville, Aurora has FREE attached covered parking and is surrounded by restaurants and shops. Aurora Theatre has garnered numerous accolades highlighted by recent achievements that include a 2016 Governor's Award for the Arts & Humanities, winner of ten 2017 Suzi Bass Awards, Creative Loafing's "2010 Best Theatre Company," Georgia Trend Magazine's "2011 Best Places to Work in Georgia," Atlanta Business Chronicle's "2012 Best Places to Work", Atlanta Magazine's "Best of Atlanta 2013",Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce's 2014 President and CEO Award for Excellence in Arts, and Gwinnett Chamber's 2015 IMPACT Regional Business Award for Hospitality.