DISASTER! Comes to The Warner

Earthquakes, tidal waves, infernos and the unforgettable songs of the 70's take center stage in this side-splitting homage to classic disaster films when the Warner Stage Company presents DISASTER! A 70'S DISASTER MOVIE MUSICAL in the Nancy Marine Studio Theatre June 15-23, 2019! DISASTER! is a new musical straight from Broadway, featuring scintillating hits such as "Knock on Wood," "Hooked on a Feeling," "Sky High," "I Am Woman" and "Hot Stuff" in this hilarious comedy with a book by three-time Emmy-Award nominee and SiriusXM Broadway host, Seth Rudetsky and Jack Plotnick.

It's 1979, and New York's hottest A-listers are lining up for the opening of a floating casino and discotheque. Also attending is a faded disco star, a sexy nightclub singer with her eleven-year-old twins, a disaster expert, a feminist reporter, an older couple with a secret, a pair of young guys who are looking for ladies, an untrustworthy businessman and a nun with a gambling addiction. What begins as a night of boogie fever quickly changes to panic as the ship succumbs to multiple disasters, such as earthquakes, tidal waves and infernos. As the night turns into day, everyone struggles to survive and, quite possibly, repair the love that they've lost... or at least escape the killer rats. Audiences and critics are wild for this hilarious homage to the era of bell-bottoms, platform shoes and the hustle. With larger-than-life characters, snappy dialogue and some of the most recognizable songs of the '70s, DISASTER! will have you dancing in your seats and rolling in the aisles!

World Performances are June 15, 21 & 22 at 8 pm and June 16 & 23 at 2 pm. The Warner Stage Company production of DISASTER! A 70'S DISASTER MOVIE MUSICAL is directed by Katherine Ray with music direction by Dan Ringuette and choreography by Caitlin Beaudry. The cast features Patrick Spadaccino, Jason Maur, Matt Austin, Kelly White, Josh Newey, Lauren Jacob, Sydney Norwell, Amanda Friedman, Sharon W. Houk, Keith Paul, Martha Irving, Zachary Taylor, Abbey Elias, Sara Wilson and Chelsea Kaneb. To purchase tickets, call the Warner Box Office at 860-489-7180 or visit warnertheatre.org. Presented by special arrangement with Music Theatre International, Inc. The Warner Stage Company's presenting sponsor is Charlotte Hungerford Hospital. The Nancy Marine Studio Theatre series is sponsored by Northwest Community Bank

Built by Warner Brothers Studios and opened in 1931 as a movie palace (1,772 seats), the Warner Theatre was described then as "Connecticut's Most Beautiful Theatre." Damaged extensively in a flood, the Warner was slated for demolition in the early 1980s until the non-profit Northwest Connecticut Association for the Arts (NCAA) was founded and purchased the theatre. The Warner reopened as a performing arts center in 1983, and restoration of the main lobbies and auditorium was completed in November 2002. In 2008, the new 50,000 square foot Carole and Ray Neag Performing Arts Center, which houses a 300 seat Studio Theatre, 200 seat restaurant and expansive school for the arts, was completed. Today, the Warner is in operation year-round with more than 160 performances and 100,000 patrons passing through its doors each season. Over 10,000 students, pre K-adult, participate in arts education programs and classes. Together, with the support of the community, the Warner has raised close to $17 million to revitalize its facilities. NCAA's mission is to preserve the Warner Theatre as an historic landmark, enhance its reputation as a center of artistic excellence and a focal point of community involvement, and satisfy the diverse cultural needs of the region.