BONNIE & CLYDE Comes to TheatreZone in January

Bonnie & Clyde: The Musical is the electrifying, true story of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, set to a Tony Award-nominated musical score of power ballads and jazz and blues numbers by the legendary Frank Wildhorn (Jekyll & Hyde, Civil War, Dracula). The musical, to be performed by Naples' TheatreZone Jan. 11-21, follows the arc of youthful fantasies gone terribly wrong.

The well-known history of Bonnie and Clyde will be imaginatively told in TheatreZone's performance of Bonnie & Clyde: The Musical, from the book by Ivan Menchell. The production offers a perspective of the duo's relationship against the background of extraordinary music.

 

Bonnie (Brittany Ambler) is a starstruck 20-year-old waitress dreaming of fame as an actress, poet and singer. Clyde (Robert Koutras) romanticizes Billy the Kid and Al Capone and imagines a life of wealth and ease obtained by store and bank robberies.

 

Bonnie and Clyde meet after Clyde breaks out of prison and is already on the run. They bond over their shared fantasies of larger-than-life destinies and fall in love. With Clyde leading the way, they go on a robbery spree that turns to murder.

 

From two small-town nobodies to Texas law enforcement's worst nightmare, the pair's bold and reckless behavior turns their thrilling adventure into a downward spiral as they achieve the fame they sought, albeit ill-begotten. Forced to stay on the run, the infamous duo's notoriety grows, and their inevitable end draws near.

 

“Bonnie and Clyde are 20th Century legends whose criminal escapades captured the fascination of the country during the Great Depression,” said Mark Danni, founding artistic director of TheatreZone. “The show depicts their criminal exploits as well as their backgrounds and romance, which are keys to understanding their characters. In addition, the relationship between Blanche Barrow (Rachael Lord) and Buck Barrow (Matthew Blake Johnson), Clyde's sister-in-law and brother, is also expertly drawn in the book by Ivan Menchell.”

“The music in Bonnie & Clyde is rousing and dramatic,” adds Danni. “Power ballads and jazz and blues numbers evoke the era and capture the relationships between the couples. The beautiful orchestration by John McDaniel uses guitar, mandolin, banjo, violin, flute, and many more instruments to express the emotions in the musical.”

 

Bonnie & Clyde's composer Frank Wildhorn and lyricist Don Black received a 2012 Tony Award nomination for “Best Original Score” and 2012 Drama Desk Awards nominations for “Outstanding Music” (Wildhorn) and “Outstanding Lyrics” (Black).

 

TheatreZone's six-person band is conducted by Charles Fornara. Musicians are Joe Otero (guitar, banjo, mandolin); Erik Berg (violin); Zachary Deeter (clarinet, English Horn, flute, piccolo, alto sax, soprano sax); Adam Costello (bass clarinet, clarinet, tenor sax); Joe Choomack (bass), and Scott Crawford (drums).

On the “second Thursday” of the Bonnie & Clyde schedule, Thursday, Jan. 18, the audience is invited to stay after the show for a Talkback, an opportunity to meet the show's cast and directors for candid and casual Q&As while enjoying refreshments from the honor bar. There is no charge for the Talkback.

Bonnie & Clyde: The Musical will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 11-14 and Jan. 18-21. Matinees will be performed at 2 p.m. Jan. 13-14 and Jan. 20-21. Tickets are $50, $65 and $85 at www.theatre.zone.

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