Queens Theatre in the Park Announces 2009-2010 Season Theatre Series

Queens Theatre in the Park (QTP) announces its 2009/2010 theatre series, including the world premiere of Against the Rising Sea, featuring Tony Award-winning actress Elizabeth Franz and the development of a new musical, Opa! The Musical.

Queens Theatre in the Park's2009-2010 theatre series includes:
(All Shows are in the Main Stage unless otherwise noted.)

Opa! The Musical - October 8-25, 2009
Book by Mari Carras & Laurel Ollstein
Music by Nicholas Carras & Donald Eugster
Lyrics by Mari Carras & Donald Eugster
Greek Choreography by Anthoula Katsimatides
Directed by Sam Viverito
When a boat arrives on the tiny Greek island of Elia - for the first time in 20 years - some of the villagers' long-held secrets come to the forefront, and they are left with only one choice...to face their hidden selves, celebrate life and just say OPA!
Produced by Carras/ Papageorgiou Productions, Inc.
An Equity Showcase Production
Tickets $18. Studio Theatre
Funding is provided by Michael and Mary Jaharis and the New York Community Trust/Lila Acheson Wallace Fund for the Arts. Additional funding for The Immigrant Voices Project provided by the Greenwall Foundation, Jerome Foundation, the New York Times Company Foundation Fund for Midsize Theatres, a project of A.R.T/New York and Time Warner Inc.

Against the Rising Sea - October 15-25, 2009 - World Premiere
Written by Kelly Masterson
Directed by Joe Cacaci
Starring Patricia Conolly and Elizabeth Franz
The On Golden Pond of ourtimes, starring Tony Award-winner Elizabeth Franz (Death of a Salesman). A new relationship is rocky, an old one is challenged and a beautiful house in Provincetown becomes the catalyst in this story about the importance of honor, honesty and the enduring power of love itself.
In association with CobaltBlue Productions, LTD &Joe Cacaci
Tickets $32-38
Funding is provided by the New York Community Trust/Lila Acheson Wallace Fund for the Arts.

Rosa Parks - November 5-7, 2009
Music by Scott Ethier
Book & Lyrics by Jeff Hughes
Directed by Daniella Topol
This staged reading of the musical about one of the Civil Rights Movement's most respected heroines is brought to life through rich and beautiful songs. Rosa Parks depicts how an ordinary woman became renowned for an extraordinary, history-changing act of bravery.
Winner of a Richard Rodgers Award for staged readings, administered by the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Rosa Parks is being presented as part of The Public Theater's Music Theater Initiative.
Tickets FREE - reservations are required. Studio Theatre
Funding is provided by the New York Community Trust/Lila Acheson Wallace Fund for the Arts.

Rosa Loses Her Face -December 4-13, 2009
Written by Kitty Chen
Directed by Nancy Robillard
In this heartwarming, wildly entertaining play, unmarried New Yorker, Amy Loo, visits her mother in LA after a long absence. Amy visits with the intention of creating harmony with her mother but the gap between them widens as Rosa decides to find her daughter a husband. Amy digs in and the battle escalates. The tactics become more ruthless - and more hilarious. The sometimes antagonistic mother/daughter relationship has never been more funny.
In association with the Electric Theatre Company of Scranton.
Tickets $30-38
Funding is provided by the New York Community Trust/Lila Acheson Wallace Fund for the Arts.

Sweet Karma - December 4-20, 2009
Written by Henry Ong
Directed by Marcy Arlin
The story of Cambodian doctor Haing S. Ngor, who survived the horrors of war in Cambodia and fulfilled the American dream of winning an Oscar for his role in the film The Killing Fields. Based on a true story, Sweet Karma chronicles Ngor's amazing life in Los Angeles, as well as his dark and tragic past in a Cambodia ruled by the Khmer Rouge.
Produced by the Obie Award-winning Immigrant's Theatre Project.
An Equity Showcase Production. Studio Theatre
Tickets $20
Funding is provided by the New York Community Trust/Lila Acheson Wallace Fund for the Arts. Additional funding for The Immigrant Voices Project provided by the Greenwall Foundation, Jerome Foundation, the New York Times Company Foundation Fund for Midsize Theatres, a project of A.R.T/New York and Time Warner Inc.

Closer Than Ever - April 16-25, 2010
Music by David Shire
Lyrics by Richard Maltby, Jr.
Directed by Richard Maltby, Jr.
Queens Theatre presents the 20th anniversary production of Closer Than Ever, a lively musical done in the style of a 1960s revue. It is filled with songs that reflect on marriage, parents, children, and lasting friendships. Richard Maltby directs the production, which stars original cast members Sally Mayes and Lynne Wintersteller. Closer Than Ever received the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Off-Broadway Musical, and Maltby, Shire, and Wintersteller were each honored with Drama Desk Awards.
Presented by Queens Theatre in the Park and Bristol Riverside Theatre in association with Neil Berg and Adam Friedson.
Tickets $32-38
Funding is provided by the New York Community Trust/Lila Acheson Wallace Fund for the Arts.

Late Nite Catechism 3 - May 7-23, 2010
New York Premiere
Written by Maripat Donovan
The latest of the famous Late Nite Catechism series is sinfully funny. A dissertation on the sacraments of marriage and last rites. Every performance is different and class participation is a must! Be warned: you might want to be in your seat before show time. Sister does not tolerate latecomers!
Tickets $32-38
Funding is provided by the New York Community Trust/Lila Acheson Wallace Fund for the Arts.

Tickets are available:
* Online at www.queenstheatre.org.
* By phone at 718-760-0064, Tue-Sat, 12-6pm.
* In person at Queens Theatre in the Park, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Flushing, NY.

* Subscriptions: Become a Theatre or Dance Subscriber by ordering tickets to all four Theatre Series events or all four Dance Series events and enjoy significant savings off the ticket price.
* Multi Show: Order any three or more shows and earn the multi show discount price. This discount is available for any show this season. There is no limit on the number of tickets you can purchase at this discount. If you are already a Theatre or Dance Subscriber or have purchased at least two shows this season, you have already earned this discount on additional ticket purchases.
* Groups: Contact group sales associate Barbara Matovu at 718-760-0064 x128 for groups of 15 or more.

Queens Theatre in the Park is located in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Flushing, NY.
By Subway: Take the 7 train to Mets-Willets Point stop. Exit and turn left after passing through turnstile, walk downstairs on the parking lot side and follow the theatre shuttle signs. Take free trolley to the Theatre. Trolley runs for one hour before and after all performances.
By Car: Take the Grand Central Parkway to exit 9E (from Manhattan) or 9P (from Long Island) and follow the signs for the Theatre. Free parking in adjacent lot.

About Queens Theatre in the Park
Queens Theatre in the Park is committed to presenting performing arts that provide audiences with the highest quality work. QTP also produces new plays, with a concentration on up-and-coming directors and playwrights. QTP has broadened the experience of its core audience to include works by under-recognized artists from around the world and works that tap into the diverse communities of Queens.

Queens Theatre in the Park is located in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in the New York State Pavilion designed for the 1964 World's Fair by Philip Johnson. The Pavilion was converted to a theatre in 1972 and was operated by various organizations until 1985. QTP was officially established in 1989 with the full support of the community and the Queens Borough President. After a $4 million renovation that brought full ADA compliance, the Theatre officially opened to the public in 1993 in a facility that allows it to stage productions equal to those of any Off-Broadway house in Manhattan in its 464-seat main stage theatre and its 99-seat studio theatre. What was then a small cabaret-style theater with an operating budget of under $500,000 has transformed itself into a major performing arts center with exhibition galleries with a projected operating budget of $3.9 million for FY2009.

QTP became an independent nonprofit in 1997. It is a member of the Cultural Institutions Group receiving support from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. The Theatre presents and produces 300 performances annually. QTP serves 100,000 people annually who reflect the rich demographics of its community population. Currently 75% of the Theatre's constituency is from Queens. In addition to its own season, QTP frequently provides its space for use by community arts organizations and local promoters.

QTP has recently completed a $ 23 million physical transformation of the Theatre. This major capital investment has added a 75-seat cabaret performance space with a full service cafe and kitchen facility; created a dramatic new 3,000 square foot lobby/reception area; provided new visitor amenities and improved the facility's accessibility. These improvements have transformed Queens Theatre in the Park into a destination for the residents of the borough and beyond.

Queens Theatre in the Park events are made possible with public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, the New York State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.

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