Long Beach Playhouse's 85th Mainstage Season to Include 'SALESMAN,' 'SUPERSTAR,' 'STARK' & More

The Long Beach Playhouse iwill present its 2014 - 2015 Mainstage season opening September 27. This year's offerings are an exhilarating mix of suspense, comedy and, of course, drama. As always, the works are selected with the audience in mind and with a goal to create a mosaic of plays that entertain and engage the hearts and minds of those who attend. Well-known playwrights including Agatha Christie and Arthur Miller intermingle with contemporary writers like Tom Stoppard and Lynn Nottage to bring an outstanding mix of classic favorites and new works to the Mainstage. This is a season you won't want to miss.

September 27 - October 25, 2014
The 39 Steps by Patrick Barlow, John Buchan

Do you love mysteries? Do you love physical comedy? Are you a Hitchcock aficionado? Then The 39 Steps is the show for you. Imagine Monty Python presenting a maddeningly-fast-paced tribute to Hitchcock and playing all the parts. Revolving around a mysterious organization called "The 39 Steps," this production will take you on a wild manhunt, thrill you with strangely imaginative special effects, and introduce you to more than 150 zany characters (played by 4 performers). This Tony and Drama Desk Award-winning treat is packed with nonstop laughs, madness, mayhem, murder, and some good old-fashioned romance!

November 8 - December 6, 2014
Arms and the Man by George Bernard Shaw

It is 1885, the height of the Serbo-Bulgarian war. An armed soldier breaks into a young woman's bedroom and demands refuge. Doesn't sound much like a comedy! But coming from the fertile mind of George Bernard Shaw, these events set in motion a witty look at governmental posturing, infidelity, social structures, and the passionate pursuit of chocolate creams. Will young Raina marry her war hero? Will social lines be crossed to find true love? Will romantic affairs be revealed? Will duels be fought over faithfulness and sweets? Watch as National and Moral borders blur in this brilliant comedy of manners.

December 13 - 21, 2014
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, adapted by Gregory Cohen

Returning for its third incarnation at Long Beach Playhouse, this quick-paced, highly theatrical re-telling of Charles Dickens' classic tale of sin and redemption will delight the entire family. In nineteenth century England, the ghosts of Christmases past, present and future show tight-fisted miser, Ebenezer Scrooge, the poverty of his material wealth and the blessings that come with generosity. Can they convince him to change before it's too late? This production will be the Christmas party needed to set you and your loved ones on the path to holiday cheer.

January 17 - February 14, 2015
Murder on the Nile by Agatha Christie

Is there any better way to celebrate a marriage than a romantic honeymoon aboard a paddle steamer cruising down the Nile? There must be, especially if the bride ends up dead and the groom grievously wounded! In this classic by the modern mistress of mystery, we travel through the Dark Continent along with master sleuth, Canon Pennefather, as he uncovers an audacious conspiracy and brings the criminals to justice. Passion, jealousy, infidelity, and murder, make this a honeymoon cruise you will not soon forget. Play along and see if you can solve the crime before they are revealed.

February 28 - March 28, 2015
The Real Thing by Tom Stoppard

The brilliantly witty and biting writing talents of the author of The Real Inspector Hound and Shakespeare in Love makes every moment of this backstage comedy intellectually and emotionally engaging. An articulate and romantically idealistic playwright receives a challenge from his wife - take the inept play of a "political prisoner" named Brodie and rework it into a theatrical triumph. In the process, the writer must show his wife that Brodie is more of a thug than a victim of political repression, all the while challenging his own long-held concepts of love, marriage and fidelity.

April 11 - May 9, 2015
By the Way, Meet Vera Stark by Lynn Nottage

In a new dramatic comedy from Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, Lynn Nottage, this funny yet thoughtful play draws upon the screwball films of the 1930s to take an insightful look at racial stereotypes in Hollywood. Based on a true story, By The Way, Meet Vera Stark is a journey through the life of an African-American maid and actress and her relationship with her boss, a white Hollywood starlet. Jumping from a low-rent apartment to a Hollywood Mansion, from 1930s show-biz to a 21st Century historical seminar, racial imagery and cinematic fame have never been more entertaining.

May 23 - June 20, 2015
Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller

Willy Loman has become the quintessential image of the traveling salesman, forever chasing his dream of success, but always falling short of true contentment and happiness. Presented in a series of dreamlike flashbacks, we see the failing philosophy of Willy's life, even as he stubbornly hangs onto the need to be liked. Seeing his failed dreams reflected back from his sons, his hopes and regrets are shared by everyone who has questioned life choices. This is truly a thrilling work of deep and revealing beauty by one of the true masters of American Drama.

July 11 - August 15, 2015
Jesus Christ Superstar by Lyrics by Tim Rice | Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber

Jesus Christ, the world's first superstar! This thrilling rock-opera takes a sometimes irreverent, always impassioned, look at Jesus' last days. As Judas begins to question the motivations and methods of his friend and mentor, emotion and true belief is put to the test. Propelled by a stirring score by the creators of Phantom of the Opera and Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar illuminates the transcendent power of the human spirit with a passion that goes straight to the heart. A true classic of modern musical theatre, you'll never get closer to this biblical story than at the Long Beach Playhouse.

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